Sometimes you just need a Twinkie.
But when things get really rough, that Twinkie should be deep-fried, creating an out-of-this world delight that could turn any frown (even Steph Curry's; more on that later) upside down.
The fried Twinkie is coming to Wal-Mart stores near you this August—leaving you just enough time to get your heart and arteries prepared for the onslaught of sugar and carbs.
This, and more, in this week's Retail Therapy.
The shoe-pocalypse
Steph Curry is having a tough week. He got ejected from Game 6 of the NBA basketball Finals last night after being “outplayed” in Game 5 of the series. And off the court, it’s not going any better, either: His new “Chef” shoe from Under Armour was released to scathing reviews on social media.
"Versatile. Perfect for a mporning of mallwalking, or for the 4:30 Early Bird Dinner at Golden Corral." #Curry2 pic.twitter.com/KiPWFhCzto
— Stephen Thomas (@15Stephen15) June 10, 2016
When you gotta D up so your nursing home can get that #Curry2 sponsorship. pic.twitter.com/fImr7LyH3v
— Travon Free (@Travon) June 10, 2016
Stephen Colbert got in on the fun later in the week, roasting the shoes and their geriatric style on his show, starting around 2:17 in the clip below.
The treat of all treats
Deep-fried Twinkies have long been a country fair legend, but now Wal-Mart is looking to bring this heart-stopping treat to the masses. Dipped in funnel cake batter and deep fried, the Hostess snack cakes will be exclusively available at Wal-Mart stores starting Aug. 22. Big win for you, big loss for your blood sugar.
Deep fried Twinkies? Wal-Mart worked with Hostess to develop this decadent treat. $WMT has a one-year exclusive pic.twitter.com/5R3lH1Fc0l
— Anne D'Innocenzio (@ADInnocenzio) June 3, 2016
Are you not entertained!?
Hidden within the excellent Wall Street Journal deep dive into the escalating tensions between Wal-Mart and consumer goods giant P&G is a gem of corporate motivational speak. According to former employees that spoke to the Journal, the P&G exec in charge of its Wal-Mart business, Mindy Thompson-Sherwood, would motivate employees in her division by likening them to gladiators—literally.
“To motivate her troops, Ms. Sherwood, a marathon enthusiast, played clips from the film “Gladiator.” She told workers to 'get in the arena' to fight other consumer-goods giants by growing at Wal-Mart, say former employees. Some workers donned gladiator-like armor for the occasion, say these people.”
P&G wouldn’t comment to the Cincinnati Business Courier on whether the story was true or not, saying only that the company does engage in “motivational things” to inspire employees to reach their goals.
Bling is in the eye of the beholder
Every kiss begins with … a lab-grown diamond?
Racked’s Chavie Lieber takes a look at the fascinating growing industry of lab-grown diamonds, where several companies are promoting a sustainable, conflict-free way to produce these valuable gems. The stones are identical to their mined counterparts to the human eye (only DNA testing can unveil the difference), but many consumers haven’t embraced the idea of lab-grown bling yet.
Below is a Bloomberg interview with the CEO of Pure Grown Diamonds, a company profiled in the Racked story.