🐤 “Missing: Big Bird” — Netflix’s Sesame Switch. Music’s $64B takeover. Phone-free restauranting. +Botox Networking

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Best One Yet

Episode: 🐤 “Missing: Big Bird” — Netflix’s Sesame Switch. Music’s $64B takeover. Phone-free restauranting. +Botox Networking

Hosts: Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell (Nick & Jack Studios)
Date: April 8, 2026

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Episode Overview

This fast-paced 20-minute episode of "The Best One Yet" delivers the three biggest pop-business news stories of the day, laced with Nick & Jack’s trademark wit and observations. Today’s themes: Netflix’s controversial changes to "Sesame Street," Wall Street’s $64B move into music, and the rise of phone-free restaurant experiences. The episode also spins on surprise trends like co-worker Botox breaks and Gen Z’s complicated relationship with digital detox.

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1. [00:01-02:34] Pre-show Banter & Trend Watch: Botox as Networking

Key Points:

• The hosts prep for their live show in NYC and observe a striking trend: Botox during work breaks.
• In NYC, Botox has become the new coffee break, with coworkers "bonding" over injectable treatments between meetings.
• Surge in popularity: "Coffee break Botoxing is now up 87% in the last year, which is up infinity percent from the year before because this was never a thing." – Jack [01:43]
• They riff on the word "preventative" as a profit driver in business (preventative therapy, hair loss, etc.).

Notable Quotes:

• "Now you're freezing your face with your cubicle neighbor Carl." – Nick [01:58]
• "There is no better business model than the word preventative." – Nick [02:10]

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2. [05:21-10:14] Story 1: Netflix’s Sesame Switch & The Mystery of Missing Big Bird

Key Points:

• Netflix just announced a major slate of new kids’ programs, including the game app "Netflix Playground" and “Young McDonald’s.”
• The hosts uncover a "business mystery": The iconic Big Bird puppet is missing from the new Netflix-run Sesame Street, with only brief animated cameos.
• "Sesame Street" has shifted from live-action, puppet-based presentations to predominantly CGI and animation after Netflix acquired the rights.
• Cost savings and scalability are the driving forces—real puppets and human performers are expensive compared to digital animation.
• The show is now leaning into its "big four" characters (Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby Cadabby, Grover), with Big Bird notably excluded.
• Positive spin: While purists may mourn, the hosts appreciate that tech is making quality education more widely accessible.

Notable Quotes:

• "Sesame Street is very noticeably more computer animation than it ever has been before." – Jack [07:58]
• "If Netflix could save 36 bucks by cutting a vowel, it would be A, E, I, O." – Nick [08:46]
• "Technology can perform CPR on the costly things we love Yetis." – Jack [08:57]

Takeaway:

• Technology is enabling beloved but expensive productions like Sesame Street to survive—even if it means changing their iconic characters and style.

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3. [10:14-14:47] Story 2: Wall Street’s $64B Power Play for Universal Music

Key Points:

• Hedge fund titan Bill Ackman wants to buy Universal Music Group (UMG) for $64B, the label home of Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, and more.
• The twist: UMG is listed on Amsterdam’s stock exchange, missing out on the vast U.S. investor pool.
• Ackman’s plan is primarily to shift UMG’s listing to the U.S., allowing it to join the S&P 500 and benefit from index investment flows.
• The music business is now dominated by "landlords"—giant companies or investment firms who own the rights and collect rent (royalties) whenever music is played.
• Artists are selling catalogs to financial firms, making music into a Wall Street asset.

Notable Quotes:

• "Basically, Yetis, think of the US stock market as the ultimate performance venue. It's Carnegie Hall and Universal's not there." – Jack [13:11]
• "The dirty secret of music. It's dominated by landlords." – Jack [13:37]
• "Because music is the new real estate. And Wall Street wants to be the landlord." – Nick [14:37]

Takeaway:

• Music is financialized: ownership by labels and funds mean regular consumers—and Wall Street—can profit from your streaming habit just like a landlord collects rent.

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4. [16:48-22:19] Story 3: The Phone-Free Dining Revolution

Key Points:

• The average American checks their phone 205 times per day (up 40% in a year).
• Restaurants and bars in 11 states, especially DC and NYC, are now banning phones or incentivizing “digital detox” (e.g., free ice cream at Chick-fil-A).
• Despite being the most digitally native, Gen Z leads the movement in intent—63% want to unplug—even while checking phones the most.
• The return of communal and screen-free spaces (like shopping malls, as discussed in a previous episode) is Gen Z’s push for pre-iPhone era experiences.
• Regulation lags—so the market (bars, schools, businesses) is self-regulating with “forced log off” strategies like Yondr pouches.

Notable Quotes:

• "When restaurants start paying you to put your phone down, you know there's a problem." – Jack [20:41]
• "So as we wait for regulation, the market is trying to to regulate itself." – Nick [21:34]

Takeaway:

• The "unplugged economy" is gaining traction as over-screened consumers, especially Gen Z, seek out new norms for social connection and mental health.

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5. [22:19-24:43] Quick Hits: Other Need-to-Know Stories

Highlights:

• Apple’s Foldable iPhone Delayed: Apple stock dropped on news of a foldable iPhone delay. Hosts joke about “taco phones.” [22:23-22:43]
• JP Morgan’s $1T Community Initiative: CEO Jamie Dimon announces a major loan program to expand access to the “American dream.” [22:49-23:16]
• Kansas City’s World Cup Gamble: The city invests $650M to become "America’s soccer capital" ahead of hosting the World Cup. [23:16-23:49]
• Top Performing Stocks Q1 2026: ExxonMobil leads major stocks (up 38%), followed by ConocoPhillips and Chevron. Oil’s back, and “stock market shall mess with your head.” [23:57-24:43]

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6. [24:43-End] Closing, Birthdays & Listener Shoutouts

Memorable Moments:

• Fun birthday/celebration shout-outs to listeners and fans across the country.
• Jack & Nick prepare for their live show at Irving Plaza, with afterparty plans and inside jokes: “We are opening with a bang with the surprise…” [25:00]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Now you're freezing your face with your cubicle neighbor Carl." – Nick [01:58]
• "Sesame street has gone cgi…An eight foot famous puppet has now become a cartoon only in digital side segments of the show." – Jack [06:46, 07:47]
• "Big Bird, tweet twice if you're still out there." – Nick [10:14]
• "The dirty secret of music. It's dominated by landlords." – Jack [13:37]
• "Basically, Yetis, think of the US stock market as the ultimate performance venue. It's Carnegie hall and Universal's not there." – Jack [13:11]
• "When restaurants start paying you to put your phone down, you know there's a problem." – Jack [20:41]
• "So as we wait for regulation, the market is trying to regulate itself." – Nick [21:34]
• “Stock market shall mess with your head.” – Nick [24:43]

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Important Timestamps

• [00:43] – Botox as workplace bonding
• [05:21] – Netflix launches kids gaming app, Sesame Street changes
• [06:46] – The mystery of Big Bird’s disappearance
• [08:57] – Takeaway: Tech can preserve expensive business models
• [10:14] – Wall Street wants Universal Music Group
• [13:11] – Why US stock listing matters for Universal Music
• [13:37] – Takeaway: Music as real estate/landlord model
• [16:48] – Story 3: Phone-free restaurants and bars
• [20:41] – Takeaway: Paying customers to put phones away
• [21:34] – Market self-regulates digital detox
• [23:16] – Kansas City's World Cup bet
• [23:57] – Top performing S&P 150B+ stock: ExxonMobil

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Episode Takeaways

• Netflix’s Sesame Shift: Leveraging tech and animation to make iconic education scalable and cost-effective, even at the expense of tradition (RIP, physical Big Bird).
• Music as an Asset Class: Wall Street’s next big play: becoming landlords in pop music by acquiring catalogs and shifting listings to catch passive investment flows.
• Unplugged Economy Emerges: Phone bans in hospitality are a response to over-screened lifestyles—especially among Gen Z, who long for connection but struggle to log off.

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This episode is the perfect quick-hit for pop culture-savvy listeners who want to stay ahead on business trends—served with a healthy dose of charisma and fun.

Transcript

[Jack]

This is Nick, this is Jack.

[Nick]

It's Wednesday ceviche Wednesday, April 8th. And today's pod is the best one yet. This is a T boy. The top three pop business news stories

[Jack]

you need to know today.

[Nick]

Now Yeti's full disclosure before we kick things off. We are recording this before the 8pm deadline the President set last night for Iran.

[Jack]

The deadline was for either a deal or destruction of Iran's civilization.

[Nick]

Everyone's watching and we will know more tomorrow.

[Jack]

But in the meantime, we have a live show tonight in New York City. We are so frickin excited.

[Nick]

We're out late for hair and makeup.

[Jack]

Baby, we can't wait to see you at our sold out show at Irving Plaza.

[Nick]

So Jack, the mix for today's pod. What do we got on the tv?

[Jack]

For our first story, Netflix just launched an entire gaming app for kids that includes Sesame Street.

[Nick]

But Jack and I discovered one wild business mystery. What happened to the eight foot tall puppet known as Big Bird?

[Jack]

For our second story, the hot new move at restaurants. Phone bans.

[Nick]

Yep, there's no bigger flex than cutting the invisible core.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. Why is an iconic hedge fund trying to buy the biggest music label on earth?

[Nick]

Phil Ackman is obsessed with Taylor Swift because of musical landlords.

[Jack]

But Yetis, before we hit that wonderful mix of stars.

[Nick]

I mean, what a mix. No better mix for the live show day.

[Jack]

Funny thing we noticed as we ate pizza last night at Pasquale Jones.

[Nick]

Actually, Jack, it was something we didn't notice.

[Jack]

Wrinkles.

[Nick]

Yep. No one in New York has wrinkles anymore.

[Jack]

Because the hot new trend in between work calls.

[Nick]

It's botox in the middle of the workday.

[Jack]

That's right. The new coffee break in Manhattan is a Botox blitz.

[Nick]

Instead of grabbing a double digit latte at a coffee shop, you're getting a double lip injection at a med store.

[Jack]

Did you just put a 3pm Botox blitz on my calendar?

[Nick]

Nick, I'm sorry, I'm booked. I'm getting.

[Jack]

Coworkers are bonding over this. And does that make it expensable?

[Nick]

I think so. According to Business Insider, coffee break Botoxing is now up 87% in the last

[Jack]

year, which is up infinity percent from the year before because this was never

[Nick]

a thing to boost company morale. You used to do a happy hour man.

[Jack]

Or maybe axe throwing with Carol from

[Nick]

accounting, but now you're freezing your face with your cubicle neighbor Carl.

[Jack]

A little bit of poison right here, here and here.

[Nick]

Botox it is the new networking. And we haven't even talked about the wildest part yet.

[Jack]

It's preventative. Botox.

[Nick]

Oh, besties. There is no better business model than the word preventative.

[Jack]

Preventative hair loss pills, preventative couples therapy. Toss the word preventative in front of a product and everyone is now accustomed.

[Nick]

I need my Cha Ching button. Jack.

[Jack]

Peter Griffin. He was sold preventative volcano insurance.

[Nick]

We're overdue for a volcano hit.

[Jack]

Look out for your 2pm Botox blitz with your boss.

[Nick]

Yeah, let's make it a coffee date and cut out a Jack.

[Jack]

Let's get a street story.

[Nick]

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 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, start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor,

[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Nick]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

Yeti's first hire we ever made. She was a fan. She wrote a newsletter version of our show. You remember that, Jack?

[Jack]

I remember reading her writing sample on the flight and I was almost in tears, Nick. Because this newsletter we were writing as a passion, it was clearly a passion for her as well.

[Nick]

She even knew it like a profit puppy was. And we were sold. As soon as she put it in the newsletter, we were sold.

[Jack]

Because she didn't just have the skills and qualifications, she had the motivation.

[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

For our first story, Netflix just launched a kids gaming app and a new show about the grandson of old McDonald's.

[Jack]

But the bigger story is what's happening to the most important kids show in American history. Sesame Street.

[Nick]

Big Bird has gone missing, but yetis Forget Nickelodeon.

[Jack]

Yeah, Tommy Pickles could spend an entire sick day at home watching Netflix. Right?

[Nick]

Rocko's Modern Life is the modern Netflix show.

[Jack]

Cat Dog. What a weird show.

[Nick]

That's a disturbing image. We still have to talk about that in another pot. But the only tech native media giant just announced new kids programming lineup that is arguably the biggest ever.

[Jack]

Dr. Seuss, Cocomelon, Ms. Rachel, and a new series on Netflix called Young McDonald's.

[Nick]

I'm gonna need you to sprinkle on some context on this.

[Jack]

It's about the grandson of old McDonald's.

[Nick]

Classic lie. Yeah, he's probably like growing organic, legal cannabis on his farm these days.

[Jack]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Netflix also announced a new gaming app to compliment these kids shows. It's called Netflix Playground, which your kid

[Nick]

will be playing on the tablets the next time you fly down to Orlando.

[Jack]

Buzz Lightyear, by the way, should be shaking in his space boots.

[Nick]

Talk to me, Jack.

[Jack]

Netflix wants to become as essential a subscription to parents as Disney is and Netf.

[Nick]

Netflix knows the ultimate profit puppy in all consumer dom.

[Jack]

Millennial parents overwhelmed by parenting who just need 30 minutes of peace.

[Nick]

Yeah, Millennial Parents, they're willing to pay.

[Jack]

So that's the Netflix headline. Yeah, yeah, but here's the bigger story that I've personally been watching.

[Nick]

We've been fascinated about this. What's the deal, Jack?

[Jack]

Sesame street has gone cgi.

[Nick]

Okay, big news. Last year we covered it on the pod.

[Jack]

Netflix became the official home of Bert, Ernie, and Count Von Count.

[Nick]

But what was the strange thing we noticed here?

[Jack]

Those characters I just mentioned, they've largely been benched in Sesame Street's latest.

[Nick]

Now. Yeah, as you know, Jack and I are big fans of Sesame street and everything it stands for. We did a whole deep dive episode on the Best Idea yet about the origins of Sesame Street.

[Jack]

We'll put a link in the episode description of that episode.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jack]

But I let my kids watch Sesame street after breakfast before I take them to school.

[Nick]

And Jack, what did you notice as you've been watching on Netflix, Big Bird

[Jack]

has been absent since Netflix took over. Yeah, except for a quick cameo in the opening credits.

[Nick]

Jack, can you tell me how to get to Mr. Big Bird's last known location?

[Jack]

Netflix hasn't confirmed it, but we checked each episode so far in season on IMDb. Yeah, there's no human sized Big Bird. There's only short cameos of Big Bird in an animated fashion.

[Nick]

We basically turned our business podcast into a true crime podcast about the whereabouts of Big Bird on Sesame Street.

[Jack]

An eight foot famous puppet has now become a cartoon only in digital side segments of the show.

[Nick]

In fact, we noticed there are barely any humans involved in Sesame street on screen anymore.

[Jack]

Sesame street is very noticeably more computer animation than it ever has been before.

[Nick]

Now, that's ironic if you know the original business of Sesame Shop.

[Jack]

Jim Hansen invented the word Muppets to describe his marionette puppets.

[Nick]

But these days, we're seeing less puppets, more pixels.

[Jack]

Now, Netflix and Sesame Workshop have confirmed a shift to the quote unquote big four characters.

[Nick]

They're focused on 1, 2, 3, only four more stars.

[Jack]

But that guy you just quoted is not one of them. Elmo, Cookie Monster, Abby, Kadabi, and Grover.

[Nick]

Yeah, there are still humans in stage productions doing the puppets. We should point that out.

[Jack]

But there's a huge animated set in the middle and that's conspicuous.

[Nick]

And we suspect that the future of Sesame street will get more animated and less live action.

[Jack]

It's like content Ozempic. Netflix is definitely cutting out some key characters and using tech to lower the cost.

[Nick]

If Netflix could save 36 bucks by cutting a vowel, it would be A, E, I, O. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over at Netflix.

[Jack]

Technology can perform CPR on the costly things we love Yetis.

[Nick]

Jack and I know that the most expensive businesses, things companies in America are those that require American humans to produce.

[Jack]

Think about the most expensive things in our country. Public education, private education, food, housing, babysitting, daycare.

[Nick]

I'm picturing them.

[Jack]

They're all so expensive because paying the workers and giving them health insurance is so expensive.

[Nick]

And that's what put Sesame street at risk of being shut down in the first place last year.

[Jack]

Sesame street is very expensive to produce compared to the animated shows like COCOMELON and the one women master that is Ms. Rachel.

[Nick]

And of course, Congress is cutting funding for PBS. So Netflix stepped in and was the savior.

[Jack]

Last year, Netflix saved Sesame street first with cash, but now it's scaling Sesame street for the future with technology.

[Nick]

Now, honestly, you know, we could get sentimental about this, but there is a positive here, right?

[Jack]

I mean, I watched the animated segments. They're good, they're educational, they're engaging. I feel like it's done a really nice job replacing the old Sesame Street.

[Nick]

Oh, yeah, it's like 90% as education, which is the number of the day, by the way.

[Jack]

But Netflix is showing us how to leverage tech's cost structure to preserve the expensive thing we love, in this case, Sesame street. By benching Big Bird, by disappearing Big Bird's physical form.

[Nick]

Big Bird, tweet twice if you're still out there. For our second story, Wall street is trying to buy Taylor Swift's record label for 64 billion bucks.

[Jack]

Bill Ackman's hedge fund wants Universal music because music is dominated by three landlords.

[Nick]

But Jack, let's start with Billy Ackman, famous Wall street hedge funder. He tweets a lot about business and

[Jack]

politics, probably too much about business and

[Nick]

politics, but he had one funny tweet we noticed two years ago that actually is perfectly timed for tv.

[Jack]

I'm glad you bookmarked this tweet, Nick, because Bill Ackman said that his mom used to play the piano for him every night.

[Nick]

Ironic, because 40 years later, Bill Ackman is now trying to buy the biggest music label and ever for 64 billion bucks.

[Jack]

Universal Music Group, they represent Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, the Beatles, Sabrina Carpenter, Coldplay.

[Nick]

If you're an artist who can go on a first name basis, we see you, Ariana. Thanks for listening. You're probably repped by Universal.

[Jack]

Universal Music Group has owned the music of the number one artist for each of the last six years.

[Nick]

Oh, this is good music trivia. What is it?

[Jack]

Taylor Swift was the number one artist for two of the last six years. Bad Bunny was for the other four.

[Nick]

It's just those two and they're both with Universal.

[Jack]

But UMG stock is down nearly half from its all time high.

[Nick]

Yeah, the stock universe has been singing the blues. And Wall street thinks it knows why.

[Jack]

Which leads to the news. Bill Ackman's hedge fund, pershing square offered 55 billion euros to acquire Universal.

[Nick]

I noticed you didn't say dollars, you said euros. Euros. Yeah.

[Jack]

Because the problem facing Universal Music Group isn't the music industry or anything they're doing within it. It's geography.

[Nick]

Because Yetis, Universal is the product of a century of international mergers and acquisitions.

[Jack]

This company was founded 90 in 1934. Trivia.

[Nick]

Yeah. More than music trivia.

[Jack]

What do we got? The number one musical artist in 1934. Let me give them a second to guess.

[Nick]

Yeah, it was a silent movie.

[Jack]

Bing Crosby.

[Nick]

Bing Crosby. But then Universal combined with the Japanese company and then they sold to a French company and then they IPO'd in the Netherlands.

[Jack]

They actually skipped a Canadian acquisition, but I'll let it slide.

[Nick]

Not possible. Yeah.

[Jack]

So now the world's biggest music company trades on the Amsterdam stock market.

[Nick]

Okay. And that's the problem.

[Jack]

Not because the Dutch don't have good musical taste.

[Nick]

I mean, we love Tiesto, he's great.

[Jack]

The problem is financial. The stock is missing out on US investors.

[Nick]

You see, besties. If Universal were listed in the United States, it would be in The S&P

[Jack]

500, the coolest club in finance.

[Nick]

Index funds would then have to automatically buy the stock because they buy The

[Jack]

S&P 500 and every American by default with a 401 would own some of Universal Music Group.

[Nick]

But since Universal is not US listed, the American investor base has to search it out to buy the stock.

[Jack]

And the United states, it represents 60% of the world's stock market.

[Nick]

So Universal, it's fomoing. It's missing out right now on 60%

[Jack]

of the world's money.

[Nick]

Basically, Yetis think of the US stock market as the ultimate performance venue.

[Jack]

It's Carnegie hall and Universal's not there.

[Nick]

So if Bill Ackman succeeds in buying Universal, he has one simple plan. To boost the stock.

[Jack]

Switch its listing from Europe to the New York Stock Exchange.

[Nick]

Like a talent scout bringing a foreign singer on tour in America.

[Jack]

He's not even gonna switch the CEO, he's just gonna change the listing.

[Nick]

He's probably gonna do it in DocuSign in three minutes. So, Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies over in the music industry?

[Jack]

The dirty secret of music. It's dominated by landlords.

[Nick]

Yeti's Music Recordings. The songs we all listen to on Spotify. They're actually owned by the three big record labels.

[Jack]

Music publishing. The songs that can be covered, like the lyrics, basically, those are generally owned by the artists.

[Nick]

Besides Taylor Swift, who won a battle to own both. Both are being bought up by Wall street these days.

[Jack]

Bob Dylan sold the rights to his music.

[Nick]

$400 million.

[Jack]

Bruce Springsteen did too.

[Nick]

$500 million. Queen, 1.27 billion bucks.

[Jack]

And they sold to financial firms, not fans.

[Nick]

Because now financial firms are acting like landlords. They're collecting rent every time the music is played.

[Jack]

You see, popular music is like real estate. It's a limited resource and it's owned like a landlord.

[Nick]

Are publicly traded. Like you can own a piece of the music business and take a share of the profits too.

[Jack]

Because your monthly Spotify subscription, 70% of it goes to these music landlords.

[Nick]

But besties. Bill Ackman, he doesn't have to learn trumpet or whip up a jam anytime soon. He can just sit back and collect

[Jack]

if this acquisition goes through.

[Nick]

Because music is the new real estate. And Wall street wants to be the landlord. Now. A quick word from our sponsor,

[Jack]

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[Jack]

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[Nick]

For our third and final story, the digital detox movement has hit a new milestone. Restaurants and bars where phones are banned.

[Jack]

Nearly 20 years after the iPhone, the screen's reign is coming to an end.

[Nick]

Jack how about we start this story like we do with some stories with the hero stat?

[Jack]

Americans check their phones 144 times per day on average.

[Nick]

Let's sprinkle some more context on.

[Jack]

That's four and a half hours a day the average American looks at their phone.

[Nick]

I'm sorry, that data's from 2023. Jack.

[Jack]

Just one year later, 2024. We're now checking our phones 205 times a day.

[Nick]

How about that head fake besties?

[Jack]

That's up like 40% in one year.

[Nick]

You may have to repeat it cause everyone was looking at their phones while they were hearing that.

[Jack]

This is according to a survey conducted by reviews.org in 2024, which we read

[Nick]

on our phones on the way to the bathroom earlier.

[Jack]

Yetis, if you think about it, phones have become tiny little TVs.

[Nick]

I like that way of thinking about it.

[Jack]

Now, in the 80s and 90s, the average American watched a lot of TV then too, four hours a day.

[Nick]

So we're basically doing the same thing. Jack. But TVs today are portable, so we're just watching everywhere, which is key.

[Jack]

We used to watch TV with our family in the living room or with friends or with strangers at a bar to watch the games.

[Nick]

Yeah, here's where the social impact is. Today we're TV watching on our phones, which is a totally solitary experience.

[Jack]

And assuming that we're awake 16 hours a day, we check our phones every five minutes.

[Nick]

I did just get a notification.

[Jack]

200 checks a day.

[Nick]

Bieber launched an AI app.

[Jack]

Imagine if I, like, worked out or read a book 205 times a day.

[Nick]

And apparently Bieber's AI app is like, already worth a billion. I gotta read more about this, Jack.

[Jack]

We're not reading Nick. We're watching videos.

[Nick]

Let's be honest, this is what Jack and I find fascinating. It leads to a brand new trend alert across a different industry.

[Jack]

Phone free bars and phone free restaurants.

[Nick]

That's right, 11 states have them. According to Axios, it's the forced log off.

[Jack]

And I'm all for it.

[Nick]

Yeah, I mean, the hot new amenity of bars isn't the craft cocktail menu,

[Jack]

it's a phone lock. It's not some clever way to describe a mocktail. Which I love those clever puns for mocktails.

[Nick]

They hit every time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no. It's the unplugged economy that is starting to evolve.

[Jack]

So when. And Washington D.C. is leading the trend. Political power. People want to dine in peace without the chance somebody's taking a picture of them.

[Nick]

No pictures, no posting. Those are the signs you now see

[Jack]

in D.C. because diners don't their date to end up on TMZ the next day.

[Nick]

And outside of dc, Restaurant owners are simply thinking, no phones enhance the vibe.

[Jack]

In New York City, the club scene is really making a comeback. I mean, Jack, thanks to the elimination

[Nick]

of phones, the next time you go raving at a warehouse in Brooklyn with your German buddies, you're gonna have to give up your phone before you walk in there.

[Jack]

Dancing has kind of died. Yeah, you're worried people might take a picture of you grinding somebody and post it on Instagram and you didn't want that.

[Nick]

But on the other end of the spectrum, you're seeing this dude, Chick Fil A. What is going on down in Maryland?

[Jack]

One franchise in Maryland is offering free ice creams to families who promise to keep their phones off the table.

[Nick]

Now, unsurprisingly, besties, this trend is actually being led by Gen Z.

[Jack]

63% of Gen Z say they intend to disconnect from their phones, compared to

[Nick]

57% of millennials and just 29% of boomers.

[Jack]

And this is ironic because Gen Z is the first fully digital generation, the first online since the beginning post Y2K babies.

[Nick]

And yet they're the ones who are most rejecting phone screens in public places.

[Jack]

And this makes sense at our. On our live show last month, we talked about the resurrection of shopping malls.

[Nick]

Yeah, right. What was our takeaway for that one,

[Jack]

Gen Z is going back to shopping malls. Cause they want to live in the B phone era. Yeah, the era before the iPhone.

[Nick]

So restaurants and bars banning phones over appetizers is another step in that direction.

[Jack]

But here's the twist. While Gen Z intends to disconnect from their phones, they don't actually do it.

[Nick]

Get this. Of all the generations, Gen Z checks their phones the most. Last call for screens. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are curious about the unplugged economy?

[Jack]

When restaurants start paying you to put your phone down, you know there's a problem.

[Nick]

Yeah, we're kind of vibe regulating here. Yetis. You see, two years ago we covered a startup called Yonder. The phone pouches at live events that force people to not bring out their phones.

[Jack]

If you want to see a stand up comedian or a rock and roll concert, you might have to leave your phone in one of these pouches and then put it in a locker.

[Nick]

Schools have begun using Yonder to force kids to lock away their phones too.

[Jack]

And now restaurants and bars too. Yetis, the iPhone turns 20 years old next year. And that's actually right on schedule for this story, right?

[Nick]

Because Carousel Swisher told us at our last live show, it takes 20 years for a new industry to be regulated.

[Jack]

It took 20 years for America to regulate railroads, more than 20 years to regulate cigarettes, and now 20 years ish to start regulating phones.

[Nick]

Now basties, look, people are trying to limit their phone use and companies are trying to help them do it.

[Jack]

But the data shows it's not enough. The generation that most wants to get off their phone literally can't do it.

[Nick]

So as we wait for regulation, the market is trying to to regulate itself. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways on ceviche Wednesday before our live show?

[Jack]

Netflix has techified Sesame street with more CGI and less Big Bird.

[Nick]

Because tech can be like cpr. To save the expensive things we love

[Jack]

and to disappear Big Bird. For our second story, Universal Music, the record label of Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny, might be bought by Bill Ackman.

[Nick]

He's sticking it in the library because music is Wall Street's latest real estate and they want to become the landlord.

[Jack]

And our third and final story. It's another of the anti screen movement. Restaurants and bars are banning phones.

[Nick]

The unplugged economy, it's vibe regulating. The market is trying to regulate itself.

[Jack]

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

[Nick]

First, Apple stock fell Tuesday on reports that their foldable iPhone is delayed.

[Jack]

20 year anniversary coming up. Lot of pressure to unveil something cool.

[Nick]

So we'll do the phone, but it's like it's got a line in the middle.

[Jack]

I need more.

[Nick]

It's a taco phone.

[Jack]

Kind of a foldable iPhone is actually a bad idea. Yeah.

[Nick]

Yeah. Well, how do we know this?

[Jack]

Samsung just tried it and just failed with it. The Z Trifold. They launched it and killed it months later.

[Nick]

We don't need a taco phone. We just need more tacos. And second, Jamie Dimon's shareholder letter came out and the big line from him,

[Jack]

what was it we noticed that he said the American dream is out of reach for too many.

[Nick]

Yes. So JP Morgan launched a $1 trillion initiative. Trillion. To help with loans to parts of the country that we don't typically get them.

[Jack]

Loans to help businesses start, to help homes get built, to help people buy those homes.

[Nick]

It's not sexy besties, but it is a reminder of the basic boring, critical role of banks in this economy.

[Jack]

And finally, Kansas city is dropping $650 million to become America's soccer capital.

[Nick]

Because Kansas City is the smallest city with the honor to host the World cup games this summer. And they're thinking long term.

[Jack]

Well, the potential for the World cup is huge for this city.

[Nick]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack]

They're going to get more visitors than citizens this summer.

[Nick]

Kansas City will have more not from Kansas City than actual Kansas City inhabitants

[Jack]

over the course of all the games that they host.

[Nick]

So the big question, can Kansas City become soccer city long term for America?

[Jack]

They're winning in football. Can they win in the other football?

[Nick]

The money where the foot is now time for the best fact yet, which because we just kicked off quarter number two is some T boy trivia.

[Jack]

What was the top performing stock in terms of companies worth at least $150 billion in the first quarter?

[Nick]

Which stock was the best performing of $150 billion companies? The answer is not Peloton.

[Jack]

It's ExxonMobil, which is up 38%.

[Nick]

And the number two top performing stock,

[Jack]

ConocoPhillips, another oil and gas company and number three, Chevron, another oil and gas company besties.

[Nick]

When gas is expensive, oil companies are celebrating quietly.

[Jack]

And whatever the news about the Iran war, it's gonna either jack up oil prices or drop them today.

[Nick]

Honestly, think about five years ago. Could you imagine telling us five years ago that all birds stopped was basically going to be out of business, but oil companies were going to be the best performers yeah, we thought that oil

[Jack]

was on the outs. We were wrong.

[Nick]

Stock market shall mess with your head. Yetis, you are looking fantastic. Jack, you are glowing. We got to get in the green room. We got hair and makeup.

[Jack]

So excited for tonight's live stream.

[Nick]

Epic.

[Jack]

Doors open at 6:30.

[Nick]

Yes.

[Jack]

Showtime's at 7:30.

[Nick]

Talk to me Numbers.

[Jack]

Do not be late.

[Nick]

Yeah, you don't want to be late.

[Jack]

We are opening with a bang with the surprise cannot wait to see you at Irving Plaza. We're gonna do a meet and greet after the show. We're gonna do an after party at Le Express. If you know, you know.

[Nick]

And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary Eddie Cybil. Matthew, officially the best fan yet from New Jersey, gonna be at our live show.

[Jack]

And happy birthday to Cliff Averill, Seattle Seahawk and Purdue Boilermaker and Super bowl champion celebrating 40 in the Bahamas right now.

[Nick]

And Silas Fragas turning four years old while swimming like a shark in Plant City, Florida.

[Jack]

Happy birthday to Susan Marie in Centerville, Ohio.

[Nick]

And Savannah west one is celebrating a birthday treat yo self with the Michelin Star dinner.

[Jack]

Congratulations to Michael and Christina in Brooklyn. Celebrating an IBR an initial baby offer.

[Nick]

Can't wait to see the baby pics, guys. And Edwin, Ruthie just bought a new home down in Arkansas. Congrats, Edwin.

[Jack]

And congrats to Ben Rahman, who passed the Texas health and life insurance exam

[Nick]

and may be able to give you a midday Botox.

[Jack]

And finally, a big shout out to Aaron and Olivia who just had their beautiful baby girl, Autumn.

[Nick]

Ibo,

[Jack]

this is Jack. I own stock of Netflix and Disney. Nick and I both own stock of Spotify. And we both own ETFs of the S&P 500.

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