My Brother, My Brother And Me: MBMBaM 329: The Laser Tag Embassy
November 15, 2016 8:39 AM - Subscribe

During these frightening times, most of us are probably looking for a place where we can be free from opression and worry altogether. In today's episode, we believe we've discovered that very place: The Honorable Laser Tag Arena. Suggested talking points: Music Review Season, Kama Sutra Gift, Laser Tag Cheating, Healing Samantha, Penis Cake Strategies, Homemade Trampoline, Tinder Detective, Dramatic Sandler
posted by drezdn (8 comments total)
 
I was kind of sad there wasn't more reassuring post-election talk in this episode. I know it's not the McElroys' job to make me feel better about the universe but they usually do a pretty good job of it anyway.
posted by something something at 12:19 PM on November 16, 2016


I think this was record a while back; there was nothing to date it, IIRC. Still on baby time I think.
posted by Tevin at 1:14 PM on November 16, 2016


This was post-election. Travis mentioned his fireside chat at the end and his fundraiser for the ACLU.
posted by kmz at 2:14 PM on November 16, 2016


I've noticed that the podcasts I listen to hosted by cis white men, even those as awesome as the McElroys, are mostly taking a "politics isn't what we do, we understand things are tough right not and we're going to mostly avoid it and just be a refuge" type stance. I saw Travis mention on Twitter at some point last week that they really want the show to be a warm safe place, and they'll be politically active and speak out in other areas but not on this show. Which is understandable for sure but really speaks to privilege I think. Most other podcasts I've heard this week have been like "Sorry if you don't want us to mention politics at all, but if you don't like it you're free to fuck off, because if you're a minority of any kind you know that life is always political and you can never totally avoid it least of all now."
posted by yellowbinder at 5:32 PM on November 16, 2016


I was a bit surprised it wasn't part of the opening segment, but honestly the last few minutes of the episode were understatedly very moving, IMO. YMMV.
posted by kmz at 9:47 PM on November 16, 2016 [1 favorite]


As a Muslim WOC, I personally am using the McElroys' podcasts as a refuge. Basically all my other non-fiction podcasts are more political and I'm not ready for that yet. If the McElroy brothers' privilege is what allows them to be a bit of a politics/national nightmare-free zone, I'm okay with it. I'm kind of clinging to it tbh. Like yo, I know I can't avoid it, but I really appreciate an oasis of good-natured silly laughs.

Different copes for different folks I guess. I'll return to Code Switch and Politically Reactive and Keepin' It 1600 when I'm not teetering on the edge of panic so often.
posted by yasaman at 10:02 AM on November 17, 2016 [9 favorites]


Yeah, I think there's a big difference between saying "politics isn't what we do" and saying "we have other venues where we can be political so we're going to keep this particular thing a safe space where our listeners can forget how shitty things are and just enjoy themselves". I think creating that kind of space is super important from a perspective of giving people the tools they need for self-care, and in its own way can be just as strong a way to stand against darkness as being overtly political is.

Again, if they were just throwing up their hands and saying "we don't talk politics" it would be a different story, but I think there's a strong case to be made for the kind of compartmentalizing that they're doing.
posted by Itaxpica at 1:54 AM on November 19, 2016 [1 favorite]


Had a lovely drunken conversation tonight about the comedy styles of the individual McElroy boys, and I was disappointed to see that there's not a lot of analysis of it online! Griffin's intentionally wrong innocently overexcited enunciation alone! But I definitely brought up the observation I saw on FanFare about Travis' quietly unacknowledged brilliant jokes that he slips in while the others are goofing.
posted by jason_steakums at 8:17 PM on December 3, 2016 [1 favorite]


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