Podcast Summary
Amazon buys MGM for $8 billion, reportedly for their film library and potential supervillain data: Amazon's acquisition of MGM for $8 billion expands their content offerings and potentially gives them access to valuable data, as they compete with other media giants in the evolving media landscape
The media landscape is constantly evolving, with companies like Amazon making significant acquisitions to expand their content offerings. In this case, Amazon purchased MGM, the owners of the James Bond franchise, for $8 billion, reportedly for their film library. However, the acquisition may not just be about the films, as Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos could be interested in the data of potential supervillains. This acquisition comes as other media giants like Disney and Warner have made major purchases of their own. The result is a media landscape where a few major players control a large portion of the content, leaving smaller companies struggling to keep up. This trend is likely to continue, with companies looking for ways to expand their offerings and stay competitive in the ever-changing media landscape.
The value and ownership of digital content through NFTs: NFTs allow individuals to buy and own authentic, original versions of digital content like memes, art, movies, and TV shows, leading to a new way of consuming and perceiving digital assets.
The value and ownership of digital content, such as memes and art, are shifting through the use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs). While some may find it hard to understand or justify the high prices for these digital assets, they represent the authentic original versions that can be bought and owned like individual works of art. For instance, the famous "Charlie Bit My Finger" YouTube video was sold as an NFT for $750,000. This trend has expanded to various digital content, including movies, TV shows, and even music. For example, Friends, a popular TV show, had a reunion episode that aired on HBO Max, which some people paid to watch. Despite the controversy and skepticism surrounding NFTs and their prices, they continue to gain popularity and change the way we perceive and consume digital content.
Space Billionaire's Unusual Space Experiments: Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa plans to investigate if farting in space propels you forward, among other experiments, during his trip to the ISS.
Billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, who is set to fly to the International Space Station, plans to conduct various experiments during his journey, including investigating if farting in space propels you forward. This revelation came from a call for ideas from the public. Meanwhile, in other news, an officer was involved in an incident where he pinned down a 16-year-old and punched out his teeth, but the consequences for the cop remain to be seen. In the world of entertainment, fans are eagerly awaiting the reunion of the Friends cast, which has been compared to the emergence of the brood 17-year cicadas. And in the Bluff the Listener game, a caller from Logan, Utah, shared his unusual career path from acting school to working as a liquor store clerk.
Discovering Hidden Projects of Famous Authors: Authors like Amy Tan, Edgar Allan Poe, and John Steinbeck had unpublished works that reveal unexpected sides of their creativity, such as a children's book about a talking bra, a cookbook with morbid dishes, and a werewolf novel, respectively.
Famous authors have led intriguing and lesser-known lives beyond their published works. This week, we learned about three such authors and their unpublished projects. First, Amy Tan, known for her emotional novels, wrote a children's book about a talking bra named Barbara. The bra provides support and encouragement to young Ruth, but also whispers temptations. Next, Edgar Allan Poe, the master of the macabre, wrote a cookbook titled "The Delicious Morbidities Cookbook," which included dishes inspired by his stories. Lastly, John Steinbeck, the Nobel Prize winner, wrote a werewolf novel called "Murder at Full Moon," which was discovered by a scholar and is now being considered for publication. These discoveries show that authors' creative minds extend far beyond their published works, offering fans new insights into their favorite authors.
Joel McHale hosts a new baking competition, Crime Scene Kitchen, where teams must recreate desserts based on crime scene clues.: Joel McHale moved from making fun of TV shows to hosting a baking competition, Crime Scene Kitchen, where teams decipher clues to recreate desserts.
Joel McHale, a comedian known for hosting shows like Talk Soup and Community, is now back to hosting with a new baking competition called Crime Scene Kitchen. In this show, 12 teams of bakers must recreate a dessert based on clues left behind in a crime scene kitchen. The team that comes closest moves forward, while the one that fails is eliminated. McHale first gained recognition for making fun of other television shows on Talk Soup. While some reality stars were initially upset, most appreciated the attention and even thanked him. Before hosting, McHale was a stand-up comedian who started introducing comics at comedy clubs to earn extra money. Crime Scene Kitchen airs after MasterChef on Fox.
Staying focused and adaptable in the entertainment industry: Comedian Joel McHale shares stories of facing hostile audiences, juggling demanding schedules, and dealing with unexpected challenges in the entertainment industry, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and adaptability.
Perseverance and adaptability are key in the entertainment industry. Comedian and actor Joel McHale shared his experience of facing a hostile audience during a stand-up performance, leading him to turn the tables and refuse to leave the stage until his time was up. He also discussed his juggling act between acting on Community and taping The Soup, showcasing his ability to adapt to demanding schedules. Furthermore, McHale shared an amusing anecdote about a cow's leg flying into the audience during a community theater production, demonstrating the unexpected challenges that come with low-budget productions. Overall, McHale's stories illustrate the importance of staying focused and adaptable in the face of adversity.
Unexpected twist in community theater production: Adaptability, creativity, and teamwork can turn unexpected situations into memorable performances.
In a community theater production of Oliver, the fired Bill Sykes actor, instead of causing chaos, decided to play along with the final scene and "die" on stage. This unexpected turn of events resulted in a memorable and unique performance, much to the surprise and delight of the audience. This incident highlights the importance of adaptability and creativity in unexpected situations. It also showcases the power of collaboration and teamwork, as the young Oliver actor chose to go along with the unexpected twist, making it a successful and unforgettable production.
Unexpected differences in behavior between female and male California mice: Female California mice take longer to recover from heartbreak and experience depression, while males quickly move on. Tinder introduces a new feature to improve online dating safety and respect.
New research reveals unexpected differences in behavior between female and male mice, particularly in the California mouse species. When a California male mouse loses a partner, he quickly moves on, but a female California mouse takes longer to recover. This delay in getting back into the dating scene is due to depression caused by heartbreak. Tinder, a popular dating app, recently introduced a new feature aimed at reducing harassment and improving real-life connections. This feature, called "Are You Sure?", asks users to double-check their messages before sending potentially inappropriate or hurtful pick-up lines. The reaction to this new feature has been positive, with many users appreciating the effort to create a safer and more respectful online dating environment.
Learning to dive means mastering head-first landings: Dive coaches recruit injured gymnasts to teach head-first landings for a potential switch to diving
Competitive diving often begins with gymnasts who need to learn to land on their heads instead of their feet. Heidi Voyte, a dive coach, shared this insight during an interview on NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. The conversation also touched on various limericks and a new robotic thumb, but the most intriguing part was learning about the origins of competitive diving. The dive coaches wait at gymnastics competitions for injured gymnasts and offer them a chance to switch sports. This conversion process involves teaching the athletes to land on their heads, which is essential in diving. The limericks and other topics discussed were entertaining, but the insight into competitive diving was the most noteworthy part of the conversation.
Discussing EU ban, McCarthy's comments, and infrastructure bill: A three-way tie in the lightning round, Helen took the lead. EU banned flights over Belarus, McCarthy made controversial comments, and the White House countered with an infrastructure bill counteroffer. Other topics included Olympics coronavirus variants, Georgia's vaccine passport ban, Quebec's emoji need, and New York's remote school lack.
The discussion covered various topics from trivia game results, NPR sponsors, and current events. A three-way tie occurred during the lightning fill in the blank game, and Helen took the lead with 11 points. Key events discussed included EU's ban on flying over Belarus, Kevin McCarthy's controversial comments, and the White House's infrastructure bill counteroffer. Other topics included a Japanese doctors union's warning about coronavirus variants at the Olympics, Georgia's ban on vaccine passports, Quebec's need for its own emoji, and New York's lack of remote school options. Notable mentions included French President Emmanuel Macron's bet with YouTube stars and Alabama's overturning of the ban on yoga in schools. The game concluded with GOP senators' expected filibuster of the commission to investigate the Capitol attack and the family of George Floyd visiting the White House on the anniversary of his death.
Unexpected developments in various fields: Half of Americans are now fully vaccinated, ExxonMobil welcomed climate activists, a music venue became a hospital, US unemployment claims reached a new low, Alex Trebek received a posthumous Emmy nomination, and many more surprising events occurred this week.
This week brought a mix of unexpected developments in various fields. The CDC reported that half of Americans are now fully vaccinated. ExxonMobil welcomed climate change activists to its board of directors. A music venue in Florida turned into a hospital to bypass the ban on unvaccinated people. Unemployment claims in the US reached a new pandemic low. Former Jeopardy host Alex Trebek received a posthumous Emmy nomination. A woman lost her job for feeding hot Cheetos to spider monkeys at the El Paso Zoo. Cristela Alonzo and Jesse Klein were co-champions on the quiz show Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. The Trump White House might have a reunion for those who had COVID. Vladimir Putin could have a surprise party with those he's poisoned. And people fired from the Trump administration might reunite to see who sold more books. These are just a few of the surprising events that took place this week. Stay tuned to Wait Wait Don't Tell Me for more updates on these and other exciting reunion possibilities.
