I recently got into a show called The Adventure Zone by the McElroy brothers and their dad, Clint. It's a Dungeons and Dragons podcast (I know, nerdy as hell) that they've been producing for a few years now. The McElroys are a largely successful family, with their dad being a radio personality and the boys are well known for their podcasts and videos. Griffin was even recently on Forbes' "30 Under 30" list for being the Founding Editor of Polygon. Justin, Travis, and Griffin are all married, 29 and older, and have children and yet are the most relatable guys on the internet.
The McElroys are hilarious, nerdy, and good good boys. Their humor can be pretty crass and yet unoffensive. I think that there's McElroy content for just about everyone. If you are looking for a new podcast to listen to or videos to watch, there is probably something produced by these boys for you. My favorite is The Adventure Zone, but I've also been listening to My Brother, My Brother, and Me as well as watching Monster Factory. I've watched all of Griffin's Amiibo Corner which is a ridiculous venture into fake Youtube reviews. I've compiled an explanation of some of their shows, which you can find on their website, so that you can find a McElroy show for you. If I did all of there shows, this would be a too long article, so I just picked some of their more popular ones. If you see something you like but wonder if there's anything you could love, head over to the website to check out all of the shows!
Recommended for you
1. My Brother, My Brother, and Me
MBMBAM is started out as a podcast between the three brothers back in 2011, so my recommendation for it is to work backward through the show. The earlier episodes are hilarious but they have definitely improved their podcasting skills over time. If you enjoy bad advice, bad jokes, and general hilarity then you'll love this show. You can even submit your own questions, as long as you're okay with potentially being mocked. If you're not into Podcasts, never fear! The brothers recently had a MBMBAM television show on Seeso. You'll never be sick of getting zagged on and these episodes are hilarious and perfect to listen to when you're feeling down. There are new episodes every Monday.
2. The Adventure Zone
I personally got into The Adventure Zone because my friend Leo made some phenomenal art of the Tres Horny Boys and because I just really enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons. Plus, three grown men playing a game with their dad and being genuinely a healthy family? Priceless. There's almost 60 episodes in this campaign that run for an hour or so. Unlike MBMBAM, you need to start TAZ at the beginning. The live shows don't need to be in your main listening order, nor do the Flophouse episodes, though I do recommend listening to them in the end. The most recent arc of the campaign just ended and it's coming to a close soon enough so this is a great time to get into it. Griffin keeps zagging on us with the plot and I can't stress enough how great I think this show is. I have watched shows with far weaker plots and TAZ has kept me interested more than many shows on TV right now. New episodes premiere every other Thursday.
3. Shmanners
Another podcast, this time by Travis and his wife, Theresa. I love when the boys do shows with their wives because they always sound so in love and also the content is just so different. This is an etiquette podcast (also known as the last thing anything expects from the boys). I haven't personally listened to it yet, but knowing Travis it's absolutely wonderful. From what I understand from some friends, it's actually extremely helpful in figuring out the rules of society so if you have any fancy events to go to or questions about society in general, this show would be wonderful for you! I know I want to start listening as soon as possible. Travis is the brother I relate most to and this is just the cutest concept.
3. Sawbones: A Marital Tour of Misguided Medicine
Sawbones is a podcast by Dr. Sydnee McElroy and her husband Justin. Said in that order because she is amazing and Justin knows nothing. I'd recommend this to just about anyone, but I especially think people interested in medicine and the sciences would have a lot of fun listening to this. Dr. McElroy and her husband look through history to find the weirdest, dumbest, and grossest ways we have tried to fix people throughout the years. Justin's wife deals with some dumb questions from him, both on here and the other podcasts as well. I think medicine and history are cool so I love this entire concept. I recently listened to the sinuses episode since I had a sinus infection and it was really interesting and informative.
4. Rose Buddies
Of course, I couldn't leave out the babiest brother Griffin's show with his wife, Rachel. This is one of the more unique podcasts the boys have. I was pretty shocked when I heard that there was a Bachelor podcast, but here it is! Griff and his wonderful wife discuss the Bachelor family of shows together. You don't actually have to watch the shows to listen to these and enjoy - I don't watch but I enjoy this podcast a lot. However, if you do love watching the show you may really enjoy this. They discuss the best moments of each episode, the problematic aspects of the shows, the contestants, and more.
5. Monster Factory
If you like video games, the McElroys have some great content for you. One is a podcast called Cool Games Inc. with Griffin and Nick Robinson. My personal favorite has to be the video series Monster Factory, along with Touch the Skyrim. If you're a fan of terrifyingly ugly characters and breaking video games, you should watch these videos. The brothers are absolutely hilarious. The most recent video was the beginning of an adventure into Dragon Age: Inquisition and it was phenomenal. The show has a warning that it is NSFW at the beginning - most of their shows are filled with cussing and fascinating concepts but these can be pretty... interesting. I generally enjoy lets plays but these are a different category and they're amazing. I can't really explain it to you and you'll understand why once you watch.
6. Griffin's Amiibo Corner
I almost didn't include this on the list because it's so weird but this is honestly probably what Griffin McElroy is most known for on the internet at this point. If you look up Griff, the third image in on Google is a picture of him shoving an Amiibo in his mouth. This absurd video series is Griffin making a mockery out of YouTubers who review things. He holds the microphone close to his mouth while he talks and he talks in a quick and low mumble. Then, at the end, he shoves the Amiibo in his mouth. I don't know who exactly I'd recommend this to, just... everyone? If you hate YouTube reviewers you'll love Griffin mocking them. If you love the McElroys, you'll love Griffin's show. If you're interested in Amiibos, check this out?
Of course, those are just the six most talked about McElroy shows. There are so many good things out there with their names on them to check out. I tried to include a little something for everyone. If you like Pokémon and have heard of the Nuzlocke method, I'd recommend watching Griffin's playthrough of Pokémon Y. On the website, which I linked to a few times in the beginning, you will find many different podcasts and shows by the McElroys, their friends, and their family. You have to hand it to these good good boys: their shows are phenomenal.
I hope I've found you something new to listen to!
