The Daily Valet. - 2/18/22, Friday

✔️ We're Ready for a Change

February 18, 2022

Friday, February 18th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

How are your vibes today?

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

We’re Ready for a Change

Let’s unpack the “vibe shift” everyone’s talking about

Yesterday Twitter picked up “vibe shift” and put it through the trending ringer—debating and mocking the phrase amid the day’s discourse. Even if you aren’t glued to what’s trending on Twitter (lucky), you’ll no doubt be hearing someone toss the phrase around this weekend.

It all started with Allison P. Davis, writing for The Cut, “A Vibe Shift is Coming.” Davis didn’t invent the titular vibe shift; that credit goes to trend forecaster Sean Monahan, who Davis interviews. Simply put, a “vibe shift” describes the exact timeframe in which the cultural moment changes.

According to Monahan, we have seen four great vibe shifts in the 21st century so far: hipster/indie sleaze music (2003-2009), post-internet/techno revival (2010-2016), Hypebeast/woke (2016-2021), and the one we’re in now, apparently.

Lifehacker reports that online reactions ranged from jokes treating the vibe shift like a natural disaster, to questions about the shift’s legitimacy. Most negative reactions (many on Reddit, of course) boiled down to some version of the latter: There’s no such thing as a “vibe shift,” we’re just describing getting older. It’s not the vibe that’s shifting—it’s you, aging out of what’s “in.”

Personally, I don’t think it has to be that binary. If the shift in question is about the changing tastes of the collective, then sure, some won’t survive or want to willingly move onto what’s next. Or maybe they’ll just take a little of it. And that’s okay, too. But recognizing that the winds are shifting is what trendsetters do—and that’s worthy of a conversation, right?

Of course, change has been hanging in the air for some time now. Junkee asks, “is the vibe shifting, or is this just a pandemic response?” In the interview, Monahan noted that there seems to be a huge sense of instability as we emerge from the pandemic’s grip: what are people doing now, what are we wearing and what’s interesting? Those are valid questions. And ones that can come with a touch of anxiety.

↦ FYI: The word vibe was used in the 1940s as an abbreviation for the word vibraphone, but the slang term vibe has been around since the 1960s.

73% of U.S. Now Immune to Omicron

And that number will go up next month

Here's some good news to end the week: The omicron wave that assaulted the U.S. this winter also supercharged the country's defenses. That means there's enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less—if any—dramatic disruption to society.

According to the Associated Press, millions of individual Americans' immune systems now recognize the virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant.

About half of eligible Americans have received booster shots, there have been nearly 80 million confirmed infections overall (and plenty more were never reported). One influential model from the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates that 73% of Americans are, for now, immune to omicron, the dominant variant, and that could rise to 80% by mid-March.

However, medical experts warn that future outbreaks are inevitable. There will be new variants, waning immunity, along with large swaths of Americans who never got vaccinated. But one scientist told the AP, “I'm optimistic even if we have a surge in summer, cases will go up, but hospitalizations and deaths will not.”

↦ Meanwhile: California has just adopted the nation's first “endemic” virus policy.

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Peloton Launches Video Game Mode

Despite corporate drama, Peloton’s product launches keep pedaling along

Finally, less dramatic news from struggling fitness company Peloton: its Lanebreak in-app video game has arrived for Peloton Bike and Bike Plus owners.

The new mode mode offers 10-30 minute workouts that turn biking into a musical fitness game that involves powering a virtual wheel as it rolls down a virtual track.

As described by Gizmodo's Caitlin McGarry, who tested it: “I'm pedaling to hit specific beats, fill up breakers by pedaling furiously, or keep up a stream by maintaining a cadence, all the while using the bike's resistance knob to switch between six lanes. You're rewarded with points for hitting all of the targets.”

According to The Verge, connected fitness gaming is a rising trend, and metric gamification is commonly used in fitness apps. However, fitness games are on consoles (Nintendo Ring Fit Adventure, Just Dance, etc.) or in the metaverse. Les Mills, for instance, just launched its own VR boxing game. Lanebreak stands out as the first in-app video game for what's essentially a fitness streaming service.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Severance’ + a Secondhand News Cocktail

The best kind of science fiction is often set not in the distant future, but just a little further than where we are today. That's the case with “Severance,” an extremely creepy, slow-moving but instantly engrossing Apple TV+ series debuting today. The show centers around a company where employees must agree to undergo a procedure called “severance” that separates all memory and knowledge of their personal life when they are at work, and vice versa.

Vulture says it's already one of 2022's best new series. Produced by Ben Stiller, the project features a stellar cast, and while it's certainly not a comedy, it has elements of the classic workplace comedy in its DNA. Variety warns that it's not a particularly “relaxing show” to watch, but “by the end of its 9-episode first season, it becomes the best kind of TV surprise: one that rewards early patience with a real knockout of a back half.”

↦ Your Pairing:Garnished with apple slices and a thyme sprig, this Alpine-inspired drink is a crisp, tasty almond-scented vodka cocktail ideal for the winter months or after a long day at your dystopian workplace.

In Other News

↦ Trump (and Children) Must Testify in New York Investigation, Judge Rules

↦ Spring-Break Flight Prices Are Climbing. Here’s How to Find Leftover Deals.

↦ Leave Single Diners Alone Already

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Mikaela Shiffrin

A designer garage

This flaming cargo ship

The Ultimate Status Symbol

Why buy a Rolex when you could win one?

There are few status symbols more coveted or revered than a Rolex watch. It's at once a luxurious indicator of a man's success and a useful timepiece durable enough to last a lifetime (or more).

Well, now's your chance to score one for yourself, for free. Yes, I'm serious. It's an Oyster Perpetual Datejust, complete with the signature Oyster bracelet and magnifying cyclops lens. We've partnered with a few of our favorite brands to give it away. It's a gorgeous timepiece and since I can't win it, you might as well.

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Get Your Nutrition on Track

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Between the pandemic, work stress and the holidays, we've all put on a little extra weight. If you're looking for a smart, streamlined way to get your nutrition under control and get healthier in 2022, Noom might be just what you need.

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It's so successful because Noom actually helps you understand how your mind works, and the “why” behind the decisions you make. Recognized by the CDC and awarded multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health, it's a results-driven program that doesn't happen in the doctor's office—it starts at home, with you. You get all the tools and the coaching to get yourself back on the path you want. Ready to get started? You just take a quick questionnaire to start customizing a program to your specific needs.

↦ Learn More: Take Noom's free quiz to kickstart your health journey

New Shoes on Our Radar

This icy grey colorway with a suede finish is a killer combination. The Pegasus is a legendary sneaker ($100), perfect vintage look, and crazy comfortable—for us, this trifecta makes for a go-to staple every guy should have. Pair these with your old college sweats or some worn-in denim; they can be styled with anything.

↦ Want more? 5 new shoes on our radar