Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud Olympics wrap + Space Cadets review
Feb 23, 2026
Rachel Ho, film editor and critic, offers a take on Kid Koala’s silent animated Space Cadet. Mel Woods, culture critic and senior editor from Vancouver, riffs on pop culture moments and Olympic spectacle. Shereen Ahmed, sports journalist and CBC contributor, reviews Olympic hockey highs, politicized moments and standout athletes. They discuss viral sporting clips, closing ceremony flair, and why Space Cadet works without dialogue.
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Athlete Confession Became The Defining Olympic Moment
- Weird athlete moments can overshadow results, like Sterla Holm Lægreid owning up to cheating during a post-medal press conference.
- The confession made the bronze winner more meme-famous than the gold medalist and thrust the ex-partner into unwanted attention.
Winter Olympics Still Fuel Durable Internet Memes
- Even smaller-scale Winter Games produce lasting internet moments that shape public memory of the Games.
- Mel listed the curling scandal, the Nazgul dog on the cross-country course, and the multi-jacket figure-skating coach as meme highlights.
Alysa Liu Redefined Figure Skating Cool
- Alysa Liu's nonconformist style reshapes figure skating's image by combining elite performance with punk aesthetics and candid attitude.
- Mel noted Liu's rings, labret piercing, and post-win expletive celebration as emblematic of a freer skating champion.