The Nerve with Maureen Callahan – Episode Summary

Episode: “Chevy Chase’s Monstrous Behavior, Timothée Chalamet Gets Mocked, and Mel Robbins’ Hack Advice”

Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Maureen Callahan

Overview

Kicking off 2026 with her signature blend of sharp wit, skepticism, and no-holds-barred critique, Maureen Callahan dives into a spectrum of pop culture offenders. The episode’s main focus is a deep-dive into the new CNN documentary about Chevy Chase and the toxic behavior that shaped his legacy. Maureen moves on to roast Timothée Chalamet’s latest film and awards show antics, eviscerate the faux wisdom of Mel Robbins, and explore the endless parade of celebrity nonsense from Seth Rogen, Alec Baldwin, Carol Radziwill, and others.

Episode Structure

[00:00–00:48] Ads and banter (skipped)
[00:48–08:13] Show intro and preview of topics
[08:13–29:00] Deep dive: Chevy Chase documentary analysis
[32:14–58:23] Pop culture roundup: Chalamet, Rogen, Baldwin, Radziwill, Kamala Harris, Galloway/Swisher, Meghan Markle, and listener art
[58:23–71:30] New Year’s resolutions segment, wellness industry critique, and listener Q&A
Post-71:30: Outro and ads

Chevy Chase: The Anatomy of a Monster

[08:13–29:00]

Key Points

Chevy’s Legacy and New Documentary:
The CNN doc, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, unpacks Chase’s legendary status and notoriously brutal personality, interrogating how Hollywood enables destructive egos.
- “If you are of a certain age, this guy was like the defining comic actor of his generation... but now, there’s a new documentary about Chevy that just dropped on CNN...” (00:48)
On-Camera Abuse of Director:
Chevy immediately belittles the Emmy-winning director, Marina Zenovich:
- Quote:
  Zenovich (off camera): “I'm just trying to figure you out.”
  Chevy: “No shit. It’s not going to be easy for you.”
  Zenovich: “Why is it not going to be easy?”
  Chevy: “You’re not bright enough.” (08:14–08:31)
- Maureen: “And he's saying some of this stuff with like a smile, but you know … it's like a 'f-you' smile.” (08:31)
Cocaine-Fueled Meetings & Meanness:
Stories of Chase’s legendary meanness, exacerbated by drug use.
- “Chevy, you don't wanna work with him because he can be so unpleasant and so gratuitously mean. And I don’t think he knows that he is. I think it’s just...an instinct.” (Producer Alan Grisman, 10:26)
- Maureen: “Oh, Alan, trust me, he knows he’s mean.” (10:41)
Homophobia on SNL:
Chevy’s horrifying attempts at “humor” targeting openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney during the AIDS crisis:
- Quote:
  “You’re gay, right?”
  Sweeney: “Yes, what would you like me to do for you?”
  Chevy: “You can start by licking my balls.”
  And later suggesting a sketch: “Why don’t we do something where you have AIDS and we weigh you every week?” (12:34–13:31)
- Maureen: “Chevy laughs...and then says ‘that’s the worst.’ But you know, I don’t think he means it.” (13:35)
- Maureen calls out SNL boss Lorne Michaels for enabling this environment.
Chase’s Denial and Narcissism:
When confronted with his abusive comments, Chevy’s default is denial and self-pity:
- Quote:
  Chevy: “That isn’t me. … If I am that way, my life has changed because I have to live with that, now, for the rest of my life because you guys got a book out and read it to me.” (16:39–17:20)
- Maureen: “Like all narcissists, he has made this vicious treatment...all about him.” (17:20)
Testimony from Others:
- Terry Sweeney: “He was a monster. I mean, he insulted everybody.” (Maureen reading Sweeney quote, 17:57)
- Jane Curtin confirms misogynist statements from Chase (paraphrased, 18:42)
- Ryan Reynolds, featured in the doc, gives a squirmy, hedged defense:
  - Reynolds: “What he's doing is a coping mechanism.”
  - Maureen: “From one bully to another…” (21:41–21:56)
Abusive Childhood, No Excuse:
The doc floats Chase’s difficult upbringing, but Maureen summarily rejects it as an excuse for lifetime cruelty.
- “That does not give one license to be a monster for the rest of their lives... I don't see them out here in these streets treating people like garbage.” (21:56)
Chevy’s Behavior as a Father and Later Career:
Demonstrates neglect of his own children. On “Community,” the cast loathed him so much he was eventually written off in a humiliating way.
- “...the way they...punished him until he left under claims of racism. Could believe it.” (22:43–26:10)
- Excluded from SNL’s 50th-anniversary on-stage reunion.
  - Chevy: “It was kind of upsetting actually...I expected that I would have been on the stage, too...It hurt.” (27:42–28:59)
  - Maureen: “He’s like every narcissist...where they don’t turn around and say, but I’m the victim. My feelings were hurt.” (28:59)
Final Takedown:
Chevy confirmed as cultural woodshed material.
- Maureen: “If The Nerve has anything to do with it, we're making sure you're not getting out of the woodshed...and actually, you're heading to the wood chipper and then the stump grinder and then the burn pile in record time.” (29:00)

Celebrity Roundup: Mockery and Mayhem

[32:14 onward]

Timothée Chalamet & “Marty Supreme”

[32:14–35:38]

Maureen lampoons Marty Supreme and Chalamet’s vaunted sex appeal.
Reads from Boston Globe’s eviscerating review:
- “There’s nothing I dislike more than a movie that demands you love an obnoxious, insufferable protagonist. Marty Supreme is...one of the worst movies of the year.” (33:09)
At Critics Choice Awards, Chalamet (called “Timothee Shamalama Ding Dong” by Maureen) arrives 90 minutes late and is visibly disdained by fellow nominees:
- “He played humble and it was a very heavy lift. It was difficult to watch. He’s not that great of an actor when left to his own devices.” (35:38)

Seth Rogen’s Award Faux-Modesty

[39:05–39:22]

Rogen’s acceptance speech:
“This is so nice. As someone who deeply, deeply, deeply cares what critics think...I can cancel therapy this week, I’m fixed. I think so.”
Maureen: “He just insulted the critics who voted for him… If you really think it’s shit, why don’t you stay the fuck home?” (39:22)

Alec Baldwin’s Self-Pity Over “Rust” Shooting

[40:00–41:00]

Baldwin claims the accidental shooting “took ten years off his life.”
Maureen: “He took life off of Helena Hutchins’ life... If you lose ten years, guess what? Nobody gives a.”

Carol Radziwill: Tragedy Vulture

[41:00–43:00]

Radziwill uses the death of Tatiana Schlossberg to center herself on Instagram.
Maureen: “There are people like this...tragedy vultures. They love it when catastrophe strikes others and they love inserting themselves into that white hot spotlight.”

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff Relationship Irony

[43:00–44:30]

Kamala Harris is mocked for relationship advice given her controversial choice of husband, Doug Emhoff, amid allegations of past physical altercations.

[Scott Galloway & Kara Swisher]: Wealth Confessions

[47:46–49:11]

Both openly discuss their obscene wealth:
- Swisher: “I spend between three and four hundred thousand dollars a month. I own homes all over the world. I have a plane.”
- Galloway: “I’m spending money like a 50s gangster just diagnosed with ass cancer.”
Maureen: “It’s disgusting...I’m strangely at a loss for words.”

Listener Community & Troublemaker Art

[49:12–58:23]

Maureen enthusiastically celebrates creative art sent in by listeners (“Troublemakers”), including a handcrafted woodshed and mixed-media animation, along with stories of watching The Nerve’s annual awards as a communal event.
Listener feedback exposes Meghan Markle’s inability to sell merchandise despite claims of everything “selling out instantly.”

New Year’s Resolutions? Maureen Calls B.S.

[58:23–66:16]

Maureen rails against January’s “new year, new you” media onslaught:
"I hate this stuff. It’s garbage. It’s just designed to sell you stuff you don’t need.”
Hoda Kotb & Jenna Bush Hager’s Ineptitude:
New Year’s Eve promo derided for vapidity, including an “amazing” background eye-roll from a young woman (59:00).
Mel Robbins’ Grift & Wellness Hacks:
- Robbins hawks her “let them” and now “let me” theories.
  - Quote: Mel Robbins: “You got to know where you are and where you want to go.” (63:08–63:45)
- Maureen eviscerates: “You need to know where you are which holds true every second of the day in order to know where you’re going. This woman is such a grifter.” (63:45)
- Robbins’ podcast celebrates a Golden Globe nomination with staged triumph, belying her superficial “let them” detachment.
  - Quote: Mel Robbins: “I love you and I believe in you.” (65:08)
Lena Dunham & Maureen’s Own Take:
- Dunham’s anti-resolution Instagram post mocked; Maureen argues meaningful change comes slowly and privately, not from calendar rituals:
  - “Real change...happens incrementally. It can often take years.”
  - “New Year’s resolutions are a bunch of bullshit.” (66:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Enabling Monsters:
“This goes directly to how the industry builds these monsters and the ways in which they are allowed to roam unfettered and become destroyers.” (00:48)
On Chevy’s Doc & Narcissism:
“He’s made this vicious treatment...all about him.” (17:20)
On Seth Rogen’s Award:
“Why did you show up if you really think so little of critics?” (39:22)
On Kamala Harris:
“Says the woman who married Doug Emhoff, as discussed, slapped an accomplished female attorney who...he smacked her, allegedly, in the face, so hard that she spun around on high heels.” (44:00)
On Swisher/Galloway:
“I spend 300- to 400-thousand dollars a month...I have a plane...I’m spending money like a 50s gangster just diagnosed with ass cancer.” (49:11)
On the Celebrity Wellness Complex:
“This woman is such a grifter.” (on Mel Robbins, 63:45)

Timestamps for Important Segments

Chevy Chase Documentary Analysis: 08:13–29:00
Timothée Chalamet & “Marty Supreme”: 32:14–35:38
Seth Rogen’s Awards Speech: 39:05–39:22
Alec Baldwin’s Dopey Interview: 40:00–41:00
Carol Radziwill Instagram Grief: 41:00–43:00
Kamala Harris Relationship Advice: 43:00–44:30
Wealth Talk: Galloway/Swisher: 47:46–49:11
Listener Art & Feedback: 49:12–58:23
Anti-Resolution Segment & Mel Robbins Critique: 58:23–66:15

Tone & Style

Maureen delivers her scathing, laugh-out-loud cultural commentary with zero fear, laying bare the hypocrisy and mediocrity of pop culture elites. She oscillates between sardonic, exasperated, and delighted—a true “queen of the Troublemakers.” The episode is peppered with direct quotes, snappy asides, and plenty of justified outrage.

For New Listeners

This episode provides both a forensic pop culture autopsy (Chevy Chase’s legacy) and a run of hilarious roastings (Chalamet, Rogen, Baldwin, Robbins, and more), balanced with community engagement and grounded advice on real change. Maureen Callahan’s “The Nerve” is for anyone tired of sycophantic celebrity culture and empty self-help slogans—come for the irreverence; stay for the razor-sharp insights.

Not to miss:

Chevy Chase’s monstrous behavior, exposed in frank detail (08:13–29:00)
Boston Globe’s hilarious takedown of "Marty Supreme" (32:14–33:40)
Maureen’s systematic destruction of Mel Robbins’ “advice” (63:08–66:15)
Outstanding listener creativity and anti-heroic spirit (49:12–58:23)

The Nerve with Maureen Callahan – Episode Summary

Episode: “Chevy Chase’s Monstrous Behavior, Timothée Chalamet Gets Mocked, and Mel Robbins’ Hack Advice”

Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Maureen Callahan

Overview

Episode Structure

[00:00–00:48] Ads and banter (skipped)
[00:48–08:13] Show intro and preview of topics
[08:13–29:00] Deep dive: Chevy Chase documentary analysis
[32:14–58:23] Pop culture roundup: Chalamet, Rogen, Baldwin, Radziwill, Kamala Harris, Galloway/Swisher, Meghan Markle, and listener art
[58:23–71:30] New Year’s resolutions segment, wellness industry critique, and listener Q&A
Post-71:30: Outro and ads

Chevy Chase: The Anatomy of a Monster

[08:13–29:00]

Key Points

Chevy’s Legacy and New Documentary:
The CNN doc, I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not, unpacks Chase’s legendary status and notoriously brutal personality, interrogating how Hollywood enables destructive egos.
- “If you are of a certain age, this guy was like the defining comic actor of his generation... but now, there’s a new documentary about Chevy that just dropped on CNN...” (00:48)
On-Camera Abuse of Director:
Chevy immediately belittles the Emmy-winning director, Marina Zenovich:
- Quote:
  Zenovich (off camera): “I'm just trying to figure you out.”
  Chevy: “No shit. It’s not going to be easy for you.”
  Zenovich: “Why is it not going to be easy?”
  Chevy: “You’re not bright enough.” (08:14–08:31)
- Maureen: “And he's saying some of this stuff with like a smile, but you know … it's like a 'f-you' smile.” (08:31)
Cocaine-Fueled Meetings & Meanness:
Stories of Chase’s legendary meanness, exacerbated by drug use.
- “Chevy, you don't wanna work with him because he can be so unpleasant and so gratuitously mean. And I don’t think he knows that he is. I think it’s just...an instinct.” (Producer Alan Grisman, 10:26)
- Maureen: “Oh, Alan, trust me, he knows he’s mean.” (10:41)
Homophobia on SNL:
Chevy’s horrifying attempts at “humor” targeting openly gay cast member Terry Sweeney during the AIDS crisis:
- Quote:
  “You’re gay, right?”
  Sweeney: “Yes, what would you like me to do for you?”
  Chevy: “You can start by licking my balls.”
  And later suggesting a sketch: “Why don’t we do something where you have AIDS and we weigh you every week?” (12:34–13:31)
- Maureen: “Chevy laughs...and then says ‘that’s the worst.’ But you know, I don’t think he means it.” (13:35)
- Maureen calls out SNL boss Lorne Michaels for enabling this environment.
Chase’s Denial and Narcissism:
When confronted with his abusive comments, Chevy’s default is denial and self-pity:
- Quote:
  Chevy: “That isn’t me. … If I am that way, my life has changed because I have to live with that, now, for the rest of my life because you guys got a book out and read it to me.” (16:39–17:20)
- Maureen: “Like all narcissists, he has made this vicious treatment...all about him.” (17:20)
Testimony from Others:
- Terry Sweeney: “He was a monster. I mean, he insulted everybody.” (Maureen reading Sweeney quote, 17:57)
- Jane Curtin confirms misogynist statements from Chase (paraphrased, 18:42)
- Ryan Reynolds, featured in the doc, gives a squirmy, hedged defense:
  - Reynolds: “What he's doing is a coping mechanism.”
  - Maureen: “From one bully to another…” (21:41–21:56)
Abusive Childhood, No Excuse:
The doc floats Chase’s difficult upbringing, but Maureen summarily rejects it as an excuse for lifetime cruelty.
- “That does not give one license to be a monster for the rest of their lives... I don't see them out here in these streets treating people like garbage.” (21:56)
Chevy’s Behavior as a Father and Later Career:
Demonstrates neglect of his own children. On “Community,” the cast loathed him so much he was eventually written off in a humiliating way.
- “...the way they...punished him until he left under claims of racism. Could believe it.” (22:43–26:10)
- Excluded from SNL’s 50th-anniversary on-stage reunion.
  - Chevy: “It was kind of upsetting actually...I expected that I would have been on the stage, too...It hurt.” (27:42–28:59)
  - Maureen: “He’s like every narcissist...where they don’t turn around and say, but I’m the victim. My feelings were hurt.” (28:59)
Final Takedown:
Chevy confirmed as cultural woodshed material.
- Maureen: “If The Nerve has anything to do with it, we're making sure you're not getting out of the woodshed...and actually, you're heading to the wood chipper and then the stump grinder and then the burn pile in record time.” (29:00)

Celebrity Roundup: Mockery and Mayhem

[32:14 onward]

Timothée Chalamet & “Marty Supreme”

[32:14–35:38]

Maureen lampoons Marty Supreme and Chalamet’s vaunted sex appeal.
Reads from Boston Globe’s eviscerating review:
- “There’s nothing I dislike more than a movie that demands you love an obnoxious, insufferable protagonist. Marty Supreme is...one of the worst movies of the year.” (33:09)
At Critics Choice Awards, Chalamet (called “Timothee Shamalama Ding Dong” by Maureen) arrives 90 minutes late and is visibly disdained by fellow nominees:
- “He played humble and it was a very heavy lift. It was difficult to watch. He’s not that great of an actor when left to his own devices.” (35:38)

Seth Rogen’s Award Faux-Modesty

[39:05–39:22]

Rogen’s acceptance speech:
“This is so nice. As someone who deeply, deeply, deeply cares what critics think...I can cancel therapy this week, I’m fixed. I think so.”
Maureen: “He just insulted the critics who voted for him… If you really think it’s shit, why don’t you stay the fuck home?” (39:22)

Alec Baldwin’s Self-Pity Over “Rust” Shooting

[40:00–41:00]

Baldwin claims the accidental shooting “took ten years off his life.”
Maureen: “He took life off of Helena Hutchins’ life... If you lose ten years, guess what? Nobody gives a.”

Carol Radziwill: Tragedy Vulture

[41:00–43:00]

Radziwill uses the death of Tatiana Schlossberg to center herself on Instagram.
Maureen: “There are people like this...tragedy vultures. They love it when catastrophe strikes others and they love inserting themselves into that white hot spotlight.”

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff Relationship Irony

[43:00–44:30]

Kamala Harris is mocked for relationship advice given her controversial choice of husband, Doug Emhoff, amid allegations of past physical altercations.

[Scott Galloway & Kara Swisher]: Wealth Confessions

[47:46–49:11]

Both openly discuss their obscene wealth:
- Swisher: “I spend between three and four hundred thousand dollars a month. I own homes all over the world. I have a plane.”
- Galloway: “I’m spending money like a 50s gangster just diagnosed with ass cancer.”
Maureen: “It’s disgusting...I’m strangely at a loss for words.”

Listener Community & Troublemaker Art

[49:12–58:23]

Maureen enthusiastically celebrates creative art sent in by listeners (“Troublemakers”), including a handcrafted woodshed and mixed-media animation, along with stories of watching The Nerve’s annual awards as a communal event.
Listener feedback exposes Meghan Markle’s inability to sell merchandise despite claims of everything “selling out instantly.”

New Year’s Resolutions? Maureen Calls B.S.

[58:23–66:16]

Maureen rails against January’s “new year, new you” media onslaught:
"I hate this stuff. It’s garbage. It’s just designed to sell you stuff you don’t need.”
Hoda Kotb & Jenna Bush Hager’s Ineptitude:
New Year’s Eve promo derided for vapidity, including an “amazing” background eye-roll from a young woman (59:00).
Mel Robbins’ Grift & Wellness Hacks:
- Robbins hawks her “let them” and now “let me” theories.
  - Quote: Mel Robbins: “You got to know where you are and where you want to go.” (63:08–63:45)
- Maureen eviscerates: “You need to know where you are which holds true every second of the day in order to know where you’re going. This woman is such a grifter.” (63:45)
- Robbins’ podcast celebrates a Golden Globe nomination with staged triumph, belying her superficial “let them” detachment.
  - Quote: Mel Robbins: “I love you and I believe in you.” (65:08)
Lena Dunham & Maureen’s Own Take:
- Dunham’s anti-resolution Instagram post mocked; Maureen argues meaningful change comes slowly and privately, not from calendar rituals:
  - “Real change...happens incrementally. It can often take years.”
  - “New Year’s resolutions are a bunch of bullshit.” (66:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Enabling Monsters:
“This goes directly to how the industry builds these monsters and the ways in which they are allowed to roam unfettered and become destroyers.” (00:48)
On Chevy’s Doc & Narcissism:
“He’s made this vicious treatment...all about him.” (17:20)
On Seth Rogen’s Award:
“Why did you show up if you really think so little of critics?” (39:22)
On Kamala Harris:
“Says the woman who married Doug Emhoff, as discussed, slapped an accomplished female attorney who...he smacked her, allegedly, in the face, so hard that she spun around on high heels.” (44:00)
On Swisher/Galloway:
“I spend 300- to 400-thousand dollars a month...I have a plane...I’m spending money like a 50s gangster just diagnosed with ass cancer.” (49:11)
On the Celebrity Wellness Complex:
“This woman is such a grifter.” (on Mel Robbins, 63:45)

Timestamps for Important Segments

Chevy Chase Documentary Analysis: 08:13–29:00
Timothée Chalamet & “Marty Supreme”: 32:14–35:38
Seth Rogen’s Awards Speech: 39:05–39:22
Alec Baldwin’s Dopey Interview: 40:00–41:00
Carol Radziwill Instagram Grief: 41:00–43:00
Kamala Harris Relationship Advice: 43:00–44:30
Wealth Talk: Galloway/Swisher: 47:46–49:11
Listener Art & Feedback: 49:12–58:23
Anti-Resolution Segment & Mel Robbins Critique: 58:23–66:15

Tone & Style

For New Listeners

Not to miss:

Chevy Chase’s monstrous behavior, exposed in frank detail (08:13–29:00)
Boston Globe’s hilarious takedown of "Marty Supreme" (32:14–33:40)
Maureen’s systematic destruction of Mel Robbins’ “advice” (63:08–66:15)
Outstanding listener creativity and anti-heroic spirit (49:12–58:23)

Chevy Chase's Monstrous Behavior, Timothée Chalamet Gets Mocked, and Mel Robbins' Hack Advice

Powered by Wave AI

Summary

The Nerve with Maureen Callahan – Episode Summary

Episode: “Chevy Chase’s Monstrous Behavior, Timothée Chalamet Gets Mocked, and Mel Robbins’ Hack Advice”

Overview

Episode Structure

Chevy Chase: The Anatomy of a Monster

Key Points

Celebrity Roundup: Mockery and Mayhem

Timothée Chalamet & “Marty Supreme”

Seth Rogen’s Award Faux-Modesty

Alec Baldwin’s Self-Pity Over “Rust” Shooting

Carol Radziwill: Tragedy Vulture

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff Relationship Irony

[Scott Galloway & Kara Swisher]: Wealth Confessions

Listener Community & Troublemaker Art

New Year’s Resolutions? Maureen Calls B.S.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Tone & Style

For New Listeners

Summary

The Nerve with Maureen Callahan – Episode Summary

Episode: “Chevy Chase’s Monstrous Behavior, Timothée Chalamet Gets Mocked, and Mel Robbins’ Hack Advice”

Overview

Episode Structure

Chevy Chase: The Anatomy of a Monster

Key Points

Celebrity Roundup: Mockery and Mayhem

Timothée Chalamet & “Marty Supreme”

Seth Rogen’s Award Faux-Modesty

Alec Baldwin’s Self-Pity Over “Rust” Shooting

Carol Radziwill: Tragedy Vulture

Kamala Harris and Doug Emhoff Relationship Irony

[Scott Galloway & Kara Swisher]: Wealth Confessions

Listener Community & Troublemaker Art

New Year’s Resolutions? Maureen Calls B.S.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Important Segments

Tone & Style

For New Listeners