Episode 09: Pete Holmes & Annabelle Gurwitch

Description
In this episode, Pete Holmes and Annabelle Gurwitch grace Go Fact Yourself with their wit, joy and, yes, abject frustration. And we learn fun facts about the performers. For example, Pete Holmes reveals that The New Yorker rejected his avocado cartoon, and calls into question the magazine’s editorial judgment. J. Keith reminds Annabelle Gurwitch that they both appeared in a pilot together that was so unmemorable…he had to tell her what it was.

Annabelle Gurwitch
Subject: Agreements

Question: The United States enters into agreements but not all of them are created equal. In legal terms, what is the difference between a treaty and an accord?

Annabelle's Response: A treaty is longer than an accord, and lasts longer than an accord.

Pete's Response: A treaty is shorter, meaning it's a sort-of deal you make in an elevator, while an accord is something you make over a meal (the location of an agreement, per se).

Answer: An accord is an executive agreement between the U.S. and another country or countries. These executive agreements might be called accords or pacts or covenants or charters, but they can change from a president to a president. They are binding until the president decides they are not.

A treaty requires two-thirds approval by the U.S. Senate and becomes the law of the land until it is super-ceded by a new law, so they are quite rare. For example, the U.S. is part of NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization; and was going to be a member of the Paris Climate Accord.

Point totals at the end of this round:  Annabelle  0 | Pete 0

Pete Holmes
Subject: Disagreements

Question (submitted by a listener): In the past, parties and disagreements were limited to one recourse: the civil court system. Today, people have two options, which are less formal and less expensive, but when selecting between the two, it is important to understand which solution is best for the circumstances. What is the difference between an arbitration and mediation?

Pete's Response: Arbitration doesn't matter; it's arbitrary. Mediation is when there's a psychic involved.

Annabelle's Response: Arbitration is a contract ... usually behind closed doors. Mediation is a negotiation around a table, such as in a court.

Answer: Mediation is negotiation between parties where a neutral party, or mediator, facilitates communication and suggests options, but has no power to make decisions. Mediations only reach a successful conclusion when both parties agree on the terms of settlement at the end of negotiations.

If you enter arbitration, you agree ahead of time to be bound by the decisions that the arbitrator makes. You may present evidence and argue your case, but ultimately what the arbitrator says is binding.

Point totals at the end of this round:  Annabelle  1 | Pete 0

Cluster Fact
Context: In 1973, a restaurant chain made a five-year-old boy their national spokesperson. The commercials they made became sensations, and in one of them, the boy sang a tune that was turned into a record that hit the Billboard charts, making him the youngest person ever to have a Billboard-charting song, a record that still stands today. Expert: Rodney Allen Rippy an actor who, as a five-year-old, was the national spokesperson for a restaurant chain and recorded a Billboard-charting song.

Point totals at the end of this round:  Annabelle  2 | Pete 0

Cluster Fact
Context: One of the running jokes at the ad agency was an executive who drew a comic strip on the side. He got the last laugh, though, as in the final season of the show, he left the agency after selling the strip to a company in Japan to make it into a cartoon. Expert: Actor and comedian Allan Havey, who appeared as an executive on Mad Men.

Point totals at the end of this round:  Annabelle  2 | Pete 3

Fast Facts
Point totals at the end of this round:  Annabelle  5.5 | Pete 6

Promotions
Where to find Pete Holmes: You Made It Weird podcast, Crashing on HBO

Where to find Annabelle Gurwitch: annabellegurwitch.com

Where to find Rodney Allen Rippy: realrodneyallenrippy.com, "Rodney Allen Rippy Official" on Facebook, @rodneyallenrippy on Instagram

Where to find Allan Havey: allanhavey.com