February 5, 2026 • 37 mins
It's almost time for the lights to dim and the athletes to begin their march into the stadium! In this episode of the Two Guys, Five Rings podcast...we learn a bit more about some of the countries we'll be seeing compete in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang give you the unbelievable but true tidbits about the competing nations!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Yet another episode that is, and this time we are
in another venue, and the venue is Riverside.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Peak behind the curtain.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Sometimes podcasts are recorded and shot on Would you call.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
This an app? I would call this. I think it's
called a website. It's these new things where you log
onto the World Wide Web and you get to travel
to all sorts of different places. I can't believe we've
been on a journey already with this very podcast. Think
of all the places we've recorded this very show over
(00:51):
the last couple of years. I mean we're on Riverside,
We've done this in Los Angeles and beautiful Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
We've recorded this everywhere from New York to Los Angeles.
But I do want to say we've recorded this at
Sesame workshop.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah yeah, yeah, that was really great.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
By now you've all heard us interact with the Sesame gang.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I can't believe we got to hang with them. No,
but I'm gonna say I remember recording this from a
windowless kind of a closet slash flex office in a
long stay space in Vancouver, Canada. I remember recording there.
Think of all the places you've recorded this podcast on
(01:33):
your end, my parents' house, I've recorded this from Long Island.
I mean, like.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Truly, like we're talking all over our great nation. But
here's the twist. We're soon going to be recording from
Italy itself, specifically Milan, And this is officially making this
an international podcast. And I don't know if you've sort
(01:59):
of deduce this yourself, audience.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I can't call them the readers.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I assume that a lot of readers are listening, but
I would just feel wrong.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I think the listenership for this podcast is just called
the guys. The guys, Hey guys.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, so all you the guys out there, Hey, you
sports fans, y'all are going to be in for it.
When you see an entire world's community come together in Milan,
will be there. And I think that's really what this
episode is all about. It's getting to know you, meaning
all of the countries that are going to be at
(02:35):
the opening ceremony. We've talked about the opening ceremony. It's
probably our most anticipated thing that we're going to be seeing.
But we're here today on this episode to run down
who's showing up and how they're showing out.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Absolutely, I mean I just want to really beautifully sort
of map out the way we have arrived here, which
is talking about Riverside, talk about the places, the far
flong places we've recorded this podcast from, which kind of
opens up a larger conversation, the conversation we're about to
have about the international community about places in general. Countries
(03:09):
are I guess if you could define a country, it's
just a place.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Really, a country is a place that has its own vibe.
That's actually real of culture number six, A country place
that has its own vibe. Now we are going to
share really fun facts, as it were, about these places
with their own vibes. And we have on deck not
(03:34):
only our group of great producers, but say it, our
star resource, Barb.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Barbe is back. Barber's back.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
You know you all fell in love with Barb on
the last episode we had where we really abused her
as a resource. I mean there's using resources and then
there's you know, copying to the fact that you have
no actual knowledge and so you abuse your resource.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
And thank you, Barb. Do you abuse your resources? Well,
Barb is sort of abusing us. She is no longer
in the chat. I'm looking at Riverside. I'm still getting
to know Riverside, getting to know you. As in Riverside,
Barb has left the chat. Well, I guess don't don't
cut this out, you guys, No, youse, don't cut this out.
This is real.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
People want authentic and we want toally call out that
Barbas stormed out of the chat. I love our dramatic
narrative with Barb, but she's.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
This is really uncovering all my bandoned min issues. She's
she walked away. That's tough.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
We're unpacking a lot here, just like all of the
athletes are unpacking their finest garments to storm the ball.
That is the opening ceremony. It's all going down, you
guys on February sixth. We could not be more excited.
We I actually have something I'm wearing. I did buy
(04:55):
a suit from the country of Japan, a place with
its own vibe, but very We just got back. We
absolutely had a time great shopping there, so great that
I bought my opening ceremony outfit there.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So I know what I'm bringing. That's fabulous. It's iridescent khaki.
Oh my goodness, that screams international. That screams Olympics to me.
We are so thrilled to the opening ceremonies, just to
recap three thousand athletes from ninety countries, mostly from nations
(05:29):
we don't hear about every day, from tropical nations to
desert countries. This opens nineteen days of thrilling competition. We
are going to be running through interesting information. It's another
sort of it's not an alliteration technically, if it starts
with the vowel fun facts, it's tired wired interesting information.
(05:53):
We can no longer verify if these facts are true
because Barb has decided not to be in the chat
with us, sorry, and that is her right. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Maybe she felt like, let's actually test them and see
how much they do know. So I'm just going to
sort of guess some information and then later Barb can
if she comes back, do a little rubric to see
how close I got. But here are some guesses. There's
going to be over thirteen hundred cast members that have
been involved in the production. That is the opening ceremony,
(06:23):
with professionals and voluntariers from more than twenty seven countries
working together to create an unforgettable event. That's just me
sort of throwing numbers out there. But these numbers are
very interesting to me. These give me a sense of
what to expect, which is.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
A lot of personnel, a lot of human energy convocating
in one place.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Human energy convocating is really the definition of a big event.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Oh, I was going to see a country. We define
nation already. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
The nation is a country. Get your thsrs out girl.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The opening ceremony is a place with its own vibe.
Does that make it a country? This is it's a
slippery sort of thing that we've already established that I
think we can ratify over the course of this podcast.
I want to put out there that the opening ceremony
could be its own country, that's all. But then what
(07:20):
about a convocation of human energy? This is why we
need Barb. Barb would Barb would guide us.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
We're falling apart if I had to throw more figures
out there again based on nothing. There's going to be
over five hundred musicians working on the composition of original
soundtracks for the event. That sounds about right to me.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Ballpark. Yes, there'll be over.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Seven hundred hours of rehearsals in preparation for the ceremony.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I don't think that's nearly enough. You know why, because
Malcolm Gladwell said it's ten thousand hours to become an expert.
We're about ninety three hundred hours off from an expert performance.
I have no confidence in what we're about to see.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
You're saying, yeah, I mean I guess you never can
what is being prepared anyway? You know what I'm saying, Like,
we did zero hours of preparation for this and we're crushing.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Oh, speak for yourself. Oh don't don't be under the bus.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I read every single word, dead ass. I read these
production documents because Vincent Kates puts in the work. Shut
out I and that is Mike King. Yeah, and barbar
Queen has abandoned us. But it's okay.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Because of Vincent's work, we know there's going to be
a one hundred eighty two original costume designs in the
opening ceremony, with fourteen hundred costumes produced and fifteen hundred
pairs of shoes created. Okay, this is put together. Oh
my god, man, this is put I'm popular. This is
put together by one hundred and ten makeup artist, seventy hairstylists,
(08:53):
and over one thousand stage elements. I will say, seventy
hairstylists does not.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Seem like enough. Oh call it So are you're calling
out the production just the allocation of resources.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I'm saying that doesn't fit seventy hairstylists, they're gonna be working.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah. If it's let's see.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Because Mariah Carry is fifteen, oh Justina, it just has
one Christopher Buckle.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
If it's fourteen hundred costumes and fifteen hundred pairs of shoes,
I'm gonna imagine that's fourteen hundred people in costume who
need hair and makeup, so one hundred and ten makeup artists,
so that on average it's about like twelve ten to
eleven people per artist. Stylists, it's about twenty people per stylist.
(09:40):
That's a lot of people. Yeah, Okay, these people better
be unionized. I'm just saying I pray for everyone's unionization
really too. I pray for unionization in all ways, especially
in this way.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So basically, what we're saying is there's going to be
a huge convocation of human energy, whether you define that
as an event that you just find money that and
that's and that's really on union, and that's on that's
on labor. Yeah, and that's all going to come together
to really prop up the people who are the most important,
And I don't feel controversial saying that it's the Olympics.
(10:17):
The people that are most important are the athletes, and
they're going to be representing their nations, their countries, their
places with vibes and let's run through every single nation
that's going to be around and give a little fact around.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Robin Bow I don't think we're doing every single nation. Well,
I think we're about to go through about a dozen
or so facts.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Barb is back, Okay, Well, nice for a nice of
you to join us, Barb. We've been drowning. We've been drowning.
I don't know what's gone on here, but we've been drowning.
We're going to run through a dozen or so fun facts,
interesting information for these countries that merit interesting information. Not
(11:06):
to say anything negative about the countries that we're not
going to mention.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
It just was you just didn't.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
You the shoes that you purchased. You should have left
those on the rack. M h. Someone lied to you
several times when they said that you were gorgeous and
beautiful and sexy.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I think we are going to still give a bronze,
silver and gold medal. Of course, we are just to
do more math, three fourths of these countries will not
get any metal. That's such a brutal reality. Do you
know that?
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Literally get this? Most people aren't even getting a medal.
You heard about someone going to the Olympics, you like
congratulations that they will likely leave in disappointment, kind of
like a lot of you listening to this podcast. So
I thought this would be about something.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Now, you could still at the end of the day,
even without a metal, even without any actual information listening
to this podcast, you could still leave a country a
place with the vibe with an iridescent khaki suit.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I have to tell you, I'm so excited about it.
I am so excited about it. Okay, okay, anyway, I
have to drop it because the fact is we have
to begin. Do you want to know what my favorite
country that's also a continent is.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I think there's only one, babe, there's two.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Well, it's a continent. It's not really well, it's not
really a hundred because it's totally vibeless. Nothing goes on there. Well,
i'll let you know what the vibe is soon. I
know you're going, I'm going. But this isn't about that.
This is about Australia home of choice Avon and me.
(13:01):
Oh yes, I been born bowen Yang. And these two things,
the fact that Troy Sevon is from there and that
Bowen Yang was born there, aren't even the interesting fact
that I'm going to share. I haven't even breached the topic.
This is this is Get this. If you didn't know
anything about Australia, remember this. The city of Melbourne, which
(13:21):
by the way, is known as like the sort of
cool city out of the two. Out of the two,
the two meaning Sydney and Melbourne.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I hope to go.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
To Sydney and Melbourne this year at the end of
the year for a certain performance. I'm gonna just sell
you that the city of Melbourne assigned trees email addresses
so citizens could report problems. Instead, people wrote thousands of
love letters to their favorite trees.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Can you believe this? God, this is some wacky human
to be a Melbourne tree and to have better luck
with online dating than most of my friends.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Barb's coming on, Barbara, Get on, Barbara.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I'm addressing you by your full Christian name, Barbara.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I can hear you now.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
I don't know I'm in the must building and said
I didn't have a stable internet connection.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Your first mistake going to Connecticut. My gosh, well you
missed our big fact about Australia. It's that the city
of Melbourne assigned trees email addresses so citizens could report problems,
but instead people wrote thousands of love letters to their
favorite trees. Interesting, huh it is, well, that's hey.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
It goes back to the Catherine Hephern interview with Barbara Walters.
You asked her like.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
What if you were a tree? What kind of tree
would you be?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Yeah, so maybe that's it.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
This same interview where Barbara Walters asked her why she
only wore pants and that and when would she wear
a respectable dress, and Katain Hepburn replied, I'll wear one
to your funeral.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
An iconic exchange, really really good shade two dead women. Well,
but this isn't about them, This isn't about them, This is.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
About well, Barbie, we got to keep going. Okay, and
I'm sorry you're dealing with technical problems, but we're just
going to keep forging it.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
But we have been proving on this episode we don't
even need you, barb Barbara, turn your mic off for now.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We'll call you back in Okay, bye, guys, bye. Could
you hear us in the back of her thing?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
We're like, yeah, it was giving the teacher from Peanuts
from Peanuts.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I hate hearing my own voice.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
No, you have such a famous voice. Get into this
fact we have famous voices.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
That's terrible. Do you ever think about it like that?
Speaker 3 (15:58):
When you get a successful podcast, your voice becomes famous.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I don't like that frame at all. Let's keep going.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Sometimes people will come up and they were like, hey,
are you Matt, And they won't know me by my face.
They'll say, yeah, I figured that was you because that
I know your voice and they don't. I realize these
people haven't even thought of my face.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Call me by your name, no, know me by my voice.
The seas keep going, Let's keep going. Next country is Belgium.
Belgium built a beer pipeline that carries fifteen hundred gallons
of booze per hour. It stretches two miles this country.
(16:43):
This is why the pissing Boys statue is such a
hit there.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Yeah, because reverend's out of juice. They're feeding beer this
children's statues. I am one who has drank beer in Belgium,
and I gotta say I get it. They're great at
doing it, great at Oh yes, they love to ferment
question mark.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I would love to go back to Belgium, but for
right now, we're gonna come to Brazil. In nineteen thirty two,
Brazil couldn't afford to send its athletes to the Olympics
in La, so they loaded their ship with coffee and
sold it along the way. I want to point something out.
(17:25):
I just said, in La, do you know what that's
a reference to? I don't Taylor Swift cover Davis Eyes.
Do you know there's some amazing sounds that are written
here in La? In La, there are some amazing songs
that were written here in La.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
She said it like, LA.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
This is written in nineteen eighty nine and here I
was born, and it's called Betty Davis Side. And then
she gave like a great performance of Betty Davis Eye.
Now anyway, cover Betty Davis Side. This is about Brazil.
They loaded their ship with coffee and sold it along
the way.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I don't understand this fact. I don't get this fact either.
If you have any insight on this, we're gonna keep going,
but just chime in when you can, and then you know, well,
we'll sort of just kind of I don't wanna drop
everything and listen to what you have to say, because
we want you to sort of earn your keep here. Okay,
I'm gonna let you.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Take this next one, doll, because I know this next
country has a big place in your hearts as it's
you know, to your true home. That's gosh.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
We need to impact this because anytime someone asks me
where I'm from, I go, well, I, you know, grew
up in Canada, but then I moved to Colorado when
I was the whole thing. And so why don't I
just say Colorado? It's because of shame, But why shame?
Colorado's a wonderful place. But I just Canada was a
really special time. Yeah, because it's a special place with
a special vibe and a special fact, a special fact.
(18:49):
When Canada's Northwest territory is considered renaming itself in the nineties,
one name that gained support was Bob. Like our friend
Almo told us, there's Bob's all over the place.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I forget everything I talked to Almo about, you know,
in Colombia in the early nineties, Medayan was considered the
murder capital of the world. It has since undergone a
renaissance and is now one of the country's main cultural hubs.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Now why did we do There's so many more interesting
things about Colombia. You could have written about Sophia Vergara.
Why don't we have to bring out that medi Yin
was murder city.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I've been to Colombia Gata and you know what I
did there, shot a cameo on RuPaul's Drag Race Global
Low Stars. How about that for a fact? Hey, Colombia,
this is where Matt Rogers did a guest judge on
RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars, which was won by
Alyssa Edwards. I don't need to hear about murder when
(19:43):
I can hear about drag.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And Alyssa Edwards. Next up, Croatia. The necktie originated in Croatia.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Wow, very very GQ, very very very You know, wedding
coded I suppose, or business casual.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I guess Croatia didn't really have much going on. Huh,
thank yeah, necktie great.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
In Finland, people support national Sleepyhead Day, where the last
person in a family to wake up is soaked with
water or.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Thrown into the sea by the rest of the family.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Okay, this actually is the craziest happen This is insane.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
I'm not sure snipyhead Day.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Are we sure the Finnish celebrate it feels right, it
feels like wacko enough Finnish humor. National Sleepyhead Day. The
last person gets soaked with water or thrown in the
sea that has probably had perilous consequences. That is a
cold sea, I imagine, can't be warm. Talk about France
(20:53):
for once in your life.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Hold on, I'm still on Finland. That is. Do they
have a significant presence at the Winter Olympics, because I'm
sure they do. We got to ask somebody about this, Barb,
if you have any insights about this, please do more
research on National Sleepyhead Day. We need more ny episode.
We need to really get into this.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Maybe it's all about that, maybe it stops being about sports,
which this of course very much is.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
This is I'll look into that, guys.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
They do have a significant winter presence, and if and
when you ever want it, I have more information on Brazil,
but I'll look into National Sleepyhead Day.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
We would love more information on Brazil.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I just want to say we're recording this right now
while Grammy results are coming in, and that was what
I was getting that phone call about. And I got
to tell you that Defying Gravity has beat Golden for
Best Pop Vocal Duo. So you might want to text
your your dear friends and take congratulations Ari and Cynthia
for winning a Grammy. Anyway, in the country of France,
(21:58):
there's a fact and I love you to say it. Well, first, Barb,
do you have facts about the Brazil coffee boat in
nineteen thirty two on its way to La I do.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
So it was in the middle of the Great Depression,
and so you know, times were tough, severe financial difficulties
in Brazil. So they funded the by you know, bringing
the coffee to sell along the way, and then they
continued on to San Francisco after Los Angeles, after the
(22:28):
athletes disembarked, and they sold more coffee to finance the
return journey.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Work must have been great coffee, all right, all right,
thank you, Barb.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
So we'll have to look into that, all right.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Proca Sean just said in the chat national sleepy had
to begin in the medieval period to wash away the
evil of laziness. Well, I guess I'm evil. Yeah, lock
me up. I want to go to bed. Let's move
on to France. We are moving at a snail's pace
asgo it is. Here's the French fact. Let's cargo. It
(23:05):
is illegal for supermarkets in France to waste food. Supermarkets
must either compost or donate unsold and nearly expired goods
to charity.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Like that nice, that's lovely, you know, it's almost as
lovely as the country of Georgia. Not just a state
in the US, a country in the world, just the
name of a beautiful woman exactly. It's not just oh man,
I set myself up to know a fourth hold On,
hold On, not just a by Georgia the it's a
(23:40):
song about from John Mayer.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I love that song. It's not just the first word
in the title of a movie that is followed by
a rule.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yes, And it's not just a state of mind in
the country of Georgia. Georgians have a word for the
day after tomorrow. You know what it is, Zeg.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I love it. See there's tomorrow and then there's zeg.
I'll see you Zeg. Tomorrow is so is so long.
It's like, why there should be a word for that?
Because I remember when the movie The Day after Tomorrow
came out. Mm hmmm, my judgment. I'm all fan over here.
Of course, my cousin in China was like, oh, I
(24:24):
can't wait to see Ho Tien, which is the day
after Tomorrow and Mandarin. And I was like, that's a
much pithier, amazing title, Ho Tien. Oh my god, did
I do good? Yes? You got the tones perfectly.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Ho Tan My can my ability to turn what's a
very musical language.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
You see, I want this next one? Yes, I thought
you might. In Germany, I actually already take a shue
with this fact. These are these are all terrible facts.
These are facts that we all that we all have great,
great qualms with. Just go just kidding.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
We're just being playful, tense and playful.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Before I get to Germany, Barbara has has dropped the chat.
The last person to wake up in a household, Rebecca
Finland is quote unquote punished by being thrown into a
lake or sea.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Or that we know, bar Barbara, Barbara, get on the
dims your Christian name.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
What happens in Germany? This is a good one. Donald
Duck is a pop culture hero in Germany. But here's
my thing. Pop culture hero in many other countries as
well anyway, including maybe even more here. I guess America.
He even has his own fan club, the Donaldists, who
hosts annual conferences and lectures. Well, I guess we can
(25:59):
start the Daisyists, because Daisy Duck deserves her own fan club.
I want to say, if Daisy Duck has no fans,
then you and I are dead. Oh no, one hundred percent.
I mean like we're not around. If you see that
she's famless. Speaking of fans, this next country is very
very special to you. Yes, it is my etymology. Mmm
(26:25):
mm hmmm sort of, uh, Greace.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
The red carpet tradition originated in ancient Greece, So every
time you see people stunting pretty on a red carpet,
thank Grease. The Crimson Path was featured in the Acialists
play Agamemnon isalsts isalst play Achless Isalist A Scalis barber
probably now is truly tomato tomato coated here. Yeah, but
(26:52):
the Crimson Path I like so much more than red carpet.
We have to stop saying hit the red carpet and
say hit the crimson path.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
And I do think it starts with us. Bob Well
I'm about to trod the Crimson path. We'll be trotting
the Crimson path up the opening ceremony, treading, treading. I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
English is such a silly language. Agreed, talk about Japan
so much better. Japan a quarter century ago, that's twenty
five years, so much math. This episode, Japan modified a
number of national holidays to place them on Mondays, creating
three day weekends. This is referred to as the Happy
Monday system.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Very Japan coded that they would do this. So Japan coded.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
So thoughtful, fun forward, thinking of its people. I do
think that you know Japan, I would say, amazing experience.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I had one note. I had one note about Japan
when we were there. Hear it. I would like a
couple more garbage cans, just a.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Couple more, because the whole thing is like, there's no
trash cans anywhere, and this works for the country because
there's no garbage on the streets. People know not to
bring garbage out because there's gonna be nowhere to put it.
And it does work. However, maybe just one, if we
could add just one garbage can to Tokyo, it would
have thrilled me.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
This is your hack you go into seven eleven, you
go into a Coombinia seven eleven, lost in a family
mart and you buy a little thing, or you just
kind of tossed your stuff in there. I heard and Barbara,
you can confirm this. Maybe the reason why there's no
garbage cans watch or drop in the chat. Japan has
no garbage cans. The reason Japan has no garbage cans
(28:36):
is I guess because they were originally worried that garbage
cans would be perfect places for terrorists to put bombs in.
I was talking to a friend and he was like, oh,
do you know why, And that's because it's like a
way to like keep people responsible for their own belongings.
He goes, no, it's because they were originally afraid that
terrorist attacks would happen most likely in like via garbage.
(29:02):
Which is so interesting.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
This is too scary to talk about. I'd rather talk
about Kenya. Most people think of Kenya as being dominant
in long distance running, but Kenya made its Winter Olympic
debut in nineteen ninety eight with cross country skier Philip Bolt.
He famously finished last in his first race, but his
story is legendary because he trained in Finland to chase
(29:24):
that Olympic dream.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Correction, Philip boett Bloch, Philip Philip blah.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Wah, Sorry, I think I saw an athlete and bo
it in a doc and I thought Hussein Bolt wah
different wah.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Bolt very tomato, tomato made tomato. English is so silly.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
What's your favorite animated film? Shrek two? But this is
about Madagascar. This is about Madagascar. More than eighty percent
of the plants and animal species found on Maundagascar are
not found anywhere else on Earth. Wow, well, I guess
that's are they competing?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I like to see some of them at the Games.
Perhaps we will.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Finally, we're gonna give a fact about Singapore. This is
actually a sports fact as well. This tiny tropical island
had its first Winter Olympian in twenty eighteen. Chyenne Go
a short track speedskater, no mountains, no snow, yet she
represents Singapore on the icy track, making history at the
Winter Games.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
This is huge, and this opens up a beautiful, beautiful
entry point into our next episode, where we will be
talking about the debutantes, the first timers. It's not so
long ago that Singapore was the new girl at school.
But we will be talking about Beneen, Guinea Bissau, so
(30:53):
many other warm places that somehow have a presence at
these Winter Games, and we are so happy for them
and thrilled to see how they do. Now, that's on
hard work, and that's on hard work and dedication in
warm places. Now, I want to not get ahead of myself. Bob,
(31:14):
do you want to sort of chime in one last
time before we award our metals. We'll take that as
a no. Or that she's in a stairwell at the
NBC building.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Well you you missed your window there, bar, because we're
gonna go ahead, and yes, no bar.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
I just wanted to let you know that a city
outside of Osaka removed its trash hands to prevent the
deer from trying to eat from plastic.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Yeah, we heard all about the Nara deer. The Nara
deer are sacred deer and for them to for nine
of them to die is a travesty. I thank you,
thank you for that. I have looked up. According to Google,
the key reason for the lack of public trash cans
(32:07):
is the nineteen ninety five Tokyo subway terror attack. I
remember this where saren gas was used and hidden in
public spaces, which prompted the widespread removal of trash cans
to enhance safety.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Okay, well I didn't know that, and I don't want
to be you know, just leave me alone. I just
I was just looking for a place to put my coffee.
I'll go into seven eleven next time. This is a
global for everyone.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Leave me alone. Okay, I'm leaving you alone. I was
just trying to inform you because you had asked. The
bronze medal goes to.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
I'm sorry, I gotta give it to Donald Duck. I
know that you took issue with with Germany claiming him,
but any Donald Dunk mentioned like, I'm on board.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
I love the guy. I love him. He's so sweet.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
My bronze medal goes to the fact that Germany holds
Donald Duck as a pop culture hero and you know what,
sure they call himself to Donald Disc.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I'm just happy for Donald.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
I'm really happy to see him take the spotlight over Mickey.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
There we go. What's the silver medal? Because he's very
he he's he's very barb like in that when the
heroes need him most. I love Barb. Okay, we love Barb.
We love Barb, but Mickey is very Barb. In the
Games where the Sora and Donald and Goofy are looking
for King Mickey, King Mickey is on his own adventure
(33:29):
somewhere and he loses access to communication and they feel
abandoned by him. That happens, and that doesn't Happenliar, and
you're abandoned. Missions rearing their up. Barb has ripped the
sutures open, and that's okay. I'm sorry, guys, give us
silver before before this becomes you know, we're kidding. We
(33:53):
love you and this is not our toxic way of
showing it. We're playfully ribbing as it were, Okay, held
tense ribbing. Yeah, I oh, this is tough. Okay, that's okay. Greece,
I'm sorry. Germany gets bronze. I am gonna give my
(34:17):
silver two Georgia. I love that zag they have I
love ZAG. I love that it sort of opened up
this beautiful moment of discovery where you really blew me
away with your mandarin. Oh do you remember it?
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Yeah, oh no, let's.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Don't anyone ever won't leave me alone?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
What did I not do? You just didn't say it? Okay,
and what's gold? I have a gold, but I wonder
I hope that we have the same one.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Okay, on three, we'll both say our gold.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
One. Wait, hold on, what's my goal? Oh?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
One? Two?
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Three? Finland? Oh no, national sleepy head day. I think
took us for a ride. I is this a thing
where we have a tie for goal? I know, because
then then there would be no silver. It would be
that things.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I'm sorry, I'm gonna go hard for Finland. I think
it's Finland. I don't think that Greece. Oh the Crimson Path,
that was good. Okay, you know what, I'm sorry. I'm
taking the bronze medal away. I'm taking the bronze medal Oway.
This is one of those controversies. Wait, what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Bronze is? What are you doing?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Me?
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Tell me, tell me what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
I'm taking the bronze medal away from Donald Duck And okay,
so then who gets bronze.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
I'm bumping. I'm bumping. You're gonna but my silver down
to bronze to make sure that we both can get it.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I just I think I'm helping us both. Okay, So
don't George though, Georgia gets bronze. Zag is Bronze is bronze,
Silver is what Finland Finland Sleepy Day is crazy national
sleepy head day where someone gets thrown in the water.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
That to me is too good.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
And the gold is of course Crimson Path, Crimson Path.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
I feel good about that, all right? I want is
saying a metal controversy these judges, Yeah, it happens every time.
Where's the French judge in this?
Speaker 3 (36:25):
I think it feels like you you've been the drama. You've
really been the drama on this episode.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Barbara is getting French judge. Absolutely, but the French judge
and Barbara both iconic. So there you go. Well, this
has been our really wacky ride through the countries. Yeah,
of the.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Twenty twenty six Winter Olympics, And you can tune in
next time when we are talking about the debutantes aka
the first timers at these Olympic Games, the twenty twenty
six Milan Courtain one. They are going to be storming
the fort for the very first time.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
And we we're gonna be talking about it.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
We want to remind you be sure to follow two
guys five rings on the iHeartRadio app or your favorite
podcast platform and watch on the NBC.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Sports YouTube channel. Watch and listen to every moment of
the Winter Olympics February sixth through the twenty second on
NBC in Peacock and on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
We are going to end this episode triumphantly, as we
do every episode, with the sounds of the Olympic
Yet another episode that is, and this time we are
in another venue, and the venue is Riverside.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Peak behind the curtain.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Sometimes podcasts are recorded and shot on Would you call.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
This an app? I would call this. I think it's
called a website. It's these new things where you log
onto the World Wide Web and you get to travel
to all sorts of different places. I can't believe we've
been on a journey already with this very podcast. Think
of all the places we've recorded this very show over
(00:51):
the last couple of years. I mean we're on Riverside,
We've done this in Los Angeles and beautiful Los Angeles.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
We've recorded this everywhere from New York to Los Angeles.
But I do want to say we've recorded this at
Sesame workshop.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
Yeah yeah, yeah, that was really great.
Speaker 3 (01:09):
By now you've all heard us interact with the Sesame gang.
Speaker 2 (01:13):
I can't believe we got to hang with them. No,
but I'm gonna say I remember recording this from a
windowless kind of a closet slash flex office in a
long stay space in Vancouver, Canada. I remember recording there.
Think of all the places you've recorded this podcast on
(01:33):
your end, my parents' house, I've recorded this from Long Island.
I mean, like.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Truly, like we're talking all over our great nation. But
here's the twist. We're soon going to be recording from
Italy itself, specifically Milan, And this is officially making this
an international podcast. And I don't know if you've sort
(01:59):
of deduce this yourself, audience.
Speaker 2 (02:03):
I can't call them the readers.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
I assume that a lot of readers are listening, but
I would just feel wrong.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
I think the listenership for this podcast is just called
the guys. The guys, Hey guys.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Yeah, so all you the guys out there, Hey, you
sports fans, y'all are going to be in for it.
When you see an entire world's community come together in Milan,
will be there. And I think that's really what this
episode is all about. It's getting to know you, meaning
all of the countries that are going to be at
(02:35):
the opening ceremony. We've talked about the opening ceremony. It's
probably our most anticipated thing that we're going to be seeing.
But we're here today on this episode to run down
who's showing up and how they're showing out.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Absolutely, I mean I just want to really beautifully sort
of map out the way we have arrived here, which
is talking about Riverside, talk about the places, the far
flong places we've recorded this podcast from, which kind of
opens up a larger conversation, the conversation we're about to
have about the international community about places in general. Countries
(03:09):
are I guess if you could define a country, it's
just a place.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Really, a country is a place that has its own vibe.
That's actually real of culture number six, A country place
that has its own vibe. Now we are going to
share really fun facts, as it were, about these places
with their own vibes. And we have on deck not
(03:34):
only our group of great producers, but say it, our
star resource, Barb.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
Barbe is back. Barber's back.
Speaker 3 (03:45):
You know you all fell in love with Barb on
the last episode we had where we really abused her
as a resource. I mean there's using resources and then
there's you know, copying to the fact that you have
no actual knowledge and so you abuse your resource.
Speaker 2 (03:59):
And thank you, Barb. Do you abuse your resources? Well,
Barb is sort of abusing us. She is no longer
in the chat. I'm looking at Riverside. I'm still getting
to know Riverside, getting to know you. As in Riverside,
Barb has left the chat. Well, I guess don't don't
cut this out, you guys, No, youse, don't cut this out.
This is real.
Speaker 3 (04:16):
People want authentic and we want toally call out that
Barbas stormed out of the chat. I love our dramatic
narrative with Barb, but she's.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
This is really uncovering all my bandoned min issues. She's
she walked away. That's tough.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
We're unpacking a lot here, just like all of the
athletes are unpacking their finest garments to storm the ball.
That is the opening ceremony. It's all going down, you
guys on February sixth. We could not be more excited.
We I actually have something I'm wearing. I did buy
(04:55):
a suit from the country of Japan, a place with
its own vibe, but very We just got back. We
absolutely had a time great shopping there, so great that
I bought my opening ceremony outfit there.
Speaker 2 (05:08):
So I know what I'm bringing. That's fabulous. It's iridescent khaki.
Oh my goodness, that screams international. That screams Olympics to me.
We are so thrilled to the opening ceremonies, just to
recap three thousand athletes from ninety countries, mostly from nations
(05:29):
we don't hear about every day, from tropical nations to
desert countries. This opens nineteen days of thrilling competition. We
are going to be running through interesting information. It's another
sort of it's not an alliteration technically, if it starts
with the vowel fun facts, it's tired wired interesting information.
(05:53):
We can no longer verify if these facts are true
because Barb has decided not to be in the chat
with us, sorry, and that is her right. I don't know.
Speaker 3 (06:02):
Maybe she felt like, let's actually test them and see
how much they do know. So I'm just going to
sort of guess some information and then later Barb can
if she comes back, do a little rubric to see
how close I got. But here are some guesses. There's
going to be over thirteen hundred cast members that have
been involved in the production. That is the opening ceremony,
(06:23):
with professionals and voluntariers from more than twenty seven countries
working together to create an unforgettable event. That's just me
sort of throwing numbers out there. But these numbers are
very interesting to me. These give me a sense of
what to expect, which is.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
A lot of personnel, a lot of human energy convocating
in one place.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Human energy convocating is really the definition of a big event.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Oh, I was going to see a country. We define
nation already. I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (06:54):
The nation is a country. Get your thsrs out girl.
Speaker 2 (06:58):
The opening ceremony is a place with its own vibe.
Does that make it a country? This is it's a
slippery sort of thing that we've already established that I
think we can ratify over the course of this podcast.
I want to put out there that the opening ceremony
could be its own country, that's all. But then what
(07:20):
about a convocation of human energy? This is why we
need Barb. Barb would Barb would guide us.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
We're falling apart if I had to throw more figures
out there again based on nothing. There's going to be
over five hundred musicians working on the composition of original
soundtracks for the event. That sounds about right to me.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Ballpark. Yes, there'll be over.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Seven hundred hours of rehearsals in preparation for the ceremony.
Speaker 2 (07:42):
I don't think that's nearly enough. You know why, because
Malcolm Gladwell said it's ten thousand hours to become an expert.
We're about ninety three hundred hours off from an expert performance.
I have no confidence in what we're about to see.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
You're saying, yeah, I mean I guess you never can
what is being prepared anyway? You know what I'm saying, Like,
we did zero hours of preparation for this and we're crushing.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Oh, speak for yourself. Oh don't don't be under the bus.
Speaker 3 (08:16):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (08:17):
I read every single word, dead ass. I read these
production documents because Vincent Kates puts in the work. Shut
out I and that is Mike King. Yeah, and barbar
Queen has abandoned us. But it's okay.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
Because of Vincent's work, we know there's going to be
a one hundred eighty two original costume designs in the
opening ceremony, with fourteen hundred costumes produced and fifteen hundred
pairs of shoes created. Okay, this is put together. Oh
my god, man, this is put I'm popular. This is
put together by one hundred and ten makeup artist, seventy hairstylists,
(08:53):
and over one thousand stage elements. I will say, seventy
hairstylists does not.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Seem like enough. Oh call it So are you're calling
out the production just the allocation of resources.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I'm saying that doesn't fit seventy hairstylists, they're gonna be working.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
Yeah. If it's let's see.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
Because Mariah Carry is fifteen, oh Justina, it just has
one Christopher Buckle.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
If it's fourteen hundred costumes and fifteen hundred pairs of shoes,
I'm gonna imagine that's fourteen hundred people in costume who
need hair and makeup, so one hundred and ten makeup artists,
so that on average it's about like twelve ten to
eleven people per artist. Stylists, it's about twenty people per stylist.
(09:40):
That's a lot of people. Yeah, Okay, these people better
be unionized. I'm just saying I pray for everyone's unionization
really too. I pray for unionization in all ways, especially
in this way.
Speaker 3 (09:56):
So basically, what we're saying is there's going to be
a huge convocation of human energy, whether you define that
as an event that you just find money that and
that's and that's really on union, and that's on that's
on labor. Yeah, and that's all going to come together
to really prop up the people who are the most important,
And I don't feel controversial saying that it's the Olympics.
(10:17):
The people that are most important are the athletes, and
they're going to be representing their nations, their countries, their
places with vibes and let's run through every single nation
that's going to be around and give a little fact around.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Robin Bow I don't think we're doing every single nation. Well,
I think we're about to go through about a dozen
or so facts.
Speaker 3 (10:45):
Barb is back, Okay, Well, nice for a nice of
you to join us, Barb. We've been drowning. We've been drowning.
I don't know what's gone on here, but we've been drowning.
We're going to run through a dozen or so fun facts,
interesting information for these countries that merit interesting information. Not
(11:06):
to say anything negative about the countries that we're not
going to mention.
Speaker 2 (11:09):
It just was you just didn't.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
You the shoes that you purchased. You should have left
those on the rack. M h. Someone lied to you
several times when they said that you were gorgeous and
beautiful and sexy.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
I think we are going to still give a bronze,
silver and gold medal. Of course, we are just to
do more math, three fourths of these countries will not
get any metal. That's such a brutal reality. Do you
know that?
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Literally get this? Most people aren't even getting a medal.
You heard about someone going to the Olympics, you like
congratulations that they will likely leave in disappointment, kind of
like a lot of you listening to this podcast. So
I thought this would be about something.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Now, you could still at the end of the day,
even without a metal, even without any actual information listening
to this podcast, you could still leave a country a
place with the vibe with an iridescent khaki suit.
Speaker 3 (12:17):
I have to tell you, I'm so excited about it.
I am so excited about it. Okay, okay, anyway, I
have to drop it because the fact is we have
to begin. Do you want to know what my favorite
country that's also a continent is.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
I think there's only one, babe, there's two.
Speaker 3 (12:40):
Well, it's a continent. It's not really well, it's not
really a hundred because it's totally vibeless. Nothing goes on there. Well,
i'll let you know what the vibe is soon. I
know you're going, I'm going. But this isn't about that.
This is about Australia home of choice Avon and me.
(13:01):
Oh yes, I been born bowen Yang. And these two things,
the fact that Troy Sevon is from there and that
Bowen Yang was born there, aren't even the interesting fact
that I'm going to share. I haven't even breached the topic.
This is this is Get this. If you didn't know
anything about Australia, remember this. The city of Melbourne, which
(13:21):
by the way, is known as like the sort of
cool city out of the two. Out of the two,
the two meaning Sydney and Melbourne.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
I hope to go.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
To Sydney and Melbourne this year at the end of
the year for a certain performance. I'm gonna just sell
you that the city of Melbourne assigned trees email addresses
so citizens could report problems. Instead, people wrote thousands of
love letters to their favorite trees.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Can you believe this? God, this is some wacky human
to be a Melbourne tree and to have better luck
with online dating than most of my friends.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
Barb's coming on, Barbara, Get on, Barbara.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
I'm addressing you by your full Christian name, Barbara.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
I can hear you now.
Speaker 4 (14:25):
I don't know I'm in the must building and said
I didn't have a stable internet connection.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
Your first mistake going to Connecticut. My gosh, well you
missed our big fact about Australia. It's that the city
of Melbourne assigned trees email addresses so citizens could report problems,
but instead people wrote thousands of love letters to their
favorite trees. Interesting, huh it is, well, that's hey.
Speaker 4 (14:48):
It goes back to the Catherine Hephern interview with Barbara Walters.
You asked her like.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
What if you were a tree? What kind of tree
would you be?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
Yeah, so maybe that's it.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
This same interview where Barbara Walters asked her why she
only wore pants and that and when would she wear
a respectable dress, and Katain Hepburn replied, I'll wear one
to your funeral.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
An iconic exchange, really really good shade two dead women. Well,
but this isn't about them, This isn't about them, This is.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
About well, Barbie, we got to keep going. Okay, and
I'm sorry you're dealing with technical problems, but we're just
going to keep forging it.
Speaker 3 (15:31):
But we have been proving on this episode we don't
even need you, barb Barbara, turn your mic off for now.
Speaker 2 (15:38):
We'll call you back in Okay, bye, guys, bye. Could
you hear us in the back of her thing?
Speaker 3 (15:42):
We're like, yeah, it was giving the teacher from Peanuts
from Peanuts.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
I hate hearing my own voice.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
No, you have such a famous voice. Get into this
fact we have famous voices.
Speaker 2 (15:56):
That's terrible. Do you ever think about it like that?
Speaker 3 (15:58):
When you get a successful podcast, your voice becomes famous.
Speaker 2 (16:03):
I don't like that frame at all. Let's keep going.
Speaker 3 (16:07):
Sometimes people will come up and they were like, hey,
are you Matt, And they won't know me by my face.
They'll say, yeah, I figured that was you because that
I know your voice and they don't. I realize these
people haven't even thought of my face.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
Call me by your name, no, know me by my voice.
The seas keep going, Let's keep going. Next country is Belgium.
Belgium built a beer pipeline that carries fifteen hundred gallons
of booze per hour. It stretches two miles this country.
(16:43):
This is why the pissing Boys statue is such a
hit there.
Speaker 3 (16:46):
Yeah, because reverend's out of juice. They're feeding beer this
children's statues. I am one who has drank beer in Belgium,
and I gotta say I get it. They're great at
doing it, great at Oh yes, they love to ferment
question mark.
Speaker 2 (17:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (17:05):
I would love to go back to Belgium, but for
right now, we're gonna come to Brazil. In nineteen thirty two,
Brazil couldn't afford to send its athletes to the Olympics
in La, so they loaded their ship with coffee and
sold it along the way. I want to point something out.
(17:25):
I just said, in La, do you know what that's
a reference to? I don't Taylor Swift cover Davis Eyes.
Do you know there's some amazing sounds that are written
here in La? In La, there are some amazing songs
that were written here in La.
Speaker 2 (17:42):
She said it like, LA.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
This is written in nineteen eighty nine and here I
was born, and it's called Betty Davis Side. And then
she gave like a great performance of Betty Davis Eye.
Now anyway, cover Betty Davis Side. This is about Brazil.
They loaded their ship with coffee and sold it along
the way.
Speaker 2 (18:00):
I don't understand this fact. I don't get this fact either.
If you have any insight on this, we're gonna keep going,
but just chime in when you can, and then you know, well,
we'll sort of just kind of I don't wanna drop
everything and listen to what you have to say, because
we want you to sort of earn your keep here. Okay,
I'm gonna let you.
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Take this next one, doll, because I know this next
country has a big place in your hearts as it's
you know, to your true home. That's gosh.
Speaker 2 (18:27):
We need to impact this because anytime someone asks me
where I'm from, I go, well, I, you know, grew
up in Canada, but then I moved to Colorado when
I was the whole thing. And so why don't I
just say Colorado? It's because of shame, But why shame?
Colorado's a wonderful place. But I just Canada was a
really special time. Yeah, because it's a special place with
a special vibe and a special fact, a special fact.
(18:49):
When Canada's Northwest territory is considered renaming itself in the nineties,
one name that gained support was Bob. Like our friend
Almo told us, there's Bob's all over the place.
Speaker 3 (18:59):
I forget everything I talked to Almo about, you know,
in Colombia in the early nineties, Medayan was considered the
murder capital of the world. It has since undergone a
renaissance and is now one of the country's main cultural hubs.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Now why did we do There's so many more interesting
things about Colombia. You could have written about Sophia Vergara.
Why don't we have to bring out that medi Yin
was murder city.
Speaker 3 (19:22):
I've been to Colombia Gata and you know what I
did there, shot a cameo on RuPaul's Drag Race Global
Low Stars. How about that for a fact? Hey, Colombia,
this is where Matt Rogers did a guest judge on
RuPaul's Drag Race Global All Stars, which was won by
Alyssa Edwards. I don't need to hear about murder when
(19:43):
I can hear about drag.
Speaker 2 (19:45):
And Alyssa Edwards. Next up, Croatia. The necktie originated in Croatia.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Wow, very very GQ, very very very You know, wedding
coded I suppose, or business casual.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
I guess Croatia didn't really have much going on. Huh,
thank yeah, necktie great.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
In Finland, people support national Sleepyhead Day, where the last
person in a family to wake up is soaked with
water or.
Speaker 2 (20:19):
Thrown into the sea by the rest of the family.
Speaker 3 (20:22):
Okay, this actually is the craziest happen This is insane.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
I'm not sure snipyhead Day.
Speaker 3 (20:30):
Are we sure the Finnish celebrate it feels right, it
feels like wacko enough Finnish humor. National Sleepyhead Day. The
last person gets soaked with water or thrown in the
sea that has probably had perilous consequences. That is a
cold sea, I imagine, can't be warm. Talk about France
(20:53):
for once in your life.
Speaker 2 (20:54):
Hold on, I'm still on Finland. That is. Do they
have a significant presence at the Winter Olympics, because I'm
sure they do. We got to ask somebody about this, Barb,
if you have any insights about this, please do more
research on National Sleepyhead Day. We need more ny episode.
We need to really get into this.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
Maybe it's all about that, maybe it stops being about sports,
which this of course very much is.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
This is I'll look into that, guys.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
They do have a significant winter presence, and if and
when you ever want it, I have more information on Brazil,
but I'll look into National Sleepyhead Day.
Speaker 2 (21:33):
We would love more information on Brazil.
Speaker 3 (21:34):
I just want to say we're recording this right now
while Grammy results are coming in, and that was what
I was getting that phone call about. And I got
to tell you that Defying Gravity has beat Golden for
Best Pop Vocal Duo. So you might want to text
your your dear friends and take congratulations Ari and Cynthia
for winning a Grammy. Anyway, in the country of France,
(21:58):
there's a fact and I love you to say it. Well, first, Barb,
do you have facts about the Brazil coffee boat in
nineteen thirty two on its way to La I do.
Speaker 4 (22:08):
So it was in the middle of the Great Depression,
and so you know, times were tough, severe financial difficulties
in Brazil. So they funded the by you know, bringing
the coffee to sell along the way, and then they
continued on to San Francisco after Los Angeles, after the
(22:28):
athletes disembarked, and they sold more coffee to finance the
return journey.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
Work must have been great coffee, all right, all right,
thank you, Barb.
Speaker 4 (22:41):
So we'll have to look into that, all right.
Speaker 2 (22:44):
Proca Sean just said in the chat national sleepy had
to begin in the medieval period to wash away the
evil of laziness. Well, I guess I'm evil. Yeah, lock
me up. I want to go to bed. Let's move
on to France. We are moving at a snail's pace
asgo it is. Here's the French fact. Let's cargo. It
(23:05):
is illegal for supermarkets in France to waste food. Supermarkets
must either compost or donate unsold and nearly expired goods
to charity.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
Like that nice, that's lovely, you know, it's almost as
lovely as the country of Georgia. Not just a state
in the US, a country in the world, just the
name of a beautiful woman exactly. It's not just oh man,
I set myself up to know a fourth hold On,
hold On, not just a by Georgia the it's a
(23:40):
song about from John Mayer.
Speaker 2 (23:43):
I love that song. It's not just the first word
in the title of a movie that is followed by
a rule.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
Yes, And it's not just a state of mind in
the country of Georgia. Georgians have a word for the
day after tomorrow. You know what it is, Zeg.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
I love it. See there's tomorrow and then there's zeg.
I'll see you Zeg. Tomorrow is so is so long.
It's like, why there should be a word for that?
Because I remember when the movie The Day after Tomorrow
came out. Mm hmmm, my judgment. I'm all fan over here.
Of course, my cousin in China was like, oh, I
(24:24):
can't wait to see Ho Tien, which is the day
after Tomorrow and Mandarin. And I was like, that's a
much pithier, amazing title, Ho Tien. Oh my god, did
I do good? Yes? You got the tones perfectly.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Ho Tan My can my ability to turn what's a
very musical language.
Speaker 2 (24:46):
You see, I want this next one? Yes, I thought
you might. In Germany, I actually already take a shue
with this fact. These are these are all terrible facts.
These are facts that we all that we all have great,
great qualms with. Just go just kidding.
Speaker 3 (25:04):
We're just being playful, tense and playful.
Speaker 2 (25:08):
Before I get to Germany, Barbara has has dropped the chat.
The last person to wake up in a household, Rebecca
Finland is quote unquote punished by being thrown into a
lake or sea.
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Or that we know, bar Barbara, Barbara, get on the
dims your Christian name.
Speaker 2 (25:36):
What happens in Germany? This is a good one. Donald
Duck is a pop culture hero in Germany. But here's
my thing. Pop culture hero in many other countries as
well anyway, including maybe even more here. I guess America.
He even has his own fan club, the Donaldists, who
hosts annual conferences and lectures. Well, I guess we can
(25:59):
start the Daisyists, because Daisy Duck deserves her own fan club.
I want to say, if Daisy Duck has no fans,
then you and I are dead. Oh no, one hundred percent.
I mean like we're not around. If you see that
she's famless. Speaking of fans, this next country is very
very special to you. Yes, it is my etymology. Mmm
(26:25):
mm hmmm sort of, uh, Greace.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
The red carpet tradition originated in ancient Greece, So every
time you see people stunting pretty on a red carpet,
thank Grease. The Crimson Path was featured in the Acialists
play Agamemnon isalsts isalst play Achless Isalist A Scalis barber
probably now is truly tomato tomato coated here. Yeah, but
(26:52):
the Crimson Path I like so much more than red carpet.
We have to stop saying hit the red carpet and
say hit the crimson path.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
And I do think it starts with us. Bob Well
I'm about to trod the Crimson path. We'll be trotting
the Crimson path up the opening ceremony, treading, treading. I
don't know.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
English is such a silly language. Agreed, talk about Japan
so much better. Japan a quarter century ago, that's twenty
five years, so much math. This episode, Japan modified a
number of national holidays to place them on Mondays, creating
three day weekends. This is referred to as the Happy
Monday system.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Very Japan coded that they would do this. So Japan coded.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
So thoughtful, fun forward, thinking of its people. I do
think that you know Japan, I would say, amazing experience.
Speaker 2 (27:43):
I had one note. I had one note about Japan
when we were there. Hear it. I would like a
couple more garbage cans, just a.
Speaker 3 (27:52):
Couple more, because the whole thing is like, there's no
trash cans anywhere, and this works for the country because
there's no garbage on the streets. People know not to
bring garbage out because there's gonna be nowhere to put it.
And it does work. However, maybe just one, if we
could add just one garbage can to Tokyo, it would
have thrilled me.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
This is your hack you go into seven eleven, you
go into a Coombinia seven eleven, lost in a family
mart and you buy a little thing, or you just
kind of tossed your stuff in there. I heard and Barbara,
you can confirm this. Maybe the reason why there's no
garbage cans watch or drop in the chat. Japan has
no garbage cans. The reason Japan has no garbage cans
(28:36):
is I guess because they were originally worried that garbage
cans would be perfect places for terrorists to put bombs in.
I was talking to a friend and he was like, oh,
do you know why, And that's because it's like a
way to like keep people responsible for their own belongings.
He goes, no, it's because they were originally afraid that
terrorist attacks would happen most likely in like via garbage.
(29:02):
Which is so interesting.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
This is too scary to talk about. I'd rather talk
about Kenya. Most people think of Kenya as being dominant
in long distance running, but Kenya made its Winter Olympic
debut in nineteen ninety eight with cross country skier Philip Bolt.
He famously finished last in his first race, but his
story is legendary because he trained in Finland to chase
(29:24):
that Olympic dream.
Speaker 2 (29:25):
Correction, Philip boett Bloch, Philip Philip blah.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
Wah, Sorry, I think I saw an athlete and bo
it in a doc and I thought Hussein Bolt wah
different wah.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Bolt very tomato, tomato made tomato. English is so silly.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
What's your favorite animated film? Shrek two? But this is
about Madagascar. This is about Madagascar. More than eighty percent
of the plants and animal species found on Maundagascar are
not found anywhere else on Earth. Wow, well, I guess
that's are they competing?
Speaker 2 (30:10):
I like to see some of them at the Games.
Perhaps we will.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
Finally, we're gonna give a fact about Singapore. This is
actually a sports fact as well. This tiny tropical island
had its first Winter Olympian in twenty eighteen. Chyenne Go
a short track speedskater, no mountains, no snow, yet she
represents Singapore on the icy track, making history at the
Winter Games.
Speaker 2 (30:33):
This is huge, and this opens up a beautiful, beautiful
entry point into our next episode, where we will be
talking about the debutantes, the first timers. It's not so
long ago that Singapore was the new girl at school.
But we will be talking about Beneen, Guinea Bissau, so
(30:53):
many other warm places that somehow have a presence at
these Winter Games, and we are so happy for them
and thrilled to see how they do. Now, that's on
hard work, and that's on hard work and dedication in
warm places. Now, I want to not get ahead of myself. Bob,
(31:14):
do you want to sort of chime in one last
time before we award our metals. We'll take that as
a no. Or that she's in a stairwell at the
NBC building.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
Well you you missed your window there, bar, because we're
gonna go ahead, and yes, no bar.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Go ahead, go ahead.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
I just wanted to let you know that a city
outside of Osaka removed its trash hands to prevent the
deer from trying to eat from plastic.
Speaker 2 (31:46):
Yeah, we heard all about the Nara deer. The Nara
deer are sacred deer and for them to for nine
of them to die is a travesty. I thank you,
thank you for that. I have looked up. According to Google,
the key reason for the lack of public trash cans
(32:07):
is the nineteen ninety five Tokyo subway terror attack. I
remember this where saren gas was used and hidden in
public spaces, which prompted the widespread removal of trash cans
to enhance safety.
Speaker 3 (32:18):
Okay, well I didn't know that, and I don't want
to be you know, just leave me alone. I just
I was just looking for a place to put my coffee.
I'll go into seven eleven next time. This is a
global for everyone.
Speaker 2 (32:29):
Leave me alone. Okay, I'm leaving you alone. I was
just trying to inform you because you had asked. The
bronze medal goes to.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
I'm sorry, I gotta give it to Donald Duck. I
know that you took issue with with Germany claiming him,
but any Donald Dunk mentioned like, I'm on board.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
I love the guy. I love him. He's so sweet.
Speaker 3 (32:56):
My bronze medal goes to the fact that Germany holds
Donald Duck as a pop culture hero and you know what,
sure they call himself to Donald Disc.
Speaker 2 (33:04):
I'm just happy for Donald.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
I'm really happy to see him take the spotlight over Mickey.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
There we go. What's the silver medal? Because he's very
he he's he's very barb like in that when the
heroes need him most. I love Barb. Okay, we love Barb.
We love Barb, but Mickey is very Barb. In the
Games where the Sora and Donald and Goofy are looking
for King Mickey, King Mickey is on his own adventure
(33:29):
somewhere and he loses access to communication and they feel
abandoned by him. That happens, and that doesn't Happenliar, and
you're abandoned. Missions rearing their up. Barb has ripped the
sutures open, and that's okay. I'm sorry, guys, give us
silver before before this becomes you know, we're kidding. We
(33:53):
love you and this is not our toxic way of
showing it. We're playfully ribbing as it were, Okay, held
tense ribbing. Yeah, I oh, this is tough. Okay, that's okay. Greece,
I'm sorry. Germany gets bronze. I am gonna give my
(34:17):
silver two Georgia. I love that zag they have I
love ZAG. I love that it sort of opened up
this beautiful moment of discovery where you really blew me
away with your mandarin. Oh do you remember it?
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Yeah, oh no, let's.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Don't anyone ever won't leave me alone?
Speaker 2 (34:44):
What did I not do? You just didn't say it? Okay,
and what's gold? I have a gold, but I wonder
I hope that we have the same one.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Okay, on three, we'll both say our gold.
Speaker 2 (34:58):
One. Wait, hold on, what's my goal? Oh?
Speaker 3 (35:01):
One? Two?
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Three? Finland? Oh no, national sleepy head day. I think
took us for a ride. I is this a thing
where we have a tie for goal? I know, because
then then there would be no silver. It would be
that things.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I'm sorry, I'm gonna go hard for Finland. I think
it's Finland. I don't think that Greece. Oh the Crimson Path,
that was good. Okay, you know what, I'm sorry. I'm
taking the bronze medal away. I'm taking the bronze medal Oway.
This is one of those controversies. Wait, what are you doing?
Speaker 2 (35:29):
Bronze is? What are you doing?
Speaker 3 (35:33):
Me?
Speaker 2 (35:33):
Tell me, tell me what you're doing.
Speaker 3 (35:34):
I'm taking the bronze medal away from Donald Duck And okay,
so then who gets bronze.
Speaker 2 (35:41):
I'm bumping. I'm bumping. You're gonna but my silver down
to bronze to make sure that we both can get it.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
I just I think I'm helping us both. Okay, So
don't George though, Georgia gets bronze. Zag is Bronze is bronze,
Silver is what Finland Finland Sleepy Day is crazy national
sleepy head day where someone gets thrown in the water.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
That to me is too good.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
And the gold is of course Crimson Path, Crimson Path.
Speaker 2 (36:13):
I feel good about that, all right? I want is
saying a metal controversy these judges, Yeah, it happens every time.
Where's the French judge in this?
Speaker 3 (36:25):
I think it feels like you you've been the drama. You've
really been the drama on this episode.
Speaker 2 (36:32):
Barbara is getting French judge. Absolutely, but the French judge
and Barbara both iconic. So there you go. Well, this
has been our really wacky ride through the countries. Yeah,
of the.
Speaker 3 (36:47):
Twenty twenty six Winter Olympics, And you can tune in
next time when we are talking about the debutantes aka
the first timers at these Olympic Games, the twenty twenty
six Milan Courtain one. They are going to be storming
the fort for the very first time.
Speaker 2 (37:05):
And we we're gonna be talking about it.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
We want to remind you be sure to follow two
guys five rings on the iHeartRadio app or your favorite
podcast platform and watch on the NBC.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Sports YouTube channel. Watch and listen to every moment of
the Winter Olympics February sixth through the twenty second on
NBC in Peacock and on the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
We are going to end this episode triumphantly, as we
do every episode, with the sounds of the Olympic
Hosts And Creators
Matt Rogers
Bowen Yang
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