The Cleverest Good Boys

The 98th Oscars are coming, and The Cleverest Good Boys are here to sniff around the nominees. In our newest episode, we break down this year's Best Picture race—from the gothic electricity of Sinners to the emotional tidal wave of Hamnet , the roaring engines of F1 , and whatever strange cinematic laboratory produced Bugonia . Is Frankenstein alive or just shambling toward the podium? Will voters...

Welcome back to the 2025 Cameo Christmas episode of The Cleverest Good Boys, the only holiday special brave enough to ask the eternal questions: What even is a Cameo? Who approved this? And why does this feel like both late capitalism and Christmas magic at the same time? Tonight, we gather around the glowing digital hearth to unwrap celebrity messages we absolutely did not need, but deeply deserv...

In this Cleverest Good Boys speed round, the hosts quickly break down the non-Best Picture nominees, offering rapid-fire predictions and insights. They analyze the acting categories, debating which performances have the strongest momentum and where potential upsets could happen. Technical awards get their moment as they discuss the frontrunners in cinematography, editing, and visual effects. Final...

In the Cleverest Good Boys episode previewing the 97th Academy Awards, the hosts make their boldest predictions, wondering if this year's ceremony will be A Complete Unknown or follow the usual patterns. They hold a Conclave of opinions on the frontrunners, debating whether the Academy will favor The Brutalist approach of rewarding technical mastery or embrace films with The Substance of deeper em...

What? You thought we'd wait a whole year before releasing this? What kind of bush league, two-bit podcast would do that? Two words: NOT US! Put away the egg nog for a second, plug in your Bose hearmuffs and give a listen-sy to the boys and their very clever, very good takes on the best music 2024 has to offer. This episode features the always erudite meditations of Friend of the Pod Andrew.  The P...

Look...we know. We  know .  The time for 2023 best of lists have come and gone. But the picks are so good and so clever that we had to delay. Check out their picks for best music of the year, featuring FOTP Andrew! The playlists Doug's playlist: Doug's Top 32 Songs of the Year Doug's extras:  Doug's Extras Jim's playlist:  Jim's Top 32 Songs of the Year Jim's longlist:  Jim's 2023 Longlist Andrew'...

It's a Boxing Day miracle!   The Cleverest Good Boys are back to get Cameos for each other to celebrate living, laughing, loving, and leavening. Leavening bread and leavening moods, as the kids are currently saying. Plug in your earbugs and podlinks, rizzlers, and listen to the fellas celebrate one another cleverly and goodly. Guest starring Friend of the Pod Andrew!   Wanna see the Cameos? Click...

It's time for the OSCARS! Were you hoping the CGBs never talked about movies again? Were you hoping we'd drift off into the sunset, while you, or loving fans, called "SHAAAAANE"? Were you hoping we got into a three boy standoff and gunned each other down because one of us was too good and one of us was too bad and one of us was too ugly? Well tough luck, because we're BACK babayyyyy! Join us as we...

It's the most FUNderful time of the year, dingdongs! The time when the Cleverest Good Boys get Cameos for each other to celebrate living, laughing, loving, and leavening. Leavening bread and leavening moods, as the kids are currently saying.  Plug in your earbugs and podlinks, rizzlers, and listen to the fellas celebrate one another cleverly and goodly.  Guest starring Friend of the Pod Andrew!  ...

It's that time again! Time for Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep to collect their Osca- Wait, what? They're not actually...they're not nominated?   Shit.  Well what the hell are these dingdongs going to discuss for an hour?! I guess we'll find out in Part 1 of this year's Hanksless, Streepfree Oscars podcast. 

Can you  believe those guys? The drop a whole episode of award speculation and movie talk...and they leave out the best part: the Best Picture discussion!   Those silly geese. Anyway, they talk for a good long time about the 10 best picture nominees! Enjoy Doug's discussion, Joe's jokes and Jim's bloviations!

Join the CGBs as they attend the Sundance Film Festival, one in person and another virtually.  What's it like attending in person? How different is it from attending virtually? What were the highlights? What's going to be the next CODA? Find out on this episode as the Cleverest Good Boys head west to Sundance!

With the year freshly upon us, the Cleverest Good Boys spring back to discuss the best music the previous year had to offer. In their minds, at least. Friend of the Pod Andrew joins as the guest host with the most. Strap in an go back to the future with the Cleverest Good Boys, featuring Friend of the Pod Andrew!   Listen to Doug's playlist here . Listen to Friend of the Pod Andrew's playlist here...

It's been a year, hasn't it friends? Thank you for abiding with us as we bloviate about music, movies and various ephemera. I have it on good authority that our boys are not only the cleverest and goodest, they're also the gratefulest.  Gratefulest for  you the listener. We have big things planned for 2023, but now...enjoy the newly-crowned winner of the Best Song of the 80s!   And as a special ho...

It's that time of year when the Cleverest Good Boys want your input. We had such a hard time pinning down the best song of the 1980s that we needed you to do it for us! "How can we help, yall?" you may be asking. Well...the only way we know how: a bracket, where each song will duel to the death. Now pop in your AirBuds or pull on your Beats and listen to our 1980s Bracket Intro...THEN... Listen to...

Aye carumba! Two new episodes in a week? About the music of the two final years of the 1980s? These good boys must be up to something EXTREMELY clever if they're pushing out content this quickly! Anyway, here's their thoughts on the music of 1989 (the year, not the ICONIC Swift opus.) Doug's Playlist Jim's Playlist    

The Cleverest Good Boys chopped up and listened to a big ole key bump of the music from 1988. Don't worry, be happy. They loved every single bit of it!  Doug's Playlist  Jim's Playlist  

In this episode, the CGBs discuss the music of 1987! See the very first video feed of the pod here !   Listen to Doug's playlist here . Listen to Jim's playlist here .

It's Emmy time, baby!  Join the three* cleverest, goodest boys as they discuss the 74th Primetime Emmy Awards.  *one of the boys may or may not be absent, but pretend he's there, nodding his head in agreement at everything Jim says. 

Now for the thrilling conclusion of the cleverest, goodest Oscar podcast. Enjoy!

And the winner is...You! After all, what better way to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year than with a two-part Cleverest Good Boys podcast?! In this episode, the CGBs discuss each best picture nominee and rank them in order of preference. And let me tell ya...things get HEATED.  As a bonus, Doug brainstormed the next big tentpole franchise! So, listen carefully for that! Part II will be...

1986 was a magical year.  Millions of people linked together in Hands Across America. The Statue of Liberty was reopened to the public. Haley's Comet took the world by storm. And, most importantly, the Voyager 2 made it's first encounter with Uranus. But beyond that, the music was really interesting! Strap some headphones on your ears and take a trip to the distant galaxy of 1986 music with the Cl...

2021 was a great year in music. According to THESE silly billies, that is. The vibes were chill in the midst of this brutal jerk of a year. The Cleverest Good Boys invite one of their cleverest, good friends to talk about. Join Doug, Joe, Jim and Friend of the Pod Andrew for a clever, good conversation about 2021 and the music that scored a tough, chaotic year. Andrew's Favorite Albums List Doug's...

It's the most wonderful tiiiiiiiime of the yeeeeeear! Welcome to the annual, not-your-daddy's-holiday episode of the Cleverest Good Boys: Cameo Christmas 2021, baby! For newcomers, welcome. Joe, Doug, and Jim get each other Cameos every year, as a sign of glad tidings and a blessed yule. And then, they record it. FOR POSTERITY. And to share the holiday love to all of their listeners. Strap in, pou...

Buy your ticket for the radical journey through the winding road of 1985 music. All aboard!   Doug's Best of 1985 Jim's Best of 1985 Doug's exxxtra spice 1985 extras