Pop Culture Happy Hour — Winter Olympics and What’s Making Us Happy
Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: Linda Holmes, Glen Weldon
Guest: Rachel Treisman (NPR reporter, covering the Olympics in Milan)
Theme: Observations and insights about the 2026 Winter Olympics, both from the perspective of avid home viewers and from a reporter on the ground; discussion of favorite Olympic events; recommendations in the "What's Making Us Happy" segment.
Main Theme Overview
The episode dives into the atmosphere, culture, and evolving stories of the 2026 Winter Olympics currently taking place in Milan, Italy. The Pop Culture Happy Hour team, joined by NPR reporter Rachel Treisman, shares unique home-viewing experiences and first-hand observations from the Games. They discuss how the Winter Olympics differ from the Summer, emotional moments in figure skating, the meditative appeal of curling, the wild world of sliding sports, and how both big stars and less-heralded athletes shape the Olympic narrative. The show closes with each panelist recommending something that's making them happy this week—from a locked-room thriller to Ina Garten’s memoir to a goofy new Netflix animation.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Winter Olympics: Scaled but Diverse
(00:19–03:36)
- Linda Holmes reflects on the unique flavor of the Winter Games compared to the Summer Olympics:
- “The Winter Olympics... are a little bit more on a few tracks... you have your curling and hockey, all your skating, sliding down a track really fast (luge, bobsled), and then your skiing.” (01:34)
- Notes the “massiveness” and wide range of the Summer Olympics versus the focused set of winter events.
- Appreciates the varied “sports cultures” within the Games—differences between perfectionist figure skaters and laid-back, fist-pumping snowboarders.
- “Extreme sports backgrounds... a lot of those people, if they fall, they’ll just jump up and immediately pump their fists. Oh, well.” (02:31)
- Observed that these Olympics aren’t just about “heavily promoted American athletes”—“more low profile stories. Maybe more like, you may be sad about the US Athletes, but really happy about somebody else.” (03:24)
2. On the Ground in Milan: Rachel Treisman’s Experience
(03:36–07:12)
- Rachel Treisman explains covering the Olympics in person—in Milan, only three sports are happening: ice hockey, speed skating, and figure skating.
- “Figure skating has been my main focus... But getting to watch speed skating... It's a really different experience to watch [in person]—not relying on TV, not relying on commentary.” (03:50)
- Describes the challenge of knowing what to focus on live:
- “With figure skating... a lot of it feels kind of vibes-based. With speed skating or hockey, there’s only one way to win. It happens really fast—if you blink, you’re gonna miss it.” (04:17)
- Homes in on the psychological challenge for athletes, especially figure skaters:
- (Linda Holmes:) “Figure skater who trains... for 15 to 20 years... then you have that one moment where something goes wrong. I think trying to work your way through that psychologically must be incredibly difficult.” (04:53)
- Enjoys seeing skaters with no pressure, just happy to be there:
- Rachel: “There was a Georgian women’s skater who was so happy to be in fourth. She celebrated... longer than lots of people ahead of her.” (06:11)
- Contrast between sports with multiple attempts (like snowboarding halfpipe) vs. one-shot events (like figure skating)—appreciates the relief of best-of-three formats (06:20).
3. Perks and Drawbacks: On-Site vs. Home Viewing
(07:12–09:14)
- Rachel notes two main gripes about being on site:
- Logistics: “Even the trio of sports... in Milan are pretty sprawled out. It can take a while to get to and from.” (07:21)
- Environmental surprises: “The rinks are actually pretty cold... One, I was wearing my hat as a hand warmer; another I was sweating in my layers.” (07:29)
- Missing out on commentary and real-time information:
- “When you’re in the room... you’re not hearing any sort of hot mics... People at home probably had the same questions. But it is sort of nice to have that person in your ear... to find out what that symbolism means or why that jump got docked so many points.” (08:09)
- She does benefit from sitting with expert reporters for informal commentary.
4. Curling: The Meditative Hype and the Minnesotan Coreys
(09:14–11:37)
- Linda Holmes reveals deep love for curling:
- “Curling has some of the same advantages as baseball... It’s a little bit meditative. Foolish people think it’s boring. It has a lot of strategy.” (09:41)
- Enjoys the transparency—“They are miked and you can listen to the entire conversation... ‘How much risk do you think we should take?’... It’s really fun to be in on those conversations.” (10:10)
- Shout-out to the mixed doubles silver medalists: “Corey TC and Corey Dropkin—a man and a woman who competed in the mixed doubles, who are both named Corey... just hilarious and adorable. They’re Minnesotans and they won a silver medal.” (10:29)
- Highlights the “brief fame” of Olympic curlers: “No matter how good you are, you are not famous, except maybe for like three days at the Olympics.” (11:08)
5. Sliding Sports, Skeleton, and Olympic Oddities
(11:37–14:19)
- Rachel Treisman is fascinated by the operations behind the ice, as well as the sliding sports (“various ways to throw yourself down a track of ice as fast as humanly possible, if not faster.”) (12:27)
- Skeleton stands out for being especially harrowing: “Skeleton, especially, just seems so harrowing. They’re going so fast. Your head is so close to the ground.” (12:40)
- Recalls US skeleton athlete Mystique Row: “She was saying she’s afraid of roller coasters!” (12:50)
- Celebrates more women’s events (“the new women’s doubles luge event is super cool... it’s very cool that they’re adding more ways for women to participate.” (13:13))
- Enjoys seeing “Normies like Colin Jost trying out the bobsled” for perspective (13:18)
- Linda brings up celebrity antics like “Flavor Flav and his skeleton run” and his genuine, long-standing support for Olympic teams: “Flavor Flav at the Olympics is one of my favorite things. Skeleton is so terrifying to me.” (14:03)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Linda Holmes [01:34]: “The Winter Olympics... are a little bit more on a few tracks... more low profile stories. Maybe more like, you may be sad about the US Athletes, but really happy about somebody else.”
- Rachel Treisman [03:50]: “It’s a really different experience to watch [the Olympics] as a viewer, not relying on the tv, not relying on commentary.”
- Linda Holmes [09:41]: “Curling has some of the same advantages as baseball... It’s a little bit meditative. Foolish people think it’s boring.”
- Rachel Treisman [12:40]: “Skeleton, especially, just seems so harrowing. They’re going so fast. Your head is so close to the ground.”
- Linda Holmes [14:03]: “Flavor Flav at the Olympics is one of my favorite things... and he had a skeleton run. Skeleton is so terrifying to me.”
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:19 – Winter Olympic terminology and event scope
- 01:24 – Linda Holmes’ broad perspective as a home viewer
- 03:43 – Rachel Treisman describes on-the-ground experience
- 06:11 – Emotional impact on non-medalist athletes; the psychological challenge
- 07:21 – Rachel’s logistical gripes about covering live
- 09:32 – The joys and quirks of Olympic curling
- 10:29 – “The Coreys” in mixed doubles curling
- 12:27 – Behind-the-scenes on the ice; love for sliding sports
- 13:13 – More opportunities for women’s competition in luge
- 14:03 – Flavor Flav & celebrity “sliding” at the Olympics
What’s Making Us Happy This Week
(16:40–20:55)
- Linda Holmes:
- “Murder at 30,000ft” by Susan Walter (locked-room airplane mystery)
- “I really liked it. I found it really engaging, quick... just the kind of mystery slash thriller that I just find very pleasurable to tear through.” (17:45)
- “Murder at 30,000ft” by Susan Walter (locked-room airplane mystery)
- Rachel Treisman:
- Ina Garten’s memoir: “Be Ready When the Luck Happens” (audiobook, read by Garten)
- “There was so much I didn’t know about her... It’s delightful to hear her talk about... starting a business, being thrust into this celebrity role... she talks about not wanting to keep working in energy policy. ‘I don’t want to write papers about enriched uranium. I want to bake cookies.’” (18:27)
- Ina Garten’s memoir: “Be Ready When the Luck Happens” (audiobook, read by Garten)
- Glen Weldon:
- Strip Law (Netflix animated comedy, Adam Scott & Janelle James)
- “This show doesn’t care about the premise. It just goes big. It’s dumb. It’s goofy... the writing is really sharp and the jokes come fast.” (19:22)
- Strip Law (Netflix animated comedy, Adam Scott & Janelle James)
Overall Tone & Style
The discussion is lively, good-natured, and a mix of personal anecdotes, sporting insights, and wry humor. The hosts and guest are knowledgeable but accessible, making Olympic analysis engaging for both diehards and casual fans.
Summary Takeaway
This episode provides an energetic snapshot of both the front-row Olympic experience and the comforts of home viewing. The hosts cherish Olympic underdog stories, marvel at both niche and extreme sports, and find delight in the uncelebrated rituals and random celebrities of the Winter Games. Curling emerges as a meditative anchor for Linda, the sliding sports thrill Rachel, and the favorite segment “What’s Making Us Happy” continues to serve up laugh-out-loud recommendations. As always, Pop Culture Happy Hour balances appreciation with wit, leaving listeners with equal parts information and joy.