My Brother, My Brother and Me

My Brother, My Brother and Me (often abbreviated as MBMBaM, pronounced /məˈbɪmbæm/ ⓘ) is a weekly comedy advice podcast distributed by the Maximum Fun network and hosted by brothers Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy. Regular episodes of the podcast feature the brothers comedically providing answers to questions either submitted by listeners or found online.

Not to be confused with My Brother and Me or My Brother & Me.
"McElroy brothers" redirects here. For the Australian film producers of the same name, see Hal and Jim McElroy.

My Brother, My Brother and Me
The official cover art for My Brother, My Brother and Me, featuring (left to right) Justin, Travis, and Griffin
Presentation
Hosted by
Genre
  • Comedy and humor
  • Advice
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesWeekly
Lengthapprox. 60 minutes
Production
Opening theme"Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA (episodes 1–37)
"(It's A) Departure" by The Long Winters (38–541)
"Rugrats Theme" by Mark Mothersbaugh; new lyrics by Griffin McElroy (542–551)
"My Life (Is Better with You!)" by Montaigne (552–present)
Ending theme"Root to This" by Fear of Pop (episodes 1–28)
"Play Your Part (Pt. 2)" by Girl Talk (29–124)
thereafter the same as opening theme
Audio formatMP3
No. of episodes682
Publication
Original releaseApril 12, 2010
ProviderMaximum Fun
(episodes 38–present)
Related
Related shows
Websitemaximumfun.org/shows/my-brother-my-brother-and-me/

The show was independently produced and released by the McElroy brothers from April 2010 until joining the Maximum Fun network of podcasts in January 2011.[lower-alpha 1] In 2010, the show was consistently listed among the top 10 comedy podcasts on iTunes.[1] Writing for The A.V. Club, critics David Anthony and Colin Griffith both counted MBMBaM as one of their top 10 podcasts of 2012.[2] A TV series based on the podcast premiered on Seeso in February 2017 and was hosted on VRV until the service got absorbed into Crunchyroll.

Format

MBMBAM takes the format of an advice show, where the McElroy brothers answer questions with a combination of silly and practical suggestions in the form of a rapid-fire comedy discussion.[1] Early episodes used questions from various online sources, primarily Yahoo! Answers, as the podcast did not yet have an established audience to rely on for content.[3] As the show gained popularity, the McElroy brothers were able to alternate between questions from listeners and questions from the Yahoo! Answers service. Each episode ended with Griffin reading a "Final Yahoo," which was left unanswered.

On May 4, 2021, the Yahoo! Answers service was shut down. This part of the show was replaced with content from other knowledge-exchange websites such as Quora and wikiHow, in a segment later named "Wizard of the Cloud" or "Wisdom of the Cloud." The "Final Yahoo" at the end of each episode has been replaced with a variety of different sign-offs.

For the first 37 episodes, the show's theme song was "Take a Chance on Me" by ABBA, while "Root to This" by Fear of Pop and later "Play Your Part (Pt. 2)" by Girl Talk were used as closing themes.[lower-alpha 1] "(It's a) Departure" by John Roderick & The Long Winters (from the album Putting the Days to Bed) served as the theme song for My Brother, My Brother and Me from the January 17, 2011, episode "The Brain Wife" (the show's first with the Maximum Fun network) to the January 4, 2021, episode "The Naming of 2021."[lower-alpha 2]

Due to Roderick's conduct surrounding the controversy over the musician's Twitter posting history, the show's official Twitter account announced that "(It's a) Departure" would no longer be used by the podcast as of January 3, 2021. From episodes 542 to 551, the show used the theme song from Rugrats, featuring lyrics sung by Griffin, as a placeholder for both the opening and ending theme.[4] This was replaced in episode 552 with "My Life Is Better with You", which was written and performed by Australian artist Montaigne for the show.[lower-alpha 3]

Recurring segments

In addition to the usual format of responding to questions sent in by listeners, the podcast also frequently includes recurring segments. Most live shows include at least one of these segments, such as Munch Squad or Haunted Doll Watch. Segments include:

  • "The Money Zone": A segment which occurs each episode, normally around the midpoint, including advertisements from corporate sponsors read by the hosts on air.[lower-alpha 2] Additionally, they would read paid messages from listeners, called "Jumbotrons," before discontinuing them for both MBMBaM and their Dungeons & Dragons podcast, "The Adventure Zone," in episode 436.
  • "Minion Quotes": A segment wherein Justin reads quotes which he finds in image macros on Facebook. Griffin and Travis attempt to guess which cartoon character is featured along with the quote. If Griffin or Travis guesses correctly, Justin must post the image on his Facebook page without comment, and cannot reply to the responses to the post. This has caused no small amount of distress to Justin.[lower-alpha 4]
  • "Munch Squad": A "podcast within a podcast" in which Justin reads press releases from fast food companies.[lower-alpha 5] The segment is typically introduced by Justin interrupting the podcast after a Money Zone segment, singing a parody of the chorus of the Twisted Sister song, "I Wanna Rock".[lower-alpha 6]
  • "Haunted Doll Watch": A segment which features Justin reading and critiquing eBay listings of apparently cursed, possessed, or haunted dolls.[lower-alpha 7]
  • "Sad Libs": A segment in which Travis creates tragic stories with blank spaces and completes them with nonsensical or uncomfortable words, resembling Mad Libs. Performed largely at live shows, the segment is ridiculed and despised by Justin and Griffin.[lower-alpha 8]
  • "That's a Christmas to Me": A segment in which Justin reads plot summaries of three Christmas movies, two of which are real and one of which is fake. Griffin and Travis must guess which description is fake.[lower-alpha 9]
  • "Riddle Me Piss": A segment in which Travis reads confusing and often nonsensical "riddles" from Riddles.com. While introducing the segment and reading the riddle, Travis will often adopt an exaggerated, high-pitched voice. Justin and Griffin tend to try to apply logic to otherwise illogical riddles, leaving both brothers exasperated and upset.[lower-alpha 10]
  • "Celebrity Wines, Why Not?": A game show-style segment in which Justin provides the name of a wine made by a celebrity, and Travis and Griffin attempt to guess the celebrity that makes the wine. The segment is typically introduced via singing.[lower-alpha 11]
  • "Reach for the Stars": A segment in which Travis reads Amazon reviews, along with their respective rating. Justin and Griffin's roles are to guess what products the reviews are for.[lower-alpha 12]
  • "Play Along At Home": A game show-style segment in which Travis asks Justin and Griffin trivia questions, while inviting the audience to "play along at home," in the style of a children’s television host. The questions cover a wide range of topics, but often end with an anecdotal question that Justin and Griffin would have no way of knowing. Travis started this segment shortly after having his second baby, and his brothers make it clear how much they dislike it.[lower-alpha 13]
  • "Under the Table and Phishing": A game show-style segment in which Travis reads lyrics from either Phish or Dave Matthews Band. Griffin and Justin then attempt to guess which band the lyrics are from. Travis, doing an impersonation of Dave Matthews, makes "guest appearances" as the co-host of this segment.[lower-alpha 14]
  • "Work of Fart": A game show-style segment with a format similar to that of Jeopardy. Travis provides Justin and Griffin with a statement that combines a description of a classic piece of film, literature or other work of art, with a reference to bathroom humour. Justin and Griffin then try to guess what pun Travis created to mashup the title of the work in question with the bathroom humor word.[lower-alpha 15]
  • "Naming of the Year": A segment done at the beginning of each year where the brothers decide on a theme for the year (which vaguely rhymes with the year in question) which can act as a guiding principle for them and their listeners. Examples include "Twenty-Fix-Teen: Building Bridges" (2016) and "Frankenstein-Teen: Become the Monster" (2019).
  • "Wizard of the Cloud": A segment intended to replace Yahoo Answers following the website's shutdown in May 2021.[5] Within, Griffin presents a wikiHow article which gives questionable advice on obscure topics. [lower-alpha 16] Examples include "How to Mosh in a Mosh Pit", "How to Choose a Nickname For Your Car", and "How to Make It Look Like You Have Snow Powers".

Special episodes

Episodes of the show are occasionally performed and recorded in front of live audiences at venues in cities such as Los Angeles, New York City and Huntington; the format remains the same, including recurring segments such as Munch Squad, with the addition of a section where the brothers take questions from the audience. Occasionally there will be episodes titled "Bro's Better, Bro's Best", which act as highlight reels of the best and funniest moments of previous episodes. [6] A special episode called "The Adventure Zone" was released on August 18, 2014, shortly after Justin and his wife Sydnee had their first baby. It featured the brothers playing a game of Dungeons & Dragons with their father, Clint McElroy.[7] The Adventure Zone was later spun off into its own podcast on the Maximum Fun network.[8]

Philanthropy

Over its history, the show has engaged its fans to support charities in their hometown of Huntington, West Virginia. In 2014, the show spawned a campaign among fans called MBMBaM Angels, in which fans of the show would buy requested items from the "Empty Stockings" list published by Huntington's Herald-Dispatch.[9] In 2020, the campaign raised over $23,000.[10]

In 2020, the brothers sold a sign from their short-lived television show online, raising $3,200 for the local Habitat for Humanity branch.[11][12]

The brothers also host a live show every year for "Candlenights," a fictional holiday. The show, normally held in-person in Huntington, is also a major fundraiser. Past shows have supported Recovery Point, a local recovery center for those recovering from addiction, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Central West Virginia.[11] The 2019 show at the Keith-Albee Theatre in Huntington raised $46,000 for Harmony House, a local organization helping the homeless in Cabell County, West Virginia. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 Candlenights show was moved from in-person to an online on-demand event. While the executive director of Harmony House expected the online show to raise half of the 2019 total, the show raised over $200,000 for the organization.[12] Additionally, Justin McElroy's wife and mother-in-law directly volunteer with the organization.[12]

Guests

The show occasionally features guest experts (referred to as "guestsperts") who help the McElroy brothers answer questions. Notable past guests include:

Episode 400 featured a number of celebrity guests, including Miranda, Buffett, Henner, Ethan Suplee, Corey Cott, Steve Kroft, Brenda Vaccaro, and Al Roker.[lower-alpha 40] That episode also featured Matt Doyle as part of a running joke about Justin's inability to recognize the actor, which was resurrected when he appeared onstage at the beginning of a live show in Brooklyn in 2019.[lower-alpha 4]

TV show

A television series based on the podcast was ordered for NBC's Seeso video streaming platform. Filming took place for three weeks during September 2016 in the McElroys' hometown of Huntington, West Virginia, with most of the episodes featuring scenes with their father Clint McElroy and mayor Stephen T. Williams. "(It's a) Departure" by John Roderick and the Long Winters was retained as the theme song for the television series. The show ran for six episodes, all of which were released via Seeso on February 23, 2017.[13][14]

In June 2017, the series was sold to Otter Media for its streaming service VRV, alongside other former Seeso programs including HarmonQuest.[15][16]

The metal sign with the show's logo used in the primary set was auctioned off for charity in July 2020.[17]

No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Dorms & Ghoulsmashing"February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)

A viewer asks for help living with several supposedly-haunted items owned by their roommate, leading the McElroys to call on a pair of paranormal investigators and recreate the scenario by filling a dorm room with as many scary objects as possible, including a haunted clown doll purchased by Justin.

Guest Stars: Jonathan Scott and Drew Scott of Property Brothers
2"Resumes & Jamiroquai's Dad"February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)
To help a viewer looking to improve his résumé, the McElroys take on as many jobs in a short period as possible, including a minute-long honorary mayorship and a brief period in charge of Safety Town. To prove their methods, Griffin tries to reapply for a job he was dismissed from in his youth, with his brothers also applying for the same position.
3"Tarantulas & Travis Did a Hit"February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)
When a viewer asks the McElroys to convince his wife to let him have a pet tarantula, Travis must confront his arachnophobia as the brothers attempt to improve the reputation of tarantulas via a rebranding, an improved social media presence, and a pro-spider parade.
4"Teens & Your Least Favorite Soda"February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)

To help a teacher better determine how to maintain her students' interests in class, the McElroys attempt to understand teenagers better by giving themselves "teen names" and practicing trends like dabbing and water bottle flipping. Aided by Justin's teenage sister-in-law Rileigh and her classmates, each brother attempts a different teaching style to connect with the teens.

Guest Stars: John Green and Hank Green of Vlogbrothers.
5"Secret Societies & Apologies to Nathan"February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)
A viewer asks how to become a member of a secret society, so the McElroys begin an investigation in the hopes of discovering a hidden organization that holds all the power in Huntington. When their search goes cold, the brothers eventually decide to start their own secret society, "The Knights Templar 2: Wacky Wizards".
6"Candlenights & Vape Ape"February 23, 2017 (2017-02-23)

An attempt to help a viewer with their vaping problem is suddenly interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Candlenights. After telling the story of the holiday's origins, the McElroy brothers must band together to organize and prepare for a Candlenights live show in just three days.

Guest Stars: Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Weird Al" Yankovic.

References

Primary
  1. "My Brother, My Brother and Me 38: The Brain Wife". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. January 17, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  2. "MBMBaM 217: Clippy Lovemaking Tips". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. September 15, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  3. "MBMBaM 552: Introducing Fredo Cooljazz" (Podcast). March 15, 2021. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
  4. "MBMBaM 482: Big Stitch Energy". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. October 21, 2019. Retrieved March 3, 2020.
  5. "MBMBaM 304: Chicken Soup for Boys". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. May 23, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  6. "MBMBaM 477: Crash Bandicoot's Wallet Chain". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. September 17, 2019. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  7. "MBMBaM 235: Audio Billboards". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. January 20, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  8. "MBMBaM 246: Face 2 Face: Hot Beans". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. April 6, 2015. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  9. "MBMBaM 436: Face 2 Face: I Had Charcuterie Today!". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. December 3, 2018. Retrieved November 8, 2019.
  10. "MBMBaM 471: Face 2 Face: The Fraternity of Bones". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  11. "MBMBaM 497: Bugatti Boys". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. February 10, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  12. "MBMBaM 487: Frasier Crane's Anime Dreamscape". Maximum Fun. November 25, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
  13. "MBMBaM 495: Play Along at Home". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. January 27, 2020. Retrieved March 4, 2020.
  14. "MBMBaM 522: The Open and Honest Heart of a Child's Eyes". Maximum Fun. August 11, 2020. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  15. "MBMBaM 563: A Streetcar Named Deez Nuts". Maximum Fun. June 7, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2022.
  16. "MBMBaM 581: Boo-ty Ghoul-iani". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. October 11, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  17. "MBMBaM 383: Fins Up". My Brother, My Brother, and Me. Maximum Fun. December 4, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
  18. "MBMBaM 230: Chipocalypse". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. December 15, 2014. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
  19. "MBMBaM 468: Down the Soda Hole". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  20. "MBMBaM 480: Everlasting Stringburger". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. October 8, 2019. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  21. "MBMBaM 467: Leonardo Di-Zap!-rio". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. July 8, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  22. "MBMBaM 187: Yu-Gi-Oh Barbershop". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. February 10, 2014. Retrieved April 7, 2016.
  23. "MBMBaM 419: Some Good JPEGs of My Favorite Matrix Characters". My Brother, My Brother, and Me. Maximum Fun. August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  24. "MBMBaM 556: New Virtual Wing Concept". April 19, 2021.
  25. "MBMBaM 599: The Hand that Drinks You". Maximum Fun. February 28, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  26. "MBMBaM 210: Yippee Ki-yay, Holy Father". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. July 21, 2014. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  27. "MBMBaM 517: Pepperoni Prescription". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. July 6, 2020. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  28. "MBMBaM 414: Hogsplash". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. July 10, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2018.
  29. "MBMBaM 222: Rich Kids Camp". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. November 20, 2014. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
  30. "MBMBaM 510: Killer Car Wash". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. May 11, 2020. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
  31. "MBMBaM 442: Justin's Special Shower Sauce". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. January 14, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2019.
  32. "MBMBaM 193: Journey to the Center of the Bear". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. March 24, 2014. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  33. "MBMBaM 475: Edchup". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. September 2, 2019. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  34. "MBMBaM 457: Wake Up and Smell the Future, It's Time for Beanjuice". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. April 29, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  35. "MBMBaM 597: Foy's Boys". Maximum Fun. February 14, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  36. "MBMBaM 353: The Feenysnatcher". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. May 1, 2017. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  37. "MBMBaM 204: Bait Kids". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. June 9, 2014. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  38. "MBMBaM 311: Amber is the Color of Our Energy". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. July 11, 2016. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  39. "MBMBaM 146: Kenan By Way of Kel". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. April 1, 2013. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
  40. "MBMBaM 400: The Escape to Margaritaville Red Carpet Extravaganza". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. April 2, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.

Secondary
  1. Lavender, Dave (November 14, 2010). "McElroy brothers find success with podcast". The Herald-Dispatch. HD Media Company, LLC. Archived from the original on October 16, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  2. "The best podcasts of 2012". The A.V. Club. The Onion. December 14, 2012. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  3. McElroy, Justin (April 8, 2021). "'How Do You Get Spaghetti Stains Out of Underwear?': An Ode to Yahoo Answers". Esquire. Hearst Magazine Media. Archived from the original on September 26, 2022. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
  4. "MBMBaM". Twitter. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  5. "Yahoo Answers has shut down | Yahoo Help - SLN35642".
  6. "My Brother, My Brother and Me". libsyn.com. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  7. "MBMBaM: The Adventure Zone". My Brother, My Brother and Me. Maximum Fun. August 18, 2014. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  8. "The Adventure Zone – Maximum Fun". Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  9. "About | MBMBaM Angels". www.mbmbamangels.com. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  10. Hessler, Courtney (December 25, 2020). "Empty stockings refilled, thanks to Angels, Huntington community". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  11. Stuck, Taylor (August 18, 2020). "'My Brother, My Brother and Me' sign winner travels cross-country to pick up prize". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  12. Stuck, Taylor (December 30, 2020). "Virtual 'Candlenights' lifts financial burden off Harmony House". The Herald-Dispatch. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  13. Barsanti, Sam (January 25, 2017). "The McElroys take TV in this exclusive clip from My Brother, My Brother And Me". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on January 6, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2017.
  14. Genzlinger, Neil (February 22, 2017). "Review: 'My Brother, My Brother and Me' Has Advice From Three Modern Stooges". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  15. "EXCLUSIVE: Seeso Is Selling Two of Its Shows to AT&T-Backed VRV, May Be Preparing to Shut Down". June 27, 2017.
  16. "Seeso Sells Harmonquest, MBMBAM and More to the VRV Streaming Platform". August 7, 2017. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  17. @MBMBaM (July 31, 2020). "Heads up! The #MBMBaM TV show sign is being auctioned off to raise money for Habitat for Humanity of the Tri-State!…" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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