Testing Alzo Slay with a Quiz

Hey everybody, it's Peter, dropping into your podcast feed with a special announcement. As you all know, Bill Curtis recently retired as our judge and scorekeeper the second one this show has ever had. Don't worry, Bill will still be around. You can still win his voice on your voicemail Orange smoke has risen from the chimney at the Stude Baker Theater, which means that today right here right now, it is time to announce are new Judge and scorekeeper. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you making his official debut at this week's show in Austin, Texas also Sayed. What's up Peter? You put a lot of gravity into that introduction. I did, man. I did. I even nobody can see me. I still haven't figured out I them on the radio, but I kind of extended my arms and like a big, hey, everybody, like a Vita type thing. I felt when I said your name. I felt all of that. I just hope the you know, the reveal lived up to the introduction You have done everything. You started as a panelist. You've sat in my chair, even though there's no chair. You've been a guest host, and now you're going to be the judge and scorekeeper after doing it on you know like a practice basis filling in for bill many times So what were you you've done all the jobs What's the most exciting thing about the one you ended up with Um I don't have to write a bluff Yes, no preparation at all. It's great. you know No, I don't have to write a bluff, but I will say, I will say The trade offff for not having to write a bluff is trying to get the rhythm of the limericks right. That That's a bit nerve wracking It's it's hard, isn't it? you know? Yeah like I don't it's not it's not Bill makes it look so easy. Yes. so easy And that's just one of many praises I can keep upon Bill. But when it comes to that limerick, you know It's like, okay the the Is that right? I don't know if that's right. No, it was terrible, but we'll work on it. It's okay. It's all right Now now one thing that Alo here has in common with Bill is that He also has had an amazing and varied career. So Alzo has been a stand upp comedian and he's been a journalist, a philosophy professor, and a lot more. So we thought we'd let you know a little more about him. fittingly in the form of a quiz. So it is time to welcome a listener contestant to this special podcast episode. Hi you run, Wait weight, donon't tell me, sort of Hi, this is Dahlia Hoffman. Hey Dllia, where are you calling from? I'm calling from Swiglely, Pennsylvania by way of thirty years in Chicago, Illinois. Oh really? How could you ever leave this wonderful city in the lake? Oh, my true love was in Swigly. Here I am Well, good for you, Dahlia. Listen, we're glad you joined us today. You were going to play special new game one that we've never played before and probably never will again. It's called Nat Alzo Slade. So I'm going to ask you three questions about Alzo, true things that he has done. two of these questions right you will win a prize just like on the regular radio show, Are you ready to play? I am Okay, Alzo Slade, our new judge and scorekeeper. has won many honors in his life, including which of these A, as a senior in high school, he was voted most likely to be a judge and scorekeeper. B, he was recently named Acting Director of National Intelligence Or see, he won the Mr. Prairie View A and M University. Beauty pageant I'm gonna go with C. You're right. So Alo, or should I say, Mr. Prairie View A and M University You tellld me this, so I'm going to believe you this was like legit a beauty pageant. You had to like dress up and look good and answer questions on stage? Yeah, they didn't they didn't call it a beauty pageant. It was just a Mr. Preview pageant. You had to do you had to get on stage and do an opening quote. You had there were categories like formal wear, sports wear, you had to do an interview And I have you know I dressed up as a race car driver had a helmet and the suit, and let me tell you what I did, Peter Off stage, off stage on the side of the stage I had one of those little plastic race cars that kids get in and pedal Yes. So I got in my suit with the helmet off stage and I pedaled onto the stage car likeike knees to chest. driving it and got out mododeled my suit, got back in and and tried to peddal, but you know, like The floors were slick. So as I'm pedaling, the tires are moving, but the car isn't moving So one of the other fellow contestants had to come out and give me a little push to get me started so I can continue to pedal off the stage Wow. All right, very good. You got that right, Dahelia. Another question, here we go Alzo is not just a pretty face, he is also very accomplished in many other areas. For example, Alzo was once offered four real Job, A touring around the world with printince part of his personal photography team. be acting director of National intntelligence or C narrator for the movie Anchor Man. Oh, that's a tough one How about A? How about A? You're right. Yes. this is a story Alzo told me one night after a show and I couldn't believe it. So Alzo, what was that like? I mean it was I mean, Pince, I mean, I think everyone You can imagine Prince being somewhat of an enigma. He's a musical genius uh and pretty much, you know, personality was like he's cool, he wasn't necessarily off putting My interaction with him was Which photos of these do you like the best? Which one of these do you like the least? And that's it. All right. So you're doing great, Dal. you've sussed out two out of three. Let's see if can go for perfect Alza won a PBie Award for his work as a journalist with Vice. He covered stories from Clergy who lose their faith in God to using cheetah urine as an aphrodisiac, and I should note strictly for cheetahs, just cheetahas, okay? good ideas. There was one thing Alzo says Viss asked him to do and he turned them down. What was it? A Wrestle a bear while visiting the Russian Republic of Dagestan B, sing back upp for the K pop band BTS or C, serve as the acting director of National I intelligence G'reonna go with A. You're gonna go with A wrestling a bear. That's right. So Alzo, again, the questions are obvious. I speak for everyone Why were you in Dagistan? and why did your producer want you to wrestle a bear? And why did you say no? You know it's crazy that I don't I've never thought about the things that I've done in this way, but putting it in quiz form L This is weird. It's a little strange, isn't it? It's strange Um Yeah, so, you know, vice we We put ourselves in some pretty gnarly situations to tell stories and in the UFC time they were about I don't know, twenty eight to thirty Russians who are fighters Ban A little over twenty of those Russians were from Dagestan and they had like a ninety percent Win rate. And so the story was us going to Dagestan and me training with them to see what putting in the water to make them such great fighters And one of the most One of the most famous fighters to come out of there is Kabib and he famamously wrestled a bear at nine years old. And the producer's advice had the great idea of, hey, Azo Wouldn't it be amazing If you wrestled a bear for the story has like No. Are you crazy? I'm not. And then they had the nerve to say, well, it'll just be a cub that'll be declawed. I don't care Well, Alzo, since you are now the official judge and scorekeeper of Whitway don't tell me I'm going to ask you the question How did Dahia do in her quiz? Dalia did Amazing. and thank you so much for participating. Doty, you are you're like the first quiz participant of me as an official judge and scorekeeper I think we will always be connected for life. Oh, that's amazing. And you did a great job Thank you so much Dahlia, Thankk you so much for joining us today. Thank you and thanks for you know, you know giv giving Alzo a great little inaugural experience as our official guy. Thank you, Dahlia. You're welcome. Bye bye. By. Bye Alzo, it is so great that you are going to be my partner in crime and radio on stage. I'm so looking forward to your official debut. Wait a minute, Peter, before before we depart I think it that I give to my predecessor Bill Curtis Um Be you know, people say, I'm replacing Bill Curtis, There is no replacing Bill Curtis That's that's how I feel when it comes to Bill Curtis. And I remember every time that I at least if if I've if I've subbed in for Bill Curtis, Ten times. Let's just say ten times for the easy math After the show, people will come up and say We were really looking forward to seeing Bill Curtis, but you did a great job Well, you know. So so it's better than they did that than just walk up and say we were really looking forward to see Bill Curtis and then turn him walk away Turn him walk away. So I say I say all that to say much respect credit and props to the legendary Bill Curtis. And I look forward to continuing to disappoint people on the road when they see That is Alzo Slay instead of Bill Curtis, and I can only hope to live up to the legacy that he's created in that space I have a feeling that the Alzo Lladeer is going to be pretty spectacular in its own right. So thank you, Alzo for joining us today. Thanks everybody for listening to the special podcast episode. We'll be back in your feed with Alzo's debut show as our official judge and scorekeeper this weekend, live from Austin, Texas. I'm Peter Segel and yes, This is NPR