Planet Money

Betty Boop, Excel Olympics, Penny-isms: Our 2026 Valentines

February 13, 2026

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The annual Valentine's Day episode of Planet Money celebrates specific cultural and economic topics, including the entry of Betty Boop into the public domain, the competitive world of Excel championships, the enduring cultural language surrounding the US penny, and exemplary data journalism. 
  • The 1930 version of Betty Boop has entered the public domain, allowing for its free use, which the team celebrated by creating a custom 'Boop, boop, a duopoly' Valentine card. 
  • The episode highlights the high-level skill involved in competitive spreadsheet use, exemplified by the College Excel Championship, and praises 404 Media for their investigative reporting on ICE technology derived from public government procurement records. 

Segments

Public Domain and Betty Boop Valentine
Copied to clipboard!
(00:00:23)
  • Key Takeaway: The 1930 version of Betty Boop, celebrated for her independence, has entered the public domain, allowing anyone to use her work.
  • Summary: Jennifer Jenkins, an expert on copyright, confirms that the 1930 version of Betty Boop is now in the public domain because its copyright has expired after 95 years. This liberation of intellectual property is part of an annual list released by Jenkins’ colleagues. Other works entering the public domain include ‘The Maltese Falcon’ and the song ‘Georgia on My Mind’.
Excel Collegiate Competition Love
Copied to clipboard!
(00:07:36)
  • Key Takeaway: The Microsoft Excel Collegiate Competition treats spreadsheet mastery with the seriousness and excitement typically reserved for esports.
  • Summary: The competition, held in Las Vegas, involves solving complex puzzles projected on stage for an audience, similar to esports events. Excel is described as a powerful language, and competitors are often finance majors, though manufacturing reportedly uses Excel the most. The coverage by Jesse Dougherty is praised for treating the skill with elevated regard.
Uniqlo’s Superior Self-Checkout
Copied to clipboard!
(00:12:11)
  • Key Takeaway: Uniqlo’s self-checkout system is highly praised because it uses inexpensive RFID tags (now costing about four cents) to automatically scan all items simultaneously.
  • Summary: Unlike frustrating standard self-checkouts, Uniqlo’s system allows customers to toss all apparel into a bin for automatic scanning due to embedded radio transponders. This technology is cost-effective for apparel retailers like Uniqlo, but the four-cent cost per tag makes it less viable for low-margin items like groceries. The technology is cited as an exception to the general frustration surrounding self-checkout.
Crafting the Economics Valentine
Copied to clipboard!
(00:17:17)
  • Key Takeaway: The final economic pun for the Betty Boop Valentine card was determined to be ‘Boop, boop, a duopoly: I’ll never bust your trust,’ referencing market control by two entities.
  • Summary: The team brainstormed economic phrases to replace Betty Boop’s catchphrase, considering options like ‘doom loop’ before settling on ‘duopoly.’ A duopoly is defined as a market controlled by two companies, which was deemed romantically appropriate because it implies two entities together. The final card design incorporates this phrase with the public domain Betty Boop image.
Ode to the US Penny Culture
Copied to clipboard!
(00:20:41)
  • Key Takeaway: The cultural significance of the US penny is rooted in the language and common sayings developed over 250 years when it was the smallest denomination.
  • Summary: Erica Barris champions the penny as a tangible link to the past, despite the Treasury stopping the minting of new pennies due to production costs exceeding the coin’s face value. Phrases like ‘penny for your thoughts,’ ‘penny wise and pound foolish,’ and ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’ demonstrate the coin’s deep integration into the American vernacular. Pennies are expected to remain legal tender indefinitely, likely existing in couch cushions for eternity.
Data Journalism and ICE Reporting
Copied to clipboard!
(00:25:31)
  • Key Takeaway: The small, reporter-owned outlet 404 Media is recognized for its rigorous data journalism, specifically uncovering the technology ICE uses for surveillance and targeting.
  • Summary: 404 Media’s reporting exposed an application, allegedly developed by Palantir, that functions like a ‘Google Maps for ICE’ by mapping suspected non-citizen neighborhoods. The outlet trains its subscribers on using old-school methods, like searching federal government procurement records, to follow tax money and hold agencies accountable. This data-driven approach is lauded as essential accountability journalism.