Blaze Of Gloria

Transcript

JONATHAN COULTON, BYLINE: From NPR and WNYC, live from the Bell House in beautiful Brooklyn, New York, it's NPR's hour of puzzles, word games, and trivia, ASK ME ANOTHER. Here's your host, Ophira Eisenberg.

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OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Thank you, Jonathan. The holidays might make you think of what? Snowflakes, sitting by the fire with your family or as one of our listeners put it - the smell of nutmeg and bourbon.

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EISENBERG: That's one of my favorite Christmas spirits. It made us think about some of our most delightful VIPs, and we invited them back for a very special ASK ME ANOTHER holiday spectacular. We'll be playing games with New York Times mixologist Rosie Schaap and her brother, ESPN reporter, Jeremy Schapp.

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EISENBERG: We have the Oscar-winning, duo composers from Disney's "Frozen," Bobby and Kristen Lopez.

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EISENBERG: And the final festive ingredient is, of course, Bon Appetit's editor-in-chief, Adam Rappaport.

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EISENBERG: So let's ring in this show with our first game called Blaze of Gloria, and welcome our contestants JoDi Andersen and Robin Aubry.

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EISENBERG: If there was one Christmas Carol that you could strike one from the canon - a Christmas Carol - which one would you decide to get rid of?

JODI ANDERSEN: I would choose "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" because we all know he's coming to town.

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ANDERSEN: It's creepy that he's watching you sleep. And there's no gray area. What if you're naughty and nice?

EISENBERG: I'm glad you put some time into thinking about that. Robin? How about you?

ROBIN AUBRY: I don't like "Baby, It's Cold Outside."

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah? Well.

AUBRY: Right, right?

EISENBERG: And it was a simpler time. It was a simpler time.

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EISENBERG: Get ready to do some holiday singing in this game because it's a music game. So I'm going to toss it over to our one-man house band, Mr. Jonathan Coulton.

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COULTON: So we are going to sing a Christmas carol. The name of this Christmas carol is "Angels We Have Heard On High." This song is, perhaps, best known for this beautiful refrain - (singing) Gloria. Right?

ANDERSEN: I think that's my least favorite, actually.

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COULTON: Oh, really? We have rewritten the lyrics to be about people and things that begin with the glow sound. I will give you a clue in the verse, and you will sing your answer to that refrain.

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COULTON: For example, the feminist who cofounded Ms. Magazine would be - (singing) Gloria Steinem.

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COULTON: Thanks. Really put your heart into it because this is the Holiday Show. The winner will move on to our Ask Me One More final round at the end of the show. All right. Here we go. (Singing) Some states now let you get high. Pot laws have begun to ease. Soon there'll be no need to lie and claim you have this eye disease.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Robin.

AUBRY: (Singing) Glaucoma.

COULTON: That's right.

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EISENBERG: I hope the same enthusiasm happens at question 10.

COULTON: Yeah. (Singing) Average temp is on the rise. Climate issues will not ease. Doesn't matter who denies 'cause every polar bear agrees.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Robin.

AUBRY: (Singing) Global warming.

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COULTON: Yeah. JoDi, you're just staying out of it 'cause you don't want to sing. (Singing) I have won and you have failed, but I won't behave with grace. My true smugness is unveiled. I'll do this right in your face.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Jodi.

ANDERSEN: (Singing) Gloat.

COULTON: Yes. That's right - very nice.

EISENBERG: But I feel like that T was extra mocking.

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COULTON: (Singing) Unborn in the USA. Characters in this tune sigh. Longing for a bygone day like Bruce says they'll pass you by.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: JoDi.

ANDERSEN: (Singing) Glory days.

COULTON: Yeah.

EISENBERG: Here's a holiday challenge for Bruce Springsteen - write a song about the future.

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COULTON: (Singing) Holds the manual for my car. Flashlight charger, map and keys. Fast food wrappers, protein bar and my Taylor Swift CD's.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Robin.

AUBRY: (Singing) Glove compartment.

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COULTON: Yeah. This is your last clue. (Singing) I bring these to all the raves. You can see me in the dark. Move my dancing arms in waves with fluorescent tubes of spark.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: JoDi.

ANDERSEN: (Singing) Glow sticks.

COULTON: Yeah. That's right. Art Chung, how did our contestants do?

ART CHUNG, BYLINE: We have a tie.

COULTON: Oh my gosh.

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CHUNG: All right - hands on your buzzers. This singer taught us all how to Congo with her band, the "Miami Sound Machine."

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: JoDi.

ANDERSEN: Gloria Estefan.

CHUNG: That is correct. Congratulations, JoDi. You are moving on to our Ask Me One More final round.

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EISENBERG: And everybody.

AUDIENCE: (Singing) In excelsis NPR.

(APPLAUSE) Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.