Niedos Toy Craze and Listener Feedback

Jimmy. Hey'm Hollywood. And I'm Tom Merritt. Welcome to It's A Th The Weekly podcast supported by you, which is all about things that are just things, they're just things, things that are things I was explaining this show to our new ACS creator manager today, Alie. It was lovely to meet Alie. and I was like, it's a show about trends about things, you know, like stuff that becomes a thing and she got it immediately 'use she's super smart, of course. she should. Yeah Yeah. But it's like ye Yeah, that really is all you gota say I know, and it works almost every time. I would say like, I don't know, maybe one in a hundred times I've had people not be sure what I mean by. But once you say to someone, you know, like it's a thing, then they're like, o say the title They don't get it But then when you say, you know, like trends, like stuff that's it's a thing. likeike it's a thing.ike is that thing? Oh okay Yeah. It's just but it is in fact that simple. We are not trying to trick you. This is not a title that's trying to trick you. This is on the nose. This is a Taiwan semiconductor manufacturing daily tech news show. like. It is what it says on the tin, okay? We are trying to trick you into buying things at our shop though. How can we trick you Tuck we trick you? What's it gonna take, friends? As's a thing D slash shop is where you go Yeahep you can get to be tricked. A shirt that says got protein on it. You can get a shirt that has multiple iPhone alarms because that was a thing Man, God protein has lasted too. That one's still Rally ally and it just gets actually more absurd by the minute. like the protein being hard. We went to to pick up groceries at the beginning of because we're here for a week. We went to pick up groceries. It was hard to find beverages that didn't have protein in them. Oh like, come on. I'm like, no. And I'm not talking about like milkshakes or anything. like sodas, but they have protein. I'm like, why why are you doing that? I don'tstand uch a weird world of protein. although fiber fiber is like the dark horse, it's creeping in, so we're keeping an eye on it just so you know, don't worry. We are aware. We are on the fiber And we are keeping an eye on it. Anyway, you're going to good thing. G you regular updates on fyber. Regular updates. See what we did there Yeah I at this moment, actually I am using the It's a thing word cloud No. Mouse pad? Mouse pad. I believe this one actually may no longer be in stock. I think you just have to get a regular one that just says it's a thing It's there. It's there. That's why you need to go to the it's a thing d. me slash shop because stuff goes out of stock and you don't w want to miss out. Thm up, thall up. That's another way that I trick you into going to the shop. You need it. I shouldn't tell people that shouldn I? No. Speaking of beverages though, which we were just doing, did you know there's a fight between diet Coke and Coke zero lovers. No is there? Like how serious are we talking here? I feel as though I have seen a lot of impassioned defense of Diet Coke lately. Yes. But I didn't know it was in opposition to coke zero. I thought it was just in opposition to snobb be are like, you can't have a soe Coke Zero is the like establishment diet brand. It's what boring old people drink Whereas diet Coke is like, what's wrong with diet Coke? Diet Coke tastes better. Coke's thereah is trying to pretend to be something that's not. Coke is for real Yeah, and like you said, there's all these impassion defenses. I can't tell serious it is. I don't think it's incredibly serious. I think it's pretty light hearted social media stuff, but it's definitely something going on. You should know that when you're drinking a Coke zero, you are signaling that you are, you know, stayed old triried and true versus diet cke, your're young, fresh and exciting. I'm sorry, that's the part of this that I am having a very, very, very hard time reconciling because Listen friends Good try Diet Coke is in fact the OG Coke zero is the interloper and the fact that you have decided to rediscover diet Coke cute It's very cute. But once again, GenX is here to tell you like we've been knowing. That's a very cooke zero perspective, Molly. there you I Never strave. Unlike some of you fools, I have never strayed from diet Coke, nor will I ever. Yeah Well that just you've always been young, fresh, and exciting. That's all that means. Thank you. I appreciate you. This is so weird Yeah, I was really as a Gen X are also taken aback when I saw people defending diet Coke, I'm like, what is this old people? And then I'm like, Oh, no, it's the opposite. Interesting, okay Um Find it, yeah I uh I't like diet Pepsi and that just to stay out of the fight right now. Nails. Don't be ridiculous No, no, no, no, no, no Pick aside. where pick aide bro. Pick aide. likeike we're Lists we are original. We are OG diet Coke I mean, I remember when Co Zero was introduced and it was like an Anhema But I have often wondered who drinks it But I just thought it was the like I thought millennials, but millennials seem to have This is a millennial Gen Z battle isn't it It is. Yeah, does seem to draw f drinkly, I think Oh, what? Really? think I don't know now. I thought the diet cook was the younger people. There' some millennials where although millennials are older than I think they are right now, so maybe it is Gen Z's or Diet Coke And your son is an old soul I mean, and to be honest, I don't know what he actually does right now. L I would be hard pressed to tell you because he's been away at college. So When he getes back I'm going have to ask him, this is hilarious though. But I have definitely noticed the Flaming of Diaco. And almost a bit of a sort of a wellness people backlash about it too, justust like, please. Yeah, the drg in the generational lines, I'm a little fuzzier on exactly where it goes, but there's definitely a fight between the diet Coke and the Co ero lovers for sure Oh my God, that is hilarious. Okay, well, now I know what I'm gonna do with a can of diet Coke, which is keep it, keep one in my house purse at all times so that I always have one on me no matter where I am in the house So barely I thought I was having this conversation with my sister in law and she was talking about her friend who was just so like smart and clever and cutting edge. and she was like, my friend has a house purse. And I was like, tellell me more about a house purse and the idea is that there is just one bag In your house that has all your stuff in it. and you carry it around the house with you so that you're never like, damnit, I left my kindle in another room It's got your AirPods, your Kindle, your diet Coke your charger your phone, your water bottle water bottle, maybe some sunscreen depending on the house and where you're going to end up outside or whatever. But like the idea is almost much like you would take a beach bag to the beach on vacation you have a house purse and it's a dedicated bag. And it could even be your purse purse Like I One of my son's friends was here and she said that she just, yeah, she's like It's her purse. Yeah, which is a really big bag and she carries it all around That's true efficiency is using your regular purse as your house purse. Exactly. because I I will say it could be like kind of annoying to take air pods out of the house pur. But so then I was like Is this That's genius, I want to try it. And then I heard someone, I think on an airplane Mention it And I was like, wait a minute. So I don't think it's this woman's invention. It's like a thing thing And then sure enough, apparently there was like a big viral moment for house purses sometime last year, late last year because I found an article in Reader's Digest Which by the way, I think we said was a thing. Not that long ago or at least in maybe in the post show we talk It seems to be a bit back actually. That's amazing. And so there was just like a little A TikTok moment And it was inspired evidently by Sophia from Golden Girls who was always carrying around her signature straw bag even walking around the house. What ties into the Golden Girls being a thing I mean, it really does. And so then all the TikTokers who did videos about it were crediting Sfia. Patrio Golden Girls Freaking How's first thing. And honestly I mean, this is like the kind of this is an actual kind of game changer of a thing discovery because I'm like, wow this is beyond useful address dropped in the discord a link to the vir the original viral TikTok that showed after the The house person credited Sopia Hers is actually a looking Aaddie Oh, yeah, it's a small Keep going Brilliant It's brilliant because I cannot tell you how many times. and I will tell you that in the midst in the throes of paraminage, as my wellness coach calls it H Manj, that's great When I discover that I have left, I have like gone, I've gotten all of the things and I have settled myself and I am on the couch and like my foot hurts because you know, whatever plantar freshiitis because da d da and then that's when I discover that my phone or my glasses are in another room That's when the rage happens Yeah and how Spurse solves all of that Heousepurse will reduce rage will. I believe that it actually really genuinely will reduce rate Here are things that could go in there. A notebook and a planner, pens, glasses, reading tablet or a current book, a pack of tissues Air pods, lip balm or glass, a bottle or glass, a bottle of hand lotion, a water bottle and my phone Genius? Genius House purse Also fun to say. I want a houseurse now Be it's not just for ladies suit. anyybody can absolutely not. Yeah Yeah, how many times have I been both hands full of things because I'm just moving to another room. granted, if you're in a studio apartment, which I used to live in, probably not as big of a deal because you can just reach over, you know across across the place. But even a smaller apartment, you got two rooms, you're going from one to the other Need a house purse. You just you just need your little tote. And if it's big enough to put your laptop in, even better. because like I move the laptop around the house because you know, whatever. sometometimes I'm working on the couch, sometimes I'm working at the table. sometometimes I'm in the office I just think It is so smart. and by the way, just reading this article, which I had not until today. Tissues That's a freaking unlock How often do you have get up? becausecause you're like, Ohh I just that town but it's h season Time here. ' we keep the tissues on Eileen's side of the couch So if I need one, You have to either lay out like an animal Or sometimes over an animal 'cause my dog's on the couch. Oh yeah. Yeah. O get up. Ugh No, not get Yeah I'm not here to exercise. It is, in fact, ICore in the Discord is like also known as an I don't have to get up from the couch purse. Exactly rilli Um However, I might suggest you leave the house purse at home If you're going outside to engage in dusking Now what? Don't don't misinterpret Dusking. I imagine When I first saw this word, all kinds of things it was not, this is justust debust. Really just going and watching the sunset. Oh my God, they have a name for me But it's It's it's a trend to say you go out, you sit Disconnect, right? It's all part of that kind of attempt Uh, and you just watch the light disappear. ive notice the change in the colors of the sky, etca as a way to just kind of root and calm yourself. Wow That's Awesome. It doesn doesn't mean anything else but watching the sunset. But it is called Dusking It is amazing to watch. I don't even know what to call like the content generation. discover liing your life, doing things that you do in the world Perhaps you go outside and go to the park Touch grass. Touch grass, right? Perhaps you take a little bit of a break from working and you know, I don't know, meditate or read a book F protect your peace I feel like there have been like ten of these recently. We need to like go and collect them from our previous because there have been so many of these recently where it's like you really gave a name to just sitting outside and watching the sunset. You really had to make it like a a thing. Is that tellleingget Dusk maxing in the YouTube chat? Yeah, seriously nature maxing does like I mean like I think this is R mac. It just me shopping Branding has become so top of mind. F. And so yeah, you can't just say go outside That's not good branding You gotta t grass. You can't just say, watch the sunset. That sounds like what people who drink Coke zero do. emmbarrassing You gota go dusking go dusking. You werere ready. That's what I was grasping for when I came up with content generation. You're absolutely right. It's the branding generation. And by the way, that isn't even an age generation. That's just like everybody on the internet Like you got It's everybody engaged in that part of the world, right? It's like, ooh, it's all about branding Canding is no longer a dirty word It's a must have because the branding is what let you create content around it. What would the conversation do or the more Urban dictionary or you know, know your meme, what would it do if we weren't giving things names and brands? We weren't brand maxing We're brand maxing. We're content maxing. We realize Oh my Godd All right, well, I have a rebrand Oh yeah ye, ye Okay. There have been historically, there have been lots of words to refer to people considered to be sexually promiscuous in one way or another. Yeah Frequently These words, yeah, Lse is like the mildest among them Or I believe actually my grandmother used to use the term bear cat that which was awesome He's just a real, this is an actual conversation that occurred. My son was like six months old We're like they're playing, you know, my family's playing cards, the ladies are playing pinuckle. And my grandmother's talking about like One of our cousins. there are like three hundred of them And she goes He he's just a real bear cat and I look over it and I'm like What What is a bear cat? And she goes, Oh, you know And you did. I you immediately did though. I didn't, but I also did, but I definitely did. Yeah. So like lots of things like that.. And I was actually saying to a friend, I'm like, I'm so irritated that we're still, you know, putting women in this box and whatever. And she was like, oh, now there's just a gender neutral term. And it's a box Oh Yeah, that's so nice. That's actually better loose. Yeah. I know becauseuse frankly, it's like it's sort of non judgmental. It's positive even, you know. L L a song is a bop. That song is a bop, right? Like it's just for fun. They're just they're just for fun, but that's it calling someone for being fun and sexually promiscuous, but mostly in a nongeendered way, Urban Dictionary has it listed at the very bottom And of course, they had to go U any woman Like I think it started that way. But but it doesn't have to be. Okay. But it is but my understanding is that at least on on college campuses It is evolving and being used in a much more nongeender way. and I love that for us. Bob Its just about It's positive, it's fun. Yeah, it' Aamad It's about. eight We do need an it's of thing pocket dictionary that's hilarious That's a really good one. That's a good one to know. I've not into that one in the wild yet. Yeah So that he's just like, you don't want to get you don't want to fall for that one. He's a bop. He's right D a b Its a bob All right, so what do we think is the thing of the week then Man. Kind of like Housepurse. I'm not gonna lie I just a revel House purse, even though it's not brand new, but it is like it's really fun and cool And you can actually end useful Yeah, it's practical. Yeah. It's a tip. Alls house hse it is. Housepse It's gonna be our spinoff show. P prractical advice. Practical things likeike practical magic. pract's a dip It's a tip All right, let's get to your feedback feedback and it's a thing that. me. Ambassador Domo thinks electronic shelf labels might be a thing asking are they a good thing? Because they give you accuracy and timelessness and they're not you know, prone to errors or are they a bad thing? potentially eliminating. He also shared supporting links of potential electronic label controversies From Food and Wine magazine, nRF dot com and I don't know what civil Eats is, but it sounds like it's about food too Because like the unions don't want what they call surveillance pricing. I didn't read these so I don't know what that means, but the United Food and Commercial Workers Union argue that digital shelf labels are harmful to workers and consumers alike they enable companies to engage in surveillance pricing, tailoring prices to individual consumers. Potentially. potentially I mean, the job implication of this might be a little overstated. alough it is time intensive to go around and mark stuff. I remember having to do that at the bookstore. Well, yeah, exactly. It sort of that feels to me and I don't want to sound unsympathetic here, but that is sort of just like we don't want technology to take away the job of going around and physically marking and changing the thing. like that feels a little like a smart store will use that time to do something that's actually useful. Exactly. L having people, right? Right Right. Like go help a person instead of being like, I have to change this price tag You know, what's so interesting about this is that I have heard about smart labels being used, especially the rollout in Europe in particular was about reducing food waste. Like it's, you know, its it's lower the price automatically the closer something gets to its expiration date something it so that you don't have to end up throwing it away. And I obviously, for climate reasons, could not be more in favor Of that usage. Sure. U do think that there could B concern about surveillance pricing, but that relies on such more infrastructure than just an electronic label That part of me doesn't even want to engage in that at all. Well, actually, we don't have to because it's a thing. And the fact is like this is a thing Yayay. Here's f. Here's my thoughts on the surveillance pricing Definitely possible Definitely This technology makes it possible. We have the technology to do it It is so complicated that most stores aren't gonna to want to do it. or if they try, they'll do it wrong and they'll find out like that's too complicated. It's not worth the effort. because remember, If you don't have a tag on the product itself and you change the price on the sign As I'm picking it up You also have to continue to associate that with me all the way to the checkout counter and give me that price Which I Ttally technologically possible. Totally. But how many of these stores have put in just walk out Not many because they don't want to deal with the error rates and all of that. So yeah, certainly they have put on the radar. cameras all through the store and then they have to Facial recognition, which is like extremely you difficult and expensive to identify the shoppers. thenen they have to match those shoppers to their profile. feels It feels like something the grocery store would get wrong also it just feels like the thing that you say when you're like, we got a lot of union guys, sorry, I know I'm going to get flacked for this and I don't care. It feels like the thing you say when you're like, we got a lot of union guys who work overnight shifts and one of the things they do is change the price tags and we don't want them away. And I'm like, you know what? they do Those jobs could be different And directly those jobs preventing food waste or whatever. like the job doesn't have to go away. There are other things that they could be doing that they can't do right now because you have to spend so much time changing the tags, maybe.' I mean, the fact that we have tags we have UPC codes instead of putting the price tags on the individual products didn't reduce the jobs. that this is as we are We also like we are we do have surveillance pricing. so solve it by, you know, lobbying for regulation around surveillance pricing. We have it online. We have it with read with, you know, with a bonus programs, whatever those are called, the loyalty programs Like It's exists and probably shouldn't So maybe this just feels like solving for like getting rid of the tag is solving your own problem, you know? Beause the best use case of the tag is like you said, like, ooh, these these apples are going bad. Let's reduce the price by ten cents. And you only have to reduce it two places or actually one place in the database. The database then tells the cash register and the tag, it's now ten cents cheaper Yeah, totally. It is kind of sad how everyone's just like, this would be cool except for like capitalism is going to ruin it. but potentially very powerful Food waste. solution that's I had't even thought about that. That's definitely a very good point deffinitely a thing Larry from Columbus writes in on a potential thing, Tom, Molly and Rich, Have you already talked about the amazing Digital Circus? It's an animated web series that started on YouTube and was later picked up by Netflix. The final two episodes are titled The Amazing Digital Circus The Last A It will initially be released in theaters on june sixth and then released on YouTube about two weeks later. There's definitely a larger category of fan event limited theatrical releases, which you've discussed at least a few times I know you also talked about red light masks for skincare, but did you mention them as being used as recovery aids for soft tissue injuries? The infrared part makes sense, it's the same principle as a heating pad. I'm a little skeptical about the red light part. stillill, I've got one coming tomorrow as I can ever seem to completely shake a nagging elbow injury. I loved that Larry went immediately from, I'm a little skeptical, but I'm got try it. got get rid of this elbow pain. I'm in. I'll stop being skeptical. Y That's great. I love that. And no, I hadn't heard about the amazing digital circus. That's That's something I will keep an eye on for at time. I have. and I'm kind of surprised that I' I'm annoyed that I didn't bring it because somebody did mention it, but it didn't occur to me to look it up and see if it was a thing. I thought we did talk about it Um Did we? I thought we did talk about the red light therapy for Oh yeah Tissue damage Yeah, because I had it done on my shoulder Yeah, and I have a Doohicy. You probably got the same one. I got the I have the, um Jazz band, the DNA vibe jazz band and I use it for and it's got like red light and then some blue thing, like all like magnetic magnetic resonance. and also it can do vibration. So if you need if it's like an injury, it can like boost and red light and whatever. Ban. That thing, like when I use it regularly for plantar fresciitis like It works, full stop I have to I have to buy a also there are some FA studies. I mask based on my doctor's recommendation to help kind of get rid of these thingsings that happen with my eye. It's like a recurring eye achieve and she's like, ye you got to get this thing And she's like, pllus, it just feels good just fat. Yeah, because it's just heated I mask, you just put it over Sounds I can't wait to get. That sounds lovely. But also yes, there are real studies, like just to answer your question. There are like real FDA studies and international studies too that do seem to say that it aids in connective tissue repair and actually stimulates like mitochondria and repair So it is a thing And it's non invvasive and it's not a drug. So like yeah, right Wh the try Matt Z from Hudson, Ohio, the quaint capital of Ohio, says prodroducer Rich, needs a thing check Matt says, Dear Tom Molly and Rich, I wanted to get a thing check on an old thing that is back That is the Hacky sack I'm watching some high school boys kicking the sack while I wait for a Memorial Day parade to get to me. I've also seen some videos pop up on my feet of kids doing new tricks. Let me know your thoughts My kid came home for spring break with a hacy sack Bingo done. I know. onnce again. why do I not Oh, whyy do I not clock it as the thing that it is It's hard to see the things for the trees. It is. And he was like, Ohh yeah, it's totally back. Everyone's doing it nailed it. Okay. Melly writes in on mountain views, specifically Rich and also Tom I cannot speak to Salt Lake directly as a resident, but I can speak to living in the Denver Metro and literally driving towards the Rocky Mountains as my commute every morning. It is one of the nicest commutes I've ever had as I drive due west And I say that having lived in San Diego with a view of the Coronado Bridge for my backyard for four and a half years before living here Denver obviously has all the amenities of being a large major urban core as well I miss this conversation, but I do love a mountain view And an ad for the Denver Chamber. I know seriously, exactly. And not that I disagree. Denver' iss great And then Chip from Boston has a thing. Hi, Motori. I should have emailed about this two weeks ago when I first heard about it from my barber. He's an amateur entrepreneur with a knack for making money and he saw his twin daughters collecting squish toys called Nedows or pronounced Neds. So it's spelled anyH, but it's pronounced neededos So he started buying and reselling them at his barber shop He said before he knew it, kids were lining up after school to buy them Apparently, they are hard to get There are all different colors and styles, and much like the beanie babies, certain ones are worth more than others or rarer than others. I didn't think much of it at first, since my nine year old hasn't mentioned them yet. That changed yesterday when she asked if I could buy her some. She didn't just ask for some though. She asked for very specific styles and colors and told me not to get others because those aren't Cool I thoughtot Anyway, he's off toy squish toys from his bar as you do as one does. Wow, good one. I had no idea. there's a Nato toy shortage. boy. We really just will keep on making up a toy and getting people to buy it until there's a shortage And just just so you know, Don't hang onto those because they are not in fact going to be Nobody's rebuying beanie babies. We hear a lot about how we evolve to be hunters But we also evolved to be gatherers Well said. Well said, sir Thank you for all of your emails feedback and it's a thing. me is where you can send us more wonderful material for the show. Patreon. com slash it's a thing is where you can support the show and make sure that we in fact get to continue to do this week after week. It is our privilege and our pleasure. and it is all thanks to you, especially to those of you who support us. at the shoutout level And that's why we thank you with a little something extra. This week's shouts are based on Billboard Hot one hundred songs that feature because we're almost done with it the word school. Schools out for summer folks would be an example of a song on the billboard Hot one hundred. Exactatures the world schoolool. It's year. as is Mike Akins is out by Gary US Bonds. Be true to your Gabrielle Cohen, by the Beach Bys Swinging Lee Price by Bobby Rideell. Ay puppies out by Alice Cooper For summer Dear Laura Abeel slash old school by two pack. Sick Hi, Eric Duncan Dance by the Silvers. Ballad of the Home AJ Venturella Girl by Olivia Rodrigo Lonely Mike Lurch year by the Hudson Bothers. Gary U S Bonds back with Morris Jones is in Boy, that guy loved school. Yeah I did Remember the days of the old Valor trucksyard by Kat Stevens Jake Woods Boy Crush by AWB. So high stub Texas N tailors left pererfect. I'm going back to Benjamin Forerest by G. Clark But Fr the Kevin Sil D' soundtrack Gs by EU. And M and Julio down by the AA Ronyard by Paul Simon Yeah. Oh, that's a good one. That is a good one. Congratulations, by the way, to everybody who's got a grad this weekend or some weekend coming soon. It is definitely the season. I see you everywhere. G job, everyone. Thank you for listening go ahead. I was just going say you might want to buy them a graduation gift at our store. It's a thing done me slash shop You absolutely might. Great idea. Get to shop and see you next week Chit down! takeake that h Just feel with