🪩 “Austin Powers Effect” — The End of Trends. Louis Vuitton’s insane ship. Aluminum’s LaCroix crush. +Stolen KitKat Picassos

Summary

The Best One Yet — 🪩 “Austin Powers Effect” — The End of Trends, Louis Vuitton’s Insane Ship, Aluminum’s LaCroix Crush, + Stolen KitKat Picassos

Podcast: The Best One Yet
Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell
Date: March 31, 2026
Episode Theme: A pop-biz rundown exploring why the last 30 years have seen stagnating cultural and technological change (the “Austin Powers Effect”), spotlighting epic heists, the aluminum supply crunch, and Louis Vuitton’s outlandish retail “landmarking.”

---

Episode Overview

This episode dives into three unique business stories with TBOY’s signature banter:

1. Why innovation and culture appear to have plateaued over the past 30 years, (“the Austin Powers Effect”)
2. How global strife and tariffs are turning aluminum into a luxury commodity
3. Louis Vuitton’s jaw-dropping retail “landmark” in Shanghai—a 100-foot ship-store.

True to form, Jack and Nick riff with memorable metaphors, pop-culture callbacks, and an eye for business trends that make their discussion as entertaining as it is informative.

---

Key Stories & Insights

1. “The Austin Powers Effect” – Innovation Plateaus (06:07–11:08)

Premise:
The time span between the 1960s and when Austin Powers premiered (1997) matches the gap between Austin Powers and today—yet the last 30 years seem far less revolutionary than those prior.

Discussion Points:

• In Austin Powers (spring 1997), the humor is that the 1960s are totally alien—plush suits, rotary phones, swingin’ slang.
• Today, shows set in the '90s (e.g., Hulu’s "Love Story" about JFK Jr. & Carolyn Bessette) look much more like modern life—same fashion, language, decor, with phones as the only big difference.
• Quote: “Add it all up and the difference between the 1960s and the 1990s is way bigger than the ‘90s to today.” – Jack (09:22)
• Cultural and fashion shifts have slowed and converged, mainly due to the Internet’s blending effect and a shift in R&D funding from world-changing progress to incremental, ad-driven app tweaks.
• Stagnation illustrated: “The main one is that where the money goes, innovation goes… the Internet has brought more people together, but the sharing of all these ideas has blended them.” – Nick (10:03)

Takeaway (10:47):
It’s the “stagnation hypothesis”—has human innovation plateaued? Globalization and the economics of tech have created an era of “blanding,” where the distinctive edges of culture, language, and style get smoothed over. But with new AI, space, and fusion frontiers, another leap may be ahead.

Memorable Quote:
“As Peter Thiel put it, ‘We were promised flying cars, but what we got was 140 characters.’” – Nick (21:22)

---

2. The Great Aluminum Crunch (11:08–15:18)

Premise:
Iran war disruptions have driven up aluminum prices to a four-year high, affecting everything from LaCroix cans to Ford F-150s.

Discussion Points:

• Aluminum: Strong, light, cheap—but only when plentiful. It doesn’t occur naturally; must be smelted from bauxite.
• Drone and missile attacks by Iran have shut down key Gulf-region smelters (9% of world’s supply) and closed the Strait of Hormuz.
• Amusing framing: “It’s basically a whoever smelt it, dealt it situation right now.” – Nick (12:23)
• Trump-era U.S. tariffs (50%) failed to spark domestic production; instead, American smelters just raised prices.
• U.S. now has only four major smelters left—imports are essential.
• Domestic plant disasters (fire in NY) have worsened the situation.
• Aluminum has become a "luxury"—historically echoed in Napoleon’s era.

Takeaway (14:22):
The Iran war is disrupting “invisible everywhere ingredients”: oil, fertilizer, and aluminum—basics crucial to everything from food to cars to phones. Disruptions here ripple across supply chains, feeding the cost-of-living crisis.

---

3. Louis Vuitton’s Landmark Retail Stunt (16:33–21:16)

Premise:
Louis Vuitton opens a 100-foot cruise-ship-shaped store in Shanghai, shifting luxury retail from “experiential” to outright “landmarking.”

Discussion Points:

• Declining luxury stock values due to Middle East turmoil—LV down 47% from highs.
• New Shanghai store looks like a Titanic-scale yacht, intentionally docked in the city shopping district.
• Inside: Individual “cabins” as mini-stores (books, perfume, leatherwork), engine room as live atelier.
• Architectural spectacle is part of a broader retailtainment trend—examples: suitcase-themed NYC flagship, sailboat-styled Osaka store, Parisian Louis Vuitton museum.
• The goal now isn’t just to create in-store experiences but “tourist attractions.”
  – “You travel out of your way just to take a selfie there. It’s a destination.” – Jack (20:18)
• These “landmarks” encourage organic social media and keep the brand vital amidst e-commerce’s rise.

Takeaway (19:57):
There’s “retail… and then there’s landmarking.” The aim: become a must-see IRL icon and harness real-world awe (and Instagram cred) impossible to replicate digitally.

Memorable Quote:
“This Louis Vuitton ship, it’s one of the eight wonders of the retail world.” – Jack (20:39)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Inflation, it’s causing some sticky fingers out there.” – Nick (02:52)
• “Hottest trade of 2026—it’s a truck, a museum, and a five minute window with the security cameras pointing in the wrong direction.” – Jack (03:16)
• “It’s like blanding. It’s like the end of trends in technology.” – Nick (10:16)
• [On aluminum rings] “That is the least romantic thing anyone’s ever heard.” – Jack (14:10)
• “Landmarking is happening.” – Nick (21:48)

---

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:54–03:16: Stolen KitKats & Impressionist Paintings—Theftflation
• 06:07–11:08: Story 1 – The Austin Powers Effect / End of Trends
• 11:08–15:18: Story 2 – The Aluminum Shock
• 16:33–21:16: Story 3 – Louis Vuitton’s “Landmarking” Retail
• 21:16–22:43: News Roundup – TSA Back Pay, Oil Price Surge
• 22:43–23:17: March Madness ratings
• 23:17–23:59: Best Fact Yet – Peanut Butter: Liquid or Solid?
• 23:59–25:50: Listener shoutouts and celebrations

---

Additional Highlights

• Heist Roundup: In a humorous opening, the hosts list recent spectacular thefts: 400,000+ KitKats, Impressionist artwork, walnuts, maple syrup, and royal jewels—all hinting at “theftflation” in a tight economy (02:51–03:16).
• Quick News: U.S. oil prices spike 61% in a month; TSA workers finally paid after congressional drama; March Madness sets all-time viewership records.
• Best Fact Yet: TSA’s peanut butter dilemma—peanut butter is a “non-Newtonian fluid” (23:40).

---

Episode Vibe and Style

Jack and Nick keep the energy high, riffing off each other and weaving smart pop-biz ideas with nostalgia and Gen Z relatability. The show’s playful, meme-ready metaphors (e.g., “Austin Powers Effect,” “the end of trends,” “landmarking”) make the stories sticky—and the takeaways actionable for business-minded listeners.

---

In Summary

This episode is a “TBOY” (the best one yet):

• Explores why cultural and business innovation may be slowing and blurring (“Austin Powers Effect”)
• Reveals the aluminum crunch shaking up every supply chain
• Reveals how Louis Vuitton is betting big on stores-as-landmarks to keep luxury IRL
• With classic TBOY humor, memorable quotes, and sharp business insights, this is a guide to understanding both the stealth shifts and spectacle stunts reshaping the 2026 pop-biz landscape.

---

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick, this is Jack. It's Tuesday, t boy. Tuesday, March 31. Density's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[B]

The top three pop business news stories you need to know today.

[A]

I mean the big news. You want the honors, Jack?

[B]

The featured guest of our show next week in New York City is the

[A]

former host of Million Dollar Listing on

[B]

Bravo, the current host of Owning Manhattan on Netflix.

[A]

He's published three bestselling books, launched an education course and a venture capital alarm.

[B]

If you're interested in real estate, entrepreneurship or being a silver fox because he's

[A]

the maestro marketing sultan, a selling region of real estate. Who is it, Jack?

[B]

Ryan Serhant. The CEO, TV host and real estate titan of New York.

[A]

That's right. That's the guest for our New York City live show.

[B]

And yes, he's charging us a 6% non negotiable fee.

[A]

Grab your final tickets while they last today. And Jack, what do you say we hit the show for our first story? It's wild.

[B]

The same amount of time has passed between Austin powers and the 1960s as Austin Powers and today.

[A]

And yet in the last 30 years since the Austin Powers movie things, things don't look that different.

[B]

So we'll explain what we're calling the innovation plateau.

[A]

Uh huh.

[B]

And we're doing it through Mike Myers quotes.

[A]

Yeah baby.

[B]

For our second story, put oil on the back burner. Because the war in Iran is now messing with aluminum basties.

[A]

Hold on to your LaCroix. Because aluminum is actually America's favorite metal.

[B]

And our third and final story. Louis Vuitton just parked a 100 foot tall cruise ship in downtown Shanghai.

[A]

On land.

[B]

Because it's a store.

[A]

It's a store. Experiential retail is out. Landmark retail is in.

[B]

But yetis before we hit that wonderful mix of stories.

[A]

Shall we shag the stories now, Jake? We're gonna shag them later. What's going on, man?

[B]

Call up George Clooney and Matt Damon, stat.

[A]

Yeah, because we got a plot for the next Ocean's Eleven sequel. Sequel?

[B]

Because the two wildest heists of the year just happened within 24 hours of each other.

[A]

We're talking 400,000 KitKat bars stolen.

[B]

And a half dozen impressionist paintings stolen.

[A]

All stolen minutes without a single trace.

[B]

Was it the same guys?

[A]

Different guys?

[B]

Don't know. Gotta wait till the Hulu documentary.

[A]

But in the meantime, Jack, let's dive in D boy style. Let's start with the dessert, please.

[B]

KitKat just confirmed that 413,000 KitKat bars were stolen from a truck in Europe.

[A]

Yeah, and he said it's 12 tons of cocoa that is MIA right now.

[B]

Police are waiting for the thieves to have a sugar crash.

[A]

Don't call the cops by the way. Call Willy Wonka if you see them.

[B]

And yet hours later, another heist in the same country happened in Italy.

[A]

Italy? $10 million of Impressionist paintings were taken from an ital Italian museum.

[B]

These still lives are actually on the go right now.

[A]

Heck, it's like that louv heist from last year. But the robbers have better taste now.

[B]

So yetis, if you see an original Monet on ebay today, make a buy now offer.

[A]

Oh, because that Matisse, it is timeless.

[B]

It seems we're in the middle of a stealing stir.

[A]

Yes we are.

[B]

Yetis.

[A]

Inflation, it's causing some sticky fingers out there.

[B]

Last week $50,000 of walnuts were stolen in the Bronx.

[A]

$18 million maple syrup was stolen out of Canada.

[B]

$100 million of precious Crown jewels were stolen in par.

[A]

Jack, add it all up. Kit Kats, Monets, walnuts, maple syrup, crown jewels.

[B]

Somewhere out there, one guy's living his best life.

[A]

Haha Besties. In this economy, theftflation, it is real.

[B]

Hottest trade of 2026 it's a truck, a museum and a five minute window with the security cameras pointing in the wrong direction.

[A]

Officer, I was confused. Jack, let's do that. 3 story 15 years before this song 2 boys from the northeast met in the dorm. They had an idea to cause a cultural storm. It's the best one yet but the best is the norm. Jack. Nick, that's it. I don't even think they need to practice. 50. That's a fat tip. T boy city on your at Liz if you know, you know. Cause we read to go we can't wait no more so just start the show. Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

[B]

This episode is sponsored by Square, the do everything payments platform for business.

[A]

Look, Yetis, full disclosure, I'm a brick and mortars guy. I like to find a new coffee shop once a week to prep this pod from. Even though I don't like coffee, I'm

[B]

more of an efficiency guy. I order on my phone for a just in time pickup on the way home from work.

[A]

That Thai asap. Besties from my favorite cafe to Jack's favorite cantina. Square powers at transaction Square lets business

[B]

owners track sales, manage inventory and access reports in real time.

[A]

I mean the technology is brilliant. It recognizes me, makes my checkout quick and easy and treats me like a

[B]

regular for both customers and businesses. It's gold. And now besties. And Yetis can now get $200 off square hardware when you sign [e-mail] go tboy.

[A]

One coffee shop owner literally said this. If I couldn't use Square, I wouldn't open a business.

[B]

Farmer's markets to cafes, food trucks to fashionista shops.

[A]

Square. You get all the tools to run your business with none of the contracts or complexity. And why wait? Right now you can get up to 200 bucks off square hardware at square.com

[B]

go tboy that's s q U-A-R-E.com g o t b o y run your business sm with square.

[A]

Get started today. Monarch Yetis Happy Tax season to all those who celebrate. It's like March Madness, but it's April Madness.

[B]

Tax season is actually the one time of the year most Americans review their finances.

[A]

Yeah, but it shouldn't be. Monarch has all your accounts linked for a real time look at your financial future. Available anytime.

[B]

I started using Monarch just once a month for when I pay my bills, but now almost daily checking my net worth, my investments and my transactions.

[A]

Jack actually is a problem. I have to get him off this thing. Yet he's we think you should simplify your finances with Monarch because Monarch is

[B]

the all in one personal finance tool designed to make your life easier.

[A]

It brings your entire financial life, budgeting, accounts and investments, net worth and future planning together in one dashboard, on your phone or your laptop.

[B]

Feel aware and in control of your finances this tax season and get 50% off your Monarch subscription if you use Code T Boy.

[A]

If you're a solo tax filer, head

[B]

of a household, or somebody's dependent must be nice.

[A]

Monarch will be your financial wingman.

[B]

Achieve your financial goals for good with Monarch, the all in one tool that makes money management simple.

[A]

And use code T [e-mail] for half off your first year. That's 50% [e-mail] code T Boy for our first story, the same amount of time has passed between Austin powers in the 1960s as Austin Powers and today. Believe it or not, but business, technology

[B]

and fashion haven't changed nearly as much in the last 30 years as the previous 30.

[A]

Yeti's, the moon landing, Y2K Beyonce albums, Bachela.

[B]

Who could forget Bachela?

[A]

If you were alive, you remember where you were for those big moments in

[B]

history, including the debut of Austin Powers in movie theaters nearly 30 years ago.

[A]

That's right, spring of 1997. Austin Powers, the comedy of the decade.

[B]

Mike Myers is a British spy who gets cryogenically frozen in the 1960s and then wakes up in the 1990s.

[A]

It's a 30 year time warp and it is our bag, baby.

[B]

His suit is plush velvet. His Jaguar has shag carpeting.

[A]

His phone, it's a rotary phone. Besties. You look at all this stuff when you were 1997 seeing the movie and it's like alien artifacts from another planet.

[B]

And alien attitudes too.

[A]

Yeah, Jack. Because it wasn't just the bell bottoms. Austin Power is trying to shag everyone he sees.

[B]

Even the English language that Austin uses sounds foreign.

[A]

Groovy. Far out, baby.

[B]

He puts the grrr in Swinger, baby.

[A]

Yeah, I mean, it's a swinger language that needs a translator if you're watching the movie as a 10 year old, like we were.

[B]

From the free love to the bad teeth to the Burke Bak, the visual gap between the 1960s and the 1990s is huge. And that's the comedic core of the movie. The differences between the 60s and the

[A]

90s in Austin Powers, the clear 30 year contrast is the comedy.

[B]

But pause the pod.

[A]

Yes, Jack.

[B]

Because the time gap between Austin powers in the 1960s is the same time gap of today and Austin Powers. 30 years.

[A]

30 years. In fact, Jack and I happen to have the perfect point of comparison right now to understand this concept.

[B]

It's the show love story about JFK Jr. And Carolyn Bessette Kennedy.

[A]

Exactly. The hit Hulu show that just dropped its final episode a few days ago. It takes place in the 1990s.

[B]

So when we watched Austin Powers back in the 90s, we said, wow, 30 years ago was a crazy time.

[A]

But when we watched love story today 30 years ago, doesn't seem so crazy, does it, Jack? No.

[B]

In Love Story, Caroline is wearing black dresses. There's Calvin Klein underwear, billboards. There's that tortoiseshell headband that she's bringing back.

[A]

Yeah, all that stuff looks pretty similar to today.

[B]

JFK wears T shirts, he rides his bike to work, he has a sofa in his Tribeca loft.

[A]

And you could like buy all that stuff at West Elm if you walk out the door right now.

[B]

Love Story is a docudrama from the 90s, but it feels like it could take place today.

[A]

I mean, check the popular jeans that are on the show. There's like the same Gene Cuts that are popular right now over at Reformation.

[B]

JFK Jr says cool, just like you still say cool. He just says it cooler. Cause his hair is way better.

[A]

Yeah, linguistically it's the same.

[B]

Otherwise, other than the look and appearance of the cars on the road.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

The only big difference between 1990s as seen in Love Story and today. It's the phones.

[A]

It's the phones. No one's staring at a screen when they're on the subway. No one's walking with their head down because they're stuck in an app.

[B]

When JFK Jr is running late to his date, he can't text Caroline, he had to call a restaurant from a payphone.

[A]

Yetis, this is the hero statement. Add it all up and the difference between the 1960s and the 1990s is way bigger than the 90s to today.

[B]

Same time gap, 30 years, but very different culture gap.

[A]

And we think that speaks to something even bigger about business and technology. So Jack, if you'd like to live dangerously, what's the takeaway from our buddies looking at this Austin Powers effect?

[B]

It's the stagnation hypothesis. Has human innovation plateaued?

[A]

Yeti's technology to fashion, to how we speak. Less has changed in the last 30 years than in the previous 30 years.

[B]

And there's a few reasons to explain this. The main one is that where the money goes, innovation goes.

[A]

Oh yeah, because the Internet has brought more people together. But the sharing of all these ideas has kind of blended them.

[B]

So culture, language factors, fashion styles, they've merged globally thanks to the Internet and they've also blanded thanks to the Internet.

[A]

It's like blanding. It's like the end of trends in technology. More money is now focused on squeezing ad dollars out of an app and

[B]

less money is invested in what could be world changing advancements for mankind.

[A]

You may have noticed us talk about

[B]

this on the pod.

[A]

We've seen a rise in inshidification of apps that look like late stage capitalism.

[B]

Now economists and techies have studied this atrophy of innovation from Tyler Cohen to Peter Thiel.

[A]

Our Austin Powers love story example is just a unique way to Illustra.

[B]

But has human innovation plateaued? Doesn't have to be. The next 30 years could restart innovation. We hope it does.

[A]

I mean Jack, you got the start of AI, space travel, self driving, maybe self flying cars.

[B]

Things are getting exciting again. Fusion energy. That could be the key to solving climate change.

[A]

But in the meantime, besties. It is worth recognizing the contrast in two mirrors to our culture.

[B]

Austin Powers and Love Story.

[A]

Yeah baby. For our second story, hold on to your La Croix. Because war in Iran has popped aluminum prices up to four year highs.

[B]

Aluminum, America's favorite metal is the little smelter that could. And it's raising prices across the economy right now.

[A]

Jack, could you whip out a copy of the periodic table of elements for us over there, please?

[B]

I do see aluminum. It's got the number 13 up there. But I do not see aluminum, naturally, on planet Earth.

[A]

No. And why is that, Jack?

[B]

We can only get aluminum by mining some rock called bosite, refining it, and then heating it to molten lava temperatures.

[A]

Ah, smelting. That is the smelting process. And boom, then we get aluminum.

[B]

It's incredibly light, it's incredibly strong, and it's low cost.

[A]

That's right. Pro tip. You want to win those lacrosse face offs, you don't go with titanium. You go with aluminum.

[B]

It's like the Nimbus 2001 of metals but besties.

[A]

The price of aluminum spiked on Monday to its highest level since Russia invaded

[B]

Ukraine because smelters in Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were attacked by Iranian drones and missiles over the weekend.

[A]

Iran's goal continue to make this war as expensive as possible for the west

[B]

because 9% of the world's aluminum is smelted in the Gulf countries. And with the Strait of Hormuz closed, none of that is being exported.

[A]

It's basically a whoever smelt it, dealt it situation right now.

[B]

Because if you can smelt aluminum, you can deal it for $3,400 a ton.

[A]

And for all our British yetis out there, yes, we're talking about aluminium. But yetis, this is a problem because aluminum is America's favorite metal. More on that in a minute.

[B]

Aluminum prices are up 17% one month ago when the war in Iran began, but they're up 50% in the last year.

[A]

I'm sorry. Pause the pod. Jack, can you sprinkle on some periodic table development Context, please?

[B]

Before the war in Iran. Since June, the United States has been taxing foreign aluminum at 50%.

[A]

Those Trump tariffs were aimed to jumpstart domestic aluminum production, you know, to get more American schmelters out there.

[B]

But that hasn't happened. Instead, US Aluminum companies have simply raised their prices because they could.

[A]

Plus, Jack, to make matters worse, we had that huge fire last September in upstate New York with Denmark. That big aluminum rolling mill.

[B]

That's the plant that turns raw aluminum into Ford F150 panels and diet Coke cans.

[A]

And it's like we said, hold on to your LaCroix, America. We now just have four aluminum smelters

[B]

out there, so we need international imported aluminum more than ever right now.

[A]

So tariffs have increased the price of aluminum 35%. And the warning. Rowan, just raised them another 15%.

[B]

And Alcoa, the Pure Play aluminum stock, they're loving every minute of it.

[A]

Oh, yeah, they are.

[B]

Their stock has doubled in the past 12 months because prices are $3,400 per ton.

[A]

But yetis interesting thing. Jack and I noticed back in the 1800s, aluminum was worth more than gold.

[B]

Shortly after, aluminum was discovered by man, Napoleon was obsessed with this stuff.

[A]

It was like decking out the house in aluminum and having it worked into mints.

[B]

Well, unfortunately, history is rhyming because aluminum has become a luxury again.

[A]

You're proposing to your girlfriend anytime soon? Maybe skip the platinum and get her an aluminum ring.

[B]

That is the least romantic thing anyone's ever heard.

[A]

Honey, I smelted your skin drift into our wedding ring. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in aluminum?

[B]

The Iran war is disrupting our invisible everywhere ingredients.

[A]

Yetis the three key markets disrupted by this war. It's oil, fertilizer, and aluminum. Those are the ingredients in everything.

[B]

Aluminum is in your La Croix can. It's in your F150. It's in your iPhone.

[A]

We're talking cars, cans, and computers. Life, work and infrastructure.

[B]

Aluminum is the most touched metal in America. From Chef Boyardee cans to Teslas. It's everywhere.

[A]

Baby oil that's required in every supply chain for heating and transportation.

[B]

Fertilizer. It's in everything we eat. Even cows need fertilizer because they eat fertilized grain.

[A]

And these three disrupted supplies, they are all invisible. And yet they all are all everywhere.

[B]

For five years, the cost of living crisis has wreaked havoc in all Western economies.

[A]

Jack, make it six. Because the Iran war is disrupting our invisible everywhere ingredients. Now, a quick word from our sponsor.

[C]

Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan Fellas. I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fan Girls podcast and your resident lover of all things Sanderson.

[B]

And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball. But you can call me the Smash Daddy.

[C]

And we are currently deep diving Brandon San Anderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Hey. Hey.

[B]

So each week, you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.

[C]

And along the way, we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.

[B]

News flash. I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday, and you can find Fantasy Fan Fellows wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Darina, co founder of Quo. If you run a business, you know the team that responds first wins the customer. You've probably opened your phone to a bunch of missed calls and no voicemails.

[A]

Those are missed opportunities and exactly why we built Quo.

[B]

Quo is the business phone system that helps your team handle every call and text right away. Join over 90,000 businesses that win more customers with Quo. Try Quo for [e-mail] tech. That's quo.com tech.

[A]

For our third and final story. Louis Vuitton's newest store is actually a ship. But it's not on water, it's on land.

[B]

Louis Vuitton has pioneered a new form of physical retail. We call it landmarking.

[A]

But yetis, let's start by sprinkling on some context. Luxury stocks out there. They've been a lull the last couple years.

[B]

TikTok videos with one are on doesn't spark your order for a $15,000 handbag.

[A]

Just since the war started, luxury stocks have lost 100 billion bucks in value.

[B]

Wall street is putting Hermes and Gucci

[A]

on the sale rack. And Dubai, they're right in the middle of the conflict.

[B]

Ferrari actually shut down their theme park in nearby Abu Dhabi. The stock's down because big Middle east money is not buying luxury products right now.

[A]

But fanciest of all is Louis Vuitton. Jack, what's happening to that stock?

[B]

Their stock is down 20% since the first bombs were dropped. $50 billion of market value has disappeared in one month.

[A]

Louis Vuitton is now down 47% off its 2023 all time high. It is trading like a dupe on Canal Street.

[B]

But perfect timing because Louis Vuitton just opened up the craziest store we have ever seen.

[A]

This is a ship on land.

[B]

It's a boat on Broadway.

[A]

In Shanghai, they built a 100 foot tall Titanic sized vessel and then boom, plopped that thing on a street corner in the shopping district.

[B]

It's a vessel on the. It's actually wild to look at. It's like an enormous like regal. Looks like something Queen Elizabeth would sail on.

[A]

It feels like Poseidon is gonna walk out of nowhere and pick up a handbag from this thing.

[B]

It truly looks like a gigantic boat. And it's got a real chrome anchor dangling from like 100ft up. And it rests on the sidewalk like

[A]

QE2 washed up on the shore and then got taken over by a bunch of Christian Dior pirates.

[B]

It makes a splash in the retail

[A]

scene figuratively, not literally.

[B]

Inside is where you See the strategy emerge.

[A]

Ah. And what is the Louis Vuitton strategy, Jack? With, I don't know, a cruise ship on land?

[B]

The inside of this vessel looks kind of like the inside of a vessel, but each cabin is a different Louis Vuitton store.

[A]

Basically, they turned a ship into a mall and then put that mall on land.

[B]

There's a bookstore on the starboard and a perfume room on the port side.

[A]

Oh, the engine room. What's in the engine room, Jack?

[B]

A team of leather artisans sewing up bags right in front of you for you to see.

[A]

Now, besties, this ship is called the Louis, but it's actually part of Louis Vuitton's retailtainment theme.

[B]

Because two years ago, Louis Vuitton turned their entire New York City flagship location into what looked like an enormous suitcase.

[A]

I mean, every time I walked by, I took a photo. While renovating, they turned their entire exterior of the 57th street store into a 16 story Louis Vuitton luggage.

[B]

They replicated a 19th century canvas suitcase, which they're famous for, into the architectural blueprints.

[A]

One of the handles on the building weighed 5,000 pounds.

[B]

New Yorkers hated this though, because it caused all the tourists to stop in the sidewalk. Get out of the way.

[A]

I'm walking here. But besties, they did. They didn't stop there, did they, Jack?

[B]

In Osaka, Japan, the exterior of the Louis Vuitton flagship looks like it's cloaked in massive sails from a sailboat over in Paris.

[A]

The Louis Vuitton is an actual museum. I went there last year. We went there for a whole day.

[B]

Basically because the building is as big and as magnificent as the Sydney Opera

[A]

House, which leads to our takeaway, which is possible. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Louis Vuitton?

[B]

There's retail and then there's landmarking.

[A]

You see yetis. Over the last decade, we've talked to you about retailtainment, the rise of the experiential store.

[B]

It all came because of E Commerce.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

With E commerce in the room, retail's not dead. Only bad retail is dead.

[A]

Bad retail is dead. But a new chapter is emerging here. A store that you don't just go to for an experience, but for the photo.

[B]

You travel out of your way just to take a selfie there. It's a destination. So Jack, I gotta ask.

[A]

Why would a brand drop tens of millions, hundreds of millions of dollars to create tourist attractions of a store?

[B]

Because the visitors do the for you. They're posting pictures of this insane architecture

[A]

and the fact that People will fly to Paris to see one of them lifts the brand's mystique like nothing else could.

[B]

This Louis Vuitton ship, it's one of the eight wonders of the retail world.

[A]

It's like the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty.

[B]

I don't know if it's like the Statue of Liberty.

[A]

You're right.

[C]

Right.

[A]

It's like the Empire State Building.

[B]

Jack, I'm not buying that either. But it is an eight wonder of the retail world.

[A]

And Jack, in the age of AI, where it's so cheap and easy to make massive crazy looking things, we assign extra value to what we actually do create in the real world.

[B]

So Louis Vuitton now has five of these crazy architectural retail trophies.

[A]

Matthews, that's not just experiential, that is landmarking. Jack, could you whip us up the takeaways for the best pod yet for T boy Tuesday.

[B]

The 30 years of change before the 1990s seems way more advanced than the 30 years after.

[A]

Call it the innovation plateau or the Austin Powers effect. As Peter Thiel put it, we were promised flying cars, but what we got was 140 characters.

[B]

For our second story, aluminum prices are at 4 year highs thanks to tariffs and the war in Iran.

[A]

And America loves aluminum oil, fertilizer and aluminum. The three everywhere invisible ingredients disrupted by this war.

[B]

And our third and final story is Louis Vuitton. They have a store in Shanghai that looks like a Regal yacht docked on the street corner.

[A]

It's a new level of experiential retail landmarking is happening.

[B]

But besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today.

[A]

Okay, this one goes to tsa. They just announced the workers are now receiving paychecks for their back pay.

[B]

That's thanks to an executive order from President Trump.

[A]

Over the weekend, the US Senate had passed a bill to pay tsa, but the House Republicans had voted it down.

[B]

Politics aside, we hope TSA workers forgive DC and return to keeping our skies safe.

[A]

And second, happy last day of Q1 to all those who celebrate. March is capping it all off with the biggest monthly jump in oil prices ever.

[B]

The American benchmark for crude oil was $65 a barrel. Now it's 105. That's a 61% increase.

[A]

In one turn up is so much because they lag behind the oil market.

[B]

The national average for Regular unleaded hit $3.99 Monday morning, up from 298 one month ago.

[A]

Or in California, 10,000 bucks a gallon.

[B]

Yeah, I don't know why California is so crazy expensive.

[A]

It's like the dinosaurs are making the oil in here. And finally, college basketball. March Madness has been wild. Setting records like a young Christian Laettner.

[B]

The first round was the most watched first round of the March madness ever with 11 million average viewers.

[A]

Second round, second most watched ever with 10 million viewers.

[B]

The elite eight round that just ended with UConn beating Duke. It's gotta be a new viewership record. Although we don't have the numbers yet.

[A]

Like we said, don't pick Duke. We had your backs.

[B]

Condolences to all the Duke Laetner fans out there.

[A]

Now, time for the best fact yet. This one. An answer to our T boy trivia. Jack, what do we got?

[B]

Yesterday's question was based on the TSA drop drama, specifically about peanut butter.

[A]

Like, what form of matter is peanut butter? Where on the periodic scale does Skippies fall?

[B]

Is it solid, liquid, gas, or. I remember the fourth one. Plasma.

[A]

Well, in our Spotify poll, 55% of you said peanut butter is a solid. Most of the rest of you said it was a liquid.

[B]

It's neither, though. Yes, peanut butter exhibits both solid and fluid behaviors at times, and this is

[A]

known as a viscoelastic food.

[B]

But technically, peanut butter is a non Newtonian fluid, aka a liquid.

[A]

And the TSA agrees. If it's more than 3.4 ounces, the peanut butter, it's gonna be checked.

[B]

You either need to check it, throw it away, or eat it right now.

[A]

Although, I swear, Jack, Justin's vanilla flavored peanut butter, I get through with that every time.

[B]

Are you confessing a federal crime?

[A]

No, I'm confessing a delicious crime, Jack. Yetis, you're looking fantastic today. And if someone hands you a free Kit Kat, you should be alarmed. That's contraband right there. Yeah, yeah, Jack, you're looking fantastic, too. And remember, we just dropped the guest for our live show. Jack, who is it?

[B]

Ryan Serhant, the king of New York real estate. He's got a ton of insights and lessons for all of us to learn. Very entertaining and handsome guy. We got a link in the episode description. A few more tickets left on Ticketmaster, Maestro of marketing.

[A]

Come see him live. Grab those tickets, and Jack and I will see you there. And before we go, a happy birthday to our buddy, Griffin Schwed on the Upper west side, making the best Levan cookies out there.

[B]

Happy 23rd birthday to Sydney Lee PI in Monterey, California.

[A]

And Ian the plant man, ramsunder. From watermelons to strawberries in Toronto has Got the best birthday yet.

[B]

Happy birthday to Katerina Anbia, delivering her third baby this week in San Diego.

[A]

And Ia Cardenas, we see your birthday down in Colombia.

[B]

Happy birthday to Agni Otri just outside Chicago.

[A]

And Emily and Rebecca are a couple of twins turning 24 in Orlando. Double the cake.

[B]

He'll be on our live show in New York City with his wife and mid Panther Mia.

[A]

And congratulations, Tom Whelan on the ibo, the initial baby offering.

[B]

Brooklyn.

[A]

Olivia King is looking fantastic, and the parents, Casey and Ryan, are crushing it.

[B]

And a big shout out to Sophie Von Hasselberg, a high school buddy of Nick's who was in the show Love Story. In the final episode, she was the

[A]

mean woman who works at Calvin Klein, and she just. She nailed it. She nailed it.

[B]

Polite in real life. Congratulations to Ellen Flood from the Upper west side who just got accepted to Harvard Business School. School and admissions, they're letting the dog Mango come, too.

[A]

But the real win here is her partner, Andrew, who's taking her to our live show in New York City next week. Ellen, congratulations. We can't wait to see you there.

[B]

And to anyone else celebrating something today, make it a t, boy.

[A]

Celebrate the wins.

[B]

This is Jack on stock of Netflix.

[C]

Howdy, howdy ho, and welcome to Fantasy Fan. Fellas, I'm Hayden, producer of the Fantasy Fangirls podcast and your resident lover of all all things Sanderson.

[B]

And I'm Stephen, your bookish Internet goofball, but you can call me the Smash Daddy.

[C]

And we are currently deep diving Brandon Sanderson's fantasy epic Mistborn. But here's the catch. Steven here has not read Mistborn before.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

Hey.

[B]

Hey. So each week, you'll get my unfiltered raw reactions to every single chapter.

[C]

And along the way, we'll do character deep dives, magic explainers, and Steven will even try to guess what's next. Spoiler alert. He'll be wrong.

[B]

News flash. I'm never wrong. Episodes come out every Wednesday, and you can find Fantasy fanfellas wherever you get your podcasts.