NPR host, check. Cabaret singer, check. Reality TV show host? Ari Shapiro does it all

Last week, the second season of the Netflix reality series “The Mole” started. This time, the competition is taking place in Malaysia. The new host is Ari Shapiro from NPR. He told Kim Malcolm from KUOW about his new adventure.

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Kim Malcolm: For anyone who might be panicking a little, I just want to clarify: you’re still with us, right?

Ari Shapiro: I’m still on “All Things Considered.” We filmed that show in Malaysia for six weeks last summer, and I’m forever grateful to the NPR executives for saying, “Go have fun.”

For those of us who don’t know, just tell us a little about the premise of the game and how to play and win.

Okay, so you have 12 players. They work as a team to complete missions that will put money into the pot. But one of the 12 is secretly working against them, trying to sabotage them at every turn. That person is the mole. The object of the game is to be the last player to win the pot, and also to find out who the mole is.

It’s not like you get voted out by the other players. In each episode, you take a 20-question quiz. The person with the most wrong answers is immediately eliminated. The game is all about this tension between, first, who is lying to you and who is telling the truth, and second, individualism versus teamwork, because you have to work together as a team to put money in the pot. Seeing how that tension plays out is part of the fun.

I heard you auditioned for the original series back then. Is that true?

That’s true. It was originally hosted by Anderson Cooper on ABC. The host has always been a journalist. I’m not someone who just goes around on reality shows throwing audition tapes around. The Mole is the only show I’ve ever auditioned for. I think it’s clever. I think it’s fascinating. It’s beautiful. The fact that each episode is set in a different place makes it really interesting.

And I also like that the contestants are not unnecessarily cruel. With some shows I feel like you watch them to see people suffer. I’ve never really been a fan of that kind of show. Here I never feel like we’re being cruel just to see people struggle.

You mentioned the news anchors. Is there anything in journalism that helps anchors prepare viewers for the show and guide them through the show?

There are a lot of things. I think having a “serious journalist” as the host gives the show a certain seriousness that makes it entertaining. But the question of who is lying to me and who is telling me the truth is something journalists ask themselves all the time. This show is built around that question. I think even if you’re not a journalist, you always have to ask yourself, “Am I being lied to right now?” whether it’s by someone in your life or a public figure. This game allows you to ask that question without there being anything at stake. It’s a popcorn show. You can take a break from the really important news.

Fans and attentive listeners know that you are a multi-talented person. You have sung with Pink Martini, a popular local band. You have written a memoir. Do you see a connection between journalism and all these other projects?

For me, it’s about telling a story and building a connection with the audience. Some of it is more frivolous, some more serious. In a game like The Mole, some of the psychological stuff can feel a little more frivolous. But I love that the participants come from so many different backgrounds, all different ages, professions and political persuasions.

It’s a reality show, but when you ask, “What do all the different things I do have in common?” I think the answer is to help people relate to each other in a way that transcends tribalism and displaces the idea of ​​being in a kind of “us” and “them.”

Listen to the interview by clicking the play button above.