It’s Simpsons time and Homer’s insightful remark that a trillion dollars is, quote: “a spicy meatball!”

In case you didn’t notice, that Simpsons show was about a trillion dollar bill and we are discussing a trillion dollar coin. Picky yes, but the two forms of cash have different laws regarding how they are created. Which isn’t a big deal, it’s just the whole reason the trillion dollar coin story exists in the first place.

Now, perhaps, you think I’m complaining too much. But take this into account: The Simpsons clip is exactly half way through the video, and so far you don’t know more than what the headline already told you: that a trillion dollar coin may be a thing.

Also, there is apparently a law that requires puns in all published TV news segments and at 1:17 we get it:

"...an idea getting a lot of currency online"

(Emphasis not added, the reporter really leans into that word. All that’s missing is a laugh track.)

We’re told that the trillion dollar coin is supported by a petition with over 6,000 signatures on Whitehouse.gov – which sounds impressive unless you’ve ever been to Whitehouse.gov where you’ll find 23,000 signatures for a Joe Biden reality TV show (which might not be a bad idea), 34,000 to build a Death Star as a jobs program (my personal favorite) and, of course, the 125,000 who wanted Texas to secede from The Union.

But still: 6,000 probably sounds like a lot to people who get their news from TV and have never been on the Internet.

Finally, at 1:20, just 60% of the way into the video, we get a reference to someone who might know what he’s talking about: a nobel-prize winning economist who thinks the trillion dollar coin is a good idea.

Thankfully, the story doesn’t burden us with why this economist thinks it’s a good idea. We’re just told the headline of his article: “Be ready to mint that coin” with no further comment.

At 1:28 is the closest we get to an explanation of anything:

"In theory the treasury would mint the trillion dollar coin and then walk it over to the Federal Reserve for deposit so the government can pay its bills."

That sounds like an explanation, but take a moment: close your eyes and think about that sentence.

Has it informed you about anything? Unless you’re already deeply involved in government fiscal policy – and thus would have no need to watch this video in the first place – that simple little sentence answers nothing and, on reflection, raises a ton of questions:

Who or what is the Federal Reserve?

Why do they get the trillion dollar coin?

How does the government pay its bills if it just gave the coin to the Federal Reserve?

Why doesn’t the government just use the coin to pay its bills directly?

If the treasury can print as many coins as it wants, why do we even have a national debt?

just what the heck is money anyway ‽ Wait a second,

Hopefully, all will be told in the next breath of the reporter: