Is Amy Poehler’s Golden Globe win progress for podcasts?

Amy Poehler’s Good Hang took the award for ‘Best Podcast’ at this year’s Golden Globe Awards.

The interview-style podcast has seen Poehler chat to guests from across industries, including Seth Meyers, Reneé Rapp, Michelle Obama, and most recently Jennifer Lawrence.

The Golden Globes say this inclusion is “an effort by the Globes to recognise the top of the field in an expanding entertainment industry, where personality-driven productions are now at the centre of attention for audiences.”

Poehler’s podcast was nominated alongside Armchair Expert, Call Her Daddy, The Mel Robbins Podcast, SmartLess and Up First. Poehler addressed her fellow nominees in her acceptance speech: “I know I am new to this game. I have great respect for this form. I have great respect for all the people that I am nominated with. I’m big fans of all of you”.

This year’s ceremony was the first to include the new podcast category. The Golden Globes say this inclusion is “an effort by the Globes to recognise the top of the field in an expanding entertainment industry, where personality-driven productions are now at the centre of attention for audiences.”

Despite this undeniable step forward for podcasts in the mainstream, the presentation of the award by the Golden Globes seemed to frame it as a gimmick.

Despite this undeniable step forward for podcasts in the mainstream, the presentation of the award by the Golden Globes seemed to frame it as a gimmick. Golden Globes host Nikki Glaser introduced the podcasts category with a skit twisting a viral Nicole Kidman AMC commercial to very sarcastically praise podcasts. The skit’s most relatable moment sees Glaser mocking the inescapability of sponsorships and commercial messages in podcast episodes as she desperately tries to skip through an advertisement.

The parody also features clips from the other award nominees, specifically highlighting some of the most insubstantial moments of each podcast. From debating cookie flavours on SmartLess to Poehler and Gweneth Paltrow discussing when they like to eat dinner on Good Hang, the Globes are drawing attention to how audiences will truly listen to their favourite podcast hosts talk about anything.

The video ends with the cynical tagline “Podcasts, they’re… just what we have now.”

Poehler seemed to take this somewhat peculiar treatment of podcasts in her stride, and remained grateful even as she thanked Snoop Dogg, who presented her with the award, saying: “This is exactly how I pictured it: Snoop giving me the award”.

Podcasts are still the overlooked younger sibling of film and television, still not taken seriously, now just given an award to keep them happy.

Snoop Dogg does host his own GGN podcast, and award show speeches are notorious for sarcastic humour, but the choice by the Globes to have the podcast award in a night focused on film and TV presented by a celebrity known for music cheapens the moment slightly.

Introducing the award, Snoop Dogg said: “Before podcasts, I was what you all listened to driving around in your cars.” So really, Poehler has won the award for ‘Best Alternative to Snoop Dogg’. Not quite the honour it was made out to be.

On the surface, the Globes have taken a step forward in acknowledging the increasing status of podcasts in the entertainment industry. However, Glaser’s sketch and Snoop Dogg’s appearance perfectly reflect the current relationship between podcasts and the other more traditional formats awarded at the Golden Globes. Podcasts are still the overlooked younger sibling of film and television, still not taken seriously, now just given an award to keep them happy.