The Daily Valet. - 12/2/20, Wednesday

✔️ What We Streamed

December 02, 2020

Wednesday, December 2nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Since I use Apple Music, I have no Spotify Wrapped ... which I now regret.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

What We Streamed

Throughout a year of many changes, our streaming remained constant

The new era of streaming arrived just in time for us all to be locked inside with nowhere to go. This year brought the launch of HBO Max and Peacock. It's when Apple TV+ and Disney+ spread their proverbial wings and took off. It's also when Quibi famously launched ... only to officially die yesterday.

And then there was YouTube, there when we needed just a few minutes of distraction. To compile its trending-video rankings, YouTube uses a proprietary algorithm that factors in total views, likes, comments and searches. What seemed to resonate could be summed up as comedy, oddity and tragedy. That not only describes much of 2020, but also the year's top trending videos, reports CNN.

From a parody of quarantine stereotypes and John Krasinski's "Some Good News" series to comedian Dave Chappelle's emotional grappling at the height of the racial injustice protests, this year's top 10 is vastly different from years past. And as you might expect, there's no celebratory recap mashup this year.

With many of us either working from home or just spending a lot of time in our own spaces, music and podcasts have been crucial for some to keep motivated, find comfort, or in my case, simply fill a quiet house.

After revealing its most-streamed artists, albums, songs and podcasts earlier this week, Spotify is handing the reins over to you. As is typically the case in early December, the streaming service is debuting the 2020 installment of Wrapped: the company’s year-in-review that chronicles 11ish months of music and podcast activity.

According to Engadget, Spotify opted for a stories-style format this time around. It’s akin to what you see atop your Instagram feed, or any of the dozens of other apps for that matter. Meanwhile, Apple Music subscribers shared jokes and memes about the bad experience with Apple Music Replay, which is not as intuitive nor as interesting as Spotify's retrospective.

↦ FYI: HBO's How to With John Wilson is the best show of this odd time in which we're living.

U.K. Approves Pfizer Coronavirus Vaccine

Emergency approval clears the way for Britain to begin mass inoculations

Early this morning, Britain gave emergency approval to Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine—leaping ahead of the United States to become the first Western country to allow mass inoculations, reports the BBC.

British media have reported that hospitals in England have been told to get ready to start doing vaccinations for medical workers in the next few days. Pfizer said it would immediately begin shipping limited supplies to the U.K. while gearing up for even wider distribution if given a similar nod by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (which is expected as early as next week).

Of course, the New York Times says the idea of another beating the United States to approval—on a vaccine co-developed by an American company, no less—could intensify pressure on regulators, who are already under fire from the White House for not moving faster to get doses to people.

According to ABC News, the head of the FDA was summoned to the White House Tuesday amid the president's frustration that his agency hasn’t moved faster.

↦ FYI: Russia and China have already approved vaccines without waiting for the results of large-scale efficacy tests, a decision said to pose serious risks.

Can Lawmakers Make a COVID Relief Deal?

With negotiations deadlocked, proposals face an uphill climb in Congress

A bipartisan group of lawmakers outlined a temporary $908 billion coronavirus relief proposal on Tuesday, far less than Democrats had hoped for, aimed at breaking a stalemate that has persisted for months, reports NBC News.

The proposal, which includes more unemployment benefits, must still get the approval of Republican and Democratic leadership and is designed to include elements that will satisfy both parties. Unfortunately, it doesn't include provisions like another round of direct payments to families.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell indicated Tuesday that Republicans may try to combine the new stimulus proposal with legislation to keep the government funded and prevent a shutdown by the Dec. 11 government funding deadline. But the Senate majority leader will need bipartisan support to accomplish that task. And that doesn't seem likely.

According to Axios, the parties are still far apart on key priorities, leaving many lawmakers skeptical over whether a comprehensive deal is possible before President Trump leaves office next month.

↦ Dig Deeper: With relief programs expiring soon, NPR examines how millions of Americans are expecting a difficult winter.

Time to Bid on Some Pop Culture Icons

Like Sean Connery's 007 gun, a "Top Gun" helmet and Michael Jordan's rookie jersey

If you've got a little extra cash or have someone on your gift list that's terribly difficult to impress, this might be the answer.

The Icons and Idols auction, which features some of pop culture's greatest memorabilia from music, movies and sports is now live. The rock 'n' roll auction is wraps up later today, with Hollywood on Dec. 3 and sports on Dec 4. Online bidding for all three is open now.

To say there's something for everyone is an understatement. This epic sale has everything from John Wayne's eye patch and an original animatronic Leonardo head from "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III" to Jimi Hendrix's guitar and Barack Obama's high school basketball jersey. Best of luck if you're bidding.

↦ In Other Auction News: If you win this Christie’s auction, you can get up close and personal with the ‘Mona Lisa.’

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

These disposable face masks

The AP’s photos of the year

Elliot Page

The Future of American Prep Is Here

Big moves in menswear ...

Brooks Brothers is the oldest continuously running brand in the country, but the economic realities of the pandemic forced it into bankruptcy over the summer. Thankfully, it got a new owner in August: Authentic Brands Group, the company most recently in the news for scooping up the similarly distressed Barneys New York.

Now, they've made their first big move in hiring designer Michael Bastian as the brand's creative director. Bastian is a legend from the #menswear era—the movement in men’s clothing that ran from the mid-Aughts to the early ‘10s, championing heritage brands and classic Americana.

According to Esquire, Americana as cultural output and influence, is only getting stronger these days thanks to brands like Noah, Aimé Leon Dore, and Pyer Moss. "Americana never fully disappeared because, much like America itself, it was always more about infinite reinterpretations of foundational ideas."

That's exactly what Bastian told me he was planning to do: refresh classic pieces for today without losing what makes them so iconic. He's spending hours scouring the brand’s archives and the office is filled with vintage items. I've been able to visit his studio over the years, and I'm always impressed by the massive inspiration board he tacks full of swatches, photos and vintage references. And I have no doubt we'll all be wearing more Brooks Brothers in the near future.

↦ FYI: When it was announced that Brooks Brothers was bought, GQ had some pretty bold thoughts on who should be the brand's new "big name" designer.