BILL KURTIS: From NPR and WBEZ Chicago, this is WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME, the NPR News quiz. I'm Bill Kurtis. We are playing this week with Aida Rodriguez, Adam Felber and Alonzo Bodden. And here again is your host at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Peter Sagal.
PETER SAGAL, HOST:
Thank you, Bill.
(CHEERING)
SAGAL: In just a minute, Bill sings the hits of his favorite lyricist, Stephen Sond-rhyme (ph), in our Listener Limerick Challenge. If you'd like to play, give us a call at 1-888-WAIT-WAIT. That's 1-888-924-8924.
Right now, panel, some more questions for you from the week's news. Adam, researchers have discovered that, at least for women, red is the perfect color to wear for what?
ADAM FELBER: To a prom.
SAGAL: No.
FELBER: To a funeral.
SAGAL: No.
(LAUGHTER)
FELBER: To dinner.
SAGAL: What kind of...
FELBER: Date.
SAGAL: Specifically...
FELBER: To a date with a guy named Dave.
SAGAL: No.
(LAUGHTER)
ALONZO BODDEN: First date.
SAGAL: First date, yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
BODDEN: Peter, he's been married a long time.
SAGAL: Yeah, it's been a while.
BODDEN: Yeah.
SAGAL: It's been a while. Alonzo was like, well, of course. Yes.
FELBER: Yes. I used to wear red dresses to all my first dates.
SAGAL: I know.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: And that's why you're happily married to this day.
FELBER: Yes.
SAGAL: Yes, ladies. Science says red is the best color to wear on a first date. And because it's the color of blood, it's also a reminder that dating makes you want to die.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: According to the Huffington Post, human men are attracted to red instinctually because females naturally flush when they are at their most fertile. Now...
BODDEN: I mean, is it, like, the 1800s? We trying to repopulate or something?
SAGAL: Well, no, but it's...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: What it is - it's related to the fact that as sophisticated as we might think we are, we're all still primates who are still operating on basic instincts, as it were. Some of the researchers who discovered this, in fact, said, quote, "men act like animals in the sexual realm," unquote. So rather - this was good, though. It means that if you're on a terrible date with - a terrible first date - you wish you hadn't worn your red dress to impress him - rather than asking a friend to text you to get you out of it, just throw a stick, and he'll chase it.
(LAUGHTER)
AIDA RODRIGUEZ: I don't know. I mean, outside of my grandmother, I don't know really that many women who are, like, I'm wearing red today for the guys.
(LAUGHTER)
RODRIGUEZ: When I read these articles, I'm, like, are they trying to get women murdered? Like...
(LAUGHTER)
RODRIGUEZ: Wear red, ladies. It brings out the animals, and the serial killers all run to the yard. Like...
(LAUGHTER)
RODRIGUEZ: It just sounds kind of crazy to me.
BODDEN: So if you're wearing red on your Peloton...
(LAUGHTER)
RODRIGUEZ: Yes.
SAGAL: Adam, some news from space. This week, there's a problem in the International Space Station in dire need of a fix - both of the stations. What are broken?
FELBER: Microwaves.
SAGAL: No.
FELBER: Toilets.
SAGAL: Yes, toilets.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: Both of...
FELBER: It's a limited list, people.
SAGAL: I know.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Both of the toilets in the International Space Station broke down this week. Don't worry. Official reports said all the emergency backup diapers were working just fine. It sounds like a joke. It's not. That's what they actually use until they could fix the toilets. Well, NASA says the crew is prepared for this like they're prepared for anything. It is true that one of the astronauts was very cranky and in need of a change.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: As NASA worked on a fix, mission control rerouted the ISS's orbit to pass by the nearest Starbucks.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: You think it's tough to get a plumber in your house.
SAGAL: That's true.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: I don't know how much it's going to cost to get one up to a space station.
FELBER: Yeah. A guy has got to bend over in zero G, too.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Do his - zero G, when you bend over, do your pants slip down?
FELBER: They come up.
(LAUGHTER)
BODDEN: They actually have to design a special suit just for that reason.
SAGAL: Aida, a weak harvest this year might affect your fast food order. There's now a shortage of what?
RODRIGUEZ: Potatoes.
SAGAL: Yeah - well, specifically meaning...
RODRIGUEZ: Fries - french fries.
SAGAL: French fries, yes.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: Very good. The threat of a national french fry shortage has many consumers terrified that they may have to eat a burger, milkshake and apple pie all by themselves...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: ...Like back in the Great Depression. While a weak potato harvest has diminished the nation's supply, fortunately, we Americans have prepared by stockpiling french fries in our abdomens for years.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: And here's the tragic thing - we could have avoided this terrible shortage if any person who ever said, I'll just have one of your fries was telling the truth.
(LAUGHTER)
FELBER: That's so American - to have a shortage of a completely unnecessary food.
(LAUGHTER)
FELBER: It's, like, oh, yeah - the great french fry famine of '19.
(LAUGHTER)
FELBER: I was there. We had to eat rice.
(LAUGHTER)
RODRIGUEZ: I love french fries. It's - I mean, is it the sweet potato fries, too - like, we just have a shortage of the white potatoes or...
SAGAL: I don't actually know.
RODRIGUEZ: Yeah.
SAGAL: You like the sweet potato fries?
RODRIGUEZ: I do not. I would prefer a shortage of those. Those are healthier. I like the bad ones - the sugar. That's - I love french fries (laughter). I'm upset about this.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: All right. Sorry to...
RODRIGUEZ: I'm going to wear a red dress to McDonalds...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Yeah.
RODRIGUEZ: ...Make sure I get some french fries.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.