🎥 “Hollytube” — 20-yr-old Beat Disney. Loonen’s viral holy water. Casino bet. +Whey Protein MIA

0:28This is Nick. show are invited to. We'll announce where the meetup is on stage tomorrow night. So to make sure you're invited to the after parties at our San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle live shows, buy your tickets now. Nick and I would love to hang with you after the show. Because after the pod is the after party. Jack, three fantastic stories though for today's show. What do we got on the T-Boy? For our first story, the two biggest movies this past weekend weren't from Disney. They were from YouTube. That's right. Mickey Mouse just got beat by a 20-year-old and it's a Hollywood horror story.

1:00For our second story, for the second time in two days, an iconic American casino chain got an acquisition offer. Here's a surprise. The company that wants to buy MGM casinos, People Magazine. And our third and final story, the top trending water bottle among influencers, celebrities, and CEOs, it's a plastic water bottle. Actually, it's glass, but it's shaped like plastic. And that's the wild point. But yet is before we hit that wonderful mix of stories, Is it glass, Nick? I'll have to wait for the story. Holder's Almanac Week 323. Things were running out of this economy. Jack and I have been keeping track for you, like, since the pandemic, man.

1:36Trigger warning, though, because this week, we're running out of protein. Particularly whey protein. Now, to sprinkle on some protein context, Nick, whey is actually a byproduct of the cheese making process. And that whey now makes its way into the entire food pyramid. Eggo waffles with protein. Starbucks latte with protein foam. The Kardashians with protein. No, seriously, Khloe Kardashian has a protein popcorn company. Oh, and yesterday, David Barr's founder launched a protein ice cream right here on this show. The result of this protein palooza, we're a little lean on the teen. According to the U.S.

2:13Department of Agriculture, multiple suppliers are already sold out of protein for the year. So the price of grass-fed whey protein isolate has gone up more than 300 % since 2023. No way? We're out of way? Well, we're not out. If you can afford it, you can still buy it, but only for now. But it ain't just food. Non-food is now infused with protein too. Protein shampoo. Protein toothpaste. Pretty sure if I Google it, I'll find some protein body lotion out there. Jack and I jumped in T-boy style, found a wedding dress with protein-infused fibers. Are you supposed to eat it during the ceremony? The bride didn't say I do.

2:47She said just do it. No, she said I chew. So earmuffs to the creatine crowd. Because yes way, run that away. Consider this a way wellness warning. Unless this rumor was started by a big fiber. You know they're out there, Jack. Dietary disinformation, not a fan. If you know, you know. Jack, let's hit our three stories. 15 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 list. If you know, you know, cause we ready to go.

3:26We can't wait no more. So just start the show.

3:31Start the show. Start the show. First, a quick word from our sponsor.

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5:31For our first story, Disney got beat at the box office this weekend by two total shockers. Two YouTube movies topped Mickey Mouse. YouTubers are beating Hollywood studios for the first time ever, which means only two gatekeepers in media remain. Besties, just a heads up, the rest of this story is rated R. And not for anything inappropriate, it's just really scary for Hollywood to hear what we're about to say. Because what happened in the US movie theaters in the month of May should terrify movie studios. But on the other hand, it should also give hope to anyone dreaming of making a movie someday, which is kind of everyone in Hollywood.

6:10And this story begins with Mandalorian and Grogu. Go on, you must check. Disney spent$300 million on the production and marketing of this movie that starred Baby Yoda and Pedro Pascal. out. So far at the box office, though, 246 million bucks worldwide. How are we feeling about that, Jack? Fluctuating Disney share prices. Steady? It is not. The force was not strong with this movie, besties. I went to it. It was a highly predictable movie. And I actually predicted you would go to this movie, Jack. But to sprinkle on some more context, the movie studio only gets 50 % of those box office receipts, right, Jack?

6:45So Disney needs to sell more than two times as many tickets as they have so far, just to break even on this Mandalorian movie. Add it all up, besties. And that's how the world's top movie studio, Disney, did with its very top IP. Star Wars. Help us, Obi-Wan. You're our only hope to profitability. Actually, YouTube might be the only hope to profitability. Yeah, that leads to the second part of our story. So who actually did win the box office for the first time ever this weekend, Jack? Two guys that Hollywood would have called amateurs one year ago. Because these movies were directed by a 20 and a 26-year-old YouTube star.

7:19Nick, the winner of the box office this past weekend can't legally drink to celebrate. Yeah, get this guy to Martinelli's spritz. You see, number one last weekend at the movies was a film called Backrooms. $10 million budget. It was basically shot on iPhone. $81 million opening weekend. That was a record for an original horror movie, and they were profitable in one week. Very profitable in one week. Backrooms was directed by a 20-year-old named Kane Parsons, who's known for a YouTube series. And at 20 years old, Parsons is now the youngest filmmaker ever to top the box office for a weekend. Now, the number two movie this past weekend is called Obsession, also produced by a YouTuber, this one 26 years old.

8:0026? The budget for this supernatural horror story? Even smaller, man. A ridiculously small$750 ,000. The whole film was shot in 20 days. And yet, this movie has racked up an ROI of over 100x. Get these numbers. Because with less than$1 million in budget, it's already racked up$104 million at the box office in just two weeks. Basically, Bestie's two YouTubers just sent Disney home from the theme park crying. This is Rocky beating Apollo. It's David beating Goliath. It's Mr. Beast beating Beast from X-Men. Okay, but Jack, there is one caveat, a little bit of an asterisk we should stick on this story.

8:38Yeah, before you start thinking that YouTube can own Hollywood studios in movie theaters all the time, we should point out both of these movies this past weekend were horror movies. And horror movies don't require big budgets. Yeah, the big question here, we'll see if YouTube can win without big Hollywood budgets in other genres. I don't know if a YouTuber can win in an action-adventure movie against all that CGI and, like, the Megalodons and the Jurassic Park Tyrannosaurus Mamadons. You know what I'm talking about? But besties, what we're seeing here is a demand shift. From superheroes, wizards, and dinos to YouTubers, podcasters, and creators.

9:13And this is a huge win for original ideas and the biggest sign yet of franchise fatigue. Novelty is breaking through the noise. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies who are 20-year-old YouTube Hollywood winners? Another gatekeeper of media has fallen, but two still remain. Yeti's back when Twitter launched, anyone can make public statements anytime without reporters. News agencies and journalists lost their gatekeeper status of information to the public. And when podcasts launched, anyone could launch a talk show. You didn't need a network backing. When YouTube launched, anyone could publish a show.

9:47No studio was needed. Movie studios, though, they have hung on to their power until now. Gen Z doesn't care, though, if the movie opens with that cool Paramount Mountain and, like, the 17 stars, you know? The Lion Roar? Not as exciting if you're under 20 years old. And here's the proof. 80 % of the moviegoers to these two YouTube movies this past weekend, they were under 35 years old. So Bastia, as the five big book publishers and the three big record labels, they still decide who gets a book and who gets an album. But maybe not for long, because tech eliminates gatekeepers. It's all about your followers.

10:17The media world is flat. For our second story, Barry Diller is the most interesting techie in America, but he just spent 18 billion bucks against tech. Because he's trying to buy MGM casinos. Because the techier your life, the more physical your outlet. Ah, casino owners. If there's anything we've seen from watching Godfather Part 2 multiple times, not the most sympathetic bunch of business, are they, Jack? They'll break your arm if you win too many games of poker, and somehow they don't get in trouble for that. How is that legal? And Nick, they'll kick you out of the casino if you win too many games.

10:55How is that legal? We just talk over here for my buddy over here. Yeah, just talk over here, my friend. But we actually do feel bad for their stock prices right now. Yeah. They're all down since 2018. Because that is when the Supreme Court ended the ban on sports betting and let states legalize it. Vegas went from Sin City to just another city. Prediction markets, Jack? That's just more gambling competition for the old school. A predicting competition. Ah, well put, well put. But yesterday, one famous tech investor offered 18 billion bones to buy MGM Resorts. MGM. It owns 40 % of the casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

11:28One out of two overpriced shows on the Strip? Brought to you by MGM, baby. Even wilder, though, last week, a famous billionaire acquired Caesars Casinos, also for$18 billion. So Jack and I got to pause the pod for a sec. Jack, where's the money going right now? Physical casinos. Why are they splurging on physical casinos when everyone can gamble on their phones? Well, for that insight, you're going to have to wait for the takeaway. Because what Jack and I find more fascinating is the buyer. A man named Barry Diller. Barry Diller is 84, but his resume looks like the home screen of a 28-year-old's iPhone.

12:01Because Barry had a legendary career as a TV and movie studio exec, greenlighting The Simpsons for Fox. It's said that Mr. Burns on The Simpsons was modeled after Barry Diller. But then Diller went digital. He bought and ran a dozen tech companies that you at some point probably knew and loved, and probably have on your iPhone. You see, after 9-11, he bought Expedia, and then flipped it for a huge profit after the airline crisis ended. He owned and ran Home Shopping Network, Vimeo, Ticketmaster, and TripAdvisor at different times. At some point, he has owned Angie's List, Care.com, and Match, the dating app, all of them.

12:32Yeah, Tinder included. Today, he owns a bunch of formerly big magazines, including People Magazine. People Magazine. Although he is married to Diane von Furstenberg, he actually came out as gay last year, confirming decades of rumors. Forget another social movie about Zuckerberg. I want one about Barry Diller. Hey, Aaron Sorkin, let's make it a trilogy on Diller. called the Dillard dossier. Now this 84-year-old, proudly out of the closet, digital disruptor, wants to buy America's most famous casino resorts for$18 billion. He made the offer official yesterday. Now we should point out he bought 26 % of MGM back in 2020, believing Vegas was a booming.

13:08But MGM isn't just the Las Vegas Strip. It also owns six casino resorts in the Northeast and Midwest. So it's not just a bet on Vegas. But now Barry wants to buy the rest of MGM at an$18 billion valuation. that's three lifts. Nick, I'll stay. Sir, you have five. I strongly recommend you hit. Oh, I know you like to live dangerously, Jack. So what's the takeaway for our buddy saying hit me over in the casino industry? One surprise winner of an ultra tech future could be the ultra physical. Oh, the ultra physical. Besties, here's why Barry Diller invested in MGM six years ago. He said it's made up of a quote, real world asset that AI cannot not easily replicate.

13:49And yesterday he continued, that conviction has only strengthened over time, he said, calling casinos very hard assets, the perfect hedge in a world that is changing so unpredictably fast. Concrete hard assets. In summary, what is safe from AI and tech disruption? Well, only the most physically physicalist of things. Specifically, physical commerce that also touches customers emotionally. You see, Diller thinks a world where tech is everywhere will make us seek out what we can't get and what we can't feel on a screen. The live experience economy is hitting new record highs year after year after year after year.

14:22The value of pro sports teams never been higher. The sphere in Las Vegas, another one's coming to Washington, D.C. This is this takeaway in a nutshell. So, Basties, if you're looking ahead to your extremely techie stock portfolio, you may want to buy the most physical businesses you find. That's what Barry Diller's doing, and he's the techiest boomer there's ever been. You want concrete that warms your heart. Now, a quick word from our sponsor. hims. Yetis, we've been keeping a list of weight control plans that Jack has launched and announced on this podcast. The first was Veganuary. I went vegan, but just for the month of January.

14:58Jack, remember Only Cones Day? Like you pledged to only eat ice cream if it was eaten in a cone? Yeah, also, who says honey is not cool with vegan? What's the deal with that? Well, apparently the bees. The latest don't eat food off his kids' plates. Each one of those, what did he say, mild success for you, Jack? Yeah, I've done it all when it comes to weight loss, but so haven't we all. Achieving weight loss goals is another story. Okay, but Jack hasn't tried yet Weight Loss by HIMS, designed to support you in losing the weight and keeping it off. HIMS now offers access to an affordable range of FDA-approved GLP-1 medications, including the Wagovi pill and the Wagovi pen.

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15:57Honestly, we're not great at all of them. No, we've been avoiding hiring someone to wear those hats instead of us, especially the Von Dutch one, because hiring and training can take forever. Well, proud to say that we are hiring right now at T-Boy, and this is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Because sponsored jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95 % more likely to report a hire than non-sponsored jobs. So besties spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes, less stress, less time, more results. When you need the right person to cut through the chaos, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs.

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16:54For our third and final story, why is every influencer drinking a plastic water bottle that's not actually plastic? I don't know, Nick, for the likes. Is it glass? Is it plastic? Is it plastic? What is going on here? This story is about Lunen. Lunen. We'll explain why the trendiest water is tricking you. On purpose. But full disclosure, Yetis, don't kill me, Desani, but never been a big branded water guy. I love this about you. Nick is the first to jump out and order tap when the waiter says, tap still or bottled? I'll have Manhattan's finest. But apparently most of you are otherwise, because each summer, a new bottled water is crowned the queen of the season.

17:33Last year, it was Saratoga Springs, if you remember, Jack. Yeah, remember the viral video with the iced bath that that Jack dude would dip his face into? And the summer before that, it was Mountain Valley, the green bottle. We've all seen it, West Virginia. Both are drinking up market share from Dasani. San Pellegrino is getting punished by those guys. We actually found a Pure Play water stock called Primo, which owns Deer Park Water, Poland Springs Water, and Saratoga Springs and Mountain Valley. $9 billion company, their stock's up 50 % in the last year because your thirst just can't be quenched.

18:03by the tap. But that's not what the influencers are drinking. No, no, no. They're drinking something that looks like a regular old plastic water bottle you find at the airport. Dua Lipa, Tinks, even a Michelin-starred restaurant. What are they drinking, Jack? How did a gas station water brand become a 2026 status symbol? Because here's the plot twist, Yetis. That bottle, it's actually made of glass, but it's designed to look like plastic. It's called Lunen. Yes. It launched just six months ago, and it's already been named the top trending water brand by Elle magazine. It was started by a venture capitalist with six million bucks in seed money.

18:37Six bucks a bottle? It's priced like Pope Leo has bathed in it. It's priced like holy water. It's an earlier stage company than we typically cover on the show, but Jack and I were fascinated by the brand because there are layers to this thing. And with Liquid Death hitting a$1 billion valuation, it's proof that brand can win even in something as commodified as water. Because besties, as you know from being fans of the show, we like to say that great brands have a tension. And the tension here is an anti-plastic illusion. Illusion. Because the Lunen bottle is ironically shaped to look like a regular old plastic bottle.

19:11It's got those swirls and grooves that plastic water bottle companies give you to improve your grip, I guess. And yet, it is made of glass. But the whole value prop of Lunen is that it's the only water that has never once touched plastic. Or as they would say, it's not just pure water, it's perfectly pure water. Zero microplastics. So they shaped the bottle to shape the conversation about the plastic, which the bottle is not. You see, it gets pretty heady what we're saying right now. If this plastic-looking loonin falls at a yoga studio, it breaks because it's glass. And then the whole studio is going to be like, I thought that was plastic.

19:46Hey, what's going on? It was not plastic. Everyone's then talking about it. Kim Kardashian would never bring a plastic water bottle to a Pilates studio. Jack, neither would the CEO of Sweet Green Salads. And yet both have, well, no, they haven't. Right. They brought a lumen, which looked like a plastic bottle. Which means it was a subtle anti-plastic virtue signal that if you know, you know. And if you know, it means you can afford$6 water bottles. So next water bottle's on you, actually. Besties, the other way, Jack, and I think you can think about this, is with art. Like, do you know the concept of Trump Deloitte in the art world?

20:17What's it? What is it? It's French for not possible. No, it's French for trick of the eye. It's a form of art where like a painting looks 3D, but it's not actually 3D. Oh, like MC Escher with those staircases. Yes, that would be a Trump Deloitte. This is the same idea. It's the trick of the eye that causes you to get curious about this water brand. And that actually helps market the product. And now to sprinkle on more context, the founder launched Lunen because she thought microplastics were making it harder to get pregnant. And she says all these influencer and celebrity endorsements, they're all organic.

20:47She hasn't paid them a dollar. This mini-innovation, the plastic-shaped glass bottle, that tiny change could be enough to justify a startup launch. I'm innovation. So Jack, what's the takeaway for our buddies looking at loon and water, wondering if it's plastic or glass? Every trend needs its Vader. Ah, Darth Vader. Yeti is fundamental to every story that you love our universal subplots. The hero's journey. The fall from grace. The underdog. Good versus evil. Well, Jack and I think that just like a good story, good brands can tap into these too to reach the human psyche. Lunin is making itself the hero by building up a business villain.

21:27You see, in the 90s, it was fat. 2000s, it was corn syrup. 2010s, it was gluten. 2020s, it's sugar and then seed oils. It looks like the next mainstream villain could be microplastics. Jack, a Cruella de microplastique. We've known about microplastics for a while, but Lunin is the first we've noticed to make anti-microplastics their whole value proposition. Besties, big trends, they are driven not just by heroes, but by villains. Looking ahead, microplastics may be the next mainstream Ursula. Jack, could you whip up the takeaways for us for T-Boy Tuesday? YouTube subscribers flocked to movie theaters this past weekend with two YouTube movies beating Disney.

22:06Hollywood studios are no longer gatekeepers of the movie theaters, just two gatekeepers remain. For our second story, Barry Diller just offered to buy MGM casinos for$18 billion. Because as our world gets techier, he's betting on concrete companies that give you the feels like a roaring craps table. And finally, Lunen is the$6 water bottle that's pretending to be plastic, but it's really glass. And it's viral because it found a new business villain. Microplastics are Darth Vader. But besties, this pod's not over yet. Here's what else you need to know today. First, Anthropic filed confidentially to IPO yesterday just one week after the biggest fundraise ever.

22:45Last week, Anthropic raised$65 billion, valuing it at$900 billion. And yet, as soon as next month, they may be asking investors for more money to go public. OpenAI better move fast or else Wall Street will be, Hey, Claude, is there any money left over for Sam Altman? And second, Berkshire Hathaway just made its first big acquisition in the post-Warren Buffett era. Jack, who'd they buy? They bought Taylor Morrison, a huge home builder, for$8.5 billion. Was kind of hoping they were going to buy Mars candy bars. They own 356 residential communities. They sold 2 ,000 homes last quarter for 578 grand on average.

23:20Basically, Berkshire Hathaway is really into your house. And finally, Toy Story 5 isn't just a movie sequel. Although, can you call it a sequel when it's the fifth one, Nick? It's not a sequel. It's a fequel. It's a fequel. It's also a music fest, apparently, that just announced its headliner. Get this. Taylor Swift did an original song, which they kept a secret for Toy Story 5 soundtrack. That track drops this Friday and the movie drops in theaters June 19th. And apparently the Swifties will be there. Now time for the best fact yet. This one whipped up by Jack and I as we arrive in Los Angeles later today.

23:53You know, the Anaheim Angels changed their name a few years ago to the Los Angeles Angels. The baseball team, the Anaheim Angels now are the Los Angeles Angels. And Jack, since you were a minor in Spanish in addition to your German minor, can you please sprinkle on a translation for us? Well, the name the Los Angeles Angels is hilarious because translate those four words. Yes. The Los Angeles Angels, if translated, comes out to the, the Angels Angels. The Los Angeles Angels. Wildest name in all sports because their real name is the, the Angels Angels. Besties, if you've got the best fact yet and you want to share it on stage at our Los Angeles live show this week, tell us.

24:33We want to hear it right now. Nick, I'm going to launch a baseball team and it's going to be the Los Altos Tall. Drop it in the comments or fill out the form in today's episode description. And Nick and I will see you tomorrow.

24:48And before we go, a happy birthday to legendary Eddie Kaimana, the twin dad, turning 33 years old in Maui, Hawaii, listening on that commute with Shaylin. Happy birthday to Sanjay and Archie, turning 50 in Valencia, California. And Brian Brews Brewer over in Vail, Colorado, has got the best birthday yet. And a big happy 13th birthday to Phoebe Moritz in Delaware. And Colleen Grundell was in San Francisco, now living in New York City, where she's celebrating her best birthday yet. Happy birthday to Todd Coven Suarez in Chicago. To win logistics. And Eric Hsu, the coding genius of Boston, has got a birthday just outside Boston.

25:23And happy what would have been 100th birthday to Marilyn Monroe in Los Angeles, California. We got a lot of LA themes this week. Oh, and Nicole Zeigler and Adjani Santos have their three-year wedding anniversary. Born and bred New Yorkers celebrating in New York City. And congratulations to Savannah Westwood. 11 years of the savvy sitter pet sitting in Orlando, Florida. Besties, that business is off the leash. Anyone else celebrating something today? Maybe the T-boy. I think it's on the leash, actually. She's got such control, Jack. She's off the leash.

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