one-year-later:-looking-back-at-brennan-quits-dropout

One Year Later: Looking Back At Brennan Quits Dropout

Brennan Lee Mulligan, Sam Reich, and Vic Michaelis talk about the “Game Changer” video that broke the internet

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Kristy Puchko

Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she’s an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers.

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 on July 10, 2026

On Mashable’s Say More, hosts Kristy Puchko (Mashable’s Entertainment Editor) and Mark Stetson (Senior Creative Producer) bring humor and their trusted insights to the biggest shows, films, digital trends, and cultural moments. From viral-worthy rants and passionate raves to smart recaps and first-look teasers, they cover what everyone is talking about. Celebrity guests join the conversation for real talk about their careers, upcoming projects, and what’s trending online.

New episodes every Friday.

Happy anniversary to Dropout’s most mind-bending viral video: “Brennan Quits Dropout.”

It was July 14, 2025, when Game Changer aired “Fool’s Gold.” In this episode, Dropout contributors pitched video concepts to a Shark Tank-like panel of investors. The goal: Make the most viral portfolio. The most viral video? Vic Michaelis’ pitch for “Brennan’s Exit Video.”

Dressed like an American Girl Doll, Michaelis pitched that Brennan Lee Mulligan post a video to social media claiming he was quitting Dropout, Dimension 20, and Dungeons & Dragons altogether to dedicate himself to his passion for creating shoes for American Girl Dolls.

Over the past year, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko has interviewed Michaelis, Mulligan, and Game Changer host Sam Reich about this epic moment, which led not only to a TikTok video that had fans and newbies to Dropout freaking out, but also a Google Easter egg.

To toast the anniversary of this very silly video — that some people took very seriously — our Executive Video Producer Mark Stetson has compiled all that Michaelis, Mulligan, and Reich have revealed about the magic and mischief of “Brennan Quits Dropout.”

Sure, they got snubbed by the Emmys. But we’ll always have, “AAAAAH! THIS IS ME!”

For more interviews with Dropout’s stars and other celebrities, check out Say More or our YouTube channel.

Kristy Puchko is the Entertainment Editor at Mashable. Based in New York City, she’s an established film critic and entertainment reporter who has traveled the world on assignment, covered a variety of film festivals, co-hosted movie-focused podcasts, and interviewed a wide array of performers and filmmakers.

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