My rebuttal to 'Wait, Wait' taping was Va. nerd heaven

I share with you now from the Daily Press:

'Wait, Wait' taping was Va. nerd heaven

The popular NPR program did a show at the Sandler Center that revealed the number of a senator's tattoos.

BY MARK NEWTON
June 7, 2008

The lights came down June 5 in the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts in Virginia Beach and so did a disco ball.

In NBA fashion, the stars of National Public Radio's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me" emerged from the sidelines to take the stage.

However, it was the news radio veteran and show judge Carl Kasell that ran on stage with his arms above his head.

To say that the program's collision of humor, politics, stupid criminals and other weird items was about the nerdiest event ever would be an understatement.

But, the Peabody Award-winning show attracts 2.6 million listeners on nearly 450 NPR stations nationwide, and its podcast edition recently surpassed 1 million downloads.

The Sandler Center, which housed the Virginia Arts Festival event, was packed, and only the most expensive seats remained available a few days prior.

Peter Sagal hosts the game show with a panel of celebrity judges and a celebrity guest. During the show, listeners call in and answer a series of questions based on current events.

June 5, the panel included Kasell, P.J. O'Rourke, a correspondent for "Atlantic Monthly;" Roxanne Roberts, author of the Washington Post's "Reliable Source" column, and author Tom Bodett.

The celebrity guest and contestant on the "Not My Job" segment was U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who told an entire auditorium of people — and soon the entire nation — that when he's wearing a swimsuit, you can see two of his three tattoos.

In the "Not My Job" segment, he had to answer questions about an area with which he was unfamiliar. His topic: the life of A&P heir Huntington Hartford.

The senator, who was playing for a caller, correctly answered only one of three questions, so he did not win the prize: Kasell's voice on the caller's home answering machine.

Sagal says the prize was originally offered as a joke and is "priceless and worthless at the same time." But the fans love it.

During the two hours of taping for the 45-minute show, Sagal repeatedly praised the audience saying, "you help us perpetuate our scam."

Sagal says the show has wonderful fans, which is "gratifying" because they're "not the kind of people to tear our clothes off."

News to Use "Wait, Wait ... Don't Tell Me" airs locally on WHRV 89.5 FM on Saturdays at 11 a.m. The podcast is available from iTunes or the "Wait Wait" site, http://www.npr.org/waitwait, on Sunday nights.

Copyright © 2008, Newport News, Va., Daily Press

MY COMMENT:

"Nerd heaven"? That's a bit harsh. Does this tell us something about the quality of reporters at the newspaper? You think Intelligent humor = nerd? Shame, shame! Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me! is a wonderful respite from the banality of typical potty-mouth comedy. Now, don't get me wrong; I enjoy an R-rated or smutty joke as much as the next person. And, for your information, Show Host Peter Sagal has written a mischevious missive called "The Book of Vice: Very Naughty Things (and How to Do Them)". So, "nerds" can be randy, too! But, how great to combine wit and wisdom! Just remember: the "nerds" from high school now rule the world! Thank you Virginia Arts Festival, WHRO, NPR and the Wait Wait crew for one of the best events ever in Hampton Roads! Come back anytime, and (just for you, Tom Bodett) we'll leave the light on for you.