Everyone & Their Mom

I’ve already written about my favorite podcast, NPR’s “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!”

But from that podcast emerged another one I find just as delightful. It’s called “Everyone & Their Mom,” hosted by Emma Choi, who started as an intern for “Wait, Wait” in 2021.

The premise is this, according to NPR: “Every week, there’s an odd or funny story that everyone & their mom seems to be talking about.”

On this show, Choi takes that story and expands it with guests, including “Wait, Wait” panelists and comedians.

“Everyone & Their Mom” releases a new episode on Wednesdays. And they are short — usually less than 20 minutes.

Choi is a delight as a podcast host — she seems to talk with a smile on her face, which makes me smile as I listen. (And who couldn’t use another excuse to smile?)

I probably enjoy it because her interviews are a lot like my own — she starts with a topic, and during the conversation discovers a tidbit that takes the story in an entirely new direction.

In my work, I can’t usually follow those side trails. But Choi does.

One of my favorite episodes is titled “Everyone & Pay Phones,” which aired May 11. Her guest host is Tom Bodett, a frequent panelist on “Wait, Wait.” (He’s also the voice for those Motel 6 ads.)

In this story, Choi interviews a man in Minnesota who installed a pay phone in his front yard. It’s a functioning phone, and he made the news when a boy who was lost used the pay phone to call 911.

And then the topic switches to Bodett’s friend who has five grills. This leads Choi to interview the friend, Chad, during which she finds out that he needs a good chicken recipe. Which leads Choi to Samin Nosrat, author of the cookbook “Salt Fat Acid Heat,” who suggests a recipe for spatchcocking a chicken.

If you need a smile and interesting news tidbits, check out “Everyone & Their Mom.”

— Lisa Britton, Go! editor