My Brother, My Brother and Me (MBMBaM) Episode 784: Can You Escape Hatred Cove?

Release Date: October 13, 2025
Hosts: Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Griffin McElroy

Episode Overview

In episode 784, the McElroy brothers dive deeply into their signature blend of absurdist comedy, brotherly banter, and questionable advice, covering everything from forgotten childhood tickles and the sacred exchange of grandma quilts to an elaborate dramatic reading of "The Rock's" transformation story from a recent Graham Norton Show. The episode is woven through with their usual cultural observations, plenty of punchlines, and a new running gag about “Hatred Cove.” Expect detours into celebrity impersonations, reality TV marketing collaborations, and protocol for eavesdropping on strangers in restaurants.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Ticklish Brothers & Familial Blind Spots

[02:04 - 05:37]

• Griffin wonders if he's a bad brother for not knowing if his siblings are ticklish.
  • "Should I have tried to tickle?" —Griffin [03:31]
• Travis unpacks family dynamics: “On the scale of things you don’t know about us, whether we’re ticklish or not isn’t high up.” [05:19]
• Justin shares about stretching the truth (“deathly allergic to pumpkins”) on his pumpkin contest bio. The brothers spiral into bit after bit about “pumpkin martyrdom.”
  • “My bit's gonna be that if I hit five Gs, at six Gs I no longer have to eat the pumpkin.” —Justin [06:50]

2. The Rock, Graham Norton, and Matthew McConaughey: A Dramatic Reenactment

[07:52 - 26:38]

• The brothers stage a hilarious, semi-serious dramatic reading of a conversation between Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Matthew McConaughey from the Graham Norton Show.
  • They debate who should play whom, focusing on the futility of celebrity impressions, wanting instead to “let the words stand.”
• Notable Exchanges:
  • On The Rock’s transformation:
    “‘There was a voice behind my rib cage that was just telling me, right...’” —Griffin, as The Rock [14:48]
  • Matthew McConaughey’s inspirational monologue:
     “I had that 4am in my solitude, on my own truth that hit me, that lands like a butterfly and strikes like a lightning bolt at the same time.” —Travis, as McConaughey [16:34]
  • Jokes about McConaughey’s alternate careers: "Wildlife guide. Maybe I go back to law school." [18:39]
• The brothers riff on the difference between taking big risks as “unbranding” for a career move, and if The Rock is destined for Oscar gold— or not.
  • “Perhaps the losses are not so great when one's going home with Oscar gold.” —Justin [26:07]
  • “You can also live in the comfort of knowing that because we live in a multiverse, there is a universe that exists where The Rock wins all the Oscars that night.” —Travis [26:42]

3. Absurdist Thought Experiments: The Apple in a Box

[27:12 - 28:32]

• Griffin proposes that in an infinite multiverse, if you put an apple in a box “forever,” eventually it could become an iPhone—or anything at all—via entropy.
  • "If you put all the apple particles in the box...they’ll turn into anything and be any form of matter imaginable." —Griffin [28:11]
• Travis and Justin riff about the logistics and philosophical implications, leading to more surreal comedy.

4. Advice Segment: Acquiring a Quilt from Someone's Grandma

[28:33 - 34:13]

• Listener asks how to acquire a quilt from a friend’s grandma without being rude.
  • “It’s like the quilt is a gift of the grandma.” —Griffin [29:03]
  • “If you want a quilt, I’m sure you can. There are quilt artists in your area that you could contract to do this. What is it about these grandma's quilt?” —Griffin [31:39]
• The brothers dissect gift politics, the value of “grandma energy,” and imagine a heartless “quilts for favors” barter system.
  • Joke: “Why buy the grandma if you can get the quilt for free?” —Travis [32:44]
  • The idea of a grandma repossessing a quilt if you stop returning her calls.

5. Munch Squad: The Ranchy Baddie Bowl & Reality TV Marketing

[39:35 - 47:10]

• Justin brings a new edition of Munch Squad about Sweetgreen’s “Ranchy Baddie Bowl,” a salad co-created with reality TV couple “Nickelandria” from Love Island.
  • “The Ranchy Baddie bowl is the Perfect mix of heat and crunch… available for a limited time.” —Justin [41:15]
• They lampoon the prevalence of “celebrity” food collaborations and invent a hierarchy of reality show locations culminating in “Hatred Cove,” providing the episode’s titular gag.
  • “But can you escape Hatred Cove?” —Travis [41:51]
  • “If you fuck up—back to Hatred Cove.” —Justin [41:58]
• Opinion: Frustration with needing to know “Instagram neologisms” (celebrity couple names) to order fast food.

6. Social Etiquette: The Ethics of Eavesdropping

[48:13 - 53:46]

• Listener asks if it’s okay to chime in with the answer to strangers’ overheard restaurant conversations.
  • The consensus is generally “no,” due to social contract, privacy, and the risk of being wrong.
  • “No. I don't think there's any daylight here, man.” —Griffin [50:35]
  • Travis holds out hope: “Maybe you guys aren’t. I’ve done this before, and I am a welcomed addition to any table and friend group.” [52:38]
• They riff on AI glasses, "mid-journey" prompts, and intrusive technology hypotheticals.

Notable Quotes

• “Should I have tried to tickle?” —Griffin [03:31]
• “All I do is pop your toes without warning.” —Travis [04:17]
• “The Rock will be tough because his voice isn’t just deep. There is a richness…that is hard to emulate.” —Griffin [11:27]
• “I had that 4am in my solitude, on my own truth that hit me, that lands like a butterfly and strikes like a lightning bolt at the same time.” —Travis (as McConaughey) [16:34]
• “Why buy the grandma if you can get the quilt for free?” —Travis [32:44]
• “If you put all the apple particles in the box, they’ll…turn into anything and be any form of matter imaginable.” —Griffin [28:11]
• “But can you escape Hatred Cove?” —Travis [41:51]
• “You know the great thing about that story? It keeps getting older, and I keep seeing myself in it.” —Justin [23:22]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:04–05:37] — Ticklishness & Pumpkin Contest Anecdote
• [07:52–26:38] — Dramatic Reading: The Rock, McConaughey, & Graham Norton
• [28:33–34:13] — Advice: Getting a Quilt from a Grandma
• [39:35–47:10] — Munch Squad: Sweetgreen, Love Island, and “Hatred Cove”
• [48:13–53:46] — Advice: Correcting Strangers’ Conversations

Tone and Noteworthy Moments

• Playful and Irreverent: The brothers frequently “yes, and” each other’s tangents, keeping everything just shy of chaos.
• Memorable Recurring Jokes: “Hatred Cove,” “Rock Skirt,” “From Jumanji to Moana.”
• Sincere Underpinnings: Despite the goofs, there are moments of real talk about family, boundaries, and self-transformation (even if filtered through McElroy parody).

For listeners and newcomers alike, this episode is an energetic testament to the McElroys’ improvisational ethos, punctuated with laughs, meta-commentary, and surreal larks into pop culture, etiquette, and familial weirdness.