PETER SAGAL, HOST:
We want to remind everyone to join us here most weeks back at the Chase Bank Auditorium in Chicago, back home. For tickets and more information, go to chicagopublicradio.org or you can find a link at our website, waitwait.npr.org. Right now, Panel, time for you to answer some questions. Of course, the questions are all about this week's theme: the media. Paula, a hit reality game show in Turkey gives contestants points for getting somebody to do what?
PAULA POUNDSTONE: For getting people to - oh gee, I don't know. Can you give me a hint?
SAGAL: Sure, it's like a TV version of having a Jehovah's Witness knock on your door.
POUNDSTONE: For converting people?
SAGAL: Yes, exactly right.
(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)
SAGAL: It's like an old joke.
POUNDSTONE: Oh, my heaven.
SAGAL: Like, so on this Turkish game show, penitents compete. A priest, a rabbi, an imam and a Buddhist monk...
ROY BLOUNT JR.: Walk into a bar.
SAGAL: Walk onto a TV set and try to convert ten atheists to their particular faith.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
SAGAL: This is true. Each of the religious leaders gets a point if they get a convert. And what happens is if they do this, if they convince whoever it is to try their religion, the person they've convinced gets a trip/pilgrimage to their holy site. So, for example, if you go with the Muslims, you get to go to Mecca. Buddhists go to Tibet. Jews go to Boca Raton.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
(SOUNDBITE OF APPLAUSE)
SAGAL: You know, it's supposed to be peaceful. It's going to get competitive though. You know, the Buddhist will say, "Well only we believe in reincarnation." The priests says, "Sure, but if you come back as a pig, only we get to eat you."
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
POUNDSTONE: Wow. You know, I like knowing that though, because sometimes I think we're the only stupid country.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
POUNDSTONE: And then you hear a thing like that and you're just like, you know what, we're not alone. That's the important thing. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.