NPR : Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!

Humorist Dave Barry Plays Not My Job

December 31, 2011
Play associated audio
comments

Humor writer Barry has been churning out comedy for more than 25 years, authoring hundreds of columns and more than 30 books. He won a Pulitzer prize in 1988 (which, for us, is what finally legitimized the Pulitzers.)

We've invited him to play a game called "You can have a body ... like mine." These days, you can't turn on the TV without seeing an oiled-up model using some ridiculous piece of mail order-fitness equipment. And for that, we can thank Jerry Wilson, inventor of both the Soloflex excercise machine and the program length infomercial — which he created to sell his machines.

We'll ask Barry three questions about Soloflex, taken from Wilson's memoir, The Soloflex Story, An American Parable.

This segment was originally broadcast on April 2, 2011.

Copyright 2011 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Arts & Culture

NPR

More Time Together, Though 'Midnight' Looms

Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke return for the third in Richard Linklater's loosely peerless Before series, and they've never been more persuasive — nor has the storytelling. (Recommended)

Food

NPR

The Great Charcoal Debate: Briquettes Or Lumps?

Does the kind of charcoal you use really make a difference when it comes to grilling up a tasty steak or other food on the grill? Yes — but deciding which one to use depends on what you're after. Both briquettes and lump charcoal — aka "natural" hardwood charcoal — have their advantages and disadvantages.

Politics

NPR

Obama's Terrorism Fight Is Colored Gray, Not Black And White

If President Obama's newly recalibrated counterterrorism strategy demonstrates anything, it is his penchant for nuance.

Technology

NPR

Google Reportedly Faces FTC Antitrust Probe Over Display Ads

The Federal Trade Commission is in the early stages of opening an antitrust probe into how Google runs its online display advertising business, according to a report by Bloomberg News, citing sources who want to remain anonymous because the FTC has not announced the probe.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.