Welcome to the dinner party. This is your icebreaker.

All right, here's a joke. I have a C.O. That's actually OCD, but in alphabetical order, just like it should be.

I'm Brendan Francis Nuneum.

I'm Rico Galliano, and from APM American Public Media, this is The Dinner Party, the culture

show that gives you an edge in your weekend conversations.

You just got a joke from someone who might know a thing or two about OCD.

Yes.

Movie star, artist, writer, ellipsis, James Franco.

He's collaborated on a new art exhibit in Los Angeles,

and we'll be speaking with him later.

Also coming up, musician Todd Snyder,

on meeting a NASCAR hero.

We're taught a lesson about Noel Coward.

We've got a new track from the band Twin Shadows,

and Travel Wr writer extraordinaire Paul

Theroux is here with etiquette tips. But first, as at any dinner party, we start with small talk.

All week long, you've been hearing these headlines.

Egypt's first free and fair presidential election. Philip Phillips won American Idol.

Thousands of investors accuse Facebook of withholding key information about the inflated value of the company.

Now for something you haven't heard, we are joined by Amber Bravo.

She is a senior editor at The Fader.

It's a music magazine.

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