Podcast Summary: Fool Coverage with Manny MUA and Laura Lee

Episode Title: Our BEST and WORST end of year recap
Date: December 19, 2025
Hosts: Manny MUA, Laura Lee, Tyler
Podcast Network: PodcastOne

Overview

In their final episode of 2025, beauty gurus and social media besties Manny MUA and Laura Lee (with recurring guest Tyler) reflect on the year's best and worst moments in beauty, pop culture, personal life, and more. This "wrapped"-style episode, loaded with humor and candid banter, features their annual "peaks and pits," entertaining stories from their influencer lives, their top and flop picks in entertainment and beauty, plus a rapid-fire breakdown of the scandals and trends that shaped the year for them and their audience.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Studio Farewell & Upcoming Hiatus

• The crew says goodbye to their long-standing studio, addressing both the cost and comments from fans about its looks.
  • "Say goodbye to this ugly, hideous studio that you guys hate." (04:02 - Laura)
  • They confirm a four-week break, with a return date of January 23rd, 2026.
  • "We will be back on January 23rd." (03:54 - Laura)

2. Peaks & Pits: Year-End Reflections

(Personal high and low points from the hosts' 2025)

Laura’s Peak:

• Discipline Over Motivation:
  • Advocates building habits through realistic goals (like starting with one workout a week) and sticking to discipline rather than relying on fluctuating motivation.
  • Practical tips: Start small, gradually build up frequency, and remove barriers to action.
  • “Motivation is tied to emotion. So when your emotions change, your motivation changes.” (07:46 - Laura)
  • “You need discipline, not motivation.” (08:10 - Laura)
  • “Working out 52 weeks out of the year is better than five times in the first week and never going back.” (09:53 - Laura)

Manny’s Peak:

• Joining a gay volleyball league in LA, stepping out alone to rediscover community and doing something for himself.
  • "I'm excited in general to just start something new and... meet people, do something by myself" (15:55 - Manny)

Tyler’s Peak:

• Helped his parents buy a new dream home after 20+ years in their old house.
  • “They signed and picked up the keys yesterday. ...This is their dream home.” (19:09 - Tyler)

Laura’s Pit:

• Embarrassing bodily function story: Having to use a public beach restroom mid-run during her period, combining physical discomfort and public awkwardness.
  • Packed with signature TMI, humor, and relatability.
  • Memorable moment: “I was hovering that toilet, dripping sweat everywhere. ...People banging on the door, wanting in there. Kids screaming, farting. It was just horrible, horrible.” (22:08 - Laura)

Tyler & Laura’s Pit:

• Wasted day watching Alabama lose at an expensive, immersive sports theater experience ("Cosm" in LA) for the SEC championship.
  • "We got our asses handed to us. ...It felt like a complete waste of a day." (29:51 - Tyler)
• Side rant: Rousing discussion about Alabama football’s decline post-Saban.

Manny’s Pits:

• None this year; claimed two "peaks" instead.
  • Added he's reading a book for the first time in a while (“A Court of Thorns and Roses”).

3. 2025’s Best and Worst (Entertainment, Beauty Trends, Scandals)

Movies:

• Best:
  • "Weapons" and "Sinners" get high praise for originality.
    • “I hadn’t seen those storylines before.” (41:44 - Laura)
• Worst:
  • Jennifer Lawrence's "Die, My Love" and Stephen King’s "The Walk" called out as flops.
    • "They both sucked." (40:25 - Manny)

TV Shows:

• Best:
  • "The Studio" (Seth Rogen) for its originality and execution.
    • “Probably one of the best shows of the last five years.” (44:57 - Tyler)
  • "Overcompensating" for smart comedy and writing.
  • "Andor" (Disney-owned Star Wars show) gets surprise props.
• Worst:
  • "Wednesday" Season 2—“Meh” compared to Season 1.
    • "I thought Wednesday was a little lame." (44:06 - Laura)
  • "House of Dragon" S2 and "The Last of Us" S2 called boring/letdowns for lack of substantive plot.

Beauty Trends:

• Loved:
  • Lip stains, especially the pull-off ones.
  • Pink blush under the eye.
• Hated:
  • Rage-bait negative reviews for clicks.
  • Misleading TikTok Shop ads/sponsored videos exaggerating product claims.
    • “I hate the negative rage baiting things, but I also really hate the way people go about doing some of these, like TikTok shop videos.” (49:58 - Manny)

Albums & Music:

• Most-listened-to for Manny & Laura: Charlie XCX, Dominic Fike, Tate McRae.
  • Laura: “My top artist... was Tate McRae, actually my top was Dominic Fike.” (52:41 - Laura)
• Music in 2025 praised for being exciting again, with a big return of “pop girlies.”
• Tyler, mostly a podcast listener (calls out Joe Rogan tropes in an impromptu roast).

4. Scandals of 2025

Celebrity Scandals:

• Biggest: Sean "Diddy" Combs exposé and the surrounding 50 Cent-produced documentary.
  • “I think the Diddy is the worst scandal of like 2025. ...it's too fierce, all encompassing.” (60:03 - Manny)
• 50 Cent’s petty campaign to air promos only on newscasts inside prison locales, just so Diddy would see them, called "diabolical genius." (58:01 - Laura)

Influencer Scandals:

• Biggest:
  • Austin McBroom’s cheating, exposed by Catherine on Call Her Daddy podcast—“most viewed episode ever”.
    • “That was just such a huge thing where I’m like, oh my God.” (60:48 - Manny)
• Most ridiculous:
  • Michaela's $200k+ luxury shopping haul on TikTok, which “broke the internet” and sparked debates about influencer excess and security.
    • “She brought the internet. She broke them. That one was one of the most ridiculous.” (62:25 - Manny)
  • Kieran Yur and Sophia La Corte’s viral public spat over a boy (“that little ginger”—iconic line).

5. Habits: The Good, The Bad, The Funny

• Manny:
  • Gaming late into the night, sleep deprivation.
• Laura:
  • Strange sleep patterns after social nights out (“up at 6am after a late night”).
• Tyler:
  • Not enough golf! (to the mockery of the others)

6. Best & Worst Travel Moments

• Best Trips:
  • Florida (Destin) friend trip for Laura’s birthday—personal, fun, meaningful.
  • Cayman Islands, Italy (Lake Como called out as a highlight), Hawaii, Dubai, Napa—all memorable.
  • Tyler: Northwoods golf course trip for a brand, Hawaii with Laura.
• Outdoor lifestyle/humor:
  • Laura champions outdoor time, pokes fun at others’ lack of it (“I'm never inside, ever. ...Go outside, I'm talking to you Manny.” 71:00 - Laura)

7. Closing Sentiment: Gratitude & Community

• Both reflect on their loyal audience—deep appreciation for listeners regularly placing “Fool Coverage” high in their podcast rankings and sharing personal wins and struggles along the way.
  • “Our favorite part of 2025 is you. Thank you guys for literally being like, the—We're obsessed with you. We love you making this year amazing.” (72:24 - Laura)
  • “It really does mean so much. And we love seeing your guys's comments. ...We genuinely feel it, like, to the core.” (73:05 - Manny)

Selected Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• "Motivation is tied to emotion. So when your emotions change, your motivation changes." (07:46 - Laura)
• "You need discipline, not motivation." (08:10 - Laura)
• "Working out 52 weeks out of the year is better than five times in the first week and never going back." (09:53 - Laura)
• “I was hovering that toilet, dripping sweat everywhere. ..People banging on the door, wanting in there. Kids screaming, farting. It was just horrible, horrible.” (22:08 - Laura)
• “I've never seen you run, by the way. I'd imagine you run like Phoebe Buffay.” (27:38 - Tyler)
• “You can do things. If you think you're worth it, you can do it.” (13:22 - Laura + Manny)
• “I'm excited in general to just start something new and then, like, you know, meet people, do something by myself." (15:55 - Manny)
• "We got our asses handed to us. ...It felt like a complete waste of a day." (29:51 - Tyler)
• “I hate the negative rage baiting things, but I also really hate the way people go about doing some of these, like TikTok shop videos.” (49:58 - Manny)
• “I think the Diddy is the worst scandal of like 2025. ...it's too fierce, all encompassing.” (60:03 - Manny)
• “She brought the internet. She broke them. That one was one of the most ridiculous.” (62:25 - Manny)
• "Our favorite part of 2025 is you. Thank you guys for literally being like…" (72:24 - Laura)

Noteworthy Segment Timestamps

• Peaks and Pits intros & discipline talk: 05:29 – 13:56
• Embarrassing run story (bathroom humor): 19:18 – 27:37
• SEC championship complaints: 28:52 – 31:13
• Movies (best/worst): 40:05 – 42:15
• TV shows: 44:06 – 46:45
• Beauty trends: 48:38 – 51:05
• Influencer scandals: 60:25 – 62:29
• Travel/trips: 68:55 – 72:00
• Gratitude reflections & thanks: 72:24 – end

Tone & Language

The episode is conversational, fast-paced, and peppered with inside jokes, gentle self-deprecation, and candid story-telling. The hosts maintain their signature “bestie at brunch” vibe, balancing serious moments (discipline, gratitude) with irreverent humor (bathroom tales, mocking each other, pop culture zingers), all while keeping their audience front and center.

For listeners and fans, this episode offers a relatable, laughter-filled capstone to 2025, blending practical advice, personal anecdotes, sharp pop culture commentary, and a warm sense of community.