Wait Wait

by Jeff

Image text: You can't stab Karl Kasell. He sounds all slow and stentorian, but he moves like a snake.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! (wikipedia) is an hour-long weekly radio news panel game show produced by Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio. The show is hosted by playwright and actor Peter Sagal. This comic is making puns on the title of the show based on what Peter Sagal did that was newsworthy.

Carl Kasell, who also served as the newsreader on Morning Edition, is the show's official judge and scorekeeper. (I assume that is who Randall meant in the second paper in the second row and in the image text despite the Karl, Carl confusion. Which I believe is part of the point, that most people spell his name wrong, if this Language blog is to be believed.)

In the 3rd row, first paper, Lakshmi Singh is NPR's national midday newscaster.

In the 3rd row, 3rd paper is a reference to a protest at Occupy Berkley UC Davis (On the campus of University of California, Berkley University of California, Davis) protests earlier this year in which sitting, peaceful protesters were calmly pepper-sprayed in their faces by a police officer. That spawned an internet meme of epic proportions.

In the 4th row, 2nd paper is a reference to the movie, Ghostbusters.

In the 5th row, 3rd paper is a reference to another internet meme in where someone leaves out the verb in the sentence. It is based on the I Accidentally ___ meme. link.

In the 5th row, 3rd paper, all I can find on Eldritch is that it was a Dungeons and Dragons' book, also is used in Terry Prachett's DiscWorld. Generally, it means and evil being.

Also, as always, still looking for back catalog xkcd explanations. Still working through a bunch of them.