Special MBD Trivia Show w/ Morning Brew Crew

Summary

Morning Brew Daily – “Special MBD Trivia Show w/ Morning Brew Crew”

Date: December 25, 2025
Hosts: Neal Freyman & Toby Howell
Episode Theme: An end-of-year trivia game show with Morning Brew staffers, covering news, pop culture, sports, and trends from 2025—with plenty of laughs, banter, and memorable moments.

---

Overview

This special holiday episode of Morning Brew Daily transforms the usual news roundup into a raucous year-end trivia showdown. Hosts Neal and Toby invite Morning Brew colleagues Macy Gilliam (video journalist), Jack Stebbins (producer, Good Work), and Annie Bennett (social content creator) to test their knowledge of 2025’s biggest headlines, most viral moments, and under-the-radar cultural shifts. The prize? $100—and eternal office bragging rights. Listeners are encouraged to play along at home or with family and friends.

---

Key Discussion Points & Game Show Segments

1. Meet the Contestants (03:00)

• Macy Gilliam: Shares a cruel YouTube comment (“That sweater fits weird.”)
• Jack Stebbins: Asked to explain Oracle: “Make Larry Ellison money.”
• Annie Bennett: Proffers her (dubious) theory of Stonehenge as a giant sundial.

Memorable Quote:
Macy: “They will always notice the thing you don’t want them to.” [03:30]
Jack (on Oracle): “I...and other things make Larry Ellison money.” [03:47]

---

2. Trivia Round One: 2025 News Headlines (05:00)

• Format: Players answer, others can “steal” for a point.
• Topics:
  • Where did Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez get married?
    • Correct answer: Venice (not Lake Como!). Macy earns the point.
    • C (Annie): “I knew there was water.” [05:37]
  • Pope Leo’s real name?
    • Nobody knows; answer is Robert Prevost, first American Pope.
    • C (Annie): “Paul?” – “No.”
  • Chinese Zodiac 2025?
    • Snake (after several false starts; Annie gets it eventually.)
  • President Trump’s tariffs on remote Arctic islands?
    • “Heard & McDonald Islands”—no correct answers.
  • 2025 March Madness Champions?
    • Neither men’s nor women’s winner is correctly guessed off the bat (Florida men’s/UConn women’s thrown out as guesses).
  • Coldplay concert CEO scandal?
    • Correct: Gwyneth Paltrow did the PR video. Macy: "Of course I’m a goop fan." [10:08]
  • Humane AI device acquisition?
    • Company: Humane. Annie solves after group struggle.
  • Skrilla’s viral song “Doot Doot” and 6’7” meme?
    • NBA player: LaMelo Ball.
  • Neal’s birthday?
    • No one gets it; August 21st.

First Round Scores:
Jack and Macy tied at 3; Annie with 2. [13:24]

---

3. Who Said It? (Quote Attribution Round) [13:50]

Players guess the famous figure behind notable 2025 quotes.

• Sample Quotables:
  • “I cannot imagine having gone through figuring out how to raise a newborn without ChatGPT.”
    • Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO [14:07]
  • “The time has arrived where Greg should become CEO at year end.”
    • Warren Buffett (re: Greg Abel, Berkshire Hathaway) [14:28]
  • “You never know how much love is inside you... until the day of launch.”
    • Katy Perry (joke answers, but correct context: day of launching an album/travel/project) [15:08]
  • “This show is not important. What’s important is we live in a country that allows this.”
    • Jimmy Kimmel (re: brief ABC cancellation) [15:55; Jack steals the point]
  • “I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign...”
    • Sydney Sweeney [17:05]
  • One-word meme: “Chicken Jockey”
    • Jack Black, in the Minecraft movie; becomes a viral catchphrase among kids. [17:43]

Notable Banter:
Jack: “Can you do impressions of these people instead?” [16:08]

---

4. Guess the Number (Price Is Right Rules) [19:54]

• Most-liked Taylor Swift engagement post:
  • Actual: 37 million (everyone guessed far, far higher)
• Toby’s engagement post likes:
  • Actual: 1,800 (Jack closest)
• Pennies in US circulation:
  • Actual: 250 billion (everyone off by several orders of magnitude) [23:18]
• Trump’s posts on Truth Social, Dec 1, 2025:
  • Actual: 158 posts in 24h (Annie closest)
• Zoran Mamdani’s (NYC mayoral candidate) votes:
  • Actual: 1.114 million (Annie closest)

After this round:
Jack in the lead with 7, Annie 6, Macy 4 [25:44]

---

5. Survivor: Top 30 Highest-Grossing Movies of 2025 [26:37]

Contestants take turns naming box-office hits; a wrong or missing answer eliminates you.

• Correct guesses:
  • "Zootopia 2", "Minecraft," "F1 Movie," "Jurassic World Rebirth," "Wicked," "Superman," "Snow White," "Avatar" (preemptively counted).
  • Macy clinches three points with “Wicked,” knocking out Jack.
• Discussion of oddball entries:
  • "Dog Man" (half-dog, half-man children's movie clocks in at #19).

After this round:
Macy now leads with 8, Jack 7, Annie 6.

---

6. Final Round: Predict a 2026 Trend (Open Notes, Judged) [31:50]

Contestant Pitches:

• Annie: "Celebrities dating former heads of state will boom." Ships Angela Merkel with Martin Short, and in a burst of silliness, Jennifer Lopez with Kim Jong Un.
  • Toby: “If even one more of those relationships happens, the trend will have come true...and I was just giggling the most about that one.” [35:54]
• Jack: “Company towns are back—especially for major businesses like Starbase, or even Morning Brew building its own Staten Island campus.”
• Macy: “Crafting and mending out of necessity, not just for fun. As people get thriftier, skills like making paper chains for Christmas will be in.” Also lists mending, knitting, sewing as skills everyone should learn.

Hosts' Decision:
Annie wins the round with her creative celebrity-political couple prediction.
Annie: “Angela and Martin Short... Let's run away together!” [32:28]

---

Final Scores & Winner

1. Annie – 11 points (late surge with five points for the final round creativity)
2. Macy – 8 points
3. Jack – 7 points [37:10]

A: “Annie finished with 11 points, which is crazy...Macy got second with 8...Jack in third place.” [37:10]

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Contestants Introductions – [03:00]
• Round One: Headline Trivia – [05:00]
• Quote Attribution ("Who Said It?") – [13:50]
• Guess the Number – [19:54]
• Survivor: Top Movies – [26:37]
• Prediction Round: 2026 Trends – [31:50]
• Final Score & Wrap-up – [37:10]

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Running Joke: Nobody, not even journalists, could name the Pope’s birth name. (“Jeremy?” “Peter?” “Paul?” – “It’s Robert Prevost.” [06:35])
• On Jack Black and the Minecraft Movie:
  Neal: “A lot of kids and maybe some adults went out to see this movie just for the time when Jack Black says ‘Chicken Jockey’ and then they go absolutely nuts and call the police.” [17:43]
• On Annie's Trivia Luck:
  Neal: “Annie, you just always get points.” [25:01]
• Banter on Company Towns:
  Jack: “I think company towns are coming back. And it's going to start with Morning Brew buying a piece of Staten Island.” [33:06]
• Hosts’ Warmth & Sarcasm:
  Toby: “The prize is $100. Seriously. I will just Venmo the winner after this.” [04:40] Macy: “They didn’t tell me we were supposed to be funny.” [34:25] Annie: “If I get this and then it’s wrong, I’ll Venmo you each $10 out of the $100.” [27:44]

---

Episode Tone & Takeaway

Lighthearted, fast-paced, and laced with Morning Brew’s trademark wit, this episode is more celebration than competition. Inside jokes, supportive ribbing, and group laughter abound. While the trivia sometimes highlights knowledge gaps among even the news-savvy contestants, it’s always in good fun—and listeners are consistently invited to play along, making it a perfect festive listen.

Closing Note:
B: “Thank you all for playing. This is airing on Christmas Day, so...wish everyone a Merry Christmas...we will be back tomorrow with another special holiday episode. Maybe a few less giggles than this one.” [37:18]

---

Transcript

[A]

Hey, Fidelity.

[B]

How can I remember to invest every month?

[C]

With the Fidelity app, you can choose a schedule and set up recurring investments in stocks and ETFs.

[D]

Huh. That sounds easier than I thought.

[C]

You got this?

[D]

Yeah, I do.

[B]

Now, where did I put my keys?

[C]

You will find them where you left them.

[A]

Investing involves risk, including risk of loss. Fidelity Brokerage Services, llc.

[B]

Member NYSE SIPC.

[A]

I'm so excited.

[B]

I know.

[A]

We never. We never hang out.

[B]

We never get to create content together.

[A]

We never hang out like this. Just the five of us.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[C]

Can you turn them off or.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Do we have to listen?

[A]

I don't know if they're listening to us. Can you hear us?

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

Yeah. Oh, they have the in ear headphones.

[A]

They can't hear us.

[D]

Yeah, we can.

[E]

Yeah, we can.

[A]

Yeah, we can. We can talk shit about them they can't hear.

[C]

Wow. I look.

[A]

So let's talk shit about Toby.

[B]

Good Morning Brew Daily Show. I'm Neal Freyman.

[A]

And I'm Toby Howell.

[B]

Today, a morning Brew Daily game show.

[A]

We'll quiz some co workers and you on the year that was. It's Thursday, December 25th. Merry Christmas and let's ride.

[B]

Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating. Hope Santa got you the five piece La Cruset set you were looking for. Today's episode is so different and so fun. It's a game show. We asked three of our very funny friends from around the Morning Brew office to come on the podcast and answer questions about the news of 2025. We laughed, we reminisced, and we learned no one knows the Pope's actual name.

[A]

Also, this is the type of game you can play with your friends and family. So if you want round up some eggnog filled loved ones, disconnect your headphones and play alongside our contestants. Whoever wins doesn't have to clean up the wrapping paper. So lock in. But first, a quick word from our sponsor, public. Neal, hit me with your New Year's resolutions.

[B]

Well, I want to get better at golf, maybe pick up knitting and definitely want to try to cook more and. And invest more.

[A]

Yes. That's why you should check out public. You can build a multiasset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options and crypto. And now they have generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI.

[B]

Yeah, you can literally type in any prompt and put the AI work. It screens thousands of stocks and then builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's.

[A]

2026 here we come. Get started at public.com morning brew and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com/morning brew paid for by Public Investing. Full disclosures in Podcast Description now get ready to play.

[B]

Guys, thank you for playing the Morning Brew daily year end game show. Let's meet our contestants. First we have Macy Gilliam, the host of out there on YouTube where Macy goes to far flung places to tell fascinating stories. Macy, what's the meanest comment someone has left on one of your videos?

[E]

That's a crazy thing. One time I wore this like sweater tank top thing into work and I didn't like the way it fit, but I was running late and the very first comment on the video that day was that sweater fits weird. They will. They will always notice the thing you don't want them to.

[A]

Next up is Jack Stebbins. He's a producer for Good Work, an investigative business show that asks questions like so what does Oracle actually do? Jack so what does Oracle actually do?

[D]

Man, you got to watch the video a lot. I and other things make make Larry Ellison money.

[B]

All right, thank you Jack. And finally, let's meet Annie Bennett, who creates hilarious videos for Morning Brews social media. Annie, what is the meaning of Stonehenge?

[C]

The meaning of Stonehenge? I believe Stonehenge was an ancient way to tell time and each stone is an hour and it adds up to a day. And I went there one time and you're not allowed to touch the stones or even get close to the stones.

[A]

If that's true, she should get a bonus.

[B]

We'll check that. All right, this that wasn't actually the game. Here's how the game is going to work. But thank you all for introducing yourselves. We're very pumped. We're going to go through five rounds of questions about the news in 2025, award points for correct answers and declare a winner at the end of the show. Toby, what is our prize for the winner?

[A]

It's 100 bucks. Seriously, I will just venmo the winner after this. So so play hard everyone.

[C]

Fucking studies.

[E]

God damn it.

[B]

All right, let's start with some straight to the point questions about major News events of 2025. If you get the question correctly, you'll get one point. If you get the question wrong, the next player in line can steal your question by answering it correctly. And if none of you get the question right we will call your parents and read them your hinge messages. Okay, here we go.

[A]

Question.

[B]

Question one is to Annie.

[A]

Any.

[B]

Where did Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos get married?

[C]

Oh, Italy.

[B]

We need a little more specifics.

[C]

It's. Is it Lake. Lake Como?

[B]

Not Lake Como.

[A]

He ran the actual.

[C]

Is it. Oh, Lake Cuomo. Wait, really?

[B]

No.

[C]

No.

[B]

All right, I think we have to go to the next. Next person. Macy, do you want to steal this?

[E]

Venice.

[B]

Venice.

[A]

Venice.

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

Venice is correct. One point for Macy.

[E]

She knew there was water.

[C]

I knew there was water.

[A]

We forget to mention I am score. For everyone listening, there is an official scorekeeper. So we're taking this very serious.

[C]

Can I get half a point for getting her to Italy?

[E]

No.

[A]

No. You can get half a point for Stonehenge, though, which we'll add at the end.

[C]

I don't think that was right, but I'll accept the point.

[A]

Okay, never mind. It's taken away. Now, question number two. For Jack.

[B]

No, for Macy.

[A]

For Macy. Okay. For Macy is. What is the birth name of Pope Leo? Not his chosen name. His birth name.

[E]

I think that his name is Jeremy.

[A]

Oh, he's giving up Jeremy.

[C]

That is Jeremy Allen strong.

[A]

Not even close. So that goes to Jack now to steal.

[D]

Oh, I don't know either. But if Jeremy's not even close, I feel like that's a clue. So I'm gonna go to the opposite of Jeremy.

[E]

Which is.

[D]

Which is Peter.

[A]

Mm. That's actually kind of like a Pope name. But also incorrect.

[B]

Annie.

[A]

Annie.

[C]

Paul.

[B]

It is not Paul. What is his name?

[A]

It's Robert Prevost.

[B]

Robert Prevost.

[A]

Oh, yeah. Gu. First American Pope.

[D]

You know, Bobby P. That's my bad.

[B]

All right, question three. This one's to Jack. Lunar New Year happened in February. What year in the Chinese zodiac did it? Welcome.

[D]

It's the Year of the Rat.

[B]

Close. No, I mean, it's an animal, but it's. It's not the year of the rat.

[C]

They all year the. Of the rabbit.

[B]

Not the rabbit does not start. Macy.

[E]

I was at the Lunar New Year parade.

[C]

Why did you bring us in for trivia? We don't.

[E]

It was the year of the. It wasn't dragon again, was it?

[B]

No.

[A]

Are you asking us or are you telling us?

[E]

Dragon. Final answer.

[B]

All right. None of you got it right.

[C]

Wait, can I guess?

[E]

No.

[B]

Well, you had your chance.

[C]

I want to guess Snake.

[B]

Snake is correct.

[C]

Come on.

[E]

Can I get.

[A]

Have a boyfriend?

[D]

You know, a lot about time between Stonehenge and the year.

[B]

It's really impressive.

[D]

Come on.

[A]

I'll give it to her. I'll give it to her.

[C]

Yes.

[A]

I don't know. She did eventually get it right. All right, question number four. Hurry up, Annie. Okay. On Liberation Day, President Trump announced tariffs on dozens of countries in the world, including these remote Arctic territories, home to zero humans, but lots of penguins and seals. What were they called?

[E]

You don't know it?

[C]

No. I'm going to. I'm going to try. I'm going to. I'm telling you, I'm going to try. Okay. I feel like it's. It's giving English colony vibes and it's not the Faroe Islands, but it might be. Or maybe it is the Faroe Islands. Don't look at her, look at me.

[D]

I'm just looking at Noah. I'm looking at Noah.

[C]

Okay. I don't think it's. No, it's not the Faroe Islands, because that's farther down. I think it's like the. Macy.

[A]

That's a pass.

[C]

That's a pass. Did I keep it?

[E]

Falkland Islands.

[A]

Oh, it's not the Falkland Islands.

[E]

You're kidding, Jack.

[D]

I don't know either. My first thought, because of the penguins was Christmas island, but I think it's. I'm gonna say it is the Faroe Islands.

[A]

Well, no, we already said that was incorrect. Interesting. To go back to an incorrect.

[D]

I thought it was a pass.

[A]

It is The Heard and McDonald Islands for sure.

[E]

Heard.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

So tried. Yeah, that's what I was about to say.

[B]

Actually, Macy's ones to you trump putting tariffs on McDonald's.

[E]

I don't think so. He loves that place.

[C]

So true.

[B]

Macy, did you watch March Madness? Okay, well, here we go. A question about March Madness. Who won the men's NCAA Basketball Championship this year?

[D]

That's not how it works.

[B]

Duke did not win, Jack.

[D]

University of Florida.

[B]

Florida. Okay, but then we're going. We have a bonus question that will go to Annie. What about the women who won? The women.

[C]

Oh, wow.

[E]

Annie. I hate opponent of women's point.

[C]

I'm going to guess Connecticut, but I don't. Connecticut is always Connecticut.

[A]

Connecticut. Okay. Somehow Annie's in the lead right now with fake points.

[E]

I'm just going to steal $100 from.

[D]

Her purse after Mickey Mouse Championship.

[A]

Next question. At a Coldplay concert, astronomer CEO Andy Byron and HR executive Kristin Cabot were seen canoodling on the Kiss Cam, leading the company to put out a PR video featuring which actress?

[E]

Gwyneth Paltrow.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Are you a goop fan?

[E]

Of course I'm a goop fan.

[A]

You're a goop head.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

I think that was our first just question that was asked and then answered. So. Congratulations, Macy.

[E]

Thank you.

[B]

All right, let's keep up the momentum. I think we can. Jack, this one's to you. What is the Chinese company that makes Labubu?

[E]

Oh, I know this one. Again, from a parade standpoint, is it.

[D]

I can give a pop something.

[B]

Yes. You're on the right track. You got the first three. Seven.

[E]

That doesn't sound right.

[D]

Three. Okay. Pop, pop, Pop Mart, pop. I was thinking pop bass for a while.

[B]

Keep this up to keep it going.

[A]

All right, next question for Annie. Turns out no one wants an ambient AI device pinned to your chest. Which failed AI gadget startup was acquired by HP this year.

[E]

They were.

[D]

Yeah.

[E]

That's crazy.

[C]

Friend.

[B]

No, not friend.

[A]

That was the good ambient, I guess. I guess it's on to Macy, who clearly knows the answer here.

[E]

Well, that's who I thought. Yeah. I was. Let me do an.

[C]

I was like, that's crazy. Good for hp. Moving out of printer.

[E]

Oh, well. Well, it's the one who I remember. I can picture the people who run it. And so I'm beaming you that image. And if that's correct.

[A]

You are correct.

[E]

Okay. Jack, pray for Macy.

[D]

It's got the little camera on it. I remember this one.

[B]

Guys are all describing humane.

[A]

Humane, Macy.

[B]

Humane.

[A]

That's one point for Annie because she was close to you.

[E]

Yay.

[B]

That's one point from Annie. Jack, this one's to you. What song led to the birth of the 6, 7 meme?

[D]

Oh, it's. It's something parenthesis shaking. 6, 7. It's like. Is it skitty? It's something like that.

[B]

Annie d'.

[A]

Neal.

[C]

Oh, obviously. Screw it. Look at me and let's see if it's right. Script.

[A]

No.

[C]

Skrill.

[D]

Is it just Skrill?

[A]

That's the artist's name that you're.

[B]

The artist's name is Skrilla. Macy, do you know the song name?

[D]

We can do ad libs for you guys. That's better.

[B]

So we read off the answer.

[A]

It's Doot. Doot by Skrilla.

[E]

Right. Right.

[C]

Okay, well, I think I should get. Have a point for getting Skrilla. Right?

[E]

Do you know who would know that as Meg?

[A]

I know.

[C]

I know that. It's clear that they wanted to stuck.

[A]

With me co workers. And they did know it. So I. I was. I was hopeful for which ones. But here's another bonus question in for who?

[B]

For the field.

[A]

Name the NBA player that helped popularize. Okay. You it was weird. Jeopardy.

[C]

Rules.

[A]

But Jack did get it right. It is LaMelo Ball, who is in fact 6. 7.

[D]

I'm only going to get basketball questions.

[A]

Bonus question. This is for everyone. One last bonus. When is Neil's birthday?

[E]

August 24th.

[B]

Nope.

[E]

But I'm close.

[B]

Close.

[A]

He is a Leo.

[D]

August 18th.

[B]

Nope.

[C]

August 5th?

[B]

Nope. You guys are not my real friends.

[E]

But we got you.

[C]

We have to find out when it is.

[B]

It's August 21st.

[D]

Belated. By the way.

[B]

I did need to say something. Toby, what's the score at the end of the first round?

[A]

Okay. It's actually very close. Tied for first place are Jack and Macy with three points, and then Annie right on their tail with two points. Nice. Nice.

[E]

This is a thrilling match. Really.

[D]

Soccer scores.

[A]

It's great. All right, we're going to move on to the next category. It is a who said it? Where we will be testing how closely you listen to the podcast and asking who said it, Neil or Toby?

[C]

Yep.

[D]

Easy.

[A]

Just kidding. We will give you notable quotes that were set throughout the year from actual famous people. And your job is to tell us which is the famous person behind the quote. All right, question number one for Macy. I cannot imagine having gone through figuring out how to raise a newborn without chat.

[E]

I fear Sam Altman.

[A]

That is correct.

[B]

Sam Altman said that recently on Late.

[A]

Night with Jimmy Fallon.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

I know.

[E]

And I tuned in, of course.

[B]

All right, Jack, this one's to you. Who said this? I think the time has arrived where Greg should become the chief executive officer of the company at year end.

[D]

Warren Buffett.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Now explain your thought process there. How did you figure that one out?

[D]

I mean, what is Greg going to run if not Berkshire Hathaway? That's just the name of somebody who should run.

[B]

Berkshire Hathaway is the opposite of Jeremy.

[D]

It's the exact opposite of Jeremy.

[A]

Greg Abel is taking over for Warren Buffett. All right, Annie, I think this experience has shown me you never know how much love is inside you, how much love you have to give, and how loved you are until the day of launch. We've broken Annie.

[C]

Perhaps you have broken me.

[A]

I would focus.

[C]

Give me a hint.

[A]

I would focus on that last part of the question. Until the day of launch, maybe.

[C]

Jeff Bezos, you, Space. Elon Musk. Space X.

[A]

Further away.

[C]

Further away.

[B]

All right, now focus on the first part of the.

[C]

There's love. Katy Perry.

[A]

Yeah, Katy Perry. Katy Perry. When she kissed the. The Mother Earth and then she kissed.

[B]

Justin Trudeau later in the year.

[C]

And that's Beautiful.

[B]

Okay, Macy, this one's to you. This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.

[C]

I believe in you.

[E]

No, right.

[C]

I believe in you. You got this.

[A]

Yeah, we kind of already gave a hint to this.

[B]

I will say it again. This show is not important. What is important is that we get to live in a country that allows us to have a show like this.

[E]

That's why Annie knows the answer. It's Colbert.

[D]

It's.

[B]

Is it the answer.

[A]

Is that Kimmel? It's directionally correct.

[B]

I mean, Jack with the Steel.

[A]

We'll give it to you.

[B]

Said Jimmy Kimmel. Yes, that was Jimmy Kimmel talking about how his show was taken off of the air by ABC for a few days.

[D]

Can you guys do impressions of the people that you're doing the quotes from?

[B]

Yeah, a lot easier. Toby, try this next one.

[A]

Oh, no, we'll do it.

[B]

We'll do it for the last.

[A]

I'm not going to do this. Okay, next question. Back to Annie right now. Jack, it's another one.

[B]

When you steal. You get the next question.

[A]

I don't know how the rules are.

[E]

Jeopardy. He knows.

[A]

Okay, Jack, this is also for you. I don't support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren't true.

[D]

Kamala Harris.

[A]

I can see how different kind of campaign type of campaign.

[C]

Fanny, can you say a quote again?

[A]

Yes. I don't support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign. Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren't true.

[E]

I know it.

[A]

Oh, no. Everyone knows.

[D]

I know it too now.

[E]

No.

[C]

Give me a hint.

[E]

No, I'm going to steal it.

[C]

If you give me a hint, though.

[E]

I'm not going to.

[C]

Please, can you give me a hint? I'm trying to tear you down. Oh, oh, oh. Sydney Sweeney.

[A]

Yes, yes.

[C]

I got that on myself with no help.

[A]

I'm doing my best. Sydney Sweeney.

[E]

That was really good, Toby.

[B]

Thank you. Okay, the final question in this round is going to Annie. Annie, this quote is chicken jockey.

[E]

I know it.

[D]

I know it too.

[A]

You guys are so mean to Annie. You don't have to say that.

[E]

She deserves it.

[D]

No, they should do this on Jeopardy.

[C]

Be like, yeah, yeah, yeah, I got it.

[E]

I'm positive.

[C]

And we all know. But let's say it together because we all know.

[E]

Jack Black, hottest character in the holiday.

[B]

Or Steve, it is Jack Black in the Minecraft movie. This was a big thing that A lot of kids and maybe some adults went out to see this movie just for the time when Jack Black says chicken Jockey. And then they go absolutely nuts and they call the police.

[E]

It's crazy because the problem is that.

[C]

This is, I do have an eight year old son. This, this movie did not let me see that.

[A]

Well over $1 billion, Annie.

[B]

And I think Chicken Jockey was responsible for like half of that.

[E]

Was all my tickets was an online.

[C]

Thing that I missed?

[D]

No, no, it was in theaters. That was a big part.

[C]

But like, did it, did it get big online?

[E]

Let's keep this running.

[C]

So it's my turn.

[B]

So we're. This is the end of the round.

[A]

That's ending around. I will give the scores. We'll be back with more of this unhinged game show right after this. Neil, how can a brand inspire enough loyalty in their customers that they won't switch to something new?

[B]

Well, my suggestion of including clips of my beautiful singing voice before every podcast got rejected.

[A]

Yeah, imagine that. Telecom brands know all about this, though. They sit at the intersection of current subscribers and new prospects. Amazon ads can reach these audiences together across Prime Video, Fire tv, Twitch, Alexa and more, helping telecom brands show up where connection truly happens.

[B]

With Amazon ads, first party insights spanning streaming, browsing and shopping signals, telecom marketers can reach valuable audiences. This enables smarter acquisition, cross sell and loyalty strategies grounded in performance.

[A]

To Learn more, visit advertising.Amazon.com that's, that's advertising.Amazon.com.

[C]

When the holidays start to feel a bit repetitive, reach for a Sprite Winter Spiced Cranberry and put your twist on tradition. A bold cranberry and winter Spice Flavor Fusion Sprite Winter Spice Cranberry is a refreshing way to shake things up this sippin season, and only for a limited time. Sprite obey your thirst.

[A]

It's literally still a dead heat. Jack and Macy are tied four first, again with five points. Annie somehow has four points. I don't understand how this. It feels like she knows no answers and yet she's one behind.

[B]

All right, let's move on to the next round. This next round is Guess the number. A little bit different format than what we've been doing. We'll give you a clue to a key number from the year's news and you'll use your estimation skills to guess it. The closest to the actual number wins. But Price is Right rules. You can't go over and maybe take out your notes app or something just to write these down because I don't want you influenced by each other. If not it's not the biggest deal in the world because clearly you all think you're smarter than each other. All right, let's go. Let's go with number one. The question is, how many likes did Taylor Swift get on her engagement post with Travis?

[C]

Kelsey, I'm going to guess is 60 million crazy? Is that crazy?

[A]

We're not going to weigh in.

[E]

No, that's. My answer is 170 million.

[A]

That's Macy's answer.

[D]

And Jack, I was going to say. And I would have written this down. 190 million.

[A]

Oh, my Lord. All right, the answer is 37 million.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Well, you can't go over everything.

[E]

America loves her.

[C]

I was so close to. I was. I would say the closest.

[A]

The most liked Instagram ever is Messi winning the World cup, and that was 90 million likes. So.

[C]

So maybe we should give.

[D]

These are rookie numbers. I don't know. People got to be.

[B]

The woods would. Would break the record. But then it slowed down massively and did not end up breaking the record, obviously.

[A]

That is true. All right, next question. How many likes did my engagement post on Instagram?

[B]

Macy, we'll start with you.

[E]

1,000.

[B]

Okay.

[D]

Was it. Was it. Was it a collab?

[A]

It was a collab. Okay.

[D]

That changes everything.

[A]

But I will say don't tell him.

[E]

I. Cause I know that, and that's information that I know.

[A]

I won't say anything. I won't say anything.

[D]

I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you a little more. I think you got 1200 likes on that one. Congratulations, by the way.

[A]

Thank you.

[D]

And Neil, happy belated birthday.

[A]

Thank you.

[C]

I'm gonna say 900.

[E]

Now, here's the information that I knew Celia didn't accept the collab at first because her account is on private, which lowered the number of likes a little bit, which is why I went a thousand.

[B]

Tell me, how many likes did you get?

[A]

The answer is 1800.

[E]

Wow.

[A]

It had a little second wind. Okay, I think we went viral on the answer.

[C]

Okay, Brad.

[D]

90 million likes.

[A]

Okay, wait, who said. Who got that right?

[B]

Jack.

[D]

I think so.

[E]

Yeah.

[A]

Jack, you've entered the next column. Congratulations.

[B]

Okay, the third guess, the number question this year saw the demise of the penny. How many pennies are currently in circulation?

[E]

This is like. This is consulting job interview.

[D]

This is a consulting job interview question.

[E]

I'm the guy closest of us to a consultant.

[B]

Hope a little more fun to listen to.

[D]

That's really mean.

[B]

Jack, how many pennies are in circulation by your best estimate?

[D]

By my best estimate, there's a billion Dollars worth of. There's a. No, that's too many. There's no way there's 600 million pennies in circulation.

[C]

Okay, Annie, I'm gonna guess 200 million.

[A]

Consultant Macy.

[E]

201 million.

[B]

Guys.

[C]

Is it 50 million?

[A]

You guys gonna be way less within a factor of 100. You're not even close.

[E]

How many is it?

[C]

Billions.

[A]

I love. I love knowing the answer and getting mad at them. It's 250 billion.

[C]

Well, I said 200 million. Which, if you say it is somewhat close.

[A]

It was Jack. Jack did get it right.

[D]

I anchored it. I anchored it.

[B]

He didn't get it right. He got it less.

[D]

At first I thought there was gonna be a billion dollars worth of pennies, which would have been pretty close, but that seems like too many pennies.

[A]

Your first instinct was far more correct than whatever happened.

[D]

But who got the point, though? Toby, you got the point. Thank you.

[A]

And then. Yes.

[C]

And that's why he works at Deloitte.

[D]

That's right.

[A]

You price anchored that.

[E]

I'm gonna quit. Not just the game. My who.

[A]

Before Macy quits, Trump's most prolific posting day on Truth Social was December 1, 2025. How many times did he post in one 24 hour period?

[C]

I think it was around 100 million.

[A]

You got to say a number, Annie.

[C]

100.

[A]

Okay. Thank you.

[C]

Actually, can I change that?

[E]

No, she can't.

[C]

I want to change it. I'm changing it to 65.

[E]

Okay.

[B]

Okay.

[E]

My answer is in a 24 hour period. 700.

[D]

Oh, my God. I think that he's popping off 24 hour period. Obviously he's got other stuff to do. So he's doing maybe like.

[C]

What other stuff is he doing?

[D]

2 an hour on average. He's got other stuff to do. He's supposed to do other stuff. He posted 48 times.

[A]

I like your thinking process. Somehow Annie did win that one. 158 times.

[D]

Can you read them all?

[A]

No. I don't even know what they are really about. Annie, you just always get points.

[E]

It's him and Azalea Banks.

[A]

Last question.

[E]

Prolific posters.

[A]

This is to Macy. Neil.

[D]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Perfect. Shrugs. He doesn't know the jeopardy.

[B]

DAR has faded.

[A]

How many votes did Zoran Mamdani get in New York city's mayoral election?

[E]

1 million.

[D]

1.2 million.

[C]

Can I also say 1.2?

[B]

I would. That might not be so strategic.

[C]

1.1.

[B]

Annie, you got it correct. It is the Split the middle. Split the middle. 1.114 million.

[C]

So who's in the lead now?

[B]

That is the end of round three, Toby, who is in the lead?

[A]

The lead is Jack actually with seven points. Annie in second now with six points. And Macy in third with former points.

[B]

We're getting to the last two rounds which each have a higher value too. So there could be some separation here. All right, this next round is called Survivor. But instead of starving you on a remote island, we're going to ask you about the biggest movies of the year. Here is how it's going to work. I'm telling you how it's going to work. We want each of you to name a movie that's one of the 30 highest grossing movies in the year in the United States until you can't anymore. We're going to go down the line. You say a movie that's in the top 30, you stay in. If you can't name one, you are voted off, slash eliminated. And the winner of this last one standing gets three points. Oh. All right. We are going to start with Jack.

[D]

Zootopia 2.

[E]

Correct.

[C]

Damon took mine.

[B]

Number nine. Number nine, Annie.

[C]

Minecraft Smart.

[A]

Number one.

[C]

There you go.

[A]

Look at this. Look at that growth. Annie went look at that growth. Not knowing what chicken jockey was to naming Minecraft movie.

[C]

Exactly.

[A]

Use the test to take the test.

[C]

Thank you.

[A]

I'm stalling for you, Macy.

[E]

Thank you, Toby. I appreciate that. I actually don't know what movies came out this year. Oh, the F1 movie.

[B]

F1 movie is correct.

[A]

That's a snipe.

[B]

Yeah, from back in the summer.

[A]

Number 13, Jack.

[D]

I don't know if it made the top 31 battle after another.

[A]

Correct. Wow.

[C]

Yeah. Avatar.

[B]

We are going to give that to you because there's no question it is. We are taping this full disclosure the day before Avatar comes out.

[E]

So there's no.

[C]

Absolutely no Avatar is here. Okay, here's the deal. If I get this and then it's wrong, I will venmo you each $10 out of the hundred.

[B]

We're counting Avatar because Avatar is going to be number three, two or one by the time this airs, Neil is.

[E]

Going to look like a fool.

[C]

There you go.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Macy, Macy, what movies did you see?

[E]

Truly? I only saw the F1.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Did you see something with perhaps a witch?

[E]

No, I didn't. But thank you Wicked.

[B]

Wicked for good.

[E]

One time I gave Neil a Wicked ticket for the Broadway show.

[B]

Yes, we saw Wicked together.

[E]

We did.

[D]

Jack, do I get a hint like that too or no?

[A]

Sure, I'll get a hint.

[D]

Yeah, Toby's going to give me one.

[A]

Let me maybe direct you towards superheroes. Oh, all right.

[D]

Well, this isn't a sequel. I don't think technically. But the Superman. Superman.

[A]

Superman movie number three.

[C]

Oh, yeah, I think.

[B]

What the. We're not doing hints anymore.

[C]

Well, you can't.

[B]

You get a final hint and then we're not doing.

[C]

Thank you. Thank you.

[B]

Do you want a hint or do you think you know?

[C]

Oh, I need a hint. Come on. Come on. Let's be real.

[A]

Think Disney.

[E]

Real film buffs over here.

[A]

This is the number two movie.

[C]

Oh, number two movie. Disney.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

Did a Toy Story come out?

[D]

Toy Story 1 actually came out this year.

[A]

Soon Media. Recently?

[E]

No.

[A]

Just in the world.

[D]

No, she went to Stonehenge.

[C]

Can I tell you, I live outside of the world of media. The.

[E]

Give her a hint. Give me a Disney.

[A]

I wasn't trying to give a great hint. That's the point. Like, she's got to work.

[D]

It is.

[B]

It was a live action remake of a beloved animal.

[E]

I saw this one.

[C]

There was a remake of an anime. Oh, God.

[E]

I did see this.

[A]

Annie, I think you're voted off.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

The tribe.

[B]

You are eliminated.

[E]

Snow White.

[A]

Is on the list. That was not the number two movie, though. That is crazy.

[B]

All right, now we're just between Jack and Macy.

[D]

Live Action. Moana, I believe, is the one that you guys were. No. Did that come out yet?

[A]

It hasn't come out yet.

[E]

Jack's out.

[D]

I'm out.

[A]

I think Jack is.

[E]

I get three points. I'm back in the lead.

[C]

Back in the lead. Wait, what?

[A]

No.

[B]

The Moana Live Action is coming out July 10, 2026.

[A]

Perfect.

[C]

So was Rapunzel out?

[E]

Yeah, what was the Disney one you're talking.

[B]

I think the winner of this with all three points is Macy.

[A]

Yeah, it is Macy.

[C]

Okay, but I need the answer to what you were trying to hint at.

[A]

He's a blue alien.

[C]

Oh, Lilo instead.

[A]

Lilo. Instead.

[B]

Let's just run through the top 10 for everybody. So who's thinking and listening to this? Lilo and Stitch. And then it's Jurassic World Rebirth.

[E]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Same in order. Say, just go top 10 in order, I think.

[B]

Okay. A Minecraft movie. Lilo and Stitch. Superman. Jurassic World Rebirth. Wick for Good Sinners, the Fantastic Four, how to Train Your Dragon, Zootopia 2 and Captain America. Brave New World. Some other. Some other movies you might have heard about. Well, but like weren't able to recollect them in this particular setting was Final Destinations, Mission Impossible, Mufasa, the Lion King, demon slayer and tron 28 years k pop.

[E]

Demon Hunter.

[B]

No. Demon Slayer. It's an anime movie.

[A]

Did any of you guys see Dog Man? That made the list. 19th highest grossing movie in America this year. It's about a man who's half half man, half dog.

[C]

Is that a horror film or a kids movie?

[A]

Question.

[E]

Like a centaur.

[A]

No, it's a kids movie.

[B]

Dogman can either be a horror film.

[C]

Or a kid is either a human centipede or it's a fun family movie.

[A]

It is a fun family movie, believe it or not. All right, our final round. Actually, I'll give the scores. Macy is in the lead now. Against all odds she has eight points. Jack is still in second with seven points. And Annie always won behind with six points. How does it feel Idiots are feeling all round. Our final round is an open notes response. Before the show. We asked you to come up with an under the radar trend blow up in 2026. Neal and I will be grading you on creativity and the likelihood of your trend happening. We will award five points to our favorite.

[B]

Wow. Can any win?

[C]

Yeah, I could win. Okay, I could win.

[D]

But should she Is the question.

[A]

She's down two points. We got to love an underdog.

[C]

Just like Dogman.

[A]

Let's.

[D]

He's underdog. He's upper person.

[A]

He's actually upper dog. Yes, that is correct. Let's start with our third place contestant which is Annie. Tell us what trend you expect to be big next year.

[C]

The trend that I think is going to be big next year is or continue is stars dating former heads of state. Oh, I'm talking.

[A]

Okay, ship one for us.

[B]

Ship.

[A]

Give us a relationship.

[C]

My I and I truly believe this could happen. Angela Merkel and Martin Short. I think dump Meryl Streep is going to go to Angela and say it's time baby. Let's run away together.

[E]

Do do an impression of him saying.

[C]

That I can't do it, but I can do Angela.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Okay, so any anything Celebrities dating former heads of state. Continuing the trend from this year with Justin Trudeau, former Canadian Prime Minister and Katy Perry.

[A]

That is.

[E]

That's really good.

[D]

Really good.

[A]

All right.

[D]

That's awesome.

[E]

It was really good.

[A]

I will go to second place now with Jack.

[D]

Okay, this is another one that started this year when SpaceX and Elon Musk, they made Starbase. I think company towns are coming back. I think this is. This is something that we had in industries of old, you know. But we're going to be back to having entire towns where everyone works at the same company. And it's going to start with Morning Brew, buying a piece of Staten island and all of us living together.

[B]

I don't want to go to Morning Brew. Company town in Staten Island.

[C]

It's like Snapchat house.

[D]

It's like. It's sort of like. Like the creator house. Yeah.

[B]

All right, so Jack thinks that company towns are coming back like Starbase in Middle of Nowhere Texas and SpaceX. And thinks the first one that is going to happen is a Morning Brews campus in Staten Island.

[D]

That's how I'm going to spend my $100. If I win, it is going to be the deposit on the.

[E]

On the house thing.

[A]

And famously, Neil and I did live together for one year, so we were.

[B]

Trying to start to make it happen. Would this be a positive or a negative development in your mind?

[E]

Negative.

[D]

Oh, negative for sure.

[A]

Wait. I love hanging out with you guys. Hey, we could do this every night.

[C]

We're all family here.

[A]

We are all family.

[E]

Love my family.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Macy Mac, our leader could finish strong.

[E]

They didn't tell me that they were doing funny ones.

[D]

You didn't think they were funny?

[C]

We all had this conversation. Like, I didn't hear that.

[E]

Anyway, mine is crafts, but not in a fun way. Out of necessity. I think that everybody's gonna get poor folks and we're gonna have to learn how to make stuff for ourselves. Get ready to learn to mend. You know the hottest Christmas decoration this year. Paper chains. People are just cutting up pieces of paper, taping them together.

[A]

I can't even cross stitch. I'm rude.

[B]

If you had to list three to five skills that people should learn asap, what would they be?

[E]

I think. Yeah, mending. Like with like sewing a patch on super easy. Like Shishiko. Mending is fun and cute. Knitting, super helpful. Using a sewing machine. Yeah, that's most of it.

[A]

Great. I know how to change a car tire. Oh, is that crafty?

[B]

No, no, that's handy.

[A]

That's handy. Okay. Oh, different gene.

[B]

Yeah. Cranny and Hafty. Okay, Toby. Thank you all for those responses. We had Annie with celebrity couples and political figures. We had Jack with company towns. We had Macy with crafting for necessity and not because we want to.

[A]

Toby, what are you.

[B]

What are you feeling with. For the winner of this particular.

[E]

Toby's resolution aligns with mine. So.

[A]

I know. Here's the thing. We said we'd be grading you on creativity, likelihood of your trend happening. So there are two factors here. My initial gut is lean and Annie.

[C]

Just because Martin and Angela.

[A]

Here's the thing.

[E]

Crazy.

[A]

Here's the thing.

[C]

Mangala. If even.

[A]

If even one more of those relationships happen, the trend will have come true. So she has a decently low bar to clear. And I was just giggling the most about that one.

[B]

I agree on this one.

[E]

Name us name ahead of state who is single.

[B]

Yeah, any. Any. We will 100% give it to you if you can name one more couple that may emerge besides Martin Short and Angela Merkel.

[C]

Okay, this. It's a little out there, but I think it could happen. I'm thinking Obama and Jennifer Aniston. No, no, no.

[D]

Sabrina Carpenter and Xi Jinping.

[C]

Jennifer Lopez. Kim Jong Un. I think it could work.

[B]

That's K. K. All right, lock it in for Annie. So, Annie, you get five points from that round.

[E]

Neil's just mad at us.

[B]

Toby, what is the final score?

[E]

Wait, but no one else gets any points.

[A]

I know.

[B]

Nope.

[C]

This is so funny.

[D]

I think I lost.

[A]

Yeah, you did lose. It was. You guys were all within one point of each other. Annie finished with with 11 points, which is crazy. She got to double digit. Macy got second with eight points. And Jack in third place.

[D]

Wow.

[A]

With seven points.

[C]

Not who arguably knew the most out of anyone.

[D]

Apparently not.

[A]

It was a low bar for most of you guys. I'm not going to lie.

[B]

Well, thank you. Thank you all for playing. This is actually airing on Christmas Day, so I just want to wish everyone a merry Christmas.

[A]

And hey, we'll see you at the company town later.

[B]

Later tonight, Staten Island. And for everyone listening, we will be back tomorrow with another special holiday episode. Maybe a few less giggles than this one.

[D]

And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[B]

Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[D]

Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you [e-mail] Liberty. Liberty. Liberty.

[B]

Liberty Savings.

[A]

Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.