The Economics of Everyday Things

Behind these steamy sequences, there are body doubles, pubic wigs, legal documents, and dedicated choreographers who make sure everyone is comfortable. Zachary Crockett fast-forwards straight to the good parts.

• SOURCES:
  • Alicia Rodis, intimacy coordinator.
  • Matthew Swanlund, founder and principal attorney at Aesthetic Legal.
• RESOURCES:
  • "Romance or Nomance? Adolescents Prefer to See Less Sex, More Friendships, Platonic Relationships on Screen," by Elizabeth Kivowitz (UCLA Newsroom, 2023).
  • "You're Not Seeing Things —'Nudity Creep' in Streaming TV Reveals More of Its Stars," by Neda Ulaby (All Things Considered, 2023).
  • "Jennifer Aniston Rejected Offer for an Intimacy Coordinator in Sex Scenes with 'Gentleman' Jon Hamm," by Esther Kang (People, 2023).
  • "How the Sausage Gets Made: Inside Hollywood's Prosthetic Penis Craze," by Emma Fraser (Thrillist, 2022).
  • "The Disturbing Story Behind the Rape Scene in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris, Explained," by Anna North (Vox, 2018).
  • "Two James Francos. Porn. 1970s New York. The Deuce Could Go So Wrong — but It Doesn't," by Emily St. James (Vox, 2017).
  • "Shooting Film and TV Sex Scenes: What Really Goes On," by Melena Ryzik (The New York Times, 2015).
  • "Sexually Explicit Casting Contract for HBO’s ‘Westworld’ Extras Has SAG-AFTRA Concerned," by Jonathan Handel (The Hollywood Reporter, 2015).
• EXTRAS:
  • "Why is Everyone Having Less Sex?" by No Stupid Questions (2023).

Those low-priced staples on grocery-store shelves — where do they come from? Zachary Crockett finds out at a national convention for private-label manufacturers.

• SOURCES:
  • Kusum Ailawadi, professor of marketing at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.
  • Eric Beringause, C.E.O. of Winland Foods.
  • Ryan Boyle, vice president of sales at Kitchen Innovations.
  • Samantha Burd, co-owner of Lady Burd Cosmetics.
  • Dean Erstad, senior vice president of sales at Seneca.
  • Harry Overly, president and C.E.O. of Flagstone Foods.
• RESOURCES:
  • "The Backlash to Price Hikes Is Building," by Julia Waldow (Modern Retail, 2024).
  • "For U.S. Consumers, It’s a Matter of ‘And’ — Not ‘Or,'" by Kari Alldredge and Warren Teichner (McKinsey & Company, 2023).
  • "Those Doritos Too Expensive? More Stores Offer Their Own Alternatives," by Julie Creswell (The New York Times, 2023).
  • "Why Private Label Brands Are Having Their Moment," by Errol Schweizer (Forbes, 2022).
  • "The Hidden Makers of Costco’s Kirkland Signature and Trader Joe’s O’s," by Nathaniel Meyersohn (CNN Business, 2022).
  • "Pursuing the Value-Conscious Consumer: Store Brands versus National Brand Promotions," by Kusum Ailawadi, Scott A. Neslin, and Karen Gedenk (Journal of Marketing, 2001).
  • "The Effect of Generic Products on Consumer Perceptions and Brand Choice," by John J. Wheatley (NA - Advances in Consumer Research, 1981).
• EXTRAS:
  • "Should America Be Run by ... Trader Joe’s?" by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
  • "How to Save $1 Billion Without Even Trying," by Freakonomics Radio (2014).

Why is it separate from medical insurance? And is it really insurance at all? Zachary Crockett goes in for a cleaning.

• SOURCES:
  • Brad Bolman, postdoctoral member of the School of Historical Studies at the Institute for Advanced Study.
  • Pamela Maragliano-Muniz, prosthodontist and chief editor for Dental Economics.
  • Wendell Potter, president of the Center for Health and Democracy; former executive at Cigna.
• RESOURCES:
  • "Dental Medical Loss Ratios: Understanding the Landscape in Massachusetts and Beyond," by Shaza Stevenson, Megan D’Alessandro, Sandra Wilkniss, and Nicole Evans (National Academy for State Health Policy Blog, 2023).
  • "Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2021," by Katherine Keisler-Starkey and Lisa N. Bunch (U.S. Census Bureau Reports, 2022).
  • "Medicare and Dental Coverage: A Closer Look," by Meredith Freed, Nancy Ochieng, Nolan Sroczynski, Anthony Damico, and Krutika Amin (KFF, 2021).
  • "Dentists’ Group Fights Plan to Cover Dental Benefits Under Medicare," by Julie Bykowicz (The Wall Street Journal, 2021).
  • "Antisocial Dentistry," by Brad Bolman (Hypocrite Reader, 2021).
• EXTRAS:
  • "'Insurance Is Sexy.' Discuss," by Freakonomics Radio (2023).
  • "Does Health Insurance Make You Healthier?" by Freakonomics, M.D. (2022).

American golfers lose 300 million balls a year — and all those bad swings are someone else’s business opportunity. Zachary Crockett hits the links.

• SOURCES:
  • Todd Hutchinson, president and owner of BallHawker.
  • Lashan Wanigatunga, founder of Two Guys With Balls.
• RESOURCES:
  • "BallHawker, Challenge Enterprises Turn Wayward Golf Shots Into Successful Endeavor," Natalie Gilstrap (Clay Today, 2023).
  • "Temecula Golf Ball Diver Nets $100,000 a Year," by Jeff Zevely (CBS8, 2022).
  • "Golf’s Recycled Ball Market is Big Business," by Erik Matuszewski (Link, 2021).
  • "The Inside Story of What the Original Titleist Pro V1 Launch Was Really Like," Andrew Tursky (Golf Digest, 2020).
  • "Head of Golf Ball Retrieval Company Sentenced for Manslaughter After Diving Death at Wales Golf Course," by Alex Myers (Golf Digest, 2017).
  • "Man Dies While Illegally Diving for Golf Balls," by Alex Myers (Golf Digest, 2015).
• EXTRAS:
  • "Greg Norman Takes On the P.G.A. Tour," by People I (Mostly) Admire (2023).

Casinos think they can stop skilled gamblers from eking out a tiny edge at blackjack. Is that a losing bet? Zachary Crockett doubles down.

• SOURCES:
  • "Ben," former professional card counter.
  • Bill Zender, co-founder of Bill Zender and Associates casino consulting firm.
• RESOURCES:
  • "Blackjack Player Sues Ameristar Casino, City of Black Hawk Over Alleged Detainment for Card Counting," by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton (The Denver Post, 2023).
  • "Why Does the House Always Win? A Look at Casino Profitability," by J. B. Maverick (Investopedia, 2023).
  • "Counting the Cost," by Bill Zender (GGB News, 2022).
  • "Nevada Supreme Court Orders Casino To Pay Card Counter," by I. Nelson Rose (Gambling and the Law, 2017).
  • "Counting Cards Is Legal, But ..." by Mark Pilarski (Detroit Free Press, 2016).
  • "Card Counter Sues Planet Hollywood Over Detention, Confiscated Casino Chips," by Carri Geer Thevenot (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2015).
  • "Real People Behind Story of '21' Discuss Film's Facts," by Ed Symkus (The State Journal-Register, 2008).
  • Blackbelt in Blackjack: Playing 21 as a Martial Art, by Arnold Snyder (1997).
• EXTRAS:
  • "How to Make Your Own Luck," by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
  • "The Economics of Sports Gambling (Replay)," by Freakonomics Radio (2020).
  • "Could the Next Brooklyn Be ... Las Vegas?!" by Freakonomics Radio (2015).
  • 21, film by Robert Luketic (2008).