HTDE: The Breakfast Rule
3/4/202623 min
This week: How the Wait, Wait team decides what jokes are too inappropriate for the airwaves. Plus Mike and Ian help a caller with a personal grammar problem.
Featuring author Keith Houston.
You can email your burning questions to howto@npr.org.
How To Do Everything is available without sponsor messages for supporters of Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me+, who also get bonus episodes of Wait Wait Don't…Tell Me! featuring show outtakes, extended guest interviews, and a chance to play an exclusive WW+ quiz game with Peter! Sign up and support NPR at plus.npr.org.
How To Do Everything is hosted by Mike Danforth and Ian Chillag. It is produced by Schuyler Swenson. Technical direction from Lorna White.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSpeaker 00:00
This message comes from Kachava. That wellness goal you set at the start of the year, it's not too late to stick with it and make your future self proud, especially with the all-in-one nutrition shake from Kachava. With 25 grams of protein, 6 grams of fiber, greens, adaptogens, and more. No fillers, no nonsense, just the highest quality ingredients. Stick with your wellness goals. Go to kachava.com and use code NPR for 15% off. That's K-A-C-H-A-V-A.com, code NPR.
Ian Chillag· Host0:32
[upbeat music] We wanna share a little behind the scenes thing from our other jobs producing Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!. Uh, it's something called the breakfast rule.
Mike Danforth· Host0:42
Here to talk about this with us are host Peter Sagal, who you all know, and Lorna White, who is our technical director.
Lorna White· Guest0:50
Hi.
Ian Chillag· Host0:50
This is very exciting to be, uh, on the air with Lorna. This rarely, no, this never happens.
Lorna White· Guest0:56
This never happens, unless it's a mistake.
Mike Danforth· Host0:59
[laughs] Oh, well, there you go. This isn't a mistake, but it could've been.
Ian Chillag· Host1:02
It could turn into one.
Mike Danforth· Host1:03
Yeah.
Ian Chillag· Host1:03
Could turn into a mistake.
Lorna White· Guest1:04
Very quickly.
Ian Chillag· Host1:05
Um, Lorna, I should say, is with us because when it comes, um, to avoiding mistakes that might get the show canceled, Mike thinks of Lorna as the last line of defense.
Mike Danforth· Host1:16
It's true.
Lorna White· Guest1:17
It's true.
Ian Chillag· Host1:17
If- Yeah ... you're comfortable with that description.
Lorna White· Guest1:19
I'm, I'm comfortable with being the mom of the show.
Ian Chillag· Host1:22
[laughs] I, I'm not comfortable with it 'cause I don't know what it means. What is, what is Lorna defending us from?
Mike Danforth· Host1:27
If there's ever anything that is on