The Algorithm is Gonna Get Ya

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In the most low-key “woman vs. robot” showdown ever, Ku’s targeted ads face off against SuChin’s latest handpicked game-changers. Ku is swaddling Eme in luxury baby comforts, courtesy of some well-aimed Instagram ads. Plus, she has one item that throws Su for a loop — and it’s not the dancing cactus. Su is being influenced by the OG algorithm (podcasters and friends) and has a new SPF to shield her skin during those daily sun baths. She also has the perfect bagel recs for our gluten-free friends out there. Data-gobbling ads or no, the aunties learn a lot about each other.

Please note, Add To Cart contains mature themes and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

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Transcript

SPEAKERS

Kulap Vilaysack, SuChin Pak

SuChin Pak  00:09

Wait, what’s up, kids? Welcome back to ADD TO CART. This is a show about the things we buy all the stuff we buy into what it says about who we are. I am SuChin Pak.

Kulap Vilaysack  00:21

And I’m cool off Eli sack, you know, so we hear this intro every episode and yes, yes, it’s true. But I found lately that what I’m getting add served ends up saying a lot about me. Maybe the algorithm just knows me better than I know myself. You know? I mean, what do you think?

SuChin Pak  00:37

So I feel like I know you pretty well. So I’m guessing that I’m just going to see what items you’ve picked today and decide whether this is true or not. And my items are very just classically me. I don’t know, I’m just going to leave a vague, a vague, intriguing intro there.

Kulap Vilaysack  00:57

Great. Okay, so it sounds like today’s show is self-knowledge versus the algorithm in this episode. I’m excited. Let’s get into it. Okay, so Su, the theme of like, my ADD to carts as like, the algorithm got me. So our stuff probably is super similar. But where we’re gonna diverge is like I got a lot of baby stuff. That’s gonna be like the probably outlying category. Okay, if we were to look at yours adds and my adds got it. And one of the things that I think I sent you and […] actually is this Dreamland, baby. And they are, you know, I love a shark tank product.

SuChin Pak  01:41

I mean, I’m looking at my, what is it called a Snuggie?

Kulap Vilaysack  01:46

It’s basically like a sleep snuggie I got a free for Christmas.

SuChin Pak  01:53

What I love doing most with it as like to climb into it. I gotta get Zoey or Kai to take a picture of me. And I’d love to just chill on the couch and have some reading time with it. It’s something about it. Just it immediately sends me into like a zoned out, zoned out place. So I think it’s a swaddle.

Kulap Vilaysack  02:14

Okay. Yes, yes, that’s right. It’s a sleep swaddle. This is what the Dreamland baby is actually. But for babies, not adults. And it’s a weighted swaddle.

SuChin Pak  02:25

Oh, you did group text about this.

Kulap Vilaysack  02:29

Yes. I think they have a bunch of different things. But what they’re known for is their weighted swaddles their weighted sleep sacks? And actually, are you want to really buy from ads? I know that I do. But do you ever really do it?

SuChin Pak  02:46

I mean, they have a, I would say a 10%. success rate with me.

Kulap Vilaysack  02:51

Yeah, I wonder mine might be, obviously it’s higher, but I have to see it multiple times. They know. And they know. I mean, because they’ve scrubbed my phone, right. 23andme has my DNA, everything is there in the database when it comes to so and not a database, all of the databases? Like every database, I’m in it. And yeah, it takes me like, I’ll look at it. And then I think they get me like, then they’ll it’ll pop up on my stories. It’ll be mean feed, and then it’ll pop up on my stories. And maybe I’ll swipe up, maybe it will, but it’s a number of touches. Before I like go try it, correct. I mean, try it. And this, of course, is the case as well. If it’s a shark tank product, I tell you, it rises to the top a little bit more.

SuChin Pak  03:43

They know they’re like Shark Tank. This lady here, she lives in in Los Angeles, get that to her. So they know.

Kulap Vilaysack  03:53

And they probably also know like that I they know that I have a bearer be weighted blanket. It’s not even though that my baby is a bad sleeper. She’s a great sleeper, but I’m like, oh, that might be actually more comforting. So not only did I buy a weighted swaddle, I liked it. And now I purchased a second product because I liked that swaddle now awaited transition. swaddle sleepsack it’s asleep. Second, it’s like, I don’t even know if she needs it. I just liked the idea of it for her.

SuChin Pak  04:24

Yeah, it makes sense. You know, like intuitively like you would want to be in this like, I want an adult version of this where I can walk around in it and go to the bathroom if I needed just like hike it up pee and then go back to bed. And I’ve got this like weighted swaddle on me like this makes sense.

Kulap Vilaysack  04:41

I mean, maybe this is a business we have, because this is our merch.

SuChin Pak  04:49

So we got that adult size, weighted baby swaddle. What’s the what’s the other merge, oh, pill capsule.

Kulap Vilaysack  04:58

Yeah, that’s right. Pill containers. Well, I think it’s basically just Ziploc bags with our logo on it.

SuChin Pak  05:06

Ooh, that’s good. And honey my gold standard merch is UV cleaning toilet bowl cleaner.

Kulap Vilaysack  05:15

I mean that’s what we’re trying to build towards at but I think at that point Su, we end the podcast because that would be real full circle moment.

SuChin Pak  05:22

Hang my hat on the UV toilet brush.

Kulap Vilaysack  05:27

What are your add to carts this week?

SuChin Pak  05:29

For me? I just dived deeper into the things I’m already into. Okay, yeah, as you know, as you know, I’ve been looking at the sun every morning throughout the day, and I’m getting really concerned about the efficacy of my SPF. I have like a holster of SPFs. You know what I mean? I got a stick I got a spray I got a thing I gotta do I gotta do and I just pull them out. Like as I’m feeling I’m like no, it’s bomb time. Spray time. And there’s no rhyme or reason is just an internal SPF clock that tells me what tool belt I’m grabbing. And Kulap, what I want you to do after we stop recording is run upstairs into your many closets of skincare grab all the SPF you’ve ever tried every single last one of them and then chuck them out the window.

Kulap Vilaysack  06:26

These are all SPF that you told me to buy.

SuChin Pak  06:32

I have found the most amazing SPF and I’m wondering if you heard this, wow, click on this link oh, by the way, yes, it is in my Amazon storefront ah, under the hair beauty category. Have you heard of this brand TOCOBO?

Kulap Vilaysack  06:51

No. So how did you come to it? How did you get here?

SuChin Pak  06:57

You know that’s a good question. Let me tell you how I get to it. I get to it cuz on my algorithm. And what I listened to all day long is just skincare K-beauty podcasts. I will find the most obscure K-beauty podcasts. I have found them and I just like listening to what’s happening around K Beauty. And this one kept coming up over and over again. And so I dipped into it and boy I’m not looking back. I I’m curious for you to purchase this and tell me if you love it as much as I do. It is SPF 50 plus, it’s 1.69 fluid ounces for $19. It has hyaluronic acid. It’s vegan, it’s PEG free. Now the texture is, it’s so interesting. The texture is if you skimmed a vat of melted marshmallows, just the top layer. So it has this kind airy, creamy, not sticky. It’s not a gel, but it’s not a cream moisturizer. It’s some weird in between. This is interesting. I love a good texture. So I just want you all to try it.

Kulap Vilaysack  08:29

Price point not too bad, 20 bucks.

SuChin Pak  08:32

Of course I’m gonna look at a price point. I mean, of course I can spend $40 $38 on a fantastic SPF but there were great SPFs out there that are either Kay beauty or from Australia. Those are the two countries that I feel like you know again and again do SPF better than anybody else that are very reasonable. And then I’ve got my zinc ‘s and I’ve got my you know sticks and all of that but this is sort of like in the base. Yeah. In that in that category. If you want a non-zinc based SPF because sometimes that feeling you know I was thinking about when my 100 came on with another fantastic SPF that I buy all the time. Another Kay beauty one you know it’s like she always said and I thought it was great you put on all this skincare in the morning and then […] you put on your SPF and it just feels like such a drag. You know it feels like you just undone everything. And so I think that especially with Kay beauty SPF, like it’s just another step in your skincare routine and you may like that kind of SPF, I kind of go back and forth with this type of SPF and zinc, whatever my mood is, but this one does feel like skincare.

Kulap Vilaysack  09:48

Okay, I’m into it. I’m gonna get it add to cart. I’ll get it from your storefront. Woof woof. As SuChin says, pennies from the sky.

SuChin Pak  10:03

Pennies falling from the sky catching every one of those open mouthed, go on.

Kulap Vilaysack  10:21

Remember a time in an era when within our apple premium episodes, the segment what TikTok trends we do.

SuChin Pak  10:31

Well, yeah, we do. Yes, yes, yes. And we would vote on them.

Kulap Vilaysack  10:34

Yeah, since that time, the level at which I am TikToking, SuChin.

SuChin Pak  10:39

I know because you’re texting me all the and emailing me. I mean, you guys this is how old I am. She emails me TikTok videos. That’s how I am in touch with the young folk. Because I was aware enough that she was sleeping.

Kulap Vilaysack  10:55

I need this to go out because I’m not going to remember it. I can’t. Like I tried to be like, considerate and I’m not always considerate. And I was I had to wear with all that. I need to email it. Because she needs to see this. And I can’t even tell you what it was. What was it?

SuChin Pak  11:12

It was Choi wines. It was like a Korean American winery. You already forgot it. And I was like, this is great. I love this brand.

Kulap Vilaysack  11:24

Yes, I am on TikTok. Like, this is how I, they are my stories and I soothe myself with my stories as I go to bed. It is such an unwind out level. I purchased for Emmy, for Christmas. And it didn’t arrive till after Christmas.

SuChin Pak  11:44

I was like, wait, it’s February when we’re doing Christmas again.

Kulap Vilaysack  11:48

It came in January. It really did because it’s not from the States. It’s called spike the cactus. Basically Su, it is a recording? Talking singing, dancing, little furry cactus. And so it does two things. It will mimic any sound. In some ways. It’s like taunting the baby.

SuChin Pak  12:15

So like if you say something will it say the exact same thing back?

Kulap Vilaysack  12:19

Exactly. So it’s like […]

SuChin Pak  12:32

It mimics the babbling.

Kulap Vilaysack  12:34

Which is kind of funny, like you’re mocking your child basically.

SuChin Pak  12:40

No, you’re validating them. It’s like I see you I hear you. I know I’m a dancing cactus. But I see you when I hear you and I love you.

Kulap Vilaysack  12:50

And the other thing that it does is it plays essentially Sue bootleg songs like 10 second songs repeating maybe three times first it’s like clearly Asian people singing Happy Birthday My dear friend, then the second song is kind of like this like groovy musical thing. And then it’s just like as you go deeper it’s like, that’s Bruno Mars. I know Bruno Mars and give them the rights to this, like truly like 10 seconds clips repeated three times.

SuChin Pak  13:27

Bruno’s gonna sue a dancing cactus, what are you the devil?

Kulap Vilaysack  13:31

Yeah, and you’re just like wait a minute this is. […]? He’s not, but it’s just like a Black Pink song. Yeah, but she loves it and she just starts to like dance with the cactus. It’s so dumb.

SuChin Pak  13:56

If you have to send me video of her dancing to that.

Kulap Vilaysack  14:01

And truly it just like hit the rounds like I don’t know if like what the deal is of like certain influencers like you know like they all get the same product they all kind of do the same thing. They all kind of scare their husbands with like the same mask like will there’s some sort of river of like content that happens. But truly after seeing an ad for it multiple times and then a bunch of influencers using it I was like you got me, it was one of those things where you go on the website is like are you going to take my identity? Is it gonna come? It didn’t for like, I think I ordered it way before Christmas. So like it took months.

SuChin Pak  14:53

Oh yeah. This is like the retainer cleaner.

Kulap Vilaysack  14:56

This is like Shawn Clements and his retainers. Like, is it coming? I don’t know. One other thing that hasn’t arrived yet, but is baby centric. I’ve gotten on Instagram and Facebook because it’s because, it’s again, my phone scrubbed. It’s following me wherever I go. Is the silky tots. Silky tots is because Emmy, as you know, has luscious head of hair. But she’s got a little bald spot.

SuChin Pak  15:29

A baby bald spot.

Kulap Vilaysack  15:30

That’s a baby bald spot. So, you know, it’s all fine. It’s gonna grow. But I was like, you know, after seeing it no less than 50 times on my algorithm. I was like, You know what, let me just try this 100% […] washable solo case for you. Maybe? Is Yes. Anyone like a pillowcase? I was like I’m not springing for the full like the full like sheets. It’s just sort of a band where her head will be. I’ll buy two of them one at a discount.

SuChin Pak  15:59

You know, what can I tell you something? My son has been sleeping on a silk pillowcase for years. He loves the silk pillowcase he doesn’t know itself. Whatever. He got it. It was like a bunch of hand me downs from my mother in law, of course. Who all of her stuff is soak in the bed. You guys get your money out of the gutter. It’s for skincare purposes. And I get the hand me downs. And Mike, will I mean, it’s not even a conversation. Absolutely cannot bring a silk pillowcase into our bedroom. So then I started just putting it on the kids pillows. It really upsets him when he has to go out of town. I’m just saying you’re starting them young. You’re gonna get have a pensive taste, a pensive taste. This is a great one. This is not an algorithm, but it sort of is related. This is a DM from one of our listeners, a friend of the pod and a friend in real life. Yes. Lin Chen. She’s a fan of the pod. She’s an actor, producer, you know, just a creative extraordinaire, writer, writer, director all of the above. And she DM me, and she said, Oh, I heard the episode where you said you were going gluten free. You should check out this bakery. It’s called Super Bloom bakery. It’s woman owned. It’s queer owned, they have incredible gluten free bread, and you can get it delivered to your house. And I mean, you know, say no more because I will try any gluten free product at this point. Because, you know, when you’re restricting yourself in any category of food, you want to try to find the best, you know, you don’t have a lot of options.

Kulap Vilaysack  18:02

They’re not created equal. There are some real bad, bad loaves of bread out there.

SuChin Pak  18:07

Let me tell you what the ultimate test is. You give a piece of gluten free toast to your child, your 10 year old boy who is not gluten free. Who likes his toast squishy, wonder bread soft with eight pounds of jam on it. And if he says and this is what he said this week, he said this is the best sourdough bread I’ve ever had mama. And I ordered two loaves, the sourdough and the sweet loaf bread. It is spongy. Squishy. Soft. Delicate. Gorgeous bread. With a hard crust and a squishy interior. It was delicious. Okay, but wait, I’m about to blow your mind. They have bagels okay. And the bagels are not your traditional bagels don’t go into it that, it is much more like the bread texture but it has, you know the bagel shape and it has that you know kind of crunchy exterior. But they have and I want to say no other company makes this. They have a togarashi bagel. Do you know togarashi is? Togarashi is the Japanese like you know when you guys go to a ramen shop and they have it? It’s like red pepper flakes. And it’s got black sesame seeds in it. It has salt in it. Sometimes it is there’s like an umami flavor to it. Forget the everything bagel topping. That’s so 2009 This is a togarashi crust. It’s salty. It’s a little bit spicy. It’s umami.

Kulap Vilaysack  19:52

Oh my god. I’m so excited.

SuChin Pak  19:55

Kulap, just Kulap, I don’t, I mean just a moment of silence. Let’s just all the gluten free folks out there because I can’t wait for you guys to try this. The ingredients. I just, I just want it because you know you go to your local supermarket and you just get even great organic bread. I want you to look at the ingredients in your bread. And then I want you to figure out how many of those things you recognize. But the sourdough bread. These are the ingredients. It’s millet, rice, tapioca potato starch. psyllium husk salt, raisin juice. That’s it. I recognize everything on here.

Kulap Vilaysack  20:37

Wow, no, no.

SuChin Pak  20:38

You know what I mean, like, there’s no chemicals. It just I think it’s I mean, I think they’re genius. Okay, this is thrilling to me lead gen throwing thank you so much DMS you guys when you DM us, we add to cart.

Kulap Vilaysack  20:51

Yeah, yeah basically. Okay, but the last thing on my algorithm got me is not about me at all. It is from a brand that I’ve purchased from before that I love. I got this from Facebook got me Facebook, Facebook now the only reason I go on Facebook is because of Los Angeles. Okay if there if there was any other place that I could have community easily, I would go, I want to get off of Facebook.

SuChin Pak  21:27

Oh my, I’ve clicked on this link.

Kulap Vilaysack  21:31

Su, what she’s not saying I can’t even see her face. Her head is on her desk. I purchased a very sexy black allure sleep romper.

SuChin Pak  21:43

You’re not sleeping in this thing. This garment ain’t sleeping.

Kulap Vilaysack  21:49

This is for me. It’s for Scott. It’s for us. Su describe what it looks like for the people who can’t see the link at this time.

SuChin Pak  22:01

I can barely look at it long enough to describe it. If you’re short waisted I would say it’s a belly button V, scalloped there’s black lace, it’s very short, I would say right off the cut off of Lady bit short.

Kulap Vilaysack  22:25

Yeah, check out the back.

SuChin Pak  22:28

I am afraid to hit the forward buttons. Let’s okay. Right. Oh.

Kulap Vilaysack  22:38

A little bit of romance, a little bit of lingery.

SuChin Pak  22:42

I mean, you’re gonna get the bottom cup of the butt, just flapping out there. Let me tell you, you better have some thick socks on if you want to get to bed this night getting some chills.

Kulap Vilaysack  23:00

Su, I think we have time for one more and I kind of insist that you talk about it because it’s also been an Add to cart for me. And guys just briefly this is a new segment we’re calling Add to Queue, Add to Queue is when we talk about things that we’re watching. And Su speaking of from my Cosa Bella Romper, to the Netflix show, Physical 100, let’s talk about it.

SuChin Pak  23:28

Another theme of this is just game changers for me. You know the SPF was a game changer. This bakery is definitely a game changer. Let me tell you physical 100 on Netflix is a game changer. Okay, so as you know, me and my kids have been watching Great British baking show. We’re done. We’ve watched the holiday special.

Kulap Vilaysack  23:55

Yesterday, I was watching professionals.

SuChin Pak  24:01

Again, we’re done. We’re done. And it’s been a whole, it’s been a loss. And what I’m looking for is something all of us can get into. Yeah, you know, not one person just gonna start wandering off and not coming back because let me tell you Zoey, she has the attention span when it comes to TV 15 minutes if she’s not hooked, she’s out of there. Let me tell you what the show is. The show follows 100 contestants from various ages and genders with different physiques and then they compete against each other in tough challenges to prove their physical strength. And for the chance to win the title of most perfect physique. I don’t know if that’s translated correctly. And of course, a cash prize of about $243,000. It’s 300,000,000 Won in Korean, and the cast is made up of different people.

Kulap Vilaysack  24:56

But to be clear, they’re all athletes so it’s not like your job. Well, I mean, even okay, even the guy who is like, it’s not, they’re all strong people. All strong. Nobody looks like us, like it’s even if you’re a car salesman, you are […]

SuChin Pak  25:14

Exactly. So yes, there are national team athletes. They’re weightlifters, there’s actors. You see those? You know what I mean that bodybuilders ice climbers, there’s influencers, I mean, MMA fighters, there’s like, there’s just come from all walks of life. But anyway, they compete in these physical challenges. And the set is set up, I have not seen squid game. But when I look at the sets, it looks like squid games.

Kulap Vilaysack  25:39

It’s like jock squid games and the first episode. Everybody has a cast of their torso. Yes, like a plaster, like a plaster cast of their torsos, and they each are slowly being introduced into this room. Where they’re checking out other people’s statues of their torsos. If you lose a competition, you have the bust statue, you have to bust your torso, which is so dramatic.

SuChin Pak  26:13

It’s so dramatic. It’s amazing. And I’m gonna give you the highlights of why this works for me. 47 year old, cranky lady, my 10 year old son who watch any competition show and my daughter who would rather be drawing, it’s very earnest. There’s an undertone of like drama to it that just draws you in. Number two, and this is the most important thing. You think you know who’s gonna win. You’re like, there’s no way this guy’s 10,000 or more pounds, and this other guy, of course, he’s gonna get the ball. And guess what? Spoiler alert. The person you think is gonna win almost never wins. And so the kids just go wild, but like, the teachable moment there for my kids is like, yes, the physical matters. But even more important is the mental game. Like, do you believe you’re a winner? Do you believe you can do this? Look, this guy weighs half the weight of the other guy. And yet he won. Why? They love it. Every minute of it is dripped in drama. The sets are gorgeous. Anyway, it’s such an Add to Queue.

Kulap Vilaysack  27:26

And it’s also yeah, and everyone’s like, serious. They’re competitive. But they’re also you know, both competitive, but very, very polite as well. And I was laughing like, they’re going around and they’re like, greeting like a great body. Great body. Which I started to doing. And they’re so respectful, so respectable, but at the same time when it comes to fighting, I mean it. It’s brutal, but also it’s brutal. It’s dynamic. It’s also so fun. Also very sexy at times. Just two leopards going at it in the mud. I mean, come on. Yeah, I mean, I hang on to that. But you’re 47.

SuChin Pak  28:20

I’m looking at it at the side of my you know, my kids yeah, it’s, but it’s fun for the whole family kind of a thing.

Kulap Vilaysack  28:26

Yeah. Well, I’m watching it. I am watching with my family but my family it’s like it’s me. My sister. My sister’s boyfriend. My sister’s friend Olivia and her boyfriend. Like we’ve been watching it for the last two Fridays and then because it’s also Netflix as well like they are so good at the cliffhangers.

SuChin Pak  28:49

You have to watch an entire episode and then the first 10 minutes of the next one like my kids are like no I’m not we’re not watching this series if you don’t let us watch the you know first 10 minutes to the next one because you don’t know what happens you know at the end of the episodes but anyway. Oh my god such an Add to Queue.

Kulap Vilaysack  29:03

Add to Cart, Add to Queue. My friend Kendra was the one. My kickboxing trainer was like, Have you heard of this? I was like no. And I started watching it immediately. Of course she wants to be on it. I’d immediately get drowned. After talking a lot of shit. Of course, that’s what would happen to me. But it is Korean. It’s dubbed some people like that sometimes the dubbing is its own sort of entertainment I wouldn’t say I love it. I highly recommend it, highly recommended.

SuChin Pak  29:36

Oh, what a journey. I mean, I love an episode that just meanders through the halls of our lives of our kookiness. I think we’ve learned a lot about each other. But I also think we just affirmed a lot of things we already knew about each other although that night romper shirt took me for a little bit of a spin, anyway.

Kulap Vilaysack  29:58

you know, I love that love to do that to you. I love to, to know that we’re watching the same things. It’s a great show. We’re great and SuChin great body.

SuChin Pak  30:09

Great body. Good, great body. All right. That’s it. Follow us on Add to cart on Instagram for more pictures of everything we talked about today. Thanks so much for listening.

CREDITS 30:44

ADD TO CART is a production of Lemonada Media. Our producer is Claire Jones and our mix is by Ivan Kuraev and Veronica Rodriguez. The music is by Wasahhbii and produced by La Made It and Oh So Familiar with additional music by APM music. Executive producers are Kulap Vilaysack, SuChin Pak, Jessica Cordova Kramer and Stephanie Wittels Wachs. Be sure to check out all the items we mentioned today on our Instagram at @AddToCartPod. Also, please take a moment to rate, review, and subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcast.

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