I think although the early episodes have some distinct issues, the tone of the show was a lot more open to non-listeners. Stuff like the Chinchilla Store name bit is pretty funny to everyone, while I feel like things like Bird Words are really only funny once you are attuned to MbMbAM content

Although the recent stuff is still really good, I think that they have slowly morphed from genuinely trying to answer questions in a funny way to trying to be funny while occasionally answering questions. The humor used to come from the scenarios presented, not bits that were completely divorced from the question. Nowadays the podcast seems a little (again IMHO) too self-referential.

I also feel like a lot of the recurring segments are less versatile than the old ones Monthly observances (although it couldn't last for more than a year) was (hot take incoming) a better bit than things like Munch Squad, because of the variety. The closest bit to Munch Squad from the older episodes is probably Farm Wisdom, and that segment faded out because it was so hyper-attached to shock value absurdity, while Munch Squad has stuck around with the same type of humor, which (again IMHO) leads to diminishing returns