Category: Micro Clips

Uber Eats – Who Has Time To Cook?

Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay barges into home kitchens during major sporting events and scolds people for cooking instead of enjoying the game. Ramsay argues that preparing a meal is a poor use of time when professional chefs and delivery services can do the work for you. His solution is simple: order from Uber Eats and leave the cooking to someone else.

This advertisement provides a useful introduction to both opportunity cost and comparative advantage. Ramsay’s argument is that the home cook’s time is valuable and may be better spent watching the event, socializing, or doing other activities. Even if people are capable of cooking for themselves, they may still benefit from specializing in other tasks while restaurants specialize in meal preparation.

Thanks to Brian Lynch for the clip submission

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Saturday Night Live – Big Dumb Line

In this satirical music video from Saturday Night Live, a group of New Yorkers enthusiastically sing about their favorite weekend activity: waiting in long lines for trendy restaurants, pop-up events, and limited-time experiences. As the line grows longer, the participants treat the wait itself as a badge of honor, even though they spend hours standing around for products and experiences that could be obtained more quickly in other ways.

This sketch provides a great introduction to allocation mechanisms. While markets often allocate goods through prices, this clip highlights an alternative system: first-come, first-served. Long lines emerge when prices are kept artificially low or when businesses choose not to raise prices despite high demand. The result is that consumers pay with their time instead of their money, creating an opportunity to discuss efficiency, fairness, and the trade-offs between price rationing and queueing.

Thanks to Brian Lynch for the clip submission!

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Yes, Prime Minister – The Smoking Ban

Jim Hacker faces political pressure as he tries to implement a smoking ban through increased taxes and advertising restrictions. While he presents the policy as a health measure, Sir Humphrey challenges him with the government’s financial dependence on tobacco tax revenue. The result is a witty back-and-forth weighing public health externalities against fiscal incentives.

Thanks to Charlie Ben-Nathan for the clip suggestin!

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Parks & Rec — Soda Taxes

In this clip from Parks and Recreation, newly elected city councilwoman Leslie Knope proposes a soda tax to combat the city’s rising obesity rates. Shocked by the absurdly large drink sizes sold in town, Leslie pushes for government intervention through taxation to promote healthier choices. Her proposal will eventually spark pushback from the beverage industry and some constituents.

This scene is a great way to introduce Pigouvian taxes, which are taxes designed to correct for negative externalities. Leslie’s soda tax targets the societal costs of obesity by attempting to reduce the consumption of unhealthy goods.

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Parks & Rec — Verexxotle

In this satirical mock advertisement from Parks and Recreation, a local television station promotes a fictional mega-merger between Verizon, Exxon, and Chipotle. We learn that they have formed one of just eight remaining companies in America by the year 2017. The ad cheerfully celebrates the merger while glossing over the disturbing level of market consolidation.

This clip is a clever and funny way to introduce students to oligopoly and market power. It demonstrates how mergers can reduce competition and concentrate economic power in the hands of a few large firms.

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King of the Hill – Ilegal Propane Cartel

In this clip from King of the Hill, local propane sellers had engaged in a price war that drove prices so low that they were incurring losses. Frustrated by the unsustainable competition, Hank Hill brings the producers together to encourage them to “work together” and charge more reasonable prices. What starts as an attempt to stabilize the market quickly becomes an illegal propane cartel, resulting in higher prices and larger profits for the few remaining sellers.

The scene shows how firms may be tempted to coordinate prices to avoid losses, even though such agreements harm consumers and violate antitrust laws.

Thanks to Brian Lynch for the clip recommendation

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The Today Show – What is the Internet?

In this clip from The Today Show in 1994, the hosts puzzle over a then-emerging concept: the internet. They debate the purpose of the “@” symbol, question how the internet works, and ask, “What is the internet, anyway?”—a moment that seems almost surreal today.

This is a powerful reminder of how quickly technology reshapes the economy. It can be used to introduce students to the idea of structural change in the labor market and how technological progress creates entirely new industries, jobs, and skills. Many of today’s careers didn’t exist just a few decades ago, and this moment in broadcast history captures how disorienting that change can be in real time.

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Friends – A Selfless Good Deed

Phoebe and Joey engage in a spirited debate about whether any good deed is truly selfless. Joey argues that all good deeds ultimately make the person feel good, so they’re not entirely altruistic. Meanwhile, Phoebe insists that true selflessness is possible. As the conversation unfolds, the discussion centers on motivations and emotional payoffs.

This clip is an engaging way to introduce utility maximization. Joey’s argument that people help others because it makes them feel good offers a humorous entry point into the idea that individuals make choices to maximize their own utility, even when the actions appear altruistic. It also sets the stage for deeper classroom discussions about rationality, behavioral economics, and how utility functions may include emotional satisfaction, not just material outcomes.

Thanks to Charlie Ben-Nathan for the clip submission!

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The Smiths – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now

This track by The Smiths offers a rich backdrop for exploring the opportunity costs associated with how people allocate their labor. The lyrics reflect the emotional cost of employment: the narrator moves from idleness to employment, only to express regret and dissatisfaction:

I was looking for a job and then I found a job
And heaven knows I’m miserable now

The chorus questions why he spends his valuable time (a scarce resource) on work that feels meaningless and unappreciated:

In my life, oh, why do I give valuable time
To people who don’t care
If I live or I die?

This song is a great opening to discuss opportunity cost in labor decisions: just because someone can allocate their time to paid work doesn’t mean it’s their most valued use of time. It’s important to remember that most labor models don’t focus on maximizing income, but rather utility. There is a tradeoff between the income we earn from paid labor and the loss of leisure time. The cost of that tradeoff is much higher when the work we do isn’t satisfying.

Thanks to Allison Murphy from Oregon State for the clip submission and topic recommendation

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Southwest Airlines – Winglets (a.k.a. Doohickeys)

In this 2014 commercial, Southwest Airlines highlights a new fuel-saving technology—winglets, affectionately dubbed “doohickeys.” The airline explains that these wingtip extensions improve fuel efficiency, helping them lower costs and, in turn, offer lower prices to customers.

This ad is a fun and accessible way to show how technological improvements can shift the supply curve. Teachers can use it to illustrate how increased productivity lowers production costs, which leads to lower prices and greater availability—in this case, more affordable flights for more people.

Thanks to Matthew Jordan from Lincoln-Way East High School for the clip submission and description suggestion!

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