What do you mean there is a Golden Globe category for podcasts? 

The Golden Globes have had decline in viewership the last several years and in an effort to stay relevant last year added a “Blockbuster Success” category (which makes no sense…the blockbuster success is the proof of the success not an award for it but okay) and now this year: a Best Podcast category. 

And the nominees are: 

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Smartless with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett

The Mel Robbins Podcast

Up First

So what even are these pods and do any of them deserve a shiny hollywood trophy from the foreign press? 

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Shepard’s podcast is at the top in terms of “deserving.” He has had the show since 2018 and the format is having celebrities of all kinds come on and have a more vulnerable, real conversation focused less on their up coming projects and more on real life confessions and issues. Dax got a lot of heat in 2023 when he had on Jonathan Van Ness of Queer Eye who is “nonbinary” and dresses often in women’s clothing while maintaining a beard and other masculine identifying traits. The two talked frankly about the issue of transgenderism and the controversy around children transitioning and Dax had the courage to empathize with parents concerned about their kids going to school and getting essentially brainwashed into gender confusion and the dangers of “gender affirming care” (which can be anything from doping hormones to mutilating children’s genitals). Instead of simply make his case, which he had been doing fine throughout the show, Jonathan Van Ness started to cry which was an obvious manipulation to make Dax seem unreasonable and mean when the truth is that Jonathan simply didn’t have answers to Dax’s totally normal and mainstream concerns. Dax apologized to his guest in a totally classy move. But of course the liberal media went wild attacking Dax and standing up for poor sad Jonathan Van Ness.

The fact that Shephard is even on the nomination list shows how deeply we have won the culture war. He will definitely not win. But I love to see it. In 2025 Shephard hosted interesting guests like Malala Yousef, and Dr. David Fajgenbaum. 

Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper

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Call Her Daddy would top my list of least deserving podcasts. Famously in late 2024, Alex Cooper had Kamala Harris on her show (the only Pod Kamala would agree to do) except she wasn’t actually on her show: they built a replica studio in DC so Kamala wouldn’t have to take a 5 hour plane ride to LA to film. Alex Cooper is a Barstool sports alum who took all the fame and infrastructure she made at Barstool and went out on her own (which is fine) rather thanklessly (not so fine). I think she has a good chance of winning and I think that sucks for society. 

Good Hang with Amy Poehler

Good Hang with Amy Poehler is great. I didn’t think the world needed another celebrity led podcast talking to other celebrities (its literally all podcasts are at this point) and yet, Amy’s Good Hang is exceptional. Amy has a gift for interview which is surprising in that she is a trained performer not a trained journalist. She asks questions in a way that invokes exactly the right tone of both interesting and carefree. Its easy to listen to Good Hang and Good Hang segments. She gets her guests to talk about things I’ve never heard them talk about before but that aren’t really very heavy or vulnerable. The nice things in life. I think Amy has a good chance of winning and I hope she does (over Call her Daddy). 

Smartless with Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett

Smartless is just the opposite: its very smart. The men take turns inviting a guest on the show and they don’t tell each other who it is so they’re surprised to meet them and haven’t prepped questions. It makes the show more conversational and natural and always very funny. If the Globes are looking to award a unique format, Smartless is the one to give it to. 

The Mel Robbins Podcast

Mel Robbins is a famous inspirational speaker and her show is about that. Its self help, its motivational, its everything Mel Robbins is great at and famous for. Her podcast is the most popular of the grouping. Its the only one of the nominees that truly and consistently rivals Joe Rogan’s podcast (Call her Daddy sometimes does but UGH). Mel Robbins has a knack for giving advice without sounding preachy. Its the only podcast in the grouping that is about development of skill (mental and emotional) and not about interesting celebrities. 

Up First

Up First is a morning news podcast and I don’t know why it would be featured on the Golden Globes nominee list any more than a local news station. It’s just news clips. I’m confused.