My Brother, My Brother and Me – Episode 795: The Naming of 2026

Date: January 5, 2026
Hosts: Justin, Travis, and Griffin McElroy
Episode Theme: Annual tradition of naming the year ("Naming of 2026")

Episode Overview

In keeping with their long-running tradition, the McElroy brothers dedicate the episode to brainstorming and ultimately selecting a new "Name of the Year" for their community to rally around throughout 2026. The process is delightfully chaotic and collaborative, with the brothers revisiting previous years' themes, debating the merits of various new contenders (ranging from the whimsical to the arcane to the outright silly), and ultimately landing on a final selection. The episode is infused with classic McElroy banter, family dynamics, and playful vulnerability.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Reflecting on Past Year Names

• The episode opens with Justin reading out the previous year names, tracing the evolution from "Zolo" (2010) to "20 Thunder Drive" (2025). (01:58–03:32)
• They highlight some infamous hits, near-misses, and retcons.
• Notable quote:
  "2014. 20 forward. Oh. 2020. Grif. Teen. The con is on." – Justin (02:18)
  On their yearly naming process:
  "It's not a trickle down theme." – Justin (05:14)

2. Lessons from 2025 & The New Voting System

• The brothers poke fun at the 2025 theme, admitting it didn't pan out and likening its failings to broader societal ones. They decide the 2026 theme will be chosen via a 'populist, full-blown populist vote' instead of their previous (mock) "Electoral College." (03:37–04:19)

3. Brainstorming 2026 Name Candidates

• The episode's bulk is the brothers proposing, debating, and dismissing over 40 candidate year-names.
• Running gag: Many proposed names follow the “20-XX: [Wacky Rhyme or Phrase]” format, playing with wordplay, pop-cultural references, and puns.
• Some recurring themes:
  • Roadtrips & Americana: “20 get your kicks: Celebrating the beauty of America’s greatest road” (Route 66) (08:25), dismissed for being "too sequely" to prior car-themed years and for the "awful" genre of 50s road trip music (48:11).
  • Ticks & Disease Awareness: “20 check for ticks: No time for Lyme” (09:10), shot down as being too niche for their mostly "indoor kid" audience.
  • Nostalgia/Humor: Dixie Chicks/Chicks related variants, such as “20 Dixie Chicks: Goodbye Earl,” and “20 just the Chicks.” (10:09–10:58)
  • Stunt Performers: “20 stunts and flicks: Hooray for Hollywood,” which evolved discussion about unsung stunt actors and Hollywood tricks (11:16–12:14).
  • Bee/Honey Themes: “20 honey sticks: Back in bee'sness” (12:46ff), reflecting their perennial love for bee puns and snacks.
  • Wizardry & Magic: “20 wizard sticks: Learn the game or die,” “20 bag of tricks: Master your magic,” “20 fiddlesticks: Forgoverness Within.”
  • Failure & Acceptance: “20 under mix: Love it lumpy” and various "fiddlesticks" options, celebrating happy accidents and the value of imperfection (15:02–16:36, 83:43ff).
  • Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall / Persistence: "20 see what sticks: Spaghetti at the wall," "20 make it stick: Throw it again." (30:17–31:00, 88:06+)

4. Debating the Contenders

• The brothers “circle back” several times to certain candidates, especially “honey sticks,” “fiddlesticks,” “see what sticks,” and “make it stick,” weighing their resonance, merchandise potential, and explainer burden.
• The importance of a sublime subtitle is discussed at length, especially for ambiguous names like “fiddlesticks” (82:31ff).

5. Evaluating and Eliminating Names

• Using a process akin to a live “strike-through” and on-the-fly editing, the brothers systematically cull their long list down to a handful of contenders, discussing the emotional and practical baggage of explaining or living each theme for a year (46:44–72:08).

6. The Finalists

• The episode climaxes with a focus on three core themes:
  • Celebrating Imperfection: "20 under mix: Love it Lumpy" and "20 fiddlesticks: Forgoverness Within," both drawing on the joy of happy mistakes and the unpredictability of effort.
  • Persistence & Effort: "20 see what sticks: Spaghetti at the wall," and the ultimately favored, "20 make it stick: throw it again," all about trying repeatedly, throwing ideas out there, and not giving up—even when it's messy or weird.

7. Selecting the Winner

• After a punchy, sweaty, giggle-drenched back-and-forth, the brothers land on:
  • “20 Make It Stick: Throw It Again” with possible modifiers like "A heater for the big boy."
  • This theme celebrates perseverance, creativity, and embracing the cyclical, sometimes fruitless, but always hopeful act of trying again.
  • Notable moment:
    "What I like... is because it's what we're doing right the now." – Griffin (90:18) "You know why I like this so much is because it's what we're doing right the fuck funny." – Justin (90:20)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[In response to a failed year-name] I feel that the election of Donald J. Trump is not truly a reflection of the American soul, but rather a reflection of the failings of a system that needs to be fixed.” – Justin (03:37)
• “You know, cats crave, like, smooth bird, you know, like stuff that cats are into. Smoothed up bird. Smalls smooths them up for you.” – Griffin, on one ad-read rant (35:00)
• “The big boy is in your heart. And don't disappoint yourself.” – Griffin (94:08)
• “The reason I like throw it again is that it underlines the ‘make it stick’. So make it stick: you’re not exactly what it sure it means. Then you say ‘throw it again’, and then it’s like we’re throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. You’ve closed it. It didn’t stick the first time.” – Justin (91:45)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:57–04:19 – Revisiting past year names; announcing the new voting method
• 06:05–13:50 – Early, rapid-fire brainstorming of new year-names
• 15:02–18:14 – On living/not living up to the yearly theme
• 20:27–23:38 – Joke candidates: Big ol' T**s, Fist City, Jugtown, etc.
• 30:17–37:00 – "See What Sticks" and spaghetti metaphors
• 64:58–66:36 – Wizardy, Fiddlesticks, and the struggle with subtitles
• 71:49–74:42 – The discussion turns existential: what does it all mean?
• 86:12–90:59 – Climax of brainstorming: whittling down to the finalists
• 90:26–95:09 – Final decision: "20 make it stick: throw it again (a heater for the big boy)" and exhausted celebration

Final List – Top Contenders

• 20 Make It Stick: Throw It Again (A Heater for the Big Boy) (88:06–95:09)
• 20 Fiddlesticks: Forgoverness Within (83:43–84:34)
• 20 Under Mix: Love It Lumpy (15:02–16:36, revisited throughout)
• 20 See What Sticks: Spaghetti at the Wall (30:17–31:00)
• [Runner-ups, not selected: 20 Honey Sticks: Back in Bee’sness; 20 Stunts and Flicks; various co-branded/absurdist options]

Episode Tone & Style

• Very loose, irreverent, playful, and at times wonderfully unhinged.
• The brothers switch between genuine sibling affection, mock irritability, and authentic vulnerability about their roles and how they relate to the audience.
• Laughter abounds, especially as the group gets increasingly punchy and sweaty in “the jazz phase” of naming.

For First-Time Listeners

This episode is a perfect encapsulation of the MBMBaM experience: a blend of inside jokes, heartfelt group therapy, wordplay madness, and relentless communal brainstorming. It's less about the outcome and more about the joy—and occasional futility—of collaborating with your brothers (or, in spirit, your community) to make something memorable and just a little bit weird.

Summary

In “The Naming of 2026,” the McElroys bring the MBMBaM community into their annual rite of passage: naming the year ahead. Through chaotic riffs, deep-cut wordplay, and a barrage of increasingly odd ideas, they surface a theme of persistent effort and resilience—“Make It Stick: Throw It Again.” As always, the fun is in the trying, failing, and trying again.