The Best One Yet - 🧻 “Can you spare a fancy square?” — Charmin’s new TP. Netflix’s amusement store. George Clooney’s strike.

Episode Date: October 19, 2023

Netflix just reported earnings, but the real highlight is its newest product: Mini-Theme Parks — Netflix is selling $1,600 wedding dresses to keep you subscribed.Charmin just announced new toilet paper after 100 years of sameness — Finally innovation for TP: it’s the biggest whitespace in business.And the Hollywood Actors’ Strike has gotten so bad, they’re calling in George Clooney — But the biggest impact of the Actor’s Strike is on the blue collar crew.$NFLX $PG $DISSubscribe to our newsletter: tboypod.com/newsletterWant merch, a shoutout, or got TheBestFactYet? Go to: www.tboypod.comFollow The Best One Yet on Instagram, Twitter, and Tiktok: @tboypodAnd now watch us on Youtube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Nick. This is Jack. It's Thursday, the new Friday, October 19th. And today's pod, it is the best one yet. Jack, it is a T-boy over there. I know what you're thinking. Where did I get this Jackalanturn colored sweatshirt? It is bright.

It is neon and it is thriving in my eyes right now, Jack. I love Taylor Swift, Crunach sweatshirts. This one is pumpkin color. You're burning my retinas in the best possible way, Jack. Jack, what's our first story for today's T-boy? For our first story, Netflix's newest product is a $1,600 Bridgeton-themed wedding dress. Yet is Netflix just announced earnings, but we want to talk about Netflix theme parks. For our second story, Charmin, just reinvented toilet paper for the first time in 100 years.

Okay, so Jack and I found three other toilet paper innovations that could be coming soon. And our third and final story, George Clooney, just got involved in the actor's strike. But the biggest impact of the actor's strike, it isn't the actors, it's the hair, makeup, and catering. But Yeties, before we hit that wonderful mix of stories. That is just a perfect Thursday mix of stories, Jack. We've talked about a lot of fees on this business-focused podcast. I mean, Jack, whip out the whiteboard over here, service fees, convenience fees, mandatory fees. Or worst of all, the fee fee fee.

Don't even talk to me about the fee fee fee. But Nick and I just discovered the newest fee. We're calling it a vomit fee. That's right. fee for vomiting and it's real. CBS News, California. Just noticed a trend among restaurants there that offer bottomless brunch. Yeah, you can drink as many mimosas as you want, but if you vomit, that's a $50 cleaning fee. Because nothing's worse than bottomless brunch where you actually hit rock bottoms. One mimosa, two mosa, three mimosa floor. Now, Nick and I typically resent fees,

because that's a sneaky way that you charge more money. Jack and I are looking at the situation here. this $50 fee, it makes 100% sense. Because it's one thing for a waiter to clean up your dishes. But it's another thing for a waiter to clean up that bellini that your body sent back. Yeah, bloody merry, that can become a messy merry. Pancakes are great. Puk is not. Here's the best part, though, Yetis.

By adding this vomit fee, restaurants have actually cut down on the amount of vomiting that's happening. Sit down, stand up, and keep it in again. The fear of this fee actually caused brunch diners to binge less. So this vomit fee, it's not just a way to make money. It's a powerful behavioral nudge to stop throwing up in the restaurant. Hold the daffery. We'll take another water.

Nick, let's hit our three. Jack, hold my hair. Let's hit our three stories. Fifteen years before this song, two boys from the Northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best kiss. 50% that's a fat tip. Tea boy city on your at list.

If you know, you know, because we're ready to go. We can't wait no more. So just start the show. Start the show. For our first story, Netflix stock just jumped on great earnings. But Jack and I want to talk about Netflix houses. First Bridgeton experiences. Now Netflix stores.

Next up, Netflix theme parks. Gettys good news if you're a Netflix shareholder, right, Jack? The stock jumped 12%. As Netflix announced yesterday, they added 8 million new subscribers last quarter. But bad news if you're a Netflix, premium subscriber. Yeah, the price of that subscription, it's going up two bucks a month, starting immediately. So, Yeti's, that was Netflix earnings. But Jack and I found something interesting here that's a little different that we want to talk about. Getting engaged at the Bridgeton Ball.

In 10 cities, Netflix has brought the experience of its show Bridgeton to real life. 39 bucks a ticket, you and your significant other can dress up like Daphne and dance at a real life ball. Brought to you by Netflix. And get this. 50 couples have gotten engaged. engaged at these Netflix-themed events just in the past year. 50 couples. Jack, that's a sentence. I think we never thought we would ever say on a podcast. At a Netflix event, couples are getting engaged.

And it's not just experiences. Starting in December, you can buy a $1,600-themed wedding dress from Netflix. Puffy sleeves, A-frame design, Lady Violet's going to be jealous of this thing. It's fantastic. And Bridgerton is just one of Netflix's shows that their commercial. specializing beyond streaming. For example, Yeti's Stranger Things, they now have a frozen pizza. And where can you get that check? Walmart. Only a matter of time before Netflix partners with Tiffany and we get the crown crown. That's a great call. But here's the new news coming out of Netflix.

Get this, Yeti's. Netflix is building permanent physical Netflix stores and there are more than you realize. By 2025, Netflix is going to open up two Netflix houses in the United States with more houses to come abroad. Now, Jack and I should sprinkle on some context here. This is not just a store. Like, it's not just a cashier in an aisle six, right, Jack? You will be able to buy Netflix fan merch, but you'll also be able to buy Netflix-themed food and go on Netflix-themed rides, too. So picture this, Yeties. You could play in a Netflix squid game maze.

You could eat a Squid Game squid meal, and then you could buy a Red Light, Green Light, Squid Game doll. You're telling me the Netflix stores are going to have restaurants, retail, and rides all in one building. Jack, that doesn't sound like a Disney store. It sounds like Disney World. Now, Yetis, there's major financial risk in this investment. Putting money into toys, rides, and real estate. That's a huge upfront cost, isn't it, Jack?

One merch line alone can take 18 months to develop. Just ask our buddies over at Chuckie Cheeses. But it's easier for Netflix to keep an existing subscriber than find a new one. And fan-focused merch and experiences do exactly that. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at now? Netflix. All roads and content lead to land. Now, yet he's Jack and I have done a deep dive on this subject. And we've noticed that IP universes, they all end with theme parks.

Disney started with cartoon characters. 30 years later, they opened Disneyland. Yeah, Lego started with bricks, but now Lego Land is expanding throughout America. One's coming to San Diego. Nintendo started with video games, but Super Nintendo World is open in Japan and in Los Angeles. Besties, it's like the final frontier. of commercialization always must be physical. Netflix doesn't want its franchises to be fleeting. And it's one revenue source right now is subscriptions. So the future of Netflix looks like it's

going to be Flicksland. Because all IP roads end in a theme park. For our second story, Charmin just announced the perfect tear, toilet paper that tears clean every single time. After a hundred years, change is finally coming to toilet paper. This story would not be complete unless we sprinkled on some context from our buddy, George Costanza. He once complained this about TP. Do you realize that toilet paper has not changed in my lifetime? And in 10,000 years, it'll still be exactly the same? Well, Sharman, owned by Procter & Gamble, claims they've proved George Costanza wrong.

They claim that they have reinvented the square. Charmin Ultrasoft. This was the toilet paper that was already the Rolls-Royce of the category. It's like the cashmere of your rear. Charmin Ultrasoft just unveiled the first toilet paper that is not shaped in squares. Because, yeah, he's Jack and I don't want to go all geometry on you. But you know the problem with squares? It's the incomplete tears.

Yeah, you rip off an arm's length of TP, a little uneven. And then two rotations later, the roll looks like a mummy. It's like it's alive. It's the worst. Yeah, it is the worst. So Charmin replaced the traditional perforated line with... A wavy line. A scalloped line, if you will.

They say it's easier to... tear. You'll get a clean break every time you rip that TP, no matter how you rip it. They also say that it's the result of five years of research and development over at Procter & Gamble. Hey, Nobel Prize committee, give these guys one for bathroom comfort. Yeties, it's not an innovation, it's a minivation. But remember, what Jack and I have told you, many innovations are still innovations. And this Charminminminivation is part of a broader trend we're seeing hit every consumer product category. This is premiumization to the extreme. If we're talking bathroom comfort, you gotta talk first about Japan.

You gotta talk about Japan. They're the pioneer of the premium bathroom comfort, aren't they, Jack? Japan's already known for their noise-canceling toilets. Their odor neutralizing lids. The badeas, they come standard in Japan, even in the public washrooms, with the heated seats. So does Japan offer a premium toilet paper? Yeah, they do. Oh, yeah, Jack.

Oh, they do. For $12 roll in Japan, you can buy hand-rolled three-plied toilet paper. with one-of-a-kind artistically patterned mosaics. This is 10 times the price of the average American roll. You don't use this toilet paper, Jack. I saw this toilet paper live. You frame this toilet paper. And the company behind it describes it as suitable for birthdays

and thank you gifts for wedding guests. Eddies, you want to understand premiumization? It's toilet paper that you can put on a wedding registry. This $12 TP is huge news if you got a fancy undercarriage. So, Jack, I can't spare a square. There is no spare to square, but can you spare a takeaway for us over there? The biggest white space in business is toilet paper. Yeties, the toilet paper industry.

It's actually missed a huge opportunity. The way Jack and I see it, toilet paper is literally a blank page. After just five minutes of brainstorming, Nick and I thought of three innovations that could be coming to TP. Okay, here's the first. If you want to upsell toilet paper, use artistic toilet paper. For that New York City apartment with no closet, you can leave. TV rolls out and they're nice to look at. It's actually a startup already doing this.

It's called Who Gives a Crap? And each role is professionally designed so you don't need to put that toilet paper in storage. The second TP minivation, readable toilet paper. Yeah, you could print a comic book on that roll, turn the toilet paper into toilet content. Give that patient audience something to ponder. And finally, how about advertising on toilet paper? Taco Bell ad on the outermost ply. Pretty sure when you're in the bathroom, Jack, that is the definite.

of a captive audience. And just like Netflix, ad-supported TP, it'll have a lower price. Now, we'd pay half price for Charmin if you put a little mattress, mattress, mattress, add on that thing. There you have it. The biggest white space in business is toilet paper. The biggest white space in business is TP. Literally.

For our third and final story, after nearly 100 days, the actors strike negotiations have gotten so bad they're bringing in George Clooney. True story here. But the real losers are the crew. Yeties, we're going to begin with some context. While the writer's strike has ended, the actor's strike continues to go on. And it actually hits 100 days this weekend.

Now, the writers have celebrated because they got what they call an exceptional deal of higher pay and protection from artificial intelligence, which they just signed. But actors aren't celebrating. Actors are anxious that talks with the studios broke down last week.

Now, here's the news. Negotiations with actors have gotten so dire that the actors union has called in the heavy hitter. George Clooney. George Clooney, because George Clooney has a chin, that is really hard to argue with, Jack. Those dimples might be the key to getting a good deal. I mean, Jack, you look into George Clooney's eyes, and you're going to change the fine print

on whatever contract you're working on. Yeah, you are. According to the Hollywood reporter, George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Emma Stone, Ben Affleck and Tyler Perry, they're all collabing with union leaders right now to get past the stalemate. I heard that people will commit wire fraud after just talking to George Clooney. Because he tells them to? No, because his face is that symmetrical, Jack. Again, the dimples.

Now, yet he's here's what Jack and I found fascinating about this story. You know who's actually most affected by this actor's strike? It's not the cast. It's the credits. Get this. According to the New York Times, the typical blockbuster movie, if you watch till the end, has 3,000 names scroll on. down the screen. If you watch the credits, you're going to see 3,000 names of people who worked on that

movie. Now, in a typical movie, the number of actors, including extras who worked on that movie, is about 100 people. Which means actors make up only 3% of a Hollywood workforce. 3% of a Hollywood movie is the actors. That's it. And since the actors strike shut down Hollywood, the other 97% of the workforce isn't working either. That 97%, that's the blue-collar work of Hollywood. And they've been out of work. since May. Some of those workers are artistic. Yeah, they're the hairstylists, the set designers, the costume designers for the movies you love. And some of those crew members have physical jobs. The stunt doubles, the janitors, the chauffeurs, driving the actors to the set.

But they've all been out of work since May, including like the boom mic operator. And we can't forget the family with a food truck who's been catering the grilled chicken for the entire set. All these blue collar workers have been out of work since May, and they won't get back to work until the actors strike a deal. And then three months later, productions finally resumed. That 97% is getting hit hard. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in the entertainment industry? Strikes have collateral damage and it's off camera. Yeties, as you can see, the actors are just the tip of the Hollywood workforce iceberg. The crew sits metaphorically under the water, but now they're financially underwater too. We're talking two million

Americans who are affected indirectly by the actor strike. Their unemployment benefits have already run out, and now they're tapping into retirement savings. Okay, but here's the interesting thing. According to the New York Times, those crew members don't resent the actors. The crew believes the actor strike is important for the future of the whole movie industry. Because AI, Tom Hanks, shouldn't steal jobs for real life, Tom Hanks. But the pain of Hollywood crew's show, the collateral damage of a strike. Jack, can you whip up the takeaways for us for the new Friday? Netflix started with shows. Now they're building Netflix stores. Soon, we think we'll have Netflix theme parks.

Because all IP roads lead to land. For our second story, Charmin, just innovated toilet paper with wavy perforations, so they tear clean every time. After a thousand years, finally some innovation for toilet paper, it's the biggest white space in business. And our third and final story,

two million members of the Hollywood movie economy had been out of work since May. Strikes have collateral damage, and it's off camera. But Yetis, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, President Biden showed support for Israel with his visit to the country yesterday, but he also had some questions. He asked, what's the plan for humanitarian aid for Gaza and what comes after this war?

And second, United Airlines has, get this, more flights to Israel than any other U.S. airline, and now it's canceling them through the end of the year. Plus, the price of oil is up due to the war. so United Airlines stock fell 8% yesterday. And finally, remember when we told you that Elon was going to start charging you to tweet? Well, it looks like it begun. X has begun charging $1 per year in what they're calling a not a bot fee. And the testing starts in New Zealand and the Philippines.

Tweeting now means paying. Now time for the best fact yet. This one sent in by Eric McConnell from lovely Mission Vallejo, California. Last week, we talked about Boise, Idaho in this pot. Yeah, Boise, the home of the biggest potato company in America. But get this, Boise is also home to the most Spanish people in the United States. Specifically, Boise has the highest population of Basque Spanish residents in America. There's a whole street in Boise loaded with Basque restaurants, like Bar Garnica.

Yeah, Basque. It is a region of northeast Spain and apparently also a region of Idaho. Because in the 1800s, many Basque people left Spain to become shableness. cheap herders in America's West. And those Spaniards ended up in Idaho. Yeties, you look fantastic for the new Friday. And remember, if you want to get these takeaways in readable form and you want to share them with friends, what's the best thing to do, Jack? Subscribe to the best newsletter yet at tboypod.com slash newsletter.

You're going to get our newsletter. You're going to get our takeaways. And you're going to get even more that we couldn't cover on the pod. Check it out at tiboypod.com slash newsletter. If you know, you know. Before we go, a happy birthday to a young legendary Yeti, Louis DeSanco, who's celebrating his birthday on the way to daycare in Madison, Connecticut, and he listens every day.

And happy birthday to Fernando Sanchez in Miami, Florida. And Brandon Kauffer, enjoy that birthday down in lovely D.C. Happy birthday to Kevin Yang in Bayonne, New Jersey. And Isaac Del Monte's turning 45 in Irvington, New York. Happy belated birthday to Billy Wetzel, turning 47 with his cat Vincent, who just turned 9, well. They got the same birthday and they're both looking fantastic. And congratulations to Anna from Helsinki, who just got her visa interview so she can get married to Kelvin. And Yeva is only 22

years old, but she's going on her first mock trial competition over in New York City. And congratulations to Kelsey Black. Her legendary bookstore, the Book Burrow, just got a shout out in Texas Monthly Magazine. And Kelly Posda from Hoboken started a short form series on LinkedIn. It's called Humans of Tech. And happy one and a half year adoption day to Joey and Emily, who just love that little puppy Brunow. Prioritize that puppy like George Clooney's eyes. Cincinnati does puppies. This is Jack. I own stock of Disney and Netflix.

I look like a pumpkin. It's really a little too much, like this time of the year. I should have a bit of shit. I mean, I think you're a jackalantan? Like the color of this shirt should be described as jackalachian. I don't think it's a color jacket. It's kind of an experience. It's the only color that's faster than the speed of light.

The dad should say do not wear in October. People are spontaneously handing me Tutsi Rolz. When you walk down the street, cars stop because they think you're a light. They're going to stick that on like an ambulance to get that thing through traffic faster.