Intrusive Thoughts by Adam Rippon

PodcastOne | December 25, 2025
Episode: All I Want for Christmas Is No Podcast Breaks

Episode Overview

On this special Christmas Day edition of Intrusive Thoughts, Adam Rippon skips the seasonal hiatus, recording his delightfully chaotic holiday episode late at night in front of his Christmas tree. The episode is a whirlwind of Adam’s signature comedic unfiltered reflections on holiday traditions, personal anecdotes, pop culture, and messages from listeners. Adam dives deep into Christmas decorations, the politics of artificial Christmas trees, Spotify Wrapped revelations, and pop diva drama—all while fielding a flurry of festive listener questions and sharing hilarious asides. The episode serves as both a year-end review and a relatable, very Adam Rippon take on the weird “in-between” feeling of the holidays.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Adam Refuses a Podcast Break (01:24)

• Adam dislikes when his favorite podcasts take holiday breaks:

  “One of my least favorite things… is when they take breaks over the holidays because that’s like when I have time to consume them!” (01:29)

• Despite acknowledging people deserve breaks, he records this episode to be there for listeners during the holidays.

2. Recording After Dark: New Routine & Self-Realizations (02:20–05:45)

• Adam prefers to record at night, feeling more energetic and creative.

  “By the time it’s 11:30pm I’m gassed. I’m ready to go.” (03:55)

• He jokes about his ASMR-style whispering in last week’s episode, deciding now for a “library tone” instead.

3. Holiday Decorations: Rants, Preferences & Upgrades (10:45–25:00)

• Strong opinions on outdoor decorations:
  • Hates laser projectors—calls them “lazy,” “embarrassing,” and says:

    “Shining a red and green light at your house and calling it a day, it’s so embarrassing.” (13:37)

  • Inflatable decor: one per household MAX.
• Artificial vs. Real Trees:
  • Adam is fiercely “Team Artificial.”

    “Sorry. I know that’s gonna piss a few people off, but I’m not afraid to do that because I don’t like that something can be such a fire hazard.” (18:09)

• Fake Trees Are Investments:
  • Tells a story about his Target tree—calls Target now a “junkyard”—and plots a Balsam Hill upgrade after Christmas when the sales hit.
• Holiday Snobbery:
  • Admits he’s “not too good for anything,” but “can’t eat off anything less than glass” (34:12).

4. Listener Letters: Hilarious, Heartfelt, Wildly Varied (30:23–82:00)

• Holiday Song Synergy:
  Listener connects Adam’s Olympic program music (“Arrival of the Birds” and “O” by Coldplay) and made it their top Spotify tracks—Adam relates to the magic of the musical blend (31:18).

• Spotify Wrapped Shenanigans:
  Adam discovers his “listening age” is 83 (32:35), and reads his eclectic top songs and artists:

  • #1: “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend” by Julie London
  • #4 & #5: Lady Gaga; Frédéric Chopin also makes the list
  • Notable comment:

    “Not enough people have Julie London on their top Spotify artists of the year. Or Franz List, to be honest.” (43:15)

• Pop Diva Disappointment:
  Listener asks about Nicki Minaj attending a right-wing rally.

  • Adam expresses the heartbreak of being a former Barb, likening her recent behavior to that of Gwen Stefani.

  “She’s gone. She’s not with us anymore. She’s not here. She’s a different person.” (50:25)

• New Year’s Eve Anti-Climax:

  • Listener asks for practical advice; Adam shares he and husband JP got married on New Year’s Eve and now have an ironclad anniversary-excuse; ideally, he wants to wake up refreshed, not hungover (56:40).

    “Having an anniversary on New Year's Eve is genius... if we go to a party we can make it all about us, or we can just say ‘we’re doing something special for us.’”

• Practical Santa: Listeners’ Family Traditions (60:16)

  • A caller describes their family’s unique tradition of leaving Santa a sack lunch instead of cookies.

    “Let’s pack Santa a sack lunch... By the time he reaches my house, he’s tired of cookies. Let’s give him something savory.” (60:21)

  • Adam wholeheartedly agrees with maintaining “the magic of Christmas” via joyfully lying to children about Santa.

• Workplace Gift Exchange Dilemmas (70:40):

  • Adam’s “love language” is quality time, not gift-giving. He rails against obligatory, junky presents:

    “Don’t give people trash…If you’re in a bind, get gift cards. No more than $20.” (73:00)

  • Rants about overpriced candles at Pottery Barn vs. bargains at TJ Maxx/HomeGoods.

• Swamp-Pushing & Sibling Annoyance:

  • A listener fantasizes about pushing her brother into a swamp during a New Orleans Christmas; Adam laughs and endorses a little holiday chaos.

• Santa Reveal Timing:

  • Adam suggests letting kids “figure it out” vs. a formal reveal (80:00).

• Figure Skating Holiday Shows:

  • Coach from Michigan vents about chaos. Adam calls coaches “first responders” spreading holiday cheer; confirms “everyone under 15 is legally a terrorist [during shows].” (82:30)

5. Adam’s Show Reflections, Community, and Show Evolution (87:00–90:15)

• Marks this as the first full year of the Intrusive Thoughts podcast, sharing pride in finally hitting his groove.
• Teases next week’s episode will “put a pin” in the Netflix skating show “Heated Rivalry” for a deep dive (83:25).
• Encourages listeners to submit more intrusive thoughts and reflects on parasocial podcast relationships.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Christmas Tree Decorations:

  “It’s so bottom of the barrel… Shining a red and green light at your house and calling it a day, it’s so embarrassing.” (13:25)

• On Artificial Trees:

  “I don’t like that something can be such a fire hazard. Have you ever seen a Christmas tree, like, catch on fire? I haven’t, but people tell me it looks crazy.” (18:15)

• On Shopping at Target Now:

  “Target is just a junkyard. I don’t know if maybe I’m just getting older… Every time I go into Target, I’m like, this is a wasteland.” (22:03)

• On Pop Star Heartbreak:

  “If there’s one thing constant, it’s the inconsistency of Nicki Minaj.” (53:10)

• On New Year’s Eve Plans:

  “I want to feel well-rested, invigorated, ready for that new year. Sometimes, I like to be in bed before midnight…” (57:55)

• On Holiday Workplace Gifts:

  “Don’t give people trash… go for gift cards, no more than $20.” (73:00)

• On Supporting Figure Skating Holiday Shows:

  “But I do believe that everyone involved in them that’s under the age of 15 is legally a terrorist, and they should be treated as such.” (82:30)

• Best Unintentional Affirmation:

  “I believe every woman. And I believe in you, and I believe in me, and I believe in this podcast.” (89:07)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 01:24 – Adam on skipping the podcast holiday break
• 10:45 – Adam’s opinions on holiday lights and inflatable decorations
• 18:09 – Artificial vs. real Christmas tree rant
• 31:18 – Listener from Saskatchewan calls about Olympic music; Adam discusses Spotify Wrapped
• 34:12 – Snobbery confessions: glass plates only!
• 46:00 – Pop diva drama: Nicki Minaj, Barb heartbreak, Cardi B anecdote
• 56:40 – New Year’s Eve woes, ideal plans, Adam & JP’s anniversary hack
• 60:16 – Listener’s family Santa lunch tradition, Adam on “lying for magic”
• 70:40 – Work holiday present dilemmas, anti-junk diatribe, Pottery Barn tirade
• 80:00 – When to tell kids about Santa; skating show reflections
• 82:30 – Figure skating holiday show chaos, “everyone under 15 is a terrorist”
• 87:00 – Year-in-review reflections, invitation for more listener interactions

Final Thoughts

Adam’s Christmas episode is a hilarious, candid, and deeply relatable meditation on the holiday season and the pop culture baggage we bring along with it. From sniping at lazy Christmas décor to mourning the loss of unproblematic pop icons, Adam delivers with the warmth—and chaotic energy—listeners expect, all while inviting them to laugh, reminisce, and share their own intrusive thoughts heading into the new year.