The Nerve with Maureen Callahan
Episode: Timothée Chalamet’s Diss, Sean Penn Breaks the Rules, Political Pins and More at the Golden Globes
Date: January 13, 2026
Guest: Rob Shooter

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Nerve" dives into the 2026 Golden Globes with signature sharpness, wit, and skepticism. Host Maureen Callahan teams up with gossip columnist Rob Shooter for a deep-dish, no-holds-barred post-mortem: they break down the bad celebrity behavior, award show eye-roll moments, political posturing, infamous snubs, and what they dub the “definitive Golden Globes cultural offender wrap up.” If you missed the ceremony, this is the recap you need.

Main Themes & Segment Breakdown

1. Celebrity Politics: Pins, Preaching, and Hypocrisy

(Starts ~03:29)

• Mark Ruffalo’s political red carpet speech and “Be Good” pins, calling out American leadership and moral crises.
  • Quote (Mark Ruffalo, 04:11): “We’re in the middle of a war… [the VP] telling the world that international law doesn’t matter… convicted felon or convicted rapist… the worst human being…”
• Maureen Callahan and Rob Shooter criticize the effectiveness (and sincerity) of celebs using awards shows as platforms for politics.
  • Rob Shooter (06:01): “This is not an evening for anything but show business… if you try to make it about something else, you come across as shallow.”
  • Maureen (06:48): “This is an industry that… would really love to see the likes of Harvey Weinstein back again. But they’re going to preach to the rest of us about politics.”
• Comment on Hypocrisy: Silence from Hollywood on Diddy and Harvey Weinstein scandals while loudly preaching elsewhere.

2. Golden Globes Antics: Snubs, Smoking, and Social Sins

(Starts ~08:04)

• Celebrities Leaving Early:
  • Noted stars who lose simply get up and leave; Timothée Chalamet arrives 90 minutes late to the Critics Choice Awards, grabs his trophy, and bails.
• Sean Penn’s Smoking:
  • Penn chain-smokes at the table despite repeated staff warnings, highlighting the “one rule for us, another for them” attitude.
  • Rob Shooter (09:10): “Sean Penn was asked at least two, maybe three times to [stop] smoking… He had a water glass full of stubs.”
  • “Anybody else would be kicked out… [but] Sean broke the rules not once, not twice, at least four or five times.”
  • Maureen (11:12): “That is real addiction. I mean, I’m not giving him a pass like he’s an entitled piece of shit. But… you can’t sit through a two-hour awards ceremony without…”
• Cultural Precedent:
  • Will Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars and facing no immediate consequences is cited as enabling this celebrity rule-breaking.

3. Award Show Theater: Phony Shock and Bad Acting

(Starts ~13:13)

• Chloe Zhao’s Fake Shock:
  • Director of “Hamnet” acts “stunned” to win, despite campaigning.
  • Maureen (15:10): “Moving them back to her face. We might fall over from shock. Moving along. Oh my God, it was so ridiculous, Rob.”
  • Rob (15:19): “I’m told… they’re actually told a couple of minutes before that they’re going to win… She’s a bad actress, she’s a bad director, and a worse actress. How embarrassing.”
• Rhea Seehorn’s Overwrought Acceptance:
  • Trembling, tearful, “bad acting” acceptance speech draws ire for its lack of authenticity.
  • Maureen (20:39): “She’s literally shaking. Get a prescription for beta blockers… Why is that in your speech? It’s a to-do list. I’m sorry, I’m just… shocked.”
• General Critique:
  • Both hosts bemoan how actors can’t deliver sincere, proportionate reactions and the artifice of staged humility.
  • Rob (21:11): “It’s so humiliating for [them] to give an acting award to a terrible actress… When you get your 2 minutes… sell the movie, not yourself.”

4. Sharpest Moments & Memorable Quotes

Wanda Sykes vs Bill Maher
(Starts ~26:00)

• Wanda Sykes, presenting, delivers a biting barb at Bill Maher.
  • Wanda (27:03): “Bill Maher, you give us so much, but I would love a little less. Just… try less.”
• Rob’s analysis (27:23): “She’s a master… She set him up… before he quite heard what she had said, she flipped the whole switch… It was one of my favorite moments of the night.”

Timothée Chalamet & The Jenner Snub
(Starts ~29:50)

• Actress Odessa Azion snubs Kylie Jenner at Chalamet’s table; Timothée simply lets it happen.
  • Maureen (30:28): “She swoops in and kisses him… Kylie goes in to say, ‘Oh, hi.’ Absolutely snubbed.”
  • Rob (30:38): “I was shocking Timothy didn’t say anything… It was a bad moment. I thought Timothy let her down.”
• Debate over whether Hollywood insiders genuinely don’t recognize Kardashians (Maureen is skeptical).

5. Timothée Chalamet’s Awards Campaign: The Pivot to Humility

(Starts ~32:58)

• Chalamet’s acceptance speech: plays humble, acknowledges co-stars, says “I love you” to his partner.
  • Timothée (33:00): "I'm in a category with many greats... My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude… for my parents, for my partner, I love you."
• Maureen and Rob dissect the speech as a managed pivot from his previous brash persona, a clear Oscar campaign strategy.
  • Rob (34:02): “He’s got a note… The silliness, the weirdness… now has gone. We’re going to see a much more traditional campaign.”
  • Maureen (35:21): “Don’t be fooled. Here we go: ‘This is really some top-level shit’—that’s the real Timothy.”
  • Discussion: Gwyneth Paltrow (co-star) skips event “because all the attention would be on Kylie and Timothy.”

6. Inside Hollywood: Power Plays, Narcissism, and Fact-Check Fails

(Starts ~39:28)

• Color Commentary Fail:
  • Golden Globes introduces “color commentator” voiceovers during award transitions — Maureen and Rob ridicule the inaccuracies and dullness.
  • Maureen (41:46): “Not a holiday, definitely. But it might be Halloween… What the fuck? Hire Rob and me to do the voiceovers at the Globes next year.”
• Julia Roberts’ Narcissistic Award Stunt:
  • Julia presents the last award, makes the moment about herself, and delays revealing the winner.
  • Maureen (44:30): “It’s not about you, Julia, to make me feel better about myself.”
  • Rob (45:20): “Sadistic is the word, Maureen… It’s so wrong. It’s so rude. She made it all about herself.”

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Maureen Callahan (on celebrity preaching, 06:48):
  “This is an industry that… would really love to see the likes of Harvey Weinstein back again… But they’re going to preach to the rest of us about politics.”
• Rob Shooter (on Sean Penn’s rule-breaking, 09:10):
  “Sean Penn was asked at least two, maybe three times to [stop] smoking… He had a water glass full of stubs.”
• Maureen Callahan (fake humility, 17:32):
  "You're in Hollywood… if you're not good at this… ask your actors, ask your publicist. Brad Pitt hired joke writers. That's how you do it."
• Wanda Sykes (roasting Bill Maher, 27:03):
  "Bill Maher, you give us so much, but I would love a little less. Just… try less."
• Maureen Callahan (on Chalamet, 35:25):
  “That’s the real Timothy. That’s the real Timothy Shyamalama ping pong… he’s a snob. Dating Kylie Jenner, who wants the Oscar so effing badly.”
• Rob Shooter (Julia Roberts, 45:20):
  “Sadistic is the word, Maureen… She made it all about herself. This wasn’t about Kevin [Hart] staying. This was about Julia staying.”

Additional Insights & Listener Mail

(Starts ~50:49)

• Listener reactions to the ceremony, Sarah Jessica Parker, George Clooney’s insecurities, and Timothée’s Oscar chances (“Prepare for impact. Timothée is going to win the Oscar… it’s going to be a noxious mushroom cloud that will endanger us all,” Maureen’s riff on a listener’s warning).
• Behind-the-scenes insight: George Clooney’s neediness during early film screenings, noted by a listener who worked on "One Fine Day."

Conclusion & Tone

Throughout, Maureen and Rob maintain their signature caustic humor and no-nonsense skepticism, acidly dissecting Hollywood’s pretense and documenting the real (and petty) drama behind the red carpet. They challenge celebrity sanctimony, cringe at fake humility, and delight in moments when stars show their true colors.

For those who missed the show:
This episode is your essential “Golden Globes Unfiltered” — exposing both the manufactured and the real drama, with sharp commentary and gossipy glee.

Standout Segment Timestamps:

• Politics Kickoff: 03:29
• Mark Ruffalo soundbites: 04:11
• Bill Maher’s critique: 05:56
• Sean Penn’s smoking: 09:10
• Chloe Zhao’s “shock”: 14:46
• Rhea Seehorn’s “shaky” win: 20:28
• Wanda Sykes barbs Maher: 26:00
• Odessa Azion snubs Kylie Jenner: 30:28
• Chalamet’s Oscar pivot: 32:58
• Julia Roberts’ narcissism: 44:23

Signature Quote (Maureen, 48:11):
“We’ve got sharpened knives over here and we’ll see you before the Oscars…”

End of Summary.