PETER SAGAL, HOST:
We want to remind everybody who's listening that you can join us most weeks back at the Chase Bank Auditorium in downtown Chicago, Ill.. For tickets and more information, go over to wbez.org or you find a link at our website, which is waitwait.npr.org.
Right now panel, it is time for you to answer some questions about the week's news. Mo, the city of Pretoria, South Africa, had a bold new plan to deal with their drug problem. One activist there is giving at-risk young people an alternative activity, saying that kids won't turn to drugs if they have the chance to compete in what skill?
MO ROCCA: It's not going to be music because it's too believable.
SAGAL: It's kind of musical. It's the music that comes from the magic beans.
(LAUGHTER)
ROCCA: Oh, they're going to - oh, coffee? Oh, no, no - oh, coffee magic beans?
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: No...
ROCCA: Is that a drug thing?...
SAGAL: ...Beans, beans the magical ...
AMY DICKINSON: The magical fruit...
SAGAL: ...Fruit.
DICKINSON: The more you eat...
SAGAL: The more you...
ROCCA: You poop.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Back up. Back up, Mo.
ROCCA: The more you toot.
SAGAL: Yes.
ROCCA: Oh, so if - wait, what are those beans that make you do that? They're the beans...
PETER GROSZ: All of them...
ROCCA: ...The - OK. Oh, right.
(LAUGHTER)
ROCCA: So they're going to have them baking beans...
SAGAL: No...
ROCCA: ...Instead of taking drugs.
SAGAL: You - because you would - you are obviously, as a decent human being, you're...
(LAUGHTER)
ROCCA: I've only smoked pot once...
SAGAL: ...All right, you...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: You cannot imagine that...
ROCCA: It was just before the show...
SAGAL: ...That anybody would...
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: You can't imagine that somebody would actually suggest this as a competition to keep people off drugs, nor can you believe that we would ask about it on this radio show.
ROCCA: A farting competition?
SAGAL: Yes indeed, Mo.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
ROCCA: So just ripping them. Like, just, like...
SAGAL: Pretty much...
ROCCA: Yeah.
(APPLAUSE)
ROCCA: But you can take drugs while you do that.
SAGAL: Yeah.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: No, this is - this DJ in South Africa said this is what we're going to do - the kids are bored, the kids they need something else to apply to. Let's have a farting contest. He has set it up. Contestants will be given eggs and castor oil to help them out.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: They're going to set up microphones at just the right level there.
(LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: Oh, in other news, NPR just got an amazing deal on some used microphones.
(LAUGHTER)
ROCCA: So it's - I'm imagining Nancy Reagan. Just say (imitating fart noise).
(LAUGHTER, SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
SAGAL: Coming up, free advice is worth what you pay for it in our Bluff The Listener game. Call 1-888-WAIT-WAIT to play. We'll be back in a minute with more of WAIT WAIT... DON'T TELL ME from NPR. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.