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Spotify itself reportedly paid Rogan $250 million to keep the show exclusive. No other podcast even comes close to that level of reach, influence, or cultural impact.
Yet the Golden Globes decided Rogan did not meet their standards.
That omission was not accidental.
Several conservative and right-leaning shows, including The Ben Shapiro Show, The Tucker Carlson Show, The Megyn Kelly Show, and Candace, initially appeared on a broader shortlist. All were quietly removed before final nominations were announced.
Ben Shapiro even spent thousands of dollars campaigning for the award, including billboards in Times Square. It did not matter.
Megyn Kelly later revealed she withdrew her show altogether after realizing conservative voices were never going to be considered fairly.
“We told them, ‘Thanks, but no thanks,’” Kelly explained. “It is ridiculous that you would do this award and include Mel Robbins, who spends her day spewing a bunch of bullshit you read in your fortune cookie, and not Joe Rogan, who is the undisputed king of this medium.”
The message was unmistakable.
Hollywood was not rewarding excellence. It was enforcing ideology.
That hypocrisy finally drew criticism from an unexpected source. Bill Maher.
During an episode of his Club Random podcast featuring David Spade and Dana Carvey, Maher openly mocked the Golden Globes for what he described as their insulated worldview.
“They only nominated like the super woke stuff,” Maher said. “I’m sure there are good shows, but it was glaring that Joe Rogan was not nominated.”
Maher sarcastically added that Rogan’s show is “kind of popular” and acknowledged that Rogan is genuinely skilled at what he does.
Then came the four words that sent shockwaves through Hollywood.
“Get out of your fucking bubble,” Maher declared.
Maher did not stop there.
“I want to be one of you. I am one of you,” he continued. “But you’re just so hard to defend, because you’re just such smug assholes.”
Maher pointed directly at Los Angeles as the heart of the problem, calling it “the epicenter” of cultural blindness. According to Maher, voters look down on Rogan because he does not reflexively dismiss conservatives or repeat approved talking points.
Rogan’s long-form interviews feature guests from across the political spectrum and allow them to speak without interruption. That approach, Maher suggested, is exactly what makes him dangerous to the progressive establishment.
When Donald Trump sat for a three-hour conversation with Rogan ahead of the 2024 election, millions tuned in. Kamala Harris declined the opportunity, a decision many analysts believe cost her critical support among male voters.
The Golden Globes’ handling of the podcast category only reinforced what Americans already suspect. Awards no longer reflect merit. They reflect obedience.
Amy Poehler ultimately won Best Podcast for Good Hang. Her show does not rank in the top 50 on most platforms. Rogan’s dominates all of them.
The difference was not performance. It was politics.
Maher’s comments ripped the mask off an industry that has stopped pretending it values diversity of thought. The Golden Globes did not celebrate innovation or reach. They rewarded ideological compliance.
Joe Rogan does not need their trophy. His audience, his influence, and his contract already prove his success.
But Maher’s blunt assessment forced Hollywood to confront an uncomfortable truth.
They are not honoring excellence anymore.
They are enforcing conformity.
And Americans are noticing.
