MaxFunDrive 2026: Janet Varney Masterclass BoCo Teaser!

Summary

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Podcast Summary: My Brother, My Brother And Me

Episode: MaxFunDrive 2026: Janet Varney Masterclass BoCo Teaser!

Release Date: April 23, 2026
Host(s): Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy
Special Guest: Janet Varney

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Overview

This episode is a special teaser for the Max Fun Drive, featuring a behind-the-scenes (BoCo) segment with professional actor Janet Varney. The McElroy brothers chat with Janet about their voiceover work—mostly what they’ve been doing wrong—and share comedic insights into the secret tricks of the trade. Janet’s “masterclass” delivers both genuine tips and playful riffs on the craft of voice acting, wrapped in the show’s signature chaotic and absurd humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Opening & Context ([00:00–00:25])

• The hosts introduce the MaxFunDrive BoCo content with Janet Varney, promising wisdom from “one of the world's most qualified, most related experts.”
• Travis recalls a key nugget of Janet’s advice:

  “She told us to always picture Goofy no matter what the character is.” – Travis [00:25]

The “Goofy Principle” in Voice Acting ([00:25–01:26])

• The group discusses Janet’s coaching technique: visualizing Disney’s Goofy for any character you’re voicing, regardless of context, for added comedic or dramatic effect.
• Griffin expands:

  “I always imagine Disney's Goofy saying each and every line before and after.” – Griffin [00:33]

• Janet reflects on applying this energy to all her roles:

  “Every piece of work I've ever done… you have to know that in my heart.” – Janet [00:59]

• The hosts dub this the “Rosetta Stone” of voicework, joking about its universal application and inevitable influence on performances.

  “That's the Rosetta Stone, folks. Janet Varney right there. We cracked it.” – Justin [01:11]

Navigating Self-Listening and Character Voices ([01:26–02:25])

• The group riffs on mixing up character names with “Goofy,” and Justin jokes about watching “Legend of Korra” while imagining Goofy (referencing Janet’s famous role as Korra).
• Janet reveals her own tongue-in-cheek “method actor” hang-up:

  “When I'm watching [Korra], I have to have my hand on the volume and I have to quickly mute each other character and quickly mute back so that I can give me my own voice.” – Janet [02:06]

• Justin relates, saying he does the same with their own podcast recordings, keeping things meta.

Masterclass in Donald Duck Voice ([02:25–03:13])

• Travis asks Janet if she’s ever attempted a Donald Duck impression (notoriously hard to nail).
• Janet delivers tongue-in-cheek advice with her trademark deadpan:

  “I put as many chips into my mouth as I can. Now, they could be edible chips, they could be paint chips, they could be wood chips. As long as they're chips.” – Janet [02:54]

• She positions herself as the gatekeeper of complicated techniques:

  “That's not my brand… Janice brand is overly complicated, hard to understand, intricate instruction. And if you don't get it, that's on you.” – Janet [03:13]

• Justin and Griffin riff on the notion of a “novice class” versus Janet’s “jazz” masterclass, poking fun at the exclusivity of her method.

Teases for More Bonus Content ([03:13–04:06])

• The brothers promote their wider BOCO offerings (like “Hot Ones” auditions and the infamous “Branky Doodle Dandy” segment), tying everything back to supporting the show on MaxFunDrive.
• As always, the segment is packed with their surreal, self-effacing humor, inviting listeners to join and support.

  “You are not going to hear [the best jokes] unless you go to maximumfun.org/join…” – Griffin [03:46]

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Memorable Quotes

• Travis: “She told us to always picture Goofy no matter what the character is.” [00:25]
• Griffin: “I always imagine Disney's Goofy saying each and every line before and after.” [00:33]
• Justin: “That's the Rosetta Stone, folks. Janet Varney right there. We cracked it.” [01:11]
• Janet: “When I'm watching [Korra]... I have to quickly mute each other character... so that I can give me my own voice.” [02:06]
• Janet: “As long as they're chips.” (on mastering Donald Duck) [02:54]
• Janet: “Janice brand is overly complicated, hard to understand, intricate instruction. And if you don't get it, that's on you.” [03:13]

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Notable Moments & Timestamps

• [00:25] Janet’s “Goofy” technique for voice acting unveiled
• [01:11] The “Rosetta Stone” of voice performance theory, per Justin
• [02:06] Janet explains her process for watching her own work as Korra
• [02:54] Janet’s “chips” theory for the Donald Duck voice
• [03:13] Insightful and intentionally convoluted “Janice brand” teaching method

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Tone & Style

The episode is lighthearted, quick-witted, and as irreverent as ever. Janet Varney fits seamlessly with the McElroy brothers’ absurdist, affectionate riffing. The humor—both sincere and meta—provides a genuinely funny and loving look at the craft of voice acting while doubling down on the show’s enduring message: don’t take yourself too seriously.

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This teaser offers a glimpse of the full Janet Varney Masterclass BoCo—brimming with comic misdirection, potentially useful advice, and the gleeful chaos MBMBaM fans expect.

Transcript

[A]

Happy Max Fun Drive. We've got a little treat for you. We had a sit down with our friend, professional actor Janet Varney, who told us where we've been going wrong in our voiceover careers.

[B]

That's our BoCo for this year's Max Fund Drive. If you give just five bucks a month, you'll get access to that and all the other BOCO we've ever done here. I'm a bim Bam. And all the other shows. Janet turned our whole life around. Travis, do you remember a nugget that Janet gave us that you've really treasured?

[A]

I believe she told us to always picture Goofy no matter what the character is.

[B]

Ah, yes.

[A]

Break them off a piece of that good content.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, I, of course, always imagine Goofy. Disney's Goofy. I always imagine Disney's Goofy saying each and every line before and after.

[A]

Wow, that's interesting energy.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

So regardless of, like, reverb, regardless of the sort of tone of the piece, it's always Goofy. If it's dramatic, comedic, or anything, it's always Goofy.

[A]

That's like so much about Korra.

[C]

Yeah, right. Imagine that, because that tells you that cracks open a whole new world of. Every piece of work I've ever done is. You have to know that in my heart.

[A]

That's the Rosetta Stone, folks. Yeah, there it is. That's the Rosetta Stone. Janet. Marnie, right there. We cracked it because you will occasionally slip and call a character Goofy when you respond to them.

[B]

I noticed that.

[A]

I wondered why that was. George or George. George. Geef.

[B]

You'll have to.

[C]

They could have cut it. They could have cut that out. So I can only assume. I mean, I'm just the instrument. I can only assume that something about that resonated for someone else. But not everyone is gonna. Goofy may not work for everyone.

[A]

When you watch Mickey, when you watch

[B]

Legend of Korra now, and I imagine you do all the time because it is so sick. Do you see? Do you hear the other characters sometimes? Be like, you abandon the water there.

[C]

Korra.

[A]

Korra. That's a good job.

[B]

Sort of running in your. In your head. Is it still inside you or is it just gone after you create it?

[C]

No, I have to. When I'm watching it, I have to have my hand on the volume and I have to quickly mute each other character and quickly mute back so that I can give me my own voice.

[A]

That's so funny. I do that when I listen back to our podcast.

[B]

That's so cool. I didn't. Yeah, that's that sounds like a hard way to watch it, though.

[C]

It's a lot. It's a lot of. It's a lot of exercise for my fingers.

[B]

Janet. Speaking of Donald Duck, have you ever tried to do him before? Because that's a fucking tough one, dude. That's a tough voice to try and try and pull out. We've done it a couple times. I don't know if you see the

[A]

outlier, but the whole second half of it, if you flip to page two, is Janice extensive. Donald.

[B]

I'm just saying, as a voice actor,

[A]

you got to goof around. Yeah.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Step by step, phonetic guide to Donald.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. People have different approaches to that. I put as many chips into my mouth as I can. Now, they could be edible chips, they could be paint chips, they could be wood chips. As long as they're chips.

[A]

Yeah. That's a lot of work. Yeah.

[C]

It's the craft. This is a masterclass.

[A]

What do you want me to do that's the craft?

[C]

To oversimplify it for you. Hello.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

That's not my brand.

[A]

I was thinking. That's not. Yeah, for sure. That's not Janice brand. Janice brand is overly complicated, hard to understand, intricate instruction. And if you don't get it, that's on you.

[B]

Yeah, I take the fucking novice class. If you can't follow it and then come back, take the jazz.

[A]

Good one, Janet. And past us. So if you want to hear the full thing of that beautiful bonus content and all the other ones, like, we did a hot Ones audition that we were not asked by them to do. That was fun.

[B]

It didn't pan out.

[A]

It was a fun one.

[B]

We did Pranky Doodle Dandy where I did my best joke I've ever done. Branky Doodle Dandy is on there. You are not going to hear unless you go to maximumfun. Org. Join and pick the level that works for you and support us very directly and help us keep making these shows and keep keeping the lights on. We sure do appreciate it. And you'll hear the best jokes ever.

[A]

Thanks.

[B]

Thanks for supporting us.

[A]

Thank you.