Podcast Summary: Not Skinny But Not Fat

Episode: Penn Badgley: Seriously Unserious
Date: November 11, 2025
Host: Amanda Hirsch
Guest: Penn Badgley

Overview

In this laid-back and candid episode, Amanda Hirsch sits down with actor Penn Badgley (of "Gossip Girl" and "You" fame), diving deep into his current life as a father of four (including newborn twins), his complex relationship with fame and authenticity, his strong opinions on astrology, the unlikely story behind his name, his unconventional educational path, and his evolving career—including his hit podcast and new book "Crushmore." The conversation flows effortlessly between pop culture nostalgia, personal revelations, and Penn’s signature blend of seriousness and unseriousness.

Key Discussion Points

1. Penn’s Online Presence & Content Creation ([04:13]–[07:00])

• Balance of Online Life: Penn discusses how, despite seeming very online lately, he typically keeps a healthy ratio between his time spent online and his content output.
  • “If I say so myself, I think my ratio of like, time spent online versus how much I post versus, you know, impact... Pretty great." (Penn, [04:44])
• Content Support Team: Credit to co-hosts Nava and Sophie (from his podcast "Podcrushed") for keeping him in the loop on trends, and a shout-out to the millennial/Gen Z ‘cuspy’ divide.
• The ‘Unserious’ Label: Penn reflects on how the traits that once marked him as too serious ("media trained") are now perceived as ‘unserious’ in today's culture.
  • “The funny thing is I think what seemed serious 20 years ago... has become unserious... I’ve always given authentic answers... I’ve always criticized the roles I’ve been a part of.” (Penn, [05:40])

2. Story Behind Penn’s Name ([07:29]–[09:01])

• Origin Tale: Amanda teases Penn about his “hot name”—he shares an anecdote:
  • "My dad played tennis and was gripping a pen. Tennis ball. And my mom said, I think he's about the size of that tennis ball right now. And... it is the only thing they've ever agreed on." (Penn, [08:09])
• Growing Into the Name: Although unique, Penn embraced his name’s individuality by age 15.

3. Life as a Dad: Twins & Family ([09:18]–[18:39])

• Newborn Twins: Penn recently welcomed identical twin boys (making four kids in all), describing the challenges and realities of having twins and balancing parenting with outside help (like a night nurse).
  • “The more kids we have, the more we understand. It's like we really want to be doing all of the parenting things.” (Penn, [09:46])
• Random/Spontaneous Twins: The twins were not a result of IVF, and Penn explains the rarity of spontaneous, identical twins ([11:33]).
• Stepson & Blended Family: Penn reflects on raising his stepson (now 17), and how parental cringe is universal.
  • “Any real parent figure is always gonna be cringe to some degree.” (Penn, [13:20])
• Reflections on Parenting: Insightful discussion about how every additional child changes parenting style, and reflections on the impact of the pandemic-era newborn experience.
• Pressure to “try for a girl”: Both joke about the expectation and probability of yet more boys if they tried again, with Penn highlighting the exhaustion and impracticality ([17:12]–[18:39]).

4. Thoughts on Childcare & Parental Leave ([19:04]–[21:25])

• Challenges Sourcing Support: Finding good childcare is both difficult and emotionally complex.
• Social Commentary: Penn notes the challenges in America’s system for supporting families:
  • “If we lived in a… social system that really supported everybody… everybody wants to raise their kids. Yeah, everybody does.” (Penn, [21:11])

5. Birthday Talk & Age ([26:25]–[27:22])

• Turning 39: Penn is about to turn 39 and laughs at the lack of fanfare or care about birthdays now that he’s deep into parenthood.
• “Zaddy era": Amanda coins Penn’s entry into the “Zaddy era”—something confirmed by Internet fans during "You"’s final seasons.

6. Astrology Deep-Dive ([27:22]–[31:14])

• Strong Critique: Penn details his skepticism of astrology, citing its inconsistencies and reductive system.
  • “There’s no kind of rhyme or reason to it... It's reductive because... astrology has become the new secular religion.” (Penn, [27:24]–[28:43])
• Science vs. Pop Belief: Emphasizes the lack of scientific backing, even as he admires self-reflection in any system.
• Notable Quote: “To be penetrating is a human quality. That's not astrology.” (Penn, [30:19])
• **Amanda teases Penn’s “Scorpio energy” throughout, playing into and ironically contradicting his points.

7. Growing Up (Quick Biography) ([31:21]–[36:46])

• Childhood Struggles & Acting: Shares early isolation and depression, and how his mom encouraged performing arts to help him ([31:46]–[33:12]).
• Moving to LA: The family’s move to LA was both to escape a toxic parental divorce and to let Penn pursue acting.
• School (& Lack Thereof): Penn never completed middle school and spent one month in high school, believing this let him retain his true love of learning.
  • “I never learned… to hate learning. I always love to learn because I never got, I think, that very institutionalized thing.” (Penn, [35:35])
• Discussing Kids’ Education: Penn and wife even tried moving for stepson’s high school but landed back in NYC, where the stepson now thrives ([35:52]–[36:46]).

8. Gossip Girl—The Backstory ([36:47]–[54:19])

• Reluctance to Take the Role: Penn didn’t want to play Dan Humphrey, feeling he’d already played similar roles and wanted to pursue music/other work ([37:37]–[42:44]).
  • “My response was essentially like, thank you so much… but I’m not really interested.” (Penn, [41:53])
• Gossip Girl’s Impact on Career: Manager and agent urged him to reconsider, suggesting it could be career-changing ([48:16]–[49:09]).
• TV Show Realities & Critique: Explains the challenges of being on a long-running ensemble drama—emotionally draining, repetitive storylines, potential for bad acting habits.
  • “It’s harder to get on a show and then get off a show like that... Once you’ve done one kind of conflict and resolution, you have to do another.” (Penn, [49:09]–[50:39])
• Favorite Guest Stars: Fondly recalls working with Hilary Duff (season-long arc) and Lady Gaga (before she was famous).
  • “I just remember meeting her... And I was like, what is this song?” (Penn, [53:15])
• Value of Filming in New York: One main draw for doing the show was living in NYC ([53:44]–[53:47]).
• Gossip Girl Rewatch? Would consider a rewatch podcast “if I haven’t worked in a few years and I am paying that... mortgage.” (Penn, [54:09])

9. About “You” and Comparing Joe vs Dan ([54:30]–[56:57])

• Ending the Role of Joe: Expresses satisfaction that “You” ended at the right time, before the story “jumped the shark.”
  • “That character has to come to an end... because it deals with such themes, if you really examine them, are... important.” (Penn, [54:40])
• Joe vs. Dan Showdown: When Amanda asks who would win in a fight—Joe or Dan:
  • “Dan would win in a fight, but then Joe would kill him... in a real spineless way.” (Penn, [56:45])

10. Podcasting & New Book “Crushmore” ([57:03]–[61:49])

• Origin of "Podcrushed": Started during the pandemic, with the central question for guests: “Who were you at 12 years old?” ([58:15])
• About the Book: "Crushmore" is a collection of personal essays—blending memoir, pop-culture, and self-reflection.
  • The first essay traces his lifelong love of dance and music as a “North Star” for creativity and play.
• Relationship with Fame & the Camera: Discusses a “crazy sex scene” filmed alone ("partner is the camera"), and how the very idea of the camera has changed society.
  • “Think about what Gossip Girl... that is an out of touch sentiment now... Now people out themselves.” (Penn, [61:49])

11. Closing Reflections ([62:59]–[63:15])

• Fatherhood: Amanda marvels at how “Dan Humphrey would become a father of 17”—Penn’s wit in response leaves the episode on a humorous, irreverent note.
• Promos: Quick plugs for “Crushmore,” Podcrushed, and lots of genuine thanks.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On authenticity in the spotlight:
  “I’ve always given authentic answers. I’ve always criticized the roles I’ve been a part of... In some ways it can be a shadow trait because you can be too cynical...”
  — Penn Badgley, [05:43]

• On astrology:
  “Astrology has become the new secular religion... It's reductive... by the way, just like, you know, everybody kind of rolls. The rise of religion. First of all, astrology has become the new secular religion. Everybody's just like, you're a what?”
  — Penn Badgley, [28:15]

• On parenting and guilt:
  “The only times that I would get upset was when I, like, imagined that I should be doing a better job than I am. And that's just like this harsh, critical, inner parent...”
  — Penn Badgley, [16:51]

• On the future:
  “If I haven't worked in a few years and I am paying that, by the way, mortgage... I have fallbacks. I don't. Nobody wants to fall back. But I do have some fall back.”
  — Penn Badgley, [54:09–54:21]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Penn’s approach to being online: [04:13]–[07:00]
• The story behind his name: [07:29]–[09:01]
• Twins and parenting insights: [09:18]–[18:39]
• Astrology skepticism: [27:22]–[31:14]
• Early life, acting, and education: [31:21]–[36:46]
• How Gossip Girl happened (and almost didn’t): [36:47]–[49:09]
• Repetitive cycles of ensemble TV shows: [49:09]–[51:19]
• Gossip Girl guest stars & NYC draw: [53:32]–[53:52]
• Rewatch pod? [54:00]–[54:21]
• Joe vs Dan fight hypothetical: [55:20]–[56:57]
• Origin of Podcrushed, and the book: [57:03]–[61:49]
• Media, cameras, and self-exposure: [61:49]–[62:45]

Overall Tone & Vibe

The episode is lively, irreverent, and smart. Amanda’s fangirl joy is persistent but she keeps things funny and real, while Penn brings a thoughtful, brutally honest, sometimes philosophical lens to all topics—never shying away from depth, even when it’s unserious.

For those who missed the episode:
Expect a deep but unserious hang with Penn Badgley, who doesn’t just revisit TV nostalgia but also offers candid wisdom on parenting, pop culture, fame, and why he genuinely hates astrology. His ability to blend sincerity with self-aware humor is ever-present, and the conversation delivers gems for longtime fans and newcomers alike.