US swelters under extreme heat wave; this summer is hotter than ever

Beat the heat

• The summer of 2022 is more sweltering than ever before. Around 85 million people in the United States of America are living in places under heat advisory. The National Weather Service said many cities will experience record-breaking temperatures. Last month, 2,000 cattle died from the heat and humidity in Kansas. Zoos are also trying to do their best for the animals in their care. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, swamp monkeys are being offered yogurt popsicles while vultures are given cold baths. The Roger Williams Park Zoo in Rhode Island shared a photo of a sea otter enjoying an ice block with a fish. The heat wave has invited some sardonic tweets as well. “Because it’s so hot today in NYC our ‘pubic health leaders’ are telling us to avoid outdoor activities, while telling us [to] avoid indoor activities due to Covid…” wrote one user. In addition to discomfort and health issues, the soaring temperatures have led to a wildfire in California, north of Yosemite National Park. Organisers of the New York City Triathlon shortened the distances that athletes had to run and bike. Even this weekend’s Boston Triathlon was pushed back to the end of August. People have been advised not to workout outside and to stay cool and hydrated to avoid falling ill.

Pretty in pink

• This summer’s hottest trend is Barbiecore pink. It is a hot pink colour trend but goes beyond just colour to make a statement on feminism. The trend first began in 2020 but is picking up pace this summer. It coincidentally aligns with the release of the new Barbie movie starring Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie. It challenges the bias that people who wear pink are not smart and adds nuance and depth to what it means to be feminine — it is not just white, straight, cisgender and blonde. The trend kicked off during Valentino’s Fall/ Winter haute couture 2022-23 show with models donning multiple shades of pink. According to Klarna, an online shopping payment platform, search results for pink items have seen an increase. Pink mini dresses have seen a 970 per cent increase and pink swimsuits have seen a 682 per cent increase in the past six months. Pinterest has also reported a 75 per cent increase in searches for Barbie outfits. Jennifer Lopez was seen in a halter Barbiecore pink dress during her honeymoon with Ben Affleck. Anne Hathaway attended the Valentino show in a sparkly, hot pink dress with pink boots. Simone Ashley from Bridgerton was seen in Valentino pink at the Bafta.

Back with a bang

• A nostalgic children’s icon from the 1980s has resurfaced in the form of memes. The ‘Mr. Men’ and ‘Little Miss’ cartoon books created by the British author, Roger Hargreaves, show colourful little cartoons depicting a defining personality or character type. It was popularised last year on Tumblr, but this summer it has gone viral on Instagram and TikTok. The first Little Miss books, which include Little Miss Bossy, Little Miss Naughty and Little Miss Sunshine, were published in 1981. They have been turned into television shows, comic strips and even songs. On Instagram, people are taking to the memes to describe themselves as ‘Little Miss Drinks Iced Coffee In The Winter’, ‘Little Miss Uses The Notes App On Instagram’ and so on. Most of the posts use the memes to depict deeper angst felt by the users, with people poking fun at themselves or others. Popular versions include ‘Little Miss won’t ask for help even with a knife in her leg’ or ‘Little Miss Indecisive’. The memes exploded in April after a Twitter user posted an image with the caption “Little Miss smokes too much weed” that got over 36,000 likes. Now brands have started making t-shirts, sweatshirts, accessories and phone cases with Little Miss or Mr. Men memes.

Unusual job

• Even with a looming recession, the job market is looking strong as of now. If you are searching for a job, a salary of $100,000 a year may not be too bad for a position that involves eating candy all day. Candy Funhouse is looking for a chief candy officer whose main role, amongst other things, will be to try out candy that the store plans on selling. The position pays $100,000 Canadian dollars, which is a little bit over $77,430 American dollars. The person will be responsible for leading the company’s candy strategy and managing its candyologists. “This includes approving all candy in inventory and deciding whether or not to award each treat with the official ‘CCO (Chief Candy Officer) Stamp of Approval’”, the site said. The chosen person will also go through extensive taste training to make sure he/she is ready for the task. Other brands have launched similar food tasting positions. In 2018, the Mexican fast casual chain, Moe’s Southwest Grill, had hired a chief taco officer.

Footnote

• In a small town in Missouri, war erupted over roadside signs between fast food giants, McDonald’s and Dairy Queen, at neighbouring locations as they threw hilarious quips poking fun at each other. The local chamber of commerce began posting the signs on its Facebook page, which garnered more than 19 million views on social media. Other neighbouring restaurants also joined in on the fun. The population of this town is about 7,500, but the impact of this essentially no-cost marketing ploy has spread far and wide.