If you are someone who has explored the world of podcasts, there’s no doubt that you’ve stumbled across, if not become obsessed with, the McElroy brothers. The three siblings — Justin, Travis and Griffin — have been the hosts of popular comedy advice podcast “My Brother, My Brother and Me” since its inception in 2010. Their hour-long episodes are released weekly and feature endless bits where the brothers answer absurd questions from Yahoo Answers and follow tangents that culminate in gut-busting jokes that circulate pop culture as memes and TikTok audios. 

MBMBAM, as it’s often abbreviated, is not the only podcast in the McElroy Family universe, however. With their spouses and other relatives, the family has produced over a dozen different podcasts in a variety of genres. Each brother shares a spin-off podcast with their spouse, including “Sawbones” which recaps gory medical history and “Shmanners” which follows culture and etiquette rules through a comedic lens. The brothers reconvene for the “Adventure Zone,” a Dungeons and Dragons play-through that features their father, Clint McElroy. It’s amazing how much of the podcasting world this family embodies. 

The Power of the Pod

The thing about making podcasts and what has made the McElroys so successful in the genre is that once you have the equipment and the resources, a show is relatively straightforward to create. Not to say that it is easy — there’s a lot that goes into producing a podcast from writing scripts to editing audio to producing and hosting on streaming platforms, but it’s a venture that doesn’t take much to get started other than some great ideas and charismatic hosts. 

With the creation of podcasts and the platforms for hosting them becoming so accessible, it’s common to think to yourself after carrying on a hilarious conversation with your friends or falling down a Wikipedia rabbit hole, “I should start a podcast.” Especially during COVID-19 isolation, there are so many people starting podcasts recapping their favorite shows, discussing art and science, finding respite from stress or using the medium as a new method of journalism and hosting interviews. 

How to Get Started

If you are looking to dive into the world of podcasting as well, look no further than the boys we started with — the McElroy brothers. Their new book “Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You): A How-to Guide from the First Family of Podcasting” revolves around the podcasting expertise they have generated from over a decade of topping the charts with their episodes. 

The book not only presents a history of the McElroy’s experiences — their highs and lows in an unpredictable field of content creation — but also detailed instruction on how to start your own podcast from the comfort of your home. They outline which equipment to buy, what principles to practice and how to set yourself up for success. 

As a theatre major currently filming self-tapes against the blank wall of my bedroom/office/classroom/hibernation hole, I followed some of their advice in purchasing a microphone that would work best for my needs. And as someone who has been tempted to start my own podcast, the McElroy Family provides such great insight into the creative world they know so much about. 

If you want to access “Everybody Has a Podcast (Except You),” you can do so through their website and help them support local bookstores with your purchase.

[email protected]

@iamjustkeating