Paula Poundstone will be at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma on June 6th. The comedian can be heard on KNKX many Saturday and Sunday mornings for Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!
Ahead of her show in Tacoma, we wanted to get a behind the scenes look at what goes into preparing for an episode of NPR's weekly news quiz. KNKX Arts and Culture Reporter Freddy Monares spoke with her about this, her cats and her years of experience as a comedian.
Paula Poundstone Interview Highlights
On how she preps for Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me
I mean, I watch the news anyways, but it's the news of the weird. That's usually where you're like, ‘Oh, really, were there lemurs down his pants? No, I didn't know that. Oh, really? So the snake sang. OK. No, I didn't know that. Oh, so they robbed a bank with a frog. No, no, I didn't know that.’ So yes, I go on sites to read the news of the weird.
On how her comedic style fits Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
I do the time honored: Where are you from? What do you do for a living? That is the most fun part of the night. I mean, I have jokes. I have 46 years of jokes rattling around somewhere in my head, and I like to think they're pretty good. But my favorite part is really just going in the direction that this thing takes you, and that is perfect for Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
On how crowds in the Pacific Northwest compare to the rest of the country
I find that the whole Pacific Northwest — I find that they're just ready to laugh and sort of ready to go where you go. They sort of trust you right off the bat, which makes for a really fun show.
On how cats help her cope
Last summer, with the stress of the upcoming election and I was working a lot — I was stressed out beyond belief, and also had some personal problems that were like soul crushing. And I just succumbed to a coping mechanism that I've used in the past, which is, by God, I got five kittens. And it worked just the way I thought it would. You just can't be miserable when you're sitting with kittens.
