WWDTM: Rhea Seehorn

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• The episode features special guest Rhea Seehorn, star of *Better Call Saul* and the new show *Pluribus*, joining panelists Josh Gondelman, Hari Kondabolu, and Paula Poundstone.  Copied to clipboard!
• The show included a segment where listener Rachel from Waukee, Iowa, a pelvic floor physical therapist, played the 'Who's Bill This Time?' quiz.  Copied to clipboard!
• The panel discussed several news items, including unflattering *Vanity Fair* photos of Trump administration aides, the bankruptcy of iRobot (maker of Roomba), and Connecticut launching a Hallmark Christmas movie tourist map.  Copied to clipboard!

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NPR Pledge Drive Opening

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(00:00:14)

• Key Takeaway: NPR is soliciting end-of-year financial support to continue reporting news and providing lighthearted content despite anticipated federal funding losses.
• Summary: Host Peter Sagal urged listeners to support NPR and local stations before the end of the year at plus.npr.org. Support unlocks perks like bonus episodes and ensures continued public media operations. The show promises jokes and fun conversations to lighten the end-of-week load.

Show Introduction and Guest Reveal

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(00:01:21)

• Key Takeaway: The episode features Rhea Seehorn, star of Better Call Saul and the new show Pluribus, as the special guest.
• Summary: Bill Curtis introduced the show, and Peter Sagal welcomed the audience and announced the guest, Rhea Seehorn. Sagal joked that the show’s producer liked her so much he created a new show, Pluribus, for her to star in. The show’s phone number for listener participation was provided.

Listener Contestant Introduction

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(00:02:16)

• Key Takeaway: Listener contestant Rachel, a physical therapist specializing in pelvic floor issues from Waukee, Iowa, joined the game.
• Summary: Rachel called in from Waukee, Iowa, identifying her profession as a physical therapist. Her specialty is treating pelvic floor issues, including bowel, bladder, and pelvic pain. The host acknowledged the sensitive nature of her work for public radio.

Panelist Introductions

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(00:03:03)

• Key Takeaway: The panelists introduced were Paula Poundstone, Hari Kondabolu (host of Health Stuff podcast), and Josh Gondelman (performing in Seattle and Portland).
• Summary: Paula Poundstone was introduced, followed by Hari Kondabolu, host of the Health Stuff podcast. Josh Gondelman was introduced next, noting his upcoming performances in Seattle and Portland. The contestant was then prepared to play ‘Who’s Bill This Time?’

‘Who’s Bill This Time?’ Round 1

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(00:04:00)

• Key Takeaway: The first quote concerned Christopher Anderson’s unflattering Vanity Fair photos of senior Trump administration aides, which panelists likened to dermatological warnings or mugshots.
• Summary: The first quote was from photographer Christopher Anderson regarding his Vanity Fair spread on Trump administration aides. Panelists joked that the close-up photos made aides look hideous, with Stephen Miller compared to a hairless cat. They separated criticism of the people’s looks from criticism of their alleged evil nature.

‘Who’s Bill This Time?’ Round 2

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(00:06:46)

• Key Takeaway: The second quote, ‘Today sucks,’ came from the CEO of iRobot, the company that makes the Roomba vacuum, which recently filed for bankruptcy.
• Summary: The second quote was attributed to the CEO of the company that makes the Roomba robot vacuum. Panelists joked that the product itself is supposed to suck, but the company could not find its way back to the charger. The contestant correctly identified the company as iRobot.

‘Who’s Bill This Time?’ Round 3

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(00:08:41)

• Key Takeaway: The third quote listed titles of Hallmark Christmas movies, referencing a new Connecticut tourist map highlighting filming locations.
• Summary: The final quote listed titles like ‘Soul Santa’ and ‘Romance at Reindeer Lodge,’ referencing a new Connecticut map for Hallmark Christmas movie filming locations. Panelists joked about the romanticized expectations versus the reality of small-town men. The contestant correctly identified the topic as Christmas movies.

Listener Contestant Results and Transition

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(00:11:09)

• Key Takeaway: Contestant Rachel correctly answered all three quotes in ‘Who’s Bill This Time?’ and won the prize of a chosen voice on her voicemail.
• Summary: Rachel correctly identified all three news items, earning her the win. Peter Sagal congratulated her on her perfect job. The show then transitioned to the panelist game segment.

Panel Game: AI Vending Machine News

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(00:11:33)

• Key Takeaway: An AI-powered vending machine experiment by Anthropic for the Wall Street Journal resulted in the machine losing $2,000 after giving away inventory, ordering dog treats, and believing the year was 1962.
• Summary: Josh Gondelman introduced a story about an AI vending machine that could self-order and price items. During its trial, the machine gave away inventory, bought and gifted a PlayStation 5, ordered a live fish mascot, and ultimately lost $2,000. This was contrasted humorously with the Roomba company filing for bankruptcy.

Panel Game: Bluff the Listener Setup

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(00:14:57)

• Key Takeaway: Listener Lisa Peterson from Las Cruces, New Mexico, joined the ‘Bluff the Listener’ game about new wearable technology.
• Summary: Lisa Peterson from Las Cruces, New Mexico, joined the game where she must distinguish a true news item from panelist bluffs. The topic focused on new wearable technology, prompting panelists to invent gadgets for various body parts or functions.

Bluff Segment: Wearable Tech Bluffs

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(00:16:06)

• Key Takeaway: Hari Kondabolu bluffed about a Mayo Clinic smartwatch for kids that alerts parents to impending temper tantrums by detecting increased heart rate or movement.
• Summary: Hari Kondabolu claimed the Mayo Clinic created a smartwatch for children that alerts parents to tantrums via an AI app detecting physiological changes. Paula Poundstone bluffed about a watch detecting venom spikes in the bloodstream. Josh Gondelman bluffed about Apple releasing a ‘handsome watch’ prioritizing aesthetics over function, featuring equally sized hour and minute hands.

Bluff Segment Winner and Reveal

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(00:20:51)

• Key Takeaway: Hari Kondabolu’s story about the Mayo Clinic’s tantrum-preventing smartwatch for children was the true news item.
• Summary: Lisa chose Hari’s story, which was confirmed as true by an audio clip featuring Arjun Atreya from the Mayo Clinic discussing predicting temper outbursts. Lisa won the prize for correctly identifying the true story.

Guest Interview: Rhea Seehorn on Better Call Saul

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(00:21:14)

• Key Takeaway: Rhea Seehorn confirmed that Better Call Saul actors, including herself and Patrick Fabian, lived in suspense over their characters’ fates since Kim Wexler was not in Breaking Bad.
• Summary: Peter Sagal welcomed Rhea Seehorn and discussed her new show Pluribus. Seehorn confirmed that she and co-star Patrick Fabian would check scripts anxiously to see if their characters survived, similar to The Sopranos cast. Fabian kept his character’s death a secret even from his wife until the episode aired.

Guest Interview: Early Career and Magic the Gathering

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(00:26:05)

• Key Takeaway: Rhea Seehorn’s first professional acting credit listed on IMDb was playing the ’tutorial sorceress’ in the original Magic the Gathering video game, where she wore tube socks taped to look like gladiator boots.
• Summary: Seehorn revealed her first credit was the tutorial sorceress in the Magic the Gathering video game. She described the low-budget costume involving tube socks taped to resemble boots. She later tried to get a free copy of the game at Best Buy by showing her picture on the box.

Guest Game: Christmas Carol Trivia

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(00:28:25)

• Key Takeaway: Rhea Seehorn correctly answered three trivia questions about Christmas carols, including one about Tyra Banks’ ‘Santa Smize’ and John Denver’s ‘Please, Daddy, Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas.’
• Summary: The game, ‘It’s Christmas, Carol,’ tested Seehorn on holiday music trivia. She correctly identified Tyra Banks’ song as one of the worst new carols and knew John Denver recorded the sad song ‘Please, Daddy, Don’t Get Drunk This Christmas.’ She also knew a child singer actually received a hippopotamus after her 1953 hit song.

Listener Limerick Challenge Setup

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(00:38:45)

• Key Takeaway: Listener Cynthia from Los Angeles, a project manager for the fashion company Rails, played the Limerick Challenge.
• Summary: Cynthia, who works for the fashion company Rails, joined the limerick game. The first limerick concerned the trend of leaving Christmas trees ‘bear’ (bare) this year. The second limerick referenced fans in China buying venomous pit vipers after seeing the movie Zootopia.

Limerick Challenge Round 3 and Results

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(00:42:06)

• Key Takeaway: The final limerick discussed a study showing pop song lyrics have become 81% more stressed and gloomy over the last 50 years, which Cynthia correctly completed with ‘dark.’
• Summary: The final limerick asked what pop songs have become over 50 years due to gloomy lyrics, with Cynthia correctly answering ‘dark.’ She won the game by getting all three limericks correct. Josh Gondelman was then set up for the final Lightning Fill in the Blank round.

Lightning Fill in the Blank: Scoring and Play

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(00:44:54)

• Key Takeaway: Josh Gondelman won the overall game with 15 points after scoring six correct answers in the final Lightning Fill in the Blank round, surpassing Paula Poundstone’s 11 points.
• Summary: Paula Poundstone played first, scoring five correct answers. Hari Kondabolu followed, getting two correct answers. Josh Gondelman needed four points to tie or five to win and secured the victory with six correct answers. His correct answers included Trump blaming Biden for inflation and the Academy Awards moving to YouTube streaming in 2029.

Final Predictions and Show Wrap-up

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(00:50:57)

• Key Takeaway: Panelists predicted future holiday gifts, including a ‘heated rivalry body pillow’ (Josh), ‘Barbie’s dream house now with unnecessary ballroom’ (Hari), and ‘a hot chocolate with mushrooms’ (Paula).
• Summary: The panelists offered their predictions for the big Christmas gift of the year. Josh Gondelman suggested a heated rivalry body pillow for hockey players. Hari Kondabolu predicted an updated Barbie dream house featuring an unnecessary ballroom. Peter Sagal thanked the guest, Rhea Seehorn, and the audience before concluding the episode.