> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.theomnicosm.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Wrapping up 2025 with Pop-Tarts, Oreos, Bowen Yang and my favorite books - URL: https://www.theomnicosm.com/wrapping-up-2025-with-pop-tarts-oreos-bowen-yang-and-my-favorite-books/ - Published: 2025-12-27T13:00:50.000Z - Updated: 2025-12-27T13:00:49.000Z - Description: Your weekly rundown of everything from Popculturology, Deep SNL Thoughts and Snackology. - Author: Bill Kuchman - Tags: The Omnicosm • Saturday Wrap, The Omnicosm, Pop-Tarts, Oreo, Bowen Yang Hello! Welcome to the Dec. 27, 2025, edition of the **Saturday Wrap**. Here’s everything you might of missed from **The Omnicosm**. [![CTA Image](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/11/circle-rebrand-1.png)](#/portal/signup) Love reading ****The Omnicosm**? Join the hundreds of subscribers who already get the free ****Snackology**, ****Popculturology** and ****Deep SNL Thoughts** newsletters in their inboxes. [Subscribe ](#/portal/signup) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/12/lede-122625-SNK-1.png) ###### Snackology • Thoughts for Food ### Team Sprinkles or Team Swirls? For the Pop-Tarts Bowl, we get to pick the, um, winner. I love — *love* — the Pop-Tarts Bowl. I don’t watch college football. I don’t watch bowl games. But I will gobble up any and all news about this one specific bowl game that happens to be sponsored by Pop-Tarts. The upcoming Pop-Tarts Bowl will be played on Dec. 27\. The bowl game itself is between Georgia Tech and BYU. More importantly, though, we’re going to see two teams of Pop-Tarts mascots pitted against each other ... with the winners getting eaten. “The countdown is on for the 2025 Pop-Tarts Bowl, dubbed The People’s National Championship! Culminating in the biggest sacrifice ever, two teams of Edible Mascots — *Team Sprinkles* and *Team Swirls* — will compete to achieve the ultimate pastry dream of being eaten by this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl Champions,” Pop-Tarts notes in the announcement of this year’s mascot competition. “To celebrate, Pop-Tartsis hosting a fan vote on game day to help decide which team will be sacrificed and debuting a limited-edition flavor box featuring each of the Edible Mascot flavors.” Yes, if you’re one of the Edible Mascots, it is your dream to be “eaten by this year’s Pop-Tarts Bowl Champions.” It’s a tradition, after all. [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/team-sprinkles-or-team-swirls-for-the-pop-tarts-bowl-we-get-to-pick-the-um-winner/) [Review: How The Grinch stole breakfastChristmas candy and a McDonald’s meal weren’t enough for Dr. Seuss’ villain-turned-spokesman.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-69.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-grinch-cereal.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/how-the-grinch-stole-breakfast/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/12/lede-oreos-1.png) ###### Snackology • Thoughts for Food ### Muffins! Cakesters! Thins! Minis! This wave of Oreos has it all I love an Oreo cookie. By extension, **Snackology** loves an Oreo cookie. I’ve been reviewing Oreos since I launched this newsletter, with the Oreo/Coca-Cola crossover anchoring some of my earliest coverage. It’s only fitting that I close out 2025 with an Oreo extravaganza. A cornucopia of new and returning Oreo options. A plethora of Oreo offerings. While I should be focusing on baking (and eating) Christmas cookies, I’ve instead chosen to tear into the wave of Oreo products that are hitting shelves this month: **Oreo Muffins**, **Oreo Cakesters Confetti Cake**, **Oreo Thins Chocolate Ganache**, **Oreo Minis Chocolate Creme** and **Oreo Cookie Dough cookies**. There’s something for everyone in this new wave. Muffins! Cakesters! Thins! Minis! A returning favorite! Let’s take a journey through the wonders of this new wave before I seriously need to focus on getting some Christmas cookies going. [Review: It’s storytime and snacktime thanks to ‘The Little Holiday Munchkin’The iconic Munchkin donut holes are now the stars of a holiday book at Dunkin’.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-68.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-dunkin-book.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/its-storytime-and-snacktime-thanks-to-the-little-holiday-munchkin/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/12/lede-122125-SNL-1.png) ###### Deep SNL Thoughts • Episode Review ### ‘This is my last shift’: Bowen Yang says farewell to ‘SNL’ as Ariana Grande hosts The **Bowen Yang** era of *SNL* has come to a close. When the news broke on Friday that Yang was going to depart *SNL* after this episode, it was both surprising — the show had already seen big names like **Heidi Gardner** and **Ego Nwodim** removed from the *SNL* roster before this season started — but it also made total sense. It was only a few seasons ago when **Cecily Strong** retired from *SNL* after the **Austin Butler**\-hosted Christmas episode. I’d love to know if Yang always knew he was going to call it a career after the Christmas episode or if the fact that **Ariana Grande** was hosting made it the perfect moment to say goodbye. Yang and Grande’s stories are intertwined beyond just being costars in the two *Wicked* movies. When Grande hosted *SNL* last season, that night was Yang’s 100th episode in the cast. And now, with her by his side on multiple moments this episode — the monologue, in sketches and during goodnights — Yang closed out his time as an *SNL* cast member. [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/this-is-my-last-shift-bowen-yang-says-farewell-to-snl-as-ariana-grande-hosts/) [Finn Wolfhard to host ‘SNL’The ‘Stranger Things’ star will kick off 2026 for the late-night show.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-66.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-122025-SNL.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/finn-wolfhard-to-host-snl/) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/12/lede-122125-POD-1.png) ###### Podcast Appearance ### Talking Bowen Yang, Ariana Grande and Ashley Padilla with the ‘Not Ready for Primetime SNL Podcast’ **Mike Ryan** and **Ryan McGee** were kind enough to invite onto today’s episode of their *Not Ready for Primetime SNL Podcast* to discuss **Ariana Grande** hosting what turns out was **Bowen Yang**’s final episode. No surprise that we also talked about **Ashley Padilla**. [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/talking-bowen-yang-ariana-grande-and-ashley-padilla-with-the-not-ready-for-primetime-snl-podcast/) --- ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/2025/12/lede-122625-SPEC2.png) ###### Popculturology • Special Edition ### My favorite books of 2025 At the start of 2024, I downloaded the Goodreads app and set a goal of reading 30 books for that year. I made it through 11 books. In 2025, I decided that this was going to be the year when I put down my phone at night, didn’t scroll social media and read a book instead. This led to a year of rekindling my old habit of devouring books. When this special edition of **Popculturology** hits your inboxes, I will have read 94 books this year. At one point, I thought I could hit 100\. Which would’ve been cool, right? I assume Goodreads would’ve sent someone to my house to congratulate me. But once the holidays started to kick into gear around Thanksgiving, I let go of that goal. The love of reading for pleasure that I had once again found in 2025 was supposed to be fun. I wasn’t going to force myself to rush through books, cram them in or pick shorter reads just to hit 100. But I still read *a ton* of books in 2025. [Keep reading ...](https://www.theomnicosm.com/my-favorite-books-of-2025/) [The Box Office Report: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ ignites the weekend — but has the franchise lost its spark?Sure, an $88M opening weekend is great, but does it live up to the ‘Avatar’ series’ record-setting box office history?![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/icon/circle-rebrand-65.png)The OmnicosmBill Kuchman![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/f4/8b/f48be8ca-23c6-4d81-b0cf-da2fb0785911/content/images/thumbnail/lede-122225-BO.png)](https://www.theomnicosm.com/avatar-fire-and-ash-ignites-the-weekend-but-has-the-franchise-lost-its-box-office-spark/) ****The Omnicosm** is written and produced by ****Bill Kuchman**. Copyediting by ****Tim Kuchman**. 💰 Like what you’re reading on ****The Omnicosm**? 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