The Toast: "Italia, Y'all!" (February 12, 2026)

Hosts: Jackie & Claudia Oshry
Podcast: The Toast
Episode Theme:
A lively catch-up on pop culture, Olympic drama, celebrity headlines, and internet rabbit holes, with the sisters' signature banter and hot takes. This episode weaves the excitement of the Winter Olympics with conversations about celebrity deaths, scandals in Hollywood, beauty trends, and upcoming reality TV shake-ups.

Main Theme

This episode of The Toast is all about the intersection of pop culture and current events, with a special focus on Winter Olympic coverage, notable celebrity news (including the passing of James Van Der Beek), the fallout from the Epstein files in Hollywood, and the fun, sometimes bizarre details of beauty and influencer culture. Jackie and Claudia bring their trademark humor, deep pop knowledge, and sisterly debate to discuss both the silly and the serious.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Banter: Weekend Mood & Kacey Musgraves Deep Dive (00:22–02:29)

• The sisters open with classic weekday confusion, debating whether to "take off" more days in honor of Presidents’ Day.

• Jackie claims family credit for introducing Kacey Musgraves and Luke Combs to the group. Claudia disputes the Luke Combs point.

  “I will take credit. And I know you're going to argue with me on this, but historically, I introduced everyone to Kacey Musgraves when Merry Go Round came out.” – Jackie (01:51)

• Lighthearted debate over whether Luke Combs counts as a redhead, leading to a running joke about the “redhead community council” deciding membership.

  “This is my community, and, like, I think I speak for everyone. … I would love, like, if he wants to be considered a redhead, like, I would let him in. No problem.” – Claudia (04:01)

2. Redhead Community, Beauty Standards & Mah-Jongg Life (04:13–06:37)

• A surprisingly detailed peek into the "major drama" of redhead circles—mostly about hair dye controversies.
• Easing into Olympics talk, but first, anecdotes about hand cream, mah-jongg, and winter skin.

  “With Gold Bond, it actually lasts… you don’t have to be constantly reapplying. That’s why people fall off their moisture game.” – Jackie (14:26)

• Brief sponsor plugs (products like Gold Bond, Pepsi, hers, Chewy, Hungry Root, Audible, Liquid IV).

3. Olympic Highlights: Speed Skating, Broadcast Drama & American Neutrality (06:37–08:51)

• Jackie recaps the emotional story of US gold medalist speed skater Justin Stoles, with heartfelt emphasis on parental support.
• Critiques of NBC/Peacock's coverage focus—too much on less relevant hockey games, not enough human stories.
• Playful "neutrality" gag about Switzerland, leading to a quip about its World War II record.

  “I just want to say that's you. Switzerland ate down with that neutrality thing. Like... Sometimes you just don't want to get involved.” – Jackie (08:22)

4. Epstein Files, Hollywood Scandal & Internet Rabbit Holes (08:51–11:43, 44:13–52:55)

• Claudia dives down the "Casey Wasserman thing" and the broader context of celebrities' names appearing in the Epstein files.

• Dissects which Bravolebrities are named and to what extent—most seem benign, but Annabelle from Ladies of London and Carole Radziwill mentioned as more concerning.

  “Her emails were bad.” – Claudia (10:12)

• Discussion of major fallout at Wasserman Agency (00:44:13+).

  “So this is so crazy. I was not familiar at all with, like, Wasserman Agency… he’s also the chairman of the LA Olympics.” – Jackie (45:50)

  • Several high-profile clients (Chappell Roan, Abby Wambach) cut ties; possible calls for CEO Casey Wasserman to step down from Olympic committee.

• Nuanced debate: reading between lines on who might be guilty vs. “guilt by association” in circles where Epstein and Maxwell operated.

  “Some emails are much more incriminating than others. Wasserman’s, like, they don’t say any crimes or whatever, but, like, I’m with—if I have an agent who’s like, I want no part of it…” – Claudia (47:27)

5. Celebrity Death: The Passing of James Van Der Beek (19:08–22:53)

• Breaking news and reaction to actor James Van Der Beek’s death (colorectal cancer at 48).

  “[It’s] so sad. I don’t know… that’s not how I came to James Van Der Beek. I came to him from Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23.” – Jackie (20:07)

• Anecdote about seeing him in LA; kudos for the GoFundMe supporting his family.

• Discussion on how residuals aren’t what people expect for actors from “syndicated” shows.

6. Pop Culture & Beauty Trends: Kylie for Skims, Influencer Overshare, Khloé & Good American (22:53–29:52)

• Kylie Jenner featured as the new face for Skims—the sisters analyze what’s behind Kylie “showing up for work.”

  “Now she’s done two [family brand campaigns]. Maybe she wants another plane… maybe she needs them to, like, watch her kids.” – Claudia (23:37)

• Viral moment: influencer Mikayla Nogueira’s wild overshare in an ad for Lemmy’s “Purr” gummies (25:06–26:47).

  “No amount of money would make me say this.” – Claudia, reading TikTok comments (26:13)

• Rumor mill: Khloé’s involvement with Good American appears to be over, with the sisters sleuthing through influencer TikToks for clues.

7. Reality TV & Housewives: Dorinda’s Career Moves & Trader Conspiracies (30:13–36:01)

• Dorinda Medley joining the E! Roni reboot (“The Golden Life”), apparently replacing Jill Zarin.
• Debate on authenticity and who’s actually living in Florida for the new show.
• Theories and minor conspiracies about “Traders” post-elimination videos (editing seems edited “too much,” fueling online “Colton truther” speculation).

8. Parenting, Sleep Training, and Real Life (36:12–39:53)

• Tangent on sleep training vs. co-sleeping debate, with both sisters comparing their parenting approaches amid jokes about sleep scores.

9. Olympic Housing Drama: Team Canada’s Five-Star Upgrade (52:55–59:48)

• Men’s Canadian hockey team opts for a five-star hotel instead of the Olympic Village, sparking a debate about athlete treatment.

• Ongoing grievances about the state of Olympic athlete accommodations:

  “It’s absurd. College kids live better than Olympic athletes.” – Jackie (54:01)

• Deep dive into Olympic medal tallies and why it seems “Americans are everywhere,” even on other countries’ rosters due to dual citizenship.

10. Italia, Y’all: Milan-Cortina, Olympic Cities, & American Ceremony Speculation (59:48–66:07)

• Analysis of how Olympics opening ceremonies should reflect not just city but national character.

• Fun, speculative brainstorm: who should headline the LA Olympics 2028 opening ceremony?

  “Taylor Swift is to the US what Andrea Bocelli is to Italia.” – Claudia (62:46)

  • Suggestions range from Taylor Swift to Bruno Mars, with commentary on past Super Bowl performers, Tom Cruise, the Rockettes, and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

• Criticism of past opening ceremonies (notably Paris/Seine river “boat debacle,” and why American ceremony will need to showcase true national icons).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It's a freaking weekend.” — Jackie (01:20)
• “Her emails were bad.” — Claudia on Annabelle (10:12)
• “You deserve taste. You deserve Pepsi.” — Claudia (16:28)
• “No amount of money would make me say this.” — Reading TikTok on Mikayla Nogueira (26:13)
• “I have to compare with Shannon. We sort of are like the councilwomen” — Claudia on the “redhead committee” (04:08)
• “Taylor Swift is eternal. It's obviously Taylor Swift [for the LA Olympics].” — Claudia (61:04)
• “You have to think, like, throughout history—and for a while. And she will be for a while. She's not, like, a flash in the pan.” — Claudia on Taylor Swift’s enduring status (61:37)
• “You are who you associate with.” — Claudia (47:27)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Opening banter/Presidents’ Day chatter: 00:22-01:09
• Kacey Musgraves & Redhead Debate: 01:38-04:11
• Olympics: Speed Skating & Coverage Critique: 06:37-08:51
• Epstein Files/Bravo & Hollywood Fallout: 08:51-11:43, 44:13-52:55
• James Van Der Beek Tribute: 19:08-22:53
• Kylie Jenner for Skims, Influencer Ad Overshare: 22:53-27:03
• Khloé Kardashian and Good American “conspiracy”: 27:47-29:52
• Dorinda Medley Joins E!/Roni Reboot: 30:13-36:01
• Canadian Hockey & Olympic Accommodations: 52:55-54:01
• Olympics Opening Ceremony (Milan-Cortina & US Speculation): 59:48-66:07

Tone & Language

The sisters deliver their takes in their trademark blend of playful irreverence, genuine warmth, and astute culture commentary, bouncing between personal anecdotes, sharp pop culture analysis, and inside jokes. The conversational style keeps things flowing even as topics shift rapidly from the serious to the silly.

Unmissable Moments

• The in-depth “redhead council” debate and whether Luke Combs is a “real redhead.”
• Claudia’s hot take on the lasting impact of a “get filler, then dissolve it” trend.
• Live “TikTok reaction” to influencer overshares that “no amount of money” could justify.
• The brainstorm for LA 2028’s Olympic opening—"Taylor Swift is to the US what Andrea Bocelli is to Italia."
• Cutting pop culture sleuthing on Khloé Kardashian’s business moves and the authenticity of reality TV set-ups.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode exemplifies what makes The Toast a cult favorite: maximal pop culture knowledge, breezy but informed takes on thorny issues, sibling energy, and a love for everyday drama—big and small—across the worlds of entertainment, wellness, and real life.

Listen if you enjoy:

• Sibling banter
• Pop culture rabbit holes
• Olmypics updates and analysis
• Deep dives into social/influencer news
• Candid, sometimes irreverent takes on news stories

(The summary omits sponsor and ad sections except where woven into organic conversation.)