How Did This Get Made? — The 3rd "Annual" Howdie Awards (Part 2)
Date: January 2, 2026
Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Summary by ChatGPT
Overview
The second part of the third “Annual” Howdie Awards unfolds as a joyous, raucous celebration of How Did This Get Made?’s most absurd, chaotic, and memorable moments from the last nine years. The hosts, joined by frequent guest Max Silvestri, dish out their tongue-in-cheek accolades across numerous categories—from Best Jason Rant to Best Audience Nerd, and culminating in Best Guest. This episode exemplifies the podcast’s unique blend of shameless nostalgia, relentless self-mockery, and a deep, communal love for bafflingly bad cinema.
Key Discussion Points & Award Categories
1. Best Subject of a Jason Rant (02:16–08:56)
2. Lifetime Achievement for Best Nerd in the Audience (11:35–18:19)
- Celebrating Ultimate Audience Fans: The hosts give thanks to recurring fans who contribute research, cosplay, and obsessive detail (“Tim from Largo,” “Ben Cannon,” “Morgan from Philly”).
- Spotlight on Morgan: Morgan, a D&D superfreak, regales the hosts with detailed, expert knowledge about D&D dragons.
- Quote — Max (14:14): "In Dungeons & Dragons, their dragons are intelligent creatures ... Some are evil, some are good, and for some reason, the good ones are named after metals..."
- Host Banter: The hosts marvel at Morgan’s knowledge and the organic audience chant that erupts (“Morgan! Morgan!”).
- Acceptance: Morgan recognizes the honor, joking about embracing the "nerd" label and inviting Jason to play a "magenta dragon" at his table.
3. Best Second Opinion Song (22:54–28:42)
- Nominees: Parody songs crafted by fans and performed live, riffing off famous tunes to defend or mock the deranged movies.
- "One Day More" (Action Jackson)
- "Take On Me" (Unforgettable)
- "Can’t Fight the Moonlight" (Moonfall)
- Winner: “Bats, Bats, Bats, Bats” (parody of LMFAO’s “Shots,” Bats)
- Quote — Jason (27:01): "If you ain’t watching Bats, get the fuck out La Largo!"
- The song whips up the crowd into a gleeful, raucous bat-chant frenzy.
4. Best Paul Childhood Story (28:53–36:55)
- Nominees: Paul’s most mortifying or bizarre childhood tales.
- 12-year-old Paul takes friends to a NYC strip club.
- Paul's grandmother’s story about a butcher grinding children into chop meat.
- Paul tries to French kiss his mom after watching Love Boat (as a little kid).
- Quote — Paul (33:37): "I was a little kid ... watching the Love Boat, and they were always open mouth kissing. So I just thought, I don’t know, that must be the next level of kissing."
- Winner: Paul tries to French kiss his mom (Jaws 3-D episode)
5. Best Guest Appearance (40:11–53:02)
Notable Quotes & Moments
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Jason’s Bitterness at Awards Losses:
Quote — Jason (53:04): "This is ridiculous. I'm going home empty handed once again. It's fine. Shame on me."
- June kindly reframes this as a “Susan Lucci” moment—an actor beloved even without her award.
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Affection for Audience and Producers:
- Shout-outs to the core “nerd” audience members, the production team, and especially Avril Halley, legendary for curating many of the show’s wildest films.
- Quote — Paul (56:31): "She was an essential part of the DNA of this show, like you said, Paul, and will be forever."
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Paul’s Turn as a Collector: The running joke that Paul hoards the Howdie trophies, much to the feigned chagrin of Jason and June.
- Quote — Paul (55:29): "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I had [the Howdie chain] made. Just in case. Just in case."
Timestamps for Important Segments
- [02:16] Best Jason Rant
- [11:35] Best Nerd in the Audience
- [22:54] Best Second Opinion Song
- [28:53] Best Paul Childhood Story
- [40:11] Best Guest Appearance
- [53:04] Host Banter about Awards “Injustice”
- [56:05] Tribute to Avril Halley and production team
Tone & Language
The episode is a love letter to the podcast’s wildest, weirdest, and most embarrassing moments, threaded with affectionate ribbing, explicit language, unexpectedly wholesome audience appreciation, and the hosts’ distinct blend of cynicism and genuine gratitude. The back-and-forths are sharp, fast, and packed with in-jokes—none more so than their collective shock at their own stories and the rituals that have formed around the show.
Conclusion
This Howdie Awards episode is unmissable for long-time listeners and a delightfully madcap highlight reel for newcomers. From Jason’s flameouts to Paul’s TMI childhood stories, June’s deadpan takes, and the adoring (and long-suffering) audience—including the legend of Morgan the D&D Nerd—the Howdies are a sendup, a roast, and a thank-you to 15 years of shared cinematic suffering, secured by the camaraderie between hosts, guests, and listeners.