The Daily Valet. - 1/13/22, Thursday

✔️ Off-Color Entertainment

Thursday, January 13th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Do you smoke weed? Good news down below.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Off-Color Entertainment

Why do so many TV shows and movies look like they were filmed in a gray wasteland thees days?

I can’t recall the movie we were talking about, but remember the frustration. I mentioned how dark it was to my friend. “Oh yeah, it’s a sad story,” she said. “No, I mean literally,” I said. “I could barely see what was happening.” Does this sound familiar?

It doesn’t really matter what kind of story is being told, a sheen of gray is now washing over everything—muting the colors and providing an overall veneer of serious business. It’s currently found in indie films and big superhero franchises, on television series and it’s only a matter of time until it comes to YouTube or TikTok.

Writing for Bustle, Dana Schwartz lamented the fact that she couldn't enjoy Zack Snyder’s Justice League for this very reason. “The film itself is so shadow-y and de-saturated ... if HBO can give Snyder millions to recut his own movie into being four hours, then they can certainly pay for a cut of the movie that doesn’t look the same to both humans and dogs.”

Astute film Twitter member Katie Stebbins calls it the “intangible sludge,” and her comparison of screenshots from season one of the original Dexter and the new Dexter: New Blood limited series from 2021 underlines what she means.

Colors have been pulled way back, giving everything a slightly washed-out appearance, like in an old photograph. It’s a look, that’s for sure. And it can be very cool. But how and why did this become the style du jour?

Vox explores this cinematic sludge deeply and comes up with some some pretty good guesses. For example, digital technology makes brighter colors too easy to achieve, so this is merely a counter-reaction. Other ideas? Everybody was trying to look like The Matrix and we’ve become obsessed with the end of the world.

↦ FYI: Digital imaging technicians (known as DITs) are the ones responsible for manipulating film in the color correction process known as “color timing.”

Let’s Talk About “Shrinkflation”

Companies look to avoid price increases

Have you been hearing chatter about inflation? Of course you have. American consumer prices officially increased by 7% in 2021, the Labor Department confirmed Wednesday—the fastest rate of inflation the U.S. has seen since 1982.

According to CNBC, gasoline was up 49.6% last year, car & truck prices were up 37.3%, and food and beverage prices saw a 6% increase. Higher prices have been accompanied by shrinking unemployment, but wage growth couldn't keep up with the rise in inflation.

Price increases are never met kindly. So some businesses are turning to “shrinkflation,” cutting the amount you get, not the price you pay.

According to Axios, Domino's Pizza CEO Ritch Allison just announced the chain plans to reduce the number of chicken wings in its $7.99 deal from 10 to eight in order to combat food-cost increases of 8%–10%. So the reality is, would you rather pay a little more or get a little less?

↦ By the Numbers: In November and December, companies mentioned "inflation" in 2,509 corporate transcripts, up from 643 during the same period of 2020.

Empty Store Shelves? Again?

Omicron, weather and record December sales are among the reasons

No, you're not imagining it. A lot of grocery store shelves are looking pretty bare again. The images conjure ugly memories of early pandemic panic buying.

Your social media feeds are likely rife with photos of empty supermarket aisles. Some stores have even apologized to customers for the shortages. I was just at Trader Joe's last night and can confirm that some of the shelves did appear uncharacteristically bare.

After contending with two years of a pandemic and supply chain-related problems, grocery stores are now confronting a host of other setbacks. Omicron's surge has meant more work for stores—more deep cleaning, a return to masking and social distancing—just as more employees are calling out due to illness or quarantine.

Of course, the surge means a lot of us are avoiding eating in restaurants and are cooking at home again. Grocery sales climbed nearly 10% in December, according to analysts. Extreme winter weather is causing havoc too. That multi-day traffic jam last week paralyzed a fair number of grocery delivery semi trucks. Plus, a truck driver shortage remains a problem.

Daniel Arsham’s Latest Crystal Relic

You wouldn’t dare rage-quit with this baby

Contemporary artist and master of ghostly artwork, Daniel Arsham, dove headfirst into the new year with the launch of his latest sculpture piece tagged as the “Crystal Relic 004”, which takes the form of a transparent Playstation controller.

The artist has something of an obsession with modernizing outdated gadgetry. This new work follows previous Relic releases depicting a camera and a GameBoy. And each comes with art-handling gloves and a holographic certificate of authenticity, reports Hypebest.

Similar to the former pieces, the life-size glassy controller is made from cast resin molded from the original proportions. The resin is pressurized to be completely clear, giving an innately crystalline aesthetic that captures light throughout the body.

The “Crystal Relic 004” is slated to drop tomorrow (at 12 pm EST) in a limited number of 500 and will be shipped out to collectors by the end of March. But it's already listed on Artsy for $2,790.

↦ Meanwhile: Sony says it will continue making PlayStation 4 consoles until the end of 2022 after supply chain issues hindered PlayStation 5 production.

In Other News

↦ A Q&A With the Scientist Who Discovered Cannabis Can Prevent COVID-19

↦ Amid Labor Shortage, Army Offers Largest Enlistment Bonus Ever

↦ No, the IRS Isn’t Taxing Your Venmo Transactions

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Tom Brady’s activewear line

Hot sauce for coffee?

Lamborghinis

Quarterly Cuts

A simple, straightforward hack (no pun intended) for extending a haircut

There are few rituals a guy prizes as highly as his haircut. It's a time to relax in the chair and emerge looking like the best version of yourself. It's why so many guys go every month, like clockwork. But the pandemic threw that routine out of whack.

Some let it grow (and grow, and grow). Others said “screw it” and shaved it all off, maintaining a buzzcut until they were allowed back into barbershops. The bravest among us started trimming their own hair. I was in that latter group. And you know what? It wasn't so bad. Sure, it was clearly below salon-quality, but it kept me looking respectable and adequately groomed.

I was happy to get back to the barber once restrictions lifted, but by then I was in a new city and hadn't yet found a regular barber. That meant I had to try a few out to find one I liked. That's not always the easiest process and it tested my patience. In an effort to hang onto my sanity and a little extra cash, I decided that in between haircuts, I would return to my trusty trimmer and scissors, cleaning up the edges and maintaining the length on my own.

And a celebrity groomer, who works with everyone from Henry Golding to Andrew Garfield, gave me the green light to keep going. She also offers up some advice on what to do to keep your hair looking its best between cuts.

↦ Read: The quarterly cut

The New Shoes on Our Radar

↑ Kleman makes some of the best utilitarian shoes on the market and these Chelsea boots ($193.38) are no different. The rich burgundy color is perfect for winter, but subtle enough to wear with pretty much anything. And the heavy-duty rubber outsole means they'll take you through the worst of winter and the wettest of spring weather.

↦ Want more? The five new shoes on our radar