Peeved Paula Poundstone pwns Pollan

Wherein during the 4/11/2009 episode listen as William H. Macy strenuously denies rumors of excessive boomerang collecting


April 4, 2009, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me. Michael Pollan loses a food debate with Paula Poundstone. She's my new preferred food expert.

Peter Sagal: What should we be eating?

Michael Pollan: Food.

Paula Poundstone: How thick is your book?

Michael Pollan: It's very hard now for us to know what food is. Because there are all these edible food-like substances now that compete with food in the supermarket. So a lot of the book is helping people distinguish between the edible food-like substances and the real food.

Paula Poundstone: But let me ask you something. One of the things that has made my live worth living is Ring Dings. And I feel that it is food. Are you going to tell me that's not food?

Michael Pollan: There's a few simple tests to figure out if a Ring Ding is food or not. How many ingredients does a Ring Ding have?

Paula Poundstone: Devil's Food Cake -- one. A creamy filling -- two. And a rich chocolate outer coating. What's the matter with you?

Michael Pollan: I would look at the package next time, that creamy -- CREAMY -- is not cream.

Paula Poundstone: C-R-E-A-M-E-Y. Creamy. What the hell's the matter with you?

Michael Pollan: But...but but but but...There are special occasion foods.

Paula Poundstone: What do you mean special occasion? I said it's what makes my life worth living. Are you suggesting I save it for one day a year?

Michael Pollan: I wouldn't want to deprive you of your...

Paula Poundstone: You know, you may know a lot about food, but you don't know the first thing about living, buddy.

Learned from the April 11, 2009, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me episode,

• Bacon cures hangovers
  
• Chocolate helps with math