‘Scheananigans’ Breaks Down the Pop Culture Moments That Defined 2025
Jane LaCroix
If 2025 felt like one long group chat you couldn’t mute, Scheana Shay and Kiki Monique are here to organize the chaos…kind of. On this end-of-year Scheananigans episode, they ping-pong through the moments that took over headlines, comment sections, and family group texts—from celebrity pivots to internet scandals that just would not die.
Their recap hits everything from space news that dominated the timeline and a viral kiss-cam standoff to trend cycles that turned into full-blown consumer behavior. Consider it your pop culture yearbook—only messy and hilarious.
Let’s take it from the top:
January: TikTok got ‘banned’
For a hot second, it really felt like the internet was about to lose its favorite time suck. “TikTok almost got banned a couple of times,” Scheana says. Kiki recalls how brief—and confusing—it all was. Scheana agrees, asking, “What was that like at night?” One minute the app was gone, the next everyone was back doom-scrolling like nothing happened.
April: Katy Perry went to space, and the internet had thoughts
This was one of those headlines that sounded fake until it wasn’t. Katy Perry went to space (along with a handful of other notable, powerful women) and instantly became meme material. “Katy Perry sang in space, it was not well received down on Earth,” Scheana says.
And just when that discourse cooled off, the plot pivoted. Scheana adds, “But now she’s dating a prime minister,” to which Kiki says “is so random,” referring to her relationship with Justin Trudeau. Space karaoke, unexpected romance, and internet confusion all in one breath—very on brand for 2025.
May: An American Pope entered the group chat
As if 2025 hadn’t already pushed the limits of believability, the year also delivered this sentence: “We got an American Pope.” Kiki jumps in with the detail everyone immediately wanted to confirm. “I think [he’s] from Chicago, right?” she says. The moment was a cultural shockwave—an unexpected plot twist that sent people Googling and texting everyone they know, as this is the Vatican’s first Pope from the U.S.
Somewhere between ironic collecting and full-blown obsession, Labubu officially took over 2025. Scheana doesn’t mince words: “Labubu fever swept the globe like Beanie Babies on Celsius.”
Both got pulled in. “Even I have 3 Labubus,” Kiki admits, while Scheana says she’s lost track of how many she’s accumulated. What started as a cute toy trend quickly turned into adult collector behavior and shelf displays. Very Beanie Babies. Very 2025.
June: Gen Alpha made ‘67’ a thing, and adults were doomed
Just when millennials thought slang fatigue had peaked, Gen Alpha dropped something completely unexplainable. “Gen Alpha introduced 6/7 into the lingo.” Naturally, Scheana asks the obvious question—what does it mean? The answer is deeply unhelpful—“It doesn’t mean anything,” Kiki says. “It just means 67, 67. You just say it.”
Even brands got caught in the crossfire, with Scheana noting that “In-N-Out had to remove 67 from their order numbers.” A number became a trend, adults were left spiraling, and kids kept moving. Exactly how 2025 worked.
July: Sydney Sweeney’s ad backlash, plus the Scooter Braun subplot
Sydney Sweeney found herself in the middle of one of 2025’s loudest brand controversies after her American Eagle campaign sparked backlash online. “Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad got called out, though Scooter Braun apparently got called up,” Scheana jokes. The fallout quickly turned into speculation about where this leaves her career momentum. Kiki wonders aloud, “Sydney seems like she’s in her flop era for a lot of people,” before questioning the timing of her next big project. “Euphoria is coming in 2026. Do we even care?”
July: The Coldplay kiss-cam couple that wouldn’t stop evolving
What started as a blink-and-you-miss-it concert moment turned into a full internet saga. “We had the Coldplay kiss cam couple who went viral for not kissing,” Scheana recalls. Instead of fading out after a day, the story kept mutating. “That story took a lot of twists and turns,” Kiki adds, noting how new angles and theories kept popping up long after the original clip. Even weeks later, Scheana admits, “I feel like I’m still seeing things on Snapchat.”
August: Taylor Swift pulled off two eras in one year
Taylor Swift somehow managed to speed-run an entire career arc in a single calendar year. “Taylor Swift entered her showgirl era and now her fiance era, two eras in one year,” Scheana says, referring to the pop star’s new album and engagement to Travis Kelce. Neither of them sound surprised. “I can’t even imagine what the wedding is going to be like,” Kiki adds. One year, two eras, and an entire internet already bracing for the next one.
September: Jimmy Kimmel briefly got taken off the air
This one came and went fast, but it definitely made noise. “Jimmy Kimmel got taken off the air.” Even they seemed unsure how long it actually lasted. “That was for what, like a week,” Kiki asks, before Scheana shrugs it off as another moment fueled more by online outrage than real-world consequence. Short break, loud discourse, then right back to business—are we surprised? No.
October: Kim Kardashian’s merkin era and her actress era
“Kim Kardashian, she not only sold merkins, but she became an actress,” Scheana states. The merkin launch alone felt like a headline designed for chaos, but the fact that it sold—and sold fast—was very on brand. Scheana shrugs at the inevitability, adding, “If anyone could sell a merkin and sell them out, it’s Kim Kardashian.” The year ended with Kardashian being taken seriously on screen for her role in All’s Fair, Hulu’s latest hit series.
October: The Louvre got robbed…in broad daylight
“The Louvre got robbed in broad daylight, like how does that happen?” Scheana asks. The disbelief doesn’t wear off, either. Beyond the obvious security questions, the internet did what it does best and zeroed in on the visuals. Kiki adds, “The robbers, I mean, the pictures I saw, there [were] hot ones.”
A world-famous museum, a daytime robbery, and a comment section more focused on attractiveness than logistics—it was peak 2025 energy.
December: Diddy got the Netflix-doc moment
No 2025 recap felt complete without a true-crime streaming spiral, and this one made the list fast. Scheana brings it up mid-roundup. “Diddy went to prison. He did. Have you watched the Netflix doc?” she asks Kiki about Netflix’s special, Sean Combs: The Reckoning.
The conversation quickly turns from whether it’s worth watching to how it frames the story. Scheana admits she was skeptical going in but still watched, adding that there were moments that felt balanced—and others that raised questions. “I do wonder sort of how fair and balanced,” she says, even while agreeing it was compelling.
December: Netflix tried to buy Warner Bros and Paramount got spicy
Just when it felt like streaming wars couldn’t get messier, 2025 said otherwise. “Netflix made a bid to buy Warner Brothers,” Scheana says. “Now Paramount is trying to make a hostile bid,” Kiki adds, making it clear that the real drama wasn’t on screen—it was happening in boardrooms. No one seems totally sure how it’ll shake out, with Scheana admitting, “Who even knows what we’ll see on our screens in the future.”
All year: AI officially became unavoidable
By the end of 2025, AI wasn’t a future concept—it was just…everywhere. Scheana states it plainly: “AI has officially taken over our lives, officially.”
What makes it feel inescapable is how quickly it’s showing up in everyday spaces, not just tech conversations. Scheana notes that even her school tours with her daughter are addressing it, with AI already being worked into curriculums. Kiki may accept that it’s coming either way, but the tone is clear: it’s overwhelming, unavoidable, and moving faster than anyone feels ready for.
All year: Self-driving cars are just…around now
Somehow, this happened without much ceremony. “Self-driving cars, you know, are everywhere now,” Scheana says. They talk about seeing them regularly on the road, with Kiki admitting she actually loves Waymo—while Scheana says one recently cut her off. What once sounded like sci-fi quietly became part of daily traffic.
For the full conversation, tune into Scheananigans, streaming now.
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