The Daily Valet. - 9/13/21, Monday

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September 13, 2021

Monday, September 13th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Felt clever, might delete later.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

To Dump or Not to Dump?

Why everyone seems to be posting Instagram photo dumps all of a sudden

Let’s talk about dumps this morning. Wait! No, no not those. I mean the kind from your phone’s camera that gets posted to Instagram— a carousel of random photos tied together by a single nonchalant caption. You’ve no doubt noticed more and more “photo dumps” on your feed. If one photo says a thousand words, a photo dump is practically a novel.

It's like dumping a box of random print photos on the floor, remembering this day or that big event, not particularly sweating if a photo is perfectly framed or filtered. It’s an anarchic melting pot of aesthetics, humor and occasional thirst-trappery. ‘I’m still here,’ it whispers not so softly. ‘I am relatable and I am cute. Don’t forget about me!’

Like all good social media fads, everyone seems to be doing it all of a sudden. I’m dumping, you’re dumping—and it makes sense that this style of social media posturing has become something of a ubiquity as we surrender to this perpetual pandemic.

And this is perfect time, as we wrap up summer and get ready for fall. You probably have some photos you’ve been thinking about posting, right? But you still haven’t done it.

But as with all good things that happen organically online, it seems that the photo dump—a practice born out of decision fatigue—has inevitably cultivated its own sense of fatigue. The Cut asks, have our dumps gotten too curated? Too forced?

That said, plenty of people still appreciate a good, quality dump. It’s organized chaos that “gives more depth to a moment,” one person told The Cut. Me? I’ll be honest, if you post one, I’m going to happily swipe through it. After all, a dump can tell you a lot about a person.

↦ Semantics: Some people, rightly so, have a problem with the word “dump,” which appears a disgusting number of times in this newsletter. Influencer and “vibe curator” Harry Hill suggests a new moniker: image buffets.

Could COVID-19 Become Like the Flu?

The virus eventually might behave like a routine illness if more people get the shot

Covid-19 may become a routine illness like a common cold or the flu one day, virologists and epidemiologists say. But it will take a lot to get there, reports the Wall Street Journal.

More than 20 months after the pandemic began, people around the world are having to change the way they think about a disease that many public-health authorities once believed they could conquer. A terrifying emergency has become a long, grinding haul.

While surges are easing in some states, cases are rising in others. New data shows 26 states have fully vaccinated more than half their residents, and those with the highest vaccination rates have among the lowest COVID cases. Despite the dominance of the more contagious Delta variant, vaccines are still highly effective against COVID-19 hospitalization, a new CDC study found.

Scientists are trying to figure out whether the virus will form new, deadlier or more contagious variants, and how the pandemic might end. Their best-case scenario isn’t anything as hopeful as total eradication. Instead, many expect COVID-19 will become a routine disease like a common cold or the flu, rather than a cause of mass hospitalizations and deaths. And I guess that's something?

↦ Dig Deeper: NPR has created “The Vaccinated Person’s Guide To COVID Exposure And Elevator Etiquette.”

Divorce Filings Are on the Rise

The highest divorce rate in history isn’t subsiding anytime soon

Divorce filings are up significantly lately and it's hard to know whether the higher rates are because more people want to get divorced after locking down with their partner or because many courtrooms were closed during the pandemic, creating a backlog.

Legal experts told the New York Times that the rising number of divorces could reflect marital problems that had been hidden from view for much of the last year and half. Or that an affair was brought to light. “During the pandemic there were no places to go to in order to carry on an affair,” she said. “Hotels were closed, and no one was traveling for business or leaving their homes for that matter,” she said.

And it appears to be happening from coast to coast. People in Los Angeles, the Midwest and throughout the South are all looking to get divorced. What's more, while the overall divorce rate in younger age groups has declined recently, people over 50 are divorcing in record-setting numbers.

The American Association of Retired Persons coined the term “gray divorce” in 2004 when it published a study about divorce at midlife and beyond. And according to Psychology Today, researchers predict “gray divorces” will triple by 2030.

↦ Meanwhile: Here are 21 careers that are more likely to lead to divorce.

Here’s What Went Down at the VMAs

Because you probably didn’t watch them

Lil Nas X won video of the year at Sundays MTV VMAs on a night that Justin Bieber triumphantly returned to the stage as a performer (after six years) and as winner for Artist of the Year.

Earlier in the night, Lil Nas X performed “Industry Baby,” which involved Jack Harlow, a marching band and the Montero State Prison—and a bit of “Montero.” He also won Best Direction for “Montero,” which he co-directed with Tanu Muino.

The VMAs celebrated MTV's 40th anniversary, mixing moments between early network stars like Cyndi Lauper and surprise show-opener Madonna with high-octane performances by newer stars like Olivia Rodrigo, Normani and Chloe.

Bieber took home two Moon Person awards, including the Best Pop honor for “Peaches.” BTS won two awards as well—for Best Group and Best K-Pop. Of course, there was also some chatter about a scuffle on the red carpet before the show: Machine Gun Kelly got into a heated argument on the red carpet with UFC fighter Conner McGregor.

↦ Red Carpet: It was shiny suits and bare chests galore at the perennially outfit-forward awards show.

In Other News

↦ How Emma Raducanu, 18-Year-Old US Open Winner, Made Tennis History

↦ Mounting Your TV Above the Fireplace Is Actually a Terrible Idea

↦ Taco Bell Wants Your Old Sauce Packets so They Can Be Recycled

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Monochrome Chucks

The ethics of vaccinated travel

‘Star-Crossed’

The Double Agent of Furniture

Perfect for just about any room in your home

When it comes to statement-making pieces of furniture—the ones that are both useful and transformative—we tend to focus on big ticket items like a sofa, bed or bookcase. But there's actually a smaller, supporting item that's deceptively impressive.

The humble bench is a multipurpose piece that can solve many design challenges. It's versatile enough to fit into tight entryways, durable enough to sub-in for kitchen seating and offers streamlined style as a coffee table replacement. It's an accent piece, but it's also practical. The slim silhouette makes it ideal for tight spaces.

And because it works in so many different areas, this is a piece you can repurpose year after year in different homes. Slide boxes or a trunk underneath for extra storage, or add a throw and a stack of books on top for cozy vibes. Crafted from wood, leather or metal, they're as sculptural as they are practical.

To further make our case, we've rounded up ten stylish options in a range of prices.

↦ Buy: Check out our picks for the best benches for your home.

Stuff We Want

This may be the perfect fall jacket ($188). There, we said it. It's lightweight yet insulating. As versatile as it is practical, the jacket is an old school workwear staple that has emerged as the modern man's choice of outerwear as we lean into Fall 2021. And this, cut from a luxe cotton corduroy, comes in two shades—deep marine and roasted caramel—that give this durable layer an air of masculine elegance.

↦ Want More? The five stylish items to buy this week