The Daily Valet. - 8/24/22, Wednesday

✔️ Real Smooth

August 24, 2022

Wednesday, August 24th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’m not afraid of a few wrinkles. But I’m not against needles either.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Real Smooth

Body positivity or the extreme fear of aging? A rise in injectables raises questions about toxic beauty.

One of the Jonas Brothers is now the face of a pharmaceutical-grade wrinkle-fighter. If you haven’t seen the campaign (floating around social media this week), it’s full of body-positive language about “defining beauty on your own terms” and “looking like yourself,” while actually promoting Xeomin, a cosmetic injectable that smoothes fine lines and wrinkles—similar to the more popular Botox.

As Dazed points out, there’s definitely some hypocrisy here. “The brand has co-opted language meant to encourage people to feel good in their own bodies, to boost self-esteem and counter toxic, impossible beauty standards—and used it to persuade you into buying injectables to change your face so that you can fit into these mainstream beauty ideals.”

Blame social media or all that time on camera during the Zoom-dependent pandemic, but cosmetic use of botulinum toxin is definitely on the rise. According to the Aesthetic Plastic Surgery National Databank, the number of Botox procedures performed in America increased by 54% between 2019 and 2020, and fillers were up by 75%.

According to The Economist, global sales of non-invasive aesthetic treatments, currently around $60 billion, could more than triple by 2030. That’s because what was once reserved for wealthy middle-aged women as a way to retain their youth has quickly become just routine maintenance for men and women interested in looking their best.

Unfortunately, this is forcing people to get needled in the face younger and younger—even before those dreaded crow’s feet pop up. That’s because we’re being told that injectables like Botox and Xeomin are “preventative”. But this is just a clever marketing ploy. “That’s not how it works,” says Dr. Amina Ahmed. “All botulinum toxin does is paralyze the muscle. So because you’re not moving the muscle, the skin is not getting creased and lines don’t appear.” Which means as soon as the botox starts to wear off, wrinkles will appear.

But I would say that there’s definitely one positive upside to the middle Jo Bro coming out as a fan of injecting his 33-year-old wrinkles. I don’t think any self-care or cosmetic procedure needs to be treated like some secret. That only brings guilt. “There’s this kind of stigma around guys talking about skincare and how we feel and the products we use," Jonas told People. "There were all these talks at one point, like, ‘Oh, it’s weird for guys to do that.’” And honestly, if we knew more about what extremes celebrities go through to look the way they do, it’ll be easier not to compare ourselves to them, right?

↦ Extreme: Kim Kardashian admitted to the New York Times in June that she would be willing to “eat poop every single day” if it would make her look younger.

Ukraine Cites Risk of Brutal Strikes on Independence Day

The U.S. will send $3 billion in aid to Ukraine as war hits 6 months

As Russia's war on Ukraine drags on, U.S. security assistance is shifting to a longer-term campaign that will likely keep more American military troops in Europe into the future, including imminent plans to announce an additional roughly $3 billion in aid to train and equip Ukrainian forces to fight for years to come.

Today in Ukraine's independence day. But on Tuesday, the State Department issued a warning over the threat of increased Russian strikes this week, urging remaining Americans in Ukraine to leave the country. Kyiv is bracing itself for fresh Russian attacks that its President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned may be “particularly nasty.”

According to CNBC, the U.N. has continued to sound the alarm over the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (Europe’s largest), demanding a demilitarization of the area and warning that the world is facing a moment of “maximum danger.” A worker at the plant died of his injuries due to Russian shelling near the facility.

As the war officially hits the six-month mark, the two countries have both been reshaped by the conflict. In Ukraine, a delicate sense of normalcy has returned after some successes repelling the Russian military—families prepared for the start of school and people are packing sidewalk cafes. Meanwhile, in Russia, new ultranationalist rules have snuffed out any vestiges of dissent.

↦ FYI: Highsnobiety rounded up their favorite Ukrainian brands worthy of your follow and support.

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MoviePass Is Coming Back

The revamped subscription service is opening its waitlist tomorrow

Do you remember MoviePass? Oh man, I loved it. Back in 2017 (which seems like such a simpler time, right?), for just ten measly bucks a month, you could go see a movie a day at your local theater. I didn't ask many questions, I just handed over my credit card number and enjoyed my cinema-going experience. Of course, unfettered access to the latest films for a fraction of the retail prices wasn't exactly a viable business model.

Three million people joined the service and headed to theaters, repeatedly, pushing the company to the brink. The too-good-to-be-true service was just that and the company unceremoniously folded in 2019—taking the money I prepaid for my annual membership with it (but, hey, no hard feelings).

Earlier this year, one of MoviePass' founders teased its return, but now co-founder and CEO Stacy Spikes is following through with the plan. The service will officially relaunch on September 5, but a waitlist to join its new Beta App is opening this morning. There is no cost to join the waitlist, which the company says will be open for the next five days.

Subscribers to the new MoviePass will have the option to sign up for different price tiers, depending on where they live, Business Insider reports. The prices will range between $10, $20 and $30, though there is no indication yet of how many movies subscribers will be able to see each month. Skepticism is expected (and valid), but you've got to hand it to a company that was destined to become a cultural footnote for climbing their way back and trying to make a comeback.

↦ Meanwhile: Analysts warn that these memberships are no longer a novelty. AMC, Regal, Cinemark and other theater chains now offer similar theater subscriptions.

The World Is Getting Louder

Is it time for more passive audio?

It's an ugly fact: The world is getting louder. Since emergency vehicles have to be loud enough to break through the daily din, siren volume is a way to measure the loudness of our overall environment.

According to Vox, a fire engine in 1912 reached up to 96 decibels from a distance of 11 feet, but by 1974 siren sounds hit 114 decibels at the same distance. Now we're up to a whopping 123 decibels (at 10 feet) in 2019. It's no wonder that in bustling big cities, noise consistently tops residents' complaint lists. Ironically, it's the residents that are to blame for the increasingly constant cacophony.

Have you noticed how comfortable people are about sharing their loudness? FaceTiming right next to you, watching a video on their phone sans headphones or leaving a trail of music following behind them on their bike or jog. Rishad Patel of Splice describes the shift as private audio that's making its way to the public space.

In an age when our devices have built-in hearing protection checks and we're actively fighting noise pollution for our health, can't we do something to bring back some common decency around secondhand sounds? Especially when the solution seems as simple as popping in some earbuds?

In Other News

↦ Student Loan Help for Millions Coming From Biden After Delay

↦ Tesla Owners Are Implanting Keys Into Their Hands

↦ ‘House of the Dragon’ Is Officially a Hit. Get Ready for at Least Three More ‘Thrones’ Spinoffs.

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Truff ranch

The final ‘Halloween’ movie?

Beige flags

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Artificial intelligence is the key to making smart investment moves

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What We’re Buying

Brooklyn Tailors is having an end-of-season sample sale right now. There are a lot of goodies in the haystack. Pick up this shirt jacket to help keep you warm for all the chilly mornings ahead.

↦ Get It: $205 / $55 by Brooklyn Tailors