The 2026 Golden Globes introduced a Best Podcast category for the first time ever.
251: Am I Overreacting?!
A man married his imaginary giant cockroach named Ogtha in a living-room ceremony, went on a solo honeymoon, and told his coworkers — and it did not go well.
Jan 15, 2026
2:10:14
Difficulty: Beginner
Played
Two Hot Takes
251: Am I Overreacting?!
A man married his imaginary giant cockroach named Ogtha in a living-room ceremony, went on a solo honeymoon, and told his coworkers — and it did not go well.
Jan 15, 2026
2:10:14
Difficulty: Beginner
Played
TL;DR
Morgan Absher and guest co-host Michaela Okland tackle Reddit's wildest "Am I Overreacting?" stories: a widower who won't remove his dead wife's ring [1] — Morgan Absher "A boyfriend insists on wearing his dead wife's wedding ring on his left ring finger while seriously dating someone new — and won't compromi…" 09:13 , a fiancée's secret death-ranking list of her future in-laws [2] — Morgan Absher "A 29-year-old had a private Instagram where she ranked her fiancé's family by the order she hoped they'd die — his grandma first ('2 years …" 21:01 , first cousins who unknowingly fell in love [3] — Morgan Absher "They met at orientation, clicked instantly, dated four years, got engaged — and then discovered at a Christmas dinner that their mothers ar…" 34:36 , a man who had a coworker arrested for stealing his $1,800 Herman Miller chair [4] — Morgan Absher "He brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to a new job. Day 4 — stolen. The boss said chairs are first-come first-served. So he c…" 1:14:57 , a woman whose coworker told everyone they were married, and — saving the best for last — the legendary Reddit saga of "Ogtha," a man who married an imaginary giant cockroach [5] — Morgan Absher "By 2020, the Ogtha man had fully committed: living-room wedding ceremony, solo honeymoon to New Orleans, and — after accidentally saying 'm…" 1:52:40 . The single most useful takeaway: sometimes incompatibility, not overreaction, is the real issue.
#Reddit relationship advice
#grief and dating
#family secrets
#cousin romance
#Finsta drama
#workplace harassment
#stolen office property
#imaginary relationship fetish
#Kafka Metamorphosis fandom
#Golden Globes podcast category
#hockey LGBTQ representation
#functioning alcoholism
#mental health and delusion
#am I overreacting
#Reddit stories
#relationship drama
#workplace conflict
#grief
#wedding
#first cousins
#Ogtha
#Kafka
#Finsta
#death list
#Herman Miller chair
#Golden Globes podcast award
#Heated Rivalry
#family estrangement
#Two Hot Takes
#Morgan Absher
#Michaela Okland
Morgan Absher and guest co-host Michaela Okland tackle 'Am I Overreacting?' Reddit stories ranging from a widower's wedding ring to a man in love with an imaginary cockroach named Ogtha.
Chapter list
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The first work story of the day comes from @aitah: a man who brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to a new sales job, had it stolen on his fourth day, was told by his boss that chairs are first-come-first-served, and escalated by calling the police. [1] — Morgan Absher "He brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to a new job. Day 4 — stolen. The boss said chairs are first-come first-served. So he c…" 1:14:57 The thief admitted to the theft, and OP had his receipt with the serial number as proof. OP then pressed charges even when his boss threatened termination — and was fired on the spot, carrying his chair out as he left. The thief, a 15-year industry veteran, lost his security license. Morgan and Michaela initially side with OP over the terrible boss and brazen thief, but both conclude that pressing charges and destroying a career over a chair crossed a line. The segment sparks a listener call-out about whether office chair theft is a widespread phenomenon.
- Finsta
- A secondary, private Instagram account used to share content with a small, trusted group rather than one's main follower base; short for 'fake Instagram.'
- Herman Miller Aeron
- A high-end ergonomic office chair manufactured by Herman Miller, often cited as a premium workplace furniture item costing upward of $1,000.
- Tulpa
- A concept from Tibetan Buddhism, adopted in internet communities, referring to a sentient being or personality created and sustained through focused mental effort and imagination.
- Metamorphosis
- A 1915 novella by Franz Kafka in which the protagonist Gregor Samsa wakes up transformed into a giant insect; central to the origin of the Ogtha story.
- Finsta death-rank tier list
- As used in the episode, a privately posted social media ranking ordering people by the creator's wished-for sequence of their deaths, framed as dark humor.
- Karma farming
- On Reddit, the act of creating throwaway or new accounts and posting viral or fabricated stories specifically to accumulate upvotes (karma) rather than for genuine discussion.
- Pariah
- A social outcast; a person who is rejected or avoided by others. Used in the episode to describe the Ogtha man's status after confessing his imaginary cockroach marriage to coworkers.
- Method acting
- A highly immersive acting technique in which a performer stays in character on and off stage to achieve authentic emotional depth; referenced in the context of the earlier 'bug man' story on the podcast.
- Pavloved
- Informal: conditioned through repeated association, referencing Ivan Pavlov's classical conditioning experiments; Morgan used it to describe how the Ogtha man had conditioned himself to need the cockroach fantasy.
- Ask a Manager
- A popular advice blog run by Alison Green that addresses workplace etiquette, HR issues, and professional dilemmas; one of the episode's story sources.
- Smartless
- A widely popular podcast hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett in which celebrities are surprise guests; mentioned as a competitor for the first Golden Globe for Best Podcast.
- LGBTQ+
- Acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and other gender and sexual identities; discussed in the context of homophobia in professional hockey culture.
- Access control systems
- Electronic security systems that manage who can enter or exit a building or area; the type of product sold by the company in the stolen-chair Reddit story.
- Enamored
- Filled with a feeling of love or strong infatuation; used by the Ogtha Reddit poster to describe how he became captivated by his imaginary cockroach.
- Nonchalantly
- In a casually calm manner, as if unaware of or indifferent to the significance of something; used by the Ogtha man when he accidentally mentioned 'my wife' at work.
Chapter 1 · 00:00
Start
The first work story of the day comes from @aitah: a man who brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to a new sales job, had it stolen on his fourth day, was told by his boss that chairs are first-come-first-served, and escalated by calling the police. [1] — Morgan Absher "He brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to a new job. Day 4 — stolen. The boss said chairs are first-come first-served. So he c…" 1:14:57 The thief admitted to the theft, and OP had his receipt with the serial number as proof. OP then pressed charges even when his boss threatened termination — and was fired on the spot, carrying his chair out as he left. The thief, a 15-year industry veteran, lost his security license. Morgan and Michaela initially side with OP over the terrible boss and brazen thief, but both conclude that pressing charges and destroying a career over a chair crossed a line. The segment sparks a listener call-out about whether office chair theft is a widespread phenomenon.
Claims made here
Amy Poehler won the first Golden Globe for Best Podcast after approximately 10 months of podcasting.
Will Arnett co-hosts the podcast Smartless with Jason Bateman.
One actor from Heated Rivalry reported receiving DMs from closeted professional hockey players saying the show helped them.
Morgan Absher's partner Justin attended St. Thomas University, which is near the University of Minnesota.
Albert Einstein married his cousin.
Edgar Allan Poe married his cousin, who was a child bride.
Marriage between first cousins is legal in some US states but not others.
A man's Herman Miller Aeron chair, which cost $1,800, was stolen by a coworker on his fourth day at a new sales job.
Herman Miller Aeron chairs have unique serial numbers.
The Ogtha man developed his cockroach fantasy after reading Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis in 9th or 10th grade.
The original Ogtha Reddit post was made on October 3rd, 2014.
The Ogtha man's follow-up Reddit post was made on May 16th, 2020, approximately 5.5 years after the original.
Golden Globes Adds Best Podcast — Amy Poehler Wins Over Will Arnett
The 2026 Golden Globes introduced a Best Podcast category for the first time, and Amy Poehler won it after just 10 months of podcasting — beating out her ex-husband Will Arnett, who has co-hosted the massively popular Smartless for years. The internet had thoughts.
Golden Globes introduced first-ever Best Podcast category
The 2026 Golden Globes introduced a Best Podcast category for the first time, won by Amy Poehler's podcast over competitors including Will Arnett's Smartless.
Dead Wife's Ring: Grief, Compatibility, and Letting Go
A boyfriend insists on wearing his dead wife's wedding ring on his left ring finger while seriously dating someone new — and won't compromise. This isn't jealousy of a ghost; it's a compatibility problem. He's simply not ready, and his girlfriend has to decide if she can live with that.
Dead wife's ring on left ring finger
A widower insisted on wearing his late wife's wedding ring on his left ring finger while seriously dating a new partner, refusing compromises like a different finger or necklace.
Widower comment: 'He's still her husband'
A Reddit commenter who was widowed at 25 and lost their partner and unborn child said it took years to stop telling people they were 'spoken for,' lending insight that the boyfriend may not be ready to date.
Right Person, Wrong Time — Does It Exist?
Morgan says if she'd met her partner Justin in college, it never would have worked — she wasn't ready. But Michaela pushes back: sometimes people manufacture reasons for 'wrong timing.' The debate is whether the universe gives you the right person at the wrong moment, or if missed timing just means they weren't the one.
The Secret Death-Ranking Finsta That Blew Up a Wedding
A 29-year-old had a private Instagram where she ranked her fiancé's family by the order she hoped they'd die — his grandma first ('2 years max, I'm getting that ring'), his 14-year-old sister labeled 'school shooter energy.' Her own sister saw it and showed the fiancé at a BBQ. Now the wedding is paused. Morgan calls it psychopathic; Michaela sees dark humor gone too far.
Sister's Finsta: death-order tier list
A 29-year-old woman maintained a private Instagram where she ranked her fiancé's family members in the order she hoped they would die, including his 14-year-old sister labeled 'school shooter energy.'
First Cousins, Engaged: The Impossible Situation
They met at orientation, clicked instantly, dated four years, got engaged — and then discovered at a Christmas dinner that their mothers are estranged identical twins, making them first cousins. Their mothers have never met. The wedding is in six months. This is not a TV plot; it's a real Reddit post with a devastating update.
First cousins engaged after 4 years together
A 22-year-old woman and her fiancé discovered at a holiday gathering that their mothers are estranged twin sisters, making them first cousins, despite four years of dating and a June wedding planned.
The Update: Mother's Violent Reaction and Tom's Family's Response
When OP told her mother she was engaged to her first cousin, the mother threw a 3/4-full gin bottle at her. Tom's family, meanwhile, texted immediately with florist options and called OP their daughter. The contrast couldn't be more stark — and it raises unsettling questions about why the mother really fled her family at 17.
Mother threw full gin bottle at OP
After OP told her mother about the cousin relationship, her mother erupted, called her names, and threw a 3/4-full bottle of gin at her, leaving a bruise on OP's arm.
Tom's family: 'Nothing has changed, you're our daughter'
Despite learning the couple are first cousins, Tom's parents texted OP saying they still supported the marriage and considered her their daughter.
Is the 'Perfect Family' Too Perfect? Reading Between the Lines
Tom's parents found out their son is engaged to his first cousin and immediately sent florist options. Morgan and Michaela find that suspicious — victims often seem chaotic while perpetrators appear charming. There's something about the mother's story that doesn't add up, and a 17-year-old doesn't flee a loving home for nothing.
The $1,800 Chair: Justice Served or Gone Too Far?
He brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to a new job. Day 4 — stolen. The boss said chairs are first-come first-served. So he called the cops. The thief was arrested, lost his 15-year security license, and OP was fired on the spot. Morgan and Michaela agree: the boss was terrible, the thief was wrong — but OP went nuclear.
He Told Everyone at Work They Were Married — For Months
She took a leave to care for elderly parents. While she was gone, a coworker told the entire office they were legally married. She's been married to someone else for a decade. When she snapped and corrected him publicly, she became the villain. She eventually left for a better job — but the creep stayed.
Coworker told entire office they were married — for months
A male coworker told everyone at work that a female colleague was his wife for months during her leave of absence, despite them never having dated and her actually being married to someone else for 10 years.
Data point
$1,800
A new employee brought his own $1,800 Herman Miller Aeron chair to the office; it was stolen on Day 4 by a coworker, leading to a police call and both men losing their jobs.
Meet Ogtha: The Original Reddit Cockroach Love Story
In 2014, a Reddit poster admitted that after reading Kafka's Metamorphosis in high school, he developed an intense fantasy about a giant intelligent cockroach named Ogtha — and could not have sex without imagining his partner was her. His girlfriend was not okay with this. The internet was entranced.
Ogtha: imaginary cockroach fantasy since 9th grade
A Reddit poster revealed he developed a sexual fantasy about a giant intelligent cockroach named Ogtha after reading Kafka's Metamorphosis in 9th or 10th grade and had been unable to have sex without imagining her ever since.
Ogtha's 2020 Update: The Wedding, The Honeymoon, The Coworkers
By 2020, the Ogtha man had fully committed: living-room wedding ceremony, solo honeymoon to New Orleans, and — after accidentally saying 'my wife' at work — he told his entire team the full Ogtha story at a team lunch. HR said nothing could be done. He is looking for a new job. He will never divorce Ogtha.
Man married imaginary cockroach in living room ceremony
By 2020, the same poster had committed fully to Ogtha, holding a living-room wedding ceremony, reciting vows, and going on a 'honeymoon' solo trip to New Orleans — all while considering Ogtha his wife.
Ogtha's update: told coworkers at team lunch
After accidentally mentioning 'my wife' at work, the man confessed the entire Ogtha story to coworkers at a team lunch, becoming a workplace pariah with HR unable to act.
Ogtha Meets the Parents — And It Goes Badly
The third Ogtha post: he told his parents he was married to an imaginary cockroach and 'allowed Ogtha to speak through him' to introduce herself. His mother cried. They threatened to cut off his student loans. He says they're overreacting. He will never divorce Ogtha.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
Show stoppers
Ogtha's 2020 Update: The Wedding, The Honeymoon, The Coworkers
By 2020, the Ogtha man had fully committed: living-room wedding ceremony, solo honeymoon to New Orleans, and — after accidentally saying 'my wife' at work — he told his entire team the full Ogtha story at a team lunch. HR said nothing could be done. He is looking for a new job. He will never divorce Ogtha.
First Cousins, Engaged: The Impossible Situation
They met at orientation, clicked instantly, dated four years, got engaged — and then discovered at a Christmas dinner that their mothers are estranged identical twins, making them first cousins. Their mothers have never met. The wedding is in six months. This is not a TV plot; it's a real Reddit post with a devastating update.
Snapshots ()
Key Quotes ()
This episode
Cast
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Discussed as the winner of the first-ever Golden Globe for Best Podcast, praised for her interviewing style and her 10-month-old show beating out Will Arnett's Smartless.
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The 2026 Golden Globes ceremony, notable for introducing the first-ever Best Podcast category, won by Amy Poehler.
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Author of The Metamorphosis, the novella whose cockroach protagonist inspired the Ogtha man's lifelong imaginary roach obsession.
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Amy Poehler's ex-husband and co-host of Smartless, who was notably beaten by her in the inaugural Golden Globe Best Podcast category.
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Celebrity Morgan met while hosting a mini mic at the Spotify pre-Golden Globes party; described as noticeably more beautiful in person.
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The primary source platform for the relationship and workplace drama stories discussed throughout the episode.
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Episode sponsor offering personalized financial tracking and recommendations; Morgan mentioned it helped her catch a missed payment.
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Mentioned as a partner for the pre-Golden Globes party Morgan attended, and as a recurring connection for podcast-related industry events.
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Online psychiatry service sponsoring the episode, offering evaluation, diagnosis, and medication management for conditions including anxiety, ADHD, and depression.
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A TV show about professional hockey that Morgan Absher enthusiastically recommended, describing it as emotionally powerful and LGBTQ+ inclusive.
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The $1,800 premium office chair that was stolen from a Reddit poster at his new job, sparking a police call and dual job losses.
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Franz Kafka's 1915 novella in which a man transforms into a giant insect; the origin text for the Ogtha fetish and referenced earlier in the 'bug man' backstory.
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Popular podcast referenced as one that helped bring women into podcasting and was discussed as a Golden Globe Best Podcast contender.
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Popular podcast co-hosted by Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes; referenced as a Best Podcast Golden Globe competitor.
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City where the Ogtha man took his 'honeymoon' solo work trip, in his mind accompanied by his imaginary cockroach wife.
Stats
This episode
Claims & Sources
0 / 13 cited (0%)
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
The 2026 Golden Globes introduced a Best Podcast category for the first time ever.
Amy Poehler won the first Golden Globe for Best Podcast after approximately 10 months of podcasting.
Will Arnett co-hosts the podcast Smartless with Jason Bateman.
A man's Herman Miller Aeron chair, which cost $1,800, was stolen by a coworker on his fourth day at a new sales job.
Herman Miller Aeron chairs have unique serial numbers.
Marriage between first cousins is legal in some US states but not others.
Albert Einstein married his cousin.
Edgar Allan Poe married his cousin, who was a child bride.
The original Ogtha Reddit post was made on October 3rd, 2014.
The Ogtha man's follow-up Reddit post was made on May 16th, 2020, approximately 5.5 years after the original.
The Ogtha man developed his cockroach fantasy after reading Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis in 9th or 10th grade.
One actor from Heated Rivalry reported receiving DMs from closeted professional hockey players saying the show helped them.
Morgan Absher's partner Justin attended St. Thomas University, which is near the University of Minnesota.
