2025 Pop Culture Recap: Scandals, AI Panic & Online Chaos
I Know You Didn't Ask with Megan O'Donnell
Megan O'Donnell
3.9 • 709 Ratings
🗓️ 4 January 2026
⏱️ 39 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
2025 was a pop culture fever dream — and we need to talk about it.
In this episode, I’m breaking down the biggest cultural moments that defined the year: recession panic showing up in the most unexpected places, rage bait officially entering the dictionary, AI exploding into creative and white-collar spaces, and the internet spiraling in real time.
We’ll revisit 2025’s most unforgettable moments in order — TikTok almost getting banned, Kendrick Lamar choosing chaos at the Super Bowl, Labubus taking over America, celebrity space trips, public cheating scandals, brand meltdowns, canceled shows, hot criminals, free speech freak-outs, shocking deaths, and the moments that made us all collectively say, “oh no.”
We’re closing it out with how we’re entering 2026, a quick take on resolutions, and a list of phrases I’m officially retiring for the new year.
Pop culture, chaos, and commentary — exactly how we like it.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Love this podcast? |
| 0:01.7 | Support this show through the ACAST supporter feature. |
| 0:05.4 | It's up to you how much you give, and there's no regular commitment. |
| 0:09.1 | Just click the link in the show description to support now. |
| 0:16.1 | Welcome to I Know You Didn't Ask, the unapologetic, unfiltered, and slightly unhinged podcast you didn't know you needed. |
| 0:22.8 | I'm your host, Megan O'Donnell, pop culture obsessive, professional oversharer, and the host of your new fix for celebrity gossip, reality TV chaos, books, food news, beauty tips, and of course, navigating your life in your 30s. |
| 0:36.0 | I know you didn't ask, but I'm telling you |
| 0:37.8 | anyways. Sit back, grab a drink, and enjoy the show. Welcome to I know you didn't ask. I'm your |
| 0:43.5 | host, Megan O'Donnell, and this is our 2025 in review. You know, 2025 was pretty damn good for me. |
| 0:50.6 | I mean, I got married. I brought this here show back. I mean, that's kind of exciting. |
| 0:56.0 | It was nerve-wracking and fun. And, you know, a little cringy, little cringy sometimes having to |
| 1:01.5 | post videos of yourself and put yourself out there. But you know what? Unfortunately, this is my |
| 1:07.5 | passion. This is all I've got. So thank you so much for tuning in. You know, |
| 1:11.4 | every Monday and Friday, new episodes will be out wherever you listen to podcasts and on YouTube |
| 1:16.0 | and Spotify. So if you want to watch this adorable little episode I'm going to be putting out, |
| 1:21.9 | be sure to, you know, check it out there, YouTube or Spotify. I'm wearing a really cute pink |
| 1:26.2 | sweater. This is actually my favorite sweater I own. |
| 1:29.2 | I'm like getting far too excited. I'm like, you guys, this is a really important show. I did my hair. |
| 1:34.3 | I have my favorite sweater on. I couldn't get to paint in my nails. I can only have like two |
| 1:40.2 | out of my three things done. If I have my nails done, my makeup done, and my hair done, that it's over for you, Ho's. But it's usually two out of my three things done. If I have my nails done, my makeup done, and my hair done, |
| 1:44.6 | that it's over for you hoes, but it's usually two out of the three. And honestly, it's usually |
| 1:50.0 | one out of the three. But you know what? Sometimes, you know, your nails can look decent on camera, |
... |
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