👞 “Shoes Stay On” — Clear vs TSA. Uniqlo’s Dodger Stadium pitch. Pam Anderson’s anti-AI. +Fridge Ads

Summary

The Best One Yet — March 27, 2026

Podcast: The Best One Yet

Hosts: Nick & Jack Studios

Episode Title: 👞 “Shoes Stay On” — Clear vs TSA. Uniqlo’s Dodger Stadium pitch. Pam Anderson’s anti-AI. +Fridge Ads

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Brief Overview

This episode delivers the three hottest business and pop culture stories of the day, featuring a sharp, humorous, and relatable breakdown by Nick and Jack. Topics include Uniqlo’s major branding move at Dodger Stadium, Clear’s moment in the sun amidst airline chaos, and the rising need for anti-AI policies from the fashion world to Reddit—and even to viral TikToks starring fruit. The hosts also kick off with a comically exasperated take on the newest ad frontier: your fridge.

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Fridge Ads: Smart Appliances, Stupid Annoyances?

[01:25 – 03:02]

• Samsung's New Refrigerators: The hosts riff on Samsung’s new smart fridges with door screens that display ads. “Advertisements already arrived at your refrigerator.” (Nick, [01:36])
• User Backlash: Consumers are reportedly up in arms that you can’t pay to remove the ads—the screen is either “on with ads, or off completely.” (Jack, [02:29])
  • Jack jokes, “It’s coming to the bathroom… more perfect captive audience than when you’re in the bathroom?” (Jack, [02:37])
  • Nick: “Why are there no ads on toilet paper? White space, blue sky opportunity.” ([02:42])
• Poll: The duo urges listeners to vote in their Spotify poll: “Is this commercially acceptable or socially reprehensible?” ([02:56])

Memorable Quotes:

• “Where there are eyeballs, there will be ads. And there are eyeballs on the produce drawer.” (Nick, [02:49])
• “You open up the fridge for bread — boom — an ad for the next Yellowstone spinoff.” (Jack, [02:01])

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Story 1: Uniqlo Takes Over Dodgers Stadium

[06:10 – 10:49]

The Corporate Stadium Name Game

• Dodgers Stadium “barely” remains one of eight unbranded MLB stadiums—until now: “As of today, they play on Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.” (Nick, [06:56])

Why Uniqlo?

• The Japanese retail giant’s move is all about superstar Shohei Ohtani, who’s an icon in Japan and brought record to American baseball viewership there: “12% of Japan watched his World Series game two in 2024—that’s more viewers than in the US.” (Jack, [07:15])
• Uniqlo’s founder Tadashi Yanai is now Japan’s richest person, with a $21B revenue and $2.8B profit last year. “Not a tech or car guy—a fashion guy.” (Nick, [08:03])
• Uniqlo is now “four times bigger than Abercrombie, twice as big as Lululemon, and bigger than Gap.” (Jack, [08:26])
• Their US strategy started with a test: handing out fleeces in Washington Square Park and filming reactions. When Yanai saw Americans’ excitement, “he said, open a store in that country.” (Nick, [08:50])

The Business Model: Slow Is Smooth, Smooth Is Fast

• The hosts explain Uniqlo’s “anti-fast-fashion” approach:
  • “They take 12 months to get an item from design to store.” (Jack, [10:23])
  • “Send Japanese artisans to factories to teach proper sewing—that is slow.” (Nick, [10:27])
  • “It took them 10,000 prototypes to get the Heattech patent right.” (Jack, [10:33])
• Uniqlo plans to triple its US store count, adding 200 new locations in one year. ([09:24])

Takeaway:

“Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast. If you start slow, you’ll go further… No company embodies that more than Uniqlo.” (Jack, [09:47] & Nick, [10:41])

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Story 2: TSA Meltdown Becomes Clear’s Big Moment

[10:49 – 15:56]

The Travel Disaster

• Massive TSA lines (2-4 hour waits) due to a government shutdown: “Wait times just hit their longest in recorded history.” (Jack, [11:41])
• 50,000 TSA agents are working without pay.
• In some cities, up to 50% of agents are calling out sick—they’re “driving people to the airport for Uber” (Nick, [12:17])

The Clear Advantage

• Clear Secure, the biometric line-cutter, is booming:
  • App downloads up 3x year-over-year ([13:11])
  • Stock up 10% this week, 50% YTD, 100% over 12 months
  • People are “signing up for Clear on the spot while waiting in regular TSA lines.” (Jack, [13:44])
• The hosts suggest a new angle for Clear: “Clear as travel insurance… Is $200 a year worth it if it ensures you don’t miss one important flight?” (Nick, [14:31])

Takeaway:

“This is Clear’s one shot. Do not miss your chance to blow.” (Jack, [14:55])
“Peloton missed their shot during the pandemic… Airbnb seized theirs… Now it’s Clear’s turn.” (Nick, [15:10])

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Story 3: Pamela Anderson, Reddit, and Fruit Love Island—The Humans vs. AI Metric War

[18:00 – 21:55]

Part 1: Pam Anderson’s Anti-AI Stance

• Aerie (American Eagle underwear) — no AI in marketing, now featuring 58-year-old Pamela Anderson, “no makeup, no AI.” ([18:54])
• Builds on their earlier pledge to stop retouching models.

Part 2: Reddit Labels the Bots

• New policy: bots must identify themselves.
• Reddit CEO Steve Huffman: “You should assume anyone you’re talking to on Reddit is human unless otherwise labeled.” ([19:17])
• Human anonymity remains, but bots must ‘wear name tags.’

Part 3: Fruit Love Island

• Viral TikTok, 3.3M followers, “the fastest-growing TikTok page in history.” (Jack, [19:57])
• Animated fruit in a Love Island parody; “the view counts are sus,” and comments question if bots are inflating metrics. (Nick, [20:26])

The Deeper Threat: AI and the Death of Reliable Metrics

• “What if we asked Klaus to create 1 million fake Spotify accounts...real advertisers paying for a fake audience that doesn’t really exist?” (Jack, [21:08])
• “Amazon ratings, App Store rankings, those already can’t be trusted. With AI, box office numbers, financial markets, political polls—could all be manipulated.” (Jack, [21:37])
• The White House is pressing for “metric defense” in upcoming AI regulations ([21:49])

Takeaway:

“The next thing AI will disrupt: the metrics we use to measure everything.” (Jack, [20:57])

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Additional Fast-Facts & Fun Moments

• Google’s ‘Turboquant’ Memory Compression: The hosts note Google’s new AI algorithm is “just like the plot of Silicon Valley.” ([22:49])
• Ryan Gosling’s Project Hail Mary: Second-ever non-franchise movie topping $70M in a decade, backed by Amazon. ([23:09])
• Drones for Window Washing: Lucid Drones’ $20M raise to clean skyscrapers—from the outside. ([23:38])

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• “The devil doesn’t wear Prada, the devil wears Uniqlo. And then hands it to Shohei Ohtani.” (Nick, [09:36])
• “If you start fast, you’re gonna make mistakes. If you start slow, you’ll go further.” (Jack, [10:00])
• “Why are there no ads on toilet paper? White space, blue sky opportunity.” (Nick, [02:42])
• “Clear as travel insurance: Is $200 a year worth it if it ensures you don’t miss one important flight?” (Nick, [14:31])
• “Is this fake fruit TikTok video being viewed by people or bots?” (Nick, [20:33])

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Timestamps – Key Segments

• [01:25 – 03:02]: Smart fridge ads & consumer backlash
• [06:10 – 10:49]: Uniqlo at Dodger Stadium, slow business strategy
• [10:49 – 15:56]: Airport chaos & Clear’s “one shot”
• [18:00 – 21:55]: Three-way story: Pam Anderson, Reddit, and Fruit Love Island versus AI metric manipulation
• [22:08 – 22:55]: Episode takeaway recap
• [22:46 – 24:06]: Quick-fire business headlines (Google, Project Hail Mary, Lucid Drones)
• [24:06 – End]: Listener fact check, birthday shoutouts, and closing remarks

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Tone & Style

Nick and Jack maintain a witty, fast-paced, conversational tone peppered with pop culture, clever analogies (Navy SEALs, Eminem lyrics, Silicon Valley references), and playful ad-libs. The show is upbeat and informative—designed for listeners who crave both financial context and entertainment in their “morning oatmeal ritual.”

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In summary:
This TBOY episode takes listeners through smart fridge ad rage, Uniqlo’s epic U.S. invasion, Clear’s government-shutdown-fueled opportunity, and the coming AI-driven metric-mageddon—delivering business news with humor, pop savvy, and signature takeaways.

Transcript

[A]

This is Nick, this is Jack. It's Friday, the real Friday, March 27th. And today's pot is the best one yet. This is a T boy.

[B]

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

[A]

Oh, besties, it's the yin yang of the stock market. Oil's up, stocks are down. Same formula. We've been seeing it for a month now.

[B]

Oil prices jumped 4% yesterday as the president stopped talking about peace and started talking about war again.

[A]

So stocks dropped nearly 2% yesterday. The NASDAQ has reached correction territory. It's down 10%.

[B]

But this episode is the best one yet.

[A]

If you know, you know. And you already know Jack. Three fantastic stories for today's pod. What do we got on the T boy?

[B]

For our first story, Major League Baseball celebrated opening day yesterday.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

And Japan's richest person took over Dodgers Stadium.

[A]

Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing icon. It is the new Shohei Ohtani of the strip mall near you.

[B]

For our second story, the one winner of the air travel disaster caused by the government shutdown.

[A]

It's Clear.

[B]

Secure.

[A]

Clear. This is Clear's one shot. Don't throw it away.

[B]

And our third and final story. Reddit, Pamela Anderson and Fruit Love Island. Three stories that pit humans against AI.

[A]

Alright, sit down and repeat that one. Reddit, Pam Anderson and Fruit Love Island. One story.

[B]

Because AI is about to mess with our most precious resource, our metrics.

[A]

Spoiler. Pam Anderson hates AI.

[B]

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

[A]

Oh, I mean the best mix to go into the weekend with. Love the mix, Jack.

[B]

This morning I made the boys pancakes.

[A]

Nice.

[B]

I opened up the fridge, got some maple syrup, some eggs, some milk, some butter.

[C]

Boom.

[A]

Suddenly, Jack Flint had a 30 second car ad for Jeep next to the orange juice.

[B]

It's true. Advertisements are already arrived at your refrigerator.

[A]

That's right. Yetis, your frigerator is running ads.

[B]

Here's the news. Samsung launched a line of refrigerators with screens on the door.

[A]

You can see what's inside without opening the door. Play music and control all those smart devices in your dumb home.

[B]

And look at ads.

[A]

Because in order to access all that helpful information, you must put up with ads.

[B]

You open up the fridge for break.

[A]

Boom. Yep.

[B]

An ad for the next Yellowstone spinoff on Paramount.

[A]

Plus Jagger looking for that sandwich. Boom. Smacked with an Uber one ad out of nowhere.

[B]

You ready for dinner?

[C]

Boom.

[B]

You should consider talking to your doctor about some Fatasol.

[A]

If that pot roast lasts longer than four hours, please consult the doctor because

[B]

in between your eyes and your tummy is your wallet.

[A]

So consumers, how do they feel about the fridge ads?

[B]

Jack, according to the Wall Street Journal, consumers hate this. They say they're never buying a Samsung product again because Samsung won't even give

[A]

you the option to pay to stop seeing all those ads.

[B]

The screen is either on with the ads or off completely.

[A]

Besties. The ad cre it is real and Jack and I don't expect it to stop at the fridge, do we man?

[B]

I mean it's coming to the bathroom. Is there any more perfect captive audience than when you're in the bathroom?

[A]

I mean, Jack, why are there no ads on toilet paper? White space, blue sky opportunity.

[B]

That'd be a real example of inshitification.

[A]

Besties, we've told you before and we will tell you again. Where there are eyeballs, there will be ads.

[B]

And there are eyeballs on the produce drawer.

[A]

The frigerator advertisement. Is this commercially acceptable or socially reprehensible? We got a poll going on Spotify.

[B]

Vote now we're about to see in our poll how many people work at Sam Samsung's marketing department.

[A]

Insert code T boy for $12 off your next grapes. Jack, 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 one yet but the best is the norm.

[B]

Jack. Nick, that's it.

[A]

I don't even think they need to practice. 50%, that's a fat tip T boy city on your at list if you low you know cause we read to go we can't wait no more so just start the. 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 mortar's 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]

Fantai ASAP Besties from my favorite cafe to Jack's favorite cantina Square Powers at

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[A]

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

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[A]

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[B]

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[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 bill 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.

[B]

Because Monarch is 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 of a household, or somebody's dependent, must be nice. 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 tboyonarch.com for half off your first year. That's 50% [e-mail] Code T boy for our first story, the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated opening day yesterday on Uniqlo Field.

[B]

Uniqlo, The Japanese clothing brand. It's part of their takeover of America and they're doing it slow.

[A]

Slow.

[B]

But first, Yetis Yankees Giants. I can't believe they're starting interleague play on opening weekend.

[A]

Happy opening baseball weekend to all those who celebrate.

[B]

But the game you're going to this weekend, it's kind of like internap.

[A]

Okay, Jack, it's strategically timed. The baseball game this weekend with the Yankees, 4pm that is just after nap time. You can bring a two and a half year old maxi. Perfect.

[B]

The game though is at Oracle Park, a corporate stadium name.

[A]

But Yetis, there are only eight teams left in Major League baseball without corporate names on their stadiums, and the Los

[B]

Angeles Dodgers are one of them. Barely.

[A]

Barely. Because the Los Angeles Dodgers, as of today, play on Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium.

[B]

The owner of the Dodgers said he'd never sell the stadium's name.

[A]

True story.

[B]

So he sold the field instead.

[A]

And the buyer, who is it, Jack?

[B]

Uniqlo.

[A]

Yeah, Uniqlo. So we got to ask the question, why is a Japanese fashion brand buying an American baseball stadium?

[B]

It's really the power of one player. It is Shohei Ohtani, league MVP, hero

[A]

of Japan, born in Japan. Get this. 12% of Japan, the country watched his World Series game two in 2024.

[B]

That's more viewers in Japan watching the World Series than in the United States, a country with three times as many people. So Japan is making it official. Kind of. They are, by buying the naming rights to the field that Ohtani plays on.

[A]

Okay, but Jack, pause the pod for a second. Batter's up. Let's focus on Uniqlo for a moment, please.

[B]

It's Japan's Gap.

[A]

It is. It's like Zara and J. Crew had a baby raised in the old Navy.

[B]

It was founded by a named Tadashi Yanai, who was born in post war Japan in 1949.

[A]

And this guy may as well be forever 21, because in 1984, he took over his family's clothing business and renamed it to unique clothing business, which he shortened to uniqlo.

[B]

And today, Mr. Yanai is the richest person in Japan.

[A]

Not a tech guy, not a car guy. It's a fashion guy who's running Japan's numbers.

[B]

Bit of a surprise, isn't it? He's also the richest person despite selling

[A]

the cheapest product, $9t shirts.

[B]

We just jumped in T boy style to uniqlo's annual report. Weighted 21 billion in revenue last year and 2.8 billion in profit.

[A]

Despite a trade war, these guys are growing double digits on both those numbers. Jack, could you sprinkle on a little more context?

[B]

For us, Uniqlo is four times bigger than Abercrombie, twice as big as Lululemon, and bigger than the Gap.

[A]

Uniqlo just passed H and M this year in sales. Even Anna Wintour is impressed by these guys.

[B]

Now, 15 years ago, they entered the United States, but first they tested to see if Americans were interested in Uniqlo.

[A]

Yeah, they did an interesting thing. They went to Washington Square park in Manhattan, handed out free fleeces, and then watched how people react.

[B]

One of the employees brought a Sony camera and filmed the reactions of the Americans Trying on these fleeces. When Mr. Yanai saw how excited the Americans were, he said, open a store in that country and besties.

[A]

Jack and I could do an entire episode in the best idea yet on their hero product at Uniqlo, Heattech. Heattech. Yeah.

[B]

It's their material that turns body moisture into heat.

[A]

And here was their strategic move with Heattech. They noticed that if they entered a new country, no one knew about their Uniqlo brand.

[B]

But everyone understands the concept of a heated shirt.

[A]

But today, here we are, and Uniqlo has an insane new goal.

[B]

They told the New York Times they plan to triple their store count in North America by adding 200 new US locations this year.

[A]

Jack, that is like one new store every other day.

[B]

And one of them was yesterday at Dodgers stadium.

[A]

The devil doesn't wear Prada. The devil wears Uniqlo. And then hands it to Shohei Ohtani.

[B]

Now you're going to say the devil wears a cup.

[A]

So, Jack, what's the takeaway from our buddies over at Uniqlo?

[B]

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Yetis.

[A]

That's a quote from the United States Navy Seals. It's about how you should slow down to accomplish more.

[B]

It's counterintuitive, but it makes sense. If you start fast, you're gonna make mistakes.

[A]

Classic.

[B]

If you start slow, you'll go further.

[A]

And we think no company embodies that concept more than Uniqlo. Because it is considered by most metrics

[B]

to be fast fashion, Uniqlo focuses on timeless styles, unlike fast fashion companies. But just like fast fashion, Uniqlo is a high volume, low price business model.

[A]

But here's the shocker. To compete with H and M and Zara's speed, Uniqlo moves incredibly slow.

[B]

They take 12 months to get an item from design to store that is slow.

[A]

They send older Japanese artisans overseas to their factories to teach how to sew. That is slow.

[B]

That's incredibly slow. And that heat tech patent they developed? Yeah, Jack, it took them 10,000 prototypes to get it right.

[A]

That is so slow.

[B]

Because Yeti's in business. Just like in the Navy seals. Slow is smooth. And smooth as fast.

[A]

For our second story, the travel industry has never been crazier than this week. There is no end in TSA sight,

[B]

but there is one winner of it all. A clear winner. It's clear. And it reminds us of Marshall Mathers.

[A]

Yeti's laptops in the bins, water bottles to be poured out or drank shoes off.

[B]

Nick, I don't see a future career for you at The Transportation Safety Administration.

[A]

I don't either, Jack. I'm not good with those kind of rules.

[B]

But. But There is a 47% chance by our math, that you're listening to us right now in the TSA line.

[A]

If you've got 5 ounces of Skippy peanut butter, it is not making it to your final destination.

[B]

Mick, these are safety officers and we respect the hell out of them.

[A]

Nasties. There are two hour waits right now at jfk. There are three hour waits at o'. Hare. There are four hour TSA line waits at Houston's International Airport.

[B]

Might as well walk to Austin.

[A]

Besties wait times at the airports just hit their longest in recorded history. And that is according to tsa.

[B]

Since the Department of Homeland Security had a partial government shutdown starting on Valentine's Day, 50,000 TSA agents have been working without pay. And today they were supposed to get paid, but they won't.

[A]

Republicans and Democrats are pushing for a bill next week, but so far, clearly no end in sight.

[B]

And they're gonna get back pay when this finally gets resolved. But that doesn't put money in their bank accounts right now when they need it now.

[A]

Interestingly, before we dive in T boy style, we should point out for some cities, the situation's actually worse. Some cities have longer lines.

[B]

Houston is where it's the worst.

[A]

It is.

[B]

50% of agents have called out sick there because they need to make some money. So ironically, they're driving people to the airport for Uber.

[A]

On the other hand, over here in San Francisco, the airport situation's actually the

[B]

same as always because they use private security. It's one of the rare airports that doesn't use the tsa.

[A]

It's actually the largest airport in America that has its own private security doing security, not the TSA federal agents.

[B]

But all the disruption and chaos in our airports is an opportunity for one clear winner. It's Clear Secure.

[A]

It's literally Clear Clear Secure, the biometric ID company that scans your face and then swoops you in through the line awkwardly like you're a quasi vip.

[B]

You know, the best thing, Nick, as a non Clear member, is when I get through faster than Clear members. I know that's like the ultimate win,

[A]

but usually I'm having like two sandwiches by the time Jack gets through to me. Yeti's Clear. It's the only publicly traded line cutter stock, the way we see it.

[B]

Pretty sure. And it pairs well with away luggage and a Bose Q35 headset.

[A]

But get. But this. Yeti's Clear's App has been downloaded 289,000 times just this month. That is up 3x from last year.

[B]

It's already a record quarter. It is Clears stock is up 10% this week. It's up 50% year to date. And it's up 100% since 12 months ago.

[A]

Because besties, this TSA wait time drama has become the ultimate free ad.

[B]

300 people waiting in line is the best billboard for Clear that there is.

[A]

Oh, that is better than Times Square. And according to the Wall Street Journal, passengers are literally signing up for Clear on the spot while they're waiting in

[B]

the regular line because their flight takes off in 60 minutes. And the estimated wait time in this regular TSA line is two hours. Of course, they're signing up for Clear now.

[A]

Prior to all this, the big growth hack for Clear was that every millennial luxury credit card added it as a perk when you signed up for Platinum Super Diamond.

[B]

And before that, Boomer parents would forward to their kids that you should get Clear. We'll both get $50 off if we do.

[A]

Love a Boomer referral link, Jack. They always struggle with how to text it to you.

[B]

But, Nick, in recent years, I used to own Clear stock. People were wondering if Clear was worth it.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Because sometimes Clear is the same speed as TSA PreCheck.

[A]

But there is a new angle here that's emerging that we thought we should share with you.

[B]

Clear as travel insurance.

[A]

What if you think of Clear less as getting you through faster every time, but getting you through faster when it matters?

[B]

Like right now.

[A]

That's the new travel math. Here's the IS$200 a year for a Clear Worthy if it ensures you don't miss one important flight.

[B]

I think Clear should run with that marketing, Nick.

[A]

Thank you, Jack. I think we're onto something here.

[B]

But forget about missing one flight. Is Clear missing the one opportunity of their corporate life?

[A]

So, Jack, you really set up this takeaway. What's the takeaway for our buddies over at Clear?

[B]

Call it the Slim Shady Challenge. Cause you only get one shot.

[A]

Oh, yeah. You know the famous Eminem song, you only get one shot. Do not miss your chance to blow mom's spaghetti. If you know, you know. But a lot of founders and businesses do miss their one shot.

[B]

Peloton had their one shot during the pandemic. I still own that stock.

[A]

Yeah, we do.

[B]

But Peloton misprioritized, mispriced their bikes, bought a new bike factory to make more bikes, when they should have just raised the price of their bikes.

[A]

Instead, yeah, peloton missed their shot. But on the other hand, Airbnb seized their shot, right, jack during the 08 financial crisis.

[B]

In the years after the 08 financial crisis, when the economy was struggling, people saved money traveling by using Airbnb.

[A]

But now it is Clear's chance at a one shot. Can Clear lean into hospitality, build emotional connections, and create lasting value in these

[B]

next couple weeks, can they show people it's worth it for life, not just during this government shutdown?

[A]

Or is Clear just gonna see a temporary bump because they're better than a long TSA line right now and they just happen to be at the right place at the right time and the value will fade?

[B]

Call it the Slim Shady test. Yes, this is Clear as one shot.

[A]

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[A]

For our third and final story, it's three stories yesterday that were either pro human or anti AI. Pamela Anderson, Reddit, and Talking Fruit.

[B]

So we're covering all three because these three insane stories highlight a threat to how we measure everything.

[A]

Now, Yetis, let's go a little behind the scenes here. Every morning, Jack and I wake up super early and do something we call the headline Hammer.

[B]

It's our daily editorial meeting where we pick the three stories for this pod.

[A]

Funny thing, Jack and I noticed three stories yesterday that were either pro human or anti AI and they all stood out as top potential candidates for the pod.

[B]

So we're gonna cover all three. And we might as well start with Pam Anderson. The former Baywatch actress is the new face of Aerie, the underwear brand of American Eagle.

[A]

Back in October, Aerie trended by pledging to never use AI in their marketing. However, we covered it on the pod

[B]

that built off their 2014 decision to stop retouching Arri models.

[A]

And now Arri is doubling down with 58 year old Pam Anderson.

[B]

Pam Anderson. No makeup, no AI.

[A]

Never. Not a fan of Sam Almond.

[B]

Alright, so Nick apparel and fashion, that's an understandable AI hating industry.

[A]

But how about we move over to tech, which is an understandable AI lover?

[B]

The CEO of Reddit announced yesterday a major new policy. Bots must wear name tags on Reddit.

[A]

Here's specifically what Steve Huffman said. You should assume that anyone you are talking to on Reddit is human unless otherwise labeled.

[B]

So Reddit will let humans remain anonymous. That's a key part of the platform. But they'll verify that you're a human, not a bot, in other ways.

[A]

I mean, pause the podjack. We interviewed the CEO of Reddit last year and didn't we tell him they should name the company Real?

[B]

So they're taking our advice, basically. And the blog post that they announced today. Use the word real seven times.

[A]

All right, so we got Pam Anderson and we got Reddit. Jack, how about we close with something that is not real at all?

[B]

Fruit Love Island.

[A]

Yeah, Fruit Love Island. A TikTok account that just rocketed to 3.3 million followers out of nowhere.

[B]

Fruit Love island posts three minute videos that look like episodes of Love island, the reality dating show.

[A]

But they're obviously fake, because instead of aspiring influencer hot people, the characters are animated anthropomorphic fruit.

[B]

A kiwi is in a hot tub flirting with a banana.

[A]

A Mango is hooking up with a strawberry Jack, that coconut. I don't even want to know what he's doing with that mulberry.

[B]

But yeah, These videos have 30 million

[A]

views, and reportedly this is the fastest growing TikTok page in history.

[B]

But we got to say, the view counts are sus.

[A]

And why are they sus? Jack?

[B]

As one commenter said, if they're desperate enough to post AI videos, they're desperate enough to use bots to drive up their view counts.

[A]

That's the question. Is this fake fruit TikTok video being viewed by people or viewed by bots?

[B]

After all, it's projected in many places that bot traffic will exceed human traffic on the Internet by next year or even this year.

[A]

When Jack and I thought about that, our heads started hurting. So our heads came up with this takeaway. Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies Pam Anderson, Reddit and Fruitlove Island.

[B]

The next thing, AI will disrupt the metrics we use to measure business besties.

[A]

Here's what we're thinking. If Instagram likes can be manipulated, why can't podcast downloads?

[B]

What if we asked Klaus to create 1 million fake Spotify accounts, which are free, and program each of those Spotify accounts to listen to our show every single day?

[A]

I mean, Jack, if we did that, we could attract real advertisers paying for that fake audience that doesn't really exist.

[B]

We wouldn't do that.

[A]

No, we wouldn't.

[B]

But this is just one example in our industry of how we could use AI to manipulate the metrics that matter.

[A]

But Jack and I bet that you could theoretically manipulate your own company's metrics using AI too. Not that you would. You're not that kind of a person.

[B]

Amazon ratings, Apple App Store rankings, those already can't be trusted due to bots.

[A]

But with AI, box office numbers, financial markets, political polls, they all could be mass manipulated with AI.

[B]

The White House sent Congress its wish list for AI regulation this week. We think they gotta add metric defense to the list.

[A]

Toss metrics on the list, because the next thing AI will disrupt. It's the metrics we use to measure everything. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us? Going into the weekend for the real

[B]

Friday, Uniqlo is the name every Dodger fan will see all season. And Uniqlo is coming to America's strip malls.

[A]

Because Uniqlo's approach is the same as the Navy SEALs. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

[B]

For our second story, clear secure is the big winner of the government shutdown, causing Chaos at the airports.

[A]

So we got a message from Eminem to clear secure. You only got one shot. Do not miss your chance to blow.

[B]

And our third and final story was three totally different businesses showing how everything needs an AI policy.

[A]

But the thing nobody's talking about, it's metrics and whether they're safe from manipulation.

[B]

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

[A]

Did Google just zuck hbo?

[B]

Google announced a new AI memory compression algorithm. Yes, just like the plot of the show Silicon Valley.

[A]

Yeah, it is. Google calls it the Turboquant. There's a working title and it's a novel way to shrink AI's working memory without impacting performance.

[B]

Second, Project Hail Mary, the new Ryan Gosling movie. It's the top box office hit going into its second weekend.

[A]

In fact, last weekend, Riot's movie was just the second non sequel, non franchise movie to hit 70 million bucks in the last 10 years.

[B]

Oppenheimer was the other. But get this, Amazon is behind Project Hail Mary.

[A]

Yeah, Amazon is behind it. And shockingly, they didn't use any green screens. All of it is an original bet that paid off.

[B]

And finally, drones are having a moment not just in the military and in war.

[A]

This is pretty wild. The latest drone startup is actually using drones to wash windows.

[B]

Lucid drones raised $20 million to fly up really high to like the 100th floor if necessary, to wash skyscraper windows.

[A]

So bass is if you're in the Empire State Building right now and you can see all the way to Massachusetts, it may be thanks to drone window washers. Yetis now time for the best fact yet. This one kind of a correction sent in by a lot of you. Sent in by Shanil Kalan in Winchester, Virginia, Aaron Hess in Idaho, Daniel Paul in Denver, and Kevin Erickson on Spotify.

[B]

Because yesterday we told you about the biggest innov an American Air flan.

[A]

United Airlines debuted flying mattresses. The air mattress. It takes over three seats.

[B]

Now we said United had exclusivity on this concept in North America, but they're

[A]

not the first company to do it. Jack, who actually invented the three seat air mattress concept?

[B]

Air New Zealand did 15 years ago.

[A]

Yeah, Air New Zealand, they called it the sky couch and they were actually licensing this technology to United Airlines. Yetis, you're looking fantastic going into the weekend. Jack, celebrate the wins New York live show almost sold out. There's like 10 tickets left right now.

[B]

I'm celebrating that win this weekend and

[A]

Jack and I can't wait to see you Monday drop down to give us five stars helps grow the show and celebrate the wins. And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary Eddie Skip Nelson in Adena, Minnesota. Skip never skips a T boy episode, especially keeping him entertained during his layovers as a pilot.

[B]

And a happy birthday to my brother Nicholas Kramer, the eldest of all the Kramers.

[A]

And Happy birthday to sixth grade teacher Raina McConnell in Nevada City who just bought a house and is getting married in May and is having the best party yet.

[B]

Happy birthday to Daniel in Queens. We'll see him at our New York show in two weeks.

[A]

Can't wait. And Paul Reynolds in Hinesburg, Vermont. Happy best birthday yet. And Luke Ridgeley in Alexandria, Virginia is turning seven while his two year old sister is dancing to the rap jingle with him right now.

[B]

Happy 43rd birthday to Michael Contini in Brooklyn, New York.

[A]

And Robert Hill enjoy that birthday in Nenah, Wisconsin.

[B]

And David Leo in the Bay Area.

[A]

Happy Birthday and Sharron to you. We see your birthday in lovely Los Angeles.

[B]

And happy birthday to Bridget Martin, the publishing badass and the Gatsby of Long Island.

[A]

And we've got a fantastic wedding celebration coming to Adriel Cond and Claudia Vega, who are getting married in Chicago. Doing way more than logistics. This is Jack.

[B]

I own stock of Amazon and Reddit. I don't own Clear anymore. And we do own stock of Apple. And I still own Peloton.

[A]

And we also own shares of Airbnb

[B]

be

[C]

Hey, this is Paige Tosorbo from Giggly Squad and today I want to talk to you about Boost Mobile. Quick question. Why are we letting our phone bills bully us? Here's a money tip. Stop paying a carrier tax when you bring your own phone and Switch to boost mobile's $25 unlimited forever plan. You can unlock up to $600 in savings. That's real life money, not money trapped in a pricey phone bill. $600 is a trip, a shopping spree, or paying something off off. Your money belongs in your life. You get unlimited data, talk and text for $25 a month with no contracts and no minimum line requirement. Your phone, your rules. Head to boost mobile.com to switch today and unlock the savings you actually deserve. After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience lower speed. Customers pay $25 per month while active on Boost Mobile Unlimited Plan savings claim based on a January 2026 Boost Mobile survey comparing average annual payments of major carrier customers to 12 months on the Boost Mobile Unlimited plan. Visit boostmobile.com for details.