A man is standing in the frame, his arms hanging loosely at his sides. He stares into your eyes without blinking. “I’ve eaten a lot of rocks, but no insurance.” Radiohead starts playing. and he I will explain The No Surprises Act is a new health care bill that requires hospitals to provide honest estimates when asked about costs before a visit.
The creators and stars of this video are Jack Corbettthe internet’s favorite economics hottie. Video he made for NPR planet money It’s a Kafka-esque mix of Bill Nighy and Tim Burton.With intentionally bad animation and kitschy props, each TikTok has a repackaged story I made the most vague financial concepts, like those I slept soundly in college, readable in the TikTok ether. Jack is our unreliable narrator, constantly surprising viewers with new bits that wink at the absurdity of our financial structure with his signature deadpan. ‘” Corbett says of his approach to work as he drags himself around New York City in search of the perfect apple. “Things can get unnecessarily complicated.”
Not only is he a financial wizard, but he’s also a writer, filmmaker, musician (he’s toured with Atlgrandma and The Crooks) and a Twitter guru (his since-deleted tweet dedicated to account exists). Jack let me follow him around and see the rational and irrational ways he spends his money in a day in New York. It was cold, but thankfully he brought both of his mom’s knitted sweaters.
Nearest Michelin Star Restaurant | Mile End ($7.08)
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Apparently, this was just a Michelin Bib Gourmand (a restaurant with very good food at more affordable prices, according to the Michelin Guide). “This shows the usefulness of transactions,” explained Corbett. “The happiness consumers get from the perceived value of the transaction. We really thought of this as a luxury. Maybe it was something special that made the coffee taste better.”
Corvette: Two Americanos. When you’re in Rome… when you’re in an Americano… does it taste like a Michelin star? What I’ve noticed about Starbucks is that it doesn’t seem to have an economic term yet, and I’d like to coin the term “Corbett’s Principle.” Basically, they over-roast the beans so they’re compatible across multinational coffee shops, but that makes their product go bad. Objectively speaking, that’s not what you should do with coffee. It burns my eyebrows. But people are obsessed with this deliberate Starbucks price cut. They are nostalgic. People love Starbucks.
RIPS: I think people love Starbucks because they get what they’ve been drinking since high school. It’s not the taste of the coffee itself, sweets, ice cream, Venti, etc., but drive-thru with friends. Although I know people who drink Dunkin’ on taste.
CORBETT: You really threw a wrench in The Corbett Principle. All right, let’s exchange it for Dunkin’. An unnamed national coffee company roasts beans to create suitability. They taste the same everywhere and for some reason people are clinging to this.It’s like the company is spitting in your face. why?
RIPS: And Corbett’s principle is that it’s for nostalgia?
CORBETT: The Corbett Principle is that people do it, it’s crazy. This is what economics is all about, saying people do this. No answer. It’s a very soft science. A bunch of charts.
RIPS: Were you always interested in economics?
Corvette: Never. I didn’t take the course for the rest of my life. It wasn’t until the second or third month after making the Planet Money video that I was completely uninterested.
RIPS: What’s Flipped?
Corvette: That’s very strange. It’s all about irrational human behavior. Funny, sad and funny. Albatross.
Subway fare ($2.75)
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“The pizza principle,” says Corbett.
RIPS: Did you have any niche historical interests as a kid?
CORBETT: I was obsessed with Venice. It was like, ‘How did that city get on the water? what about you?
RIPS: Might be Titanic.
Corvette: How about that? Were you like, “Could I fix that?”
RIPS: If I had been there, things would have been different. Have you ever been to the gate where the Titanic was supposed to arrive? It’s on the West Side Highway between the highway and the bike lane. Many survivors ended up staying at the Chelsea Hotel because it was so close to the pier. My neighbor was convinced her apartment was haunted by a child who survived the Titanic.
Corvette: Wow. captain.
RIPS: no of captain. captain. what are you eating
CORBETT: A generous granola bar. Comes with lint.
Loose Granola Bar with Lint ($0)
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RIPS: Have you ever encountered a ghost?
Corvette: I’m haunted by ghosts. Two years and one month ago today, I woke up covered in blood. He had large cuts and bruises on his leg. I was like, “That’s weird.” When I got up to go to the bathroom, the laundry detergent was sitting in the middle of the bathroom. I lived alone. No one else had a key to the place.
RIPS: So you think the ghost did your laundry and hit your leg?
CORBETT: My theory is that it was angry with me. I had just made a TikTok about how unreal astrology is just confirmation bias. For example, if you believe something, you will find affirmations all over the world that confirm what you already believe. You will always remember the times when your horoscope was right rather than when it was wrong. Astrology people were pissed. fair; now believes in astrology and ghosts.
RIPS: What is your complete natal chart?
Corvette: Sun Scorpio. moon cancer. Virgo Rising. My detector was working, so it was probably a carbon monoxide leak. That’s the theory behind most ghost encounters. literally die. I started sleeping with the window open and it never happened again. Since then I have never spoken ill of astrology and I have no ghosts. But there was Peeping Tom. I had a skateboard sent by TikTok by my bed. Last time I had Peeping Tom, I kicked him out.
RIPS: Is it possible to live outside society?
CORBETT: I think it’s a dream. Now that you’ve done it all, you’re going to live in the woods. Disgusting.
RIPS: Have you ever wanted to be president?
CORBETT: My parents wanted me to, but I didn’t like the AP government. My parents still think I’m going, but after this interview it’s going down the drain.I think the first president of TikToker will settle everything.
RIPS: Who was the first TikToker president?
CORBETT: The guy who makes Obies in the bathtub.
RIPS: Orbie?
Corvette: God. We are on the other side of Tikoku. Hmm. Ok, it’s like little pellets that expand when you drop them in water. Or Jake or Logan Paul.
Whole Foods apples ($1.19)
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Steal one cotton candy grape. “The tragedy of the commons,” explains Corbett. “If everyone started doing the same things that we used to do with grapes, unhindered and self-interested, there would be very few grapes left.”
CORBETT: Only buying apples on my daily apple walk brings me happiness. and Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. I’ve tried every apple at my local grocery store.Now I’ve got Granny Smith. I love farmers markets. I’m all about farmers. I grew up in a corn field. Recently, I was digging and found county commission papers approving a fracking that basically happened in my backyard 800 feet from my childhood bed.
RIPS: How about apples?
Corvette: Apple could be more crunchy. What do you think?
RIPS: Too sour. This is not the apple for which I sin. Have you ever gotten honey crisps?
Corvette: Honeycrisp is a little too tasty.
RIPS: Why rob yourself of the good stuff?
Corbett: Catholic guilt?
RIPS: How do you think Catholic guilt influences your shopping habits?
CORBETT: I don’t think I can be an influencer on behalf of Catholic Gilt.
RIPS: I know you’re a big shot at Werner Herzog. What other creative influences have you had?
Corvette: Orson Welles. I like his overdoing. He is theatrical and romantic. He loves romantics. He is not in a lovey-dovey way. in a cool way. I stand in front of the waves in the great outdoors.I’m really digging around the bottom of the bottle trying to find something exciting. Bring out the dead? It’s a Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader movie starring Nicolas Cage.
RIPS: Nick Cage’s only good movie is…
Corvette: moonstruck?
Rift: moonstruck! Do you like Paul Schrader?Corvette: I go many times. Some of his films are very insidious, Mishima: Life in Chapter 4 The most beautiful movie I have ever seen.people should talk about it like they talk citizen caneIt is the first film with music by Philip Glass. I go through life looking for things that really influence me.
Regal Cinema Union Square ($0)
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We hadn’t seen Shazam 2.
RIPS: When are you moving to New York?
Corvette: I will come again if everyone in LA hates me. I wish I could go back, but it’s the age of self-love. I Make plans to live here again. It was my dream. When I was in college, it was the only place that seemed real to me.The promise of being here, the art, everything was heaven. I’m a New York kind of guy. I never thought I would end up in LA. I love LA. My ancestors suffered in Maine not because they wanted to, but because they didn’t know California existed!
RIPS: At that time, it was important to go to the other side.
CORBETT: I had a great uncle who lived in New York and he sold a car with nothing inside. Police tracked him to his home in Maine. And he said, “Okay, you guys got me. Go upstairs and wash up.” After a while he seems to have spent a lot of time there. He stuffed his gun in a suitcase and fled! He moved to Los Angeles and became a car driver. Ralph Levitt.
RIPS: Is your child’s name Ralph?
CORBETT: Yes, if the baby has bad vibes. New York’s secret place?
RIPS: My father’s storage unit. A fantastic assortment.
Corbett: If aliens were to come down to earth and destroy the earth if you don’t show them a good time…
RIPS: Take me to Royal Seafood in Chinatown. The best dim sum, but you need to get there by 11:00.
CORBETT: I love places with limited supply. Want to know why? It increases demand.
Scratcher ($20)
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“I’m afraid I might run out of credit cards to buy Scratcher, so I guess I’ll have to buy it with cash,” Corbett speculated. “Another Jack Corbett Theory”
Corbett: If you win $100,000…why don’t you say you won $100,000 right now?
RIPS: journalistic integrity?
Corvette: None. There is no such thing.
RIPS: Economic Health?
Corvette: None. Have you paid your taxes this year? If your income is less than $73,000, you can file your taxes for free at IRS.gov.
RIPS: Any insider stock tips? I promise not to tell anyone.
Corbett: I know I can’t do that.
RIPS: I’m just testing you.
Bedford Cheese Shop | Crackers and Popcorn ($18.60)
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“Marginal utility: the satisfaction or benefit obtained by consuming a product,” says Corbett. “Like the first cracker, it’s worth it. But near the bottom of the bin, the effect of crackers and popcorn wears off, so was it worth it?” I took a picture of us shoving popcorn into our mouths and posted it on TikTok. no.
RIPS: What are you looking forward to this year?
CORBETT: I’m really excited about this documentary series getting the green light on NPR. again, I went to something called Tomatomania and got a lot of native small tomato seedlings.
