MBMBaM 792: They're Not Drunk, They're Just Fighting

Date: December 8, 2025
Hosts: Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, Griffin McElroy

Episode Overview

In this lively episode of "My Brother, My Brother and Me," the McElroy brothers dive into topics ranging from Shakespeare’s confusing naming conventions (and the new "Hamnet" movie), to surreal workplace dilemmas, gastrointestinal emergencies in therapy, the power dynamics of student-teacher barbershop interactions, and the wildest fast-food marketing stunts to close out the year. As always, their advice is a blend of absurdist riffing, heartfelt candor, and unexpected digressions.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Hamnet Watch: The Shakespeare Name Game

Starts: 01:25

• The brothers open by reacting to the film "Hamnet," a portrayal of Shakespeare’s son.

• Griffin is amused that Shakespeare named his son Hamnet, then wrote "Hamlet" about “a real wiener.”

  • “Imagine if dad wrote a story about someone named Groffon… a real wiener who complained all the time and killed a man.” (Travis, 02:46)

• They muse on how wild it is for Shakespeare to nearly name his tragic hero after his own child and riff on how naming traditions would sound in a modern-day context (e.g., Stan Lee naming his kid “Spider Man”).

• The conversation derails into whether “Hamnet” and “Hamlet” were interchangeable names in Renaissance England, with Griffin threatening to kick Shakespeare’s ass if he appears in the movie—classic MBMBaM energy.

  Memorable Quote:
  “If I do see Shakespeare on a screen, fictionalized, being played by an actor, the real guy, whatever, I will go in there and kick his ass.”
  — Griffin (07:12)

2. Disc Golf Dilemmas on Military Bases

Starts: 09:02

• A listener asks about the etiquette and optics of playing disc golf on military bases after serious meetings.

• The brothers riff on the unlikely but seemingly large overlap between defense contractors and disc golf enthusiasts.

• Travis imagines a scenario where disc golf is colossally entwined with military exercises, including shooting bazookas and blowing up discs.

• They turn the topic into a broader tangent about “aspirational” activities (pool tables, disc golf courses) installed in workplaces that rarely get used.

• Justin draws an analogy between disc golf on a base and breaking out pizza rolls at a holiday party—a metaphor that Travis takes a bit too literally.

  Memorable Exchange:
  “If you’re out there, fucking Tony Stark… you turn around and Daisy Tron.”
  — Griffin (09:59)
  “Especially if you yell ‘pull!’ and the bazooka goes off. Boom.”
  — Travis (10:29)

3. IBS and Therapeutic Boundaries: The ‘Shitty Therapist’ Conundrum

Starts: 15:25

• A therapist asks how to manage coffee-induced IBS during sessions.

• Travis suggests the idea of an in-office bathroom or even a portapotty disguised as a TARDIS—complete with time travel noises to mask the sounds.

• Griffin recommends using a large singing bowl as a distraction/gong—just enough time to “blast off and get back.”

• The bit gets increasingly absurd, suggesting swapping in a lookalike therapist, inventing poop-inducing hypnosis, and framing synchronized bathroom breaks as a technique.

  Notable Quotes:
  “If you got a big enough singing bowl… you boang, that thing’s gonna be going for, like, four or five minutes, which should be enough time for you to get next door, blast off, and get back.”
  — Griffin (17:21)

4. Student Barber: Navigating Awkward Power Dynamics

Starts: 22:15

• A high school teacher who cut his own hair is offered a business card by his student, who’s a barber.

• The brothers unpack the layered power dynamic: the teacher wields academic authority, but in the barber chair, the student holds the scissors (and the fate of the teacher’s hair).

• Concerns arise over small talk, the possibility of barter ("is this a favor or paid service?"), and the ominousness of wordless business cards.

• They riff on the idea of the student being a Kingsman/Squid Game-style secret agent running a clandestine barbershop.

  Quote:
  “In the classroom, you’re in charge. In the barber chair, they’re in charge. And that’s complicated.”
  — Griffin (23:44)

• Justin cautions against turning to technology to bridge the conversational gap: “Silence is a covenant… to break it is to break a covenant.”
  — Justin (26:09)

• Travis confesses to breaking norms by listening to AirPods during haircuts, much to Justin’s horror.

5. Munch Squad: Buffalo Wild Wings’ Christmas Campaign

Starts: 35:29

• Justin brings the latest fast food marketing madness: Buffalo Wild Wings’ debut holiday ad campaign, featuring a Rankin-Bass-style stop-motion buffalo and a “Pick Six” meal.

• The brothers watch and dissect the ad, calling out its bizarre tone (“It’s a jolly miracle”) and the unsettling “fuzzy” food animation.

• They mock the idea of a "blind box" of felt ornaments (possible prizes: Santa swearing, a reindeer fight) offered only to their most “loyal” fans for $20—lampooning the very concept of such loyalty.

• The segment spirals into a bit about going bankrupt buying blind boxes just to get the rare “cursing Santa” ornament, treating it as if it’s a high-stakes collectible.

  Quote:
  “The blind boxes are our way of saying thank you to our loyal fans with something special. …Give me 20 bucks for a felt chicken wing.”
  — Justin (46:50)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If I do see Shakespeare on a screen … I will go in there and kick his ass.”
  — Griffin (07:12)
• “Cut my hair in two pieces, this is a YouTube short.”
  — Travis (27:55)
• “Silence is a covenant… to break it is to break a covenant.”
  — Justin (26:09)
• “Each blind box features a felt ornament that brings the campaign to life... scene-driven keepsakes like the reindeer brawl and Santa mid-swear.”
  — Justin reading the Buffalo Wild Wings press release (44:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Hamnet Watch: 01:25 – 09:02
• Disc Golf on Bases: 09:02 – 15:25
• Therapist IBS Conundrum: 15:25 – 22:15
• Student Barber: 22:15 – 35:29
• Munch Squad – Buffalo Wild Wings: 35:29 – 50:20

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The brothers maintain their signature blend of goofball humor, surreal analogies, tangents, and affectionate ribbing. The episode is high-energy, fast-paced, and consistently self-aware—skewering both themselves and ridiculous societal norms. When practical advice does peek through, it’s often buried inside bits that turn the absurdity up to 11.

A can’t-miss episode for fans who appreciate the McElroy style—full of relatable anxieties re-imagined as comedic set pieces and underpinned by genuine brotherly support.