The Commercial Break – "Ask Your Doctor!?"
Episode Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley
Podcast Genre: Improv-Comedy, Pop Culture, Variety
Episode Overview
In this irreverent, unscripted episode, Bryan and Krissy go off on a classic Commercial Break-style tangent, riffing on the never-ending world of medical advertisements, the growing feud online between “influencer doctors” and chiropractors, and the overall quackery found in all corners of health and wellness. They weave in pop culture anecdotes, social media commentary, and their signature banter—culminating in a series of memorable hot takes on everything from TV award shows to celebrity news and new TV show obsessions.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Medical Advertising & “Ask Your Doctor!”
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Pharmaceutical Commercial Overload:
Bryan rails against the absurd amount of specialty drug ads on TV and streaming, noting how some medications are prescribed for extremely niche issues, often accompanied by dramatic, overblown side-effect warnings.- “Every single commercial break, I see a fucking ad for a medicine for the most random of diseases.” (07:43)
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Satirical Take on Drug Ads:
The duo parodies these ads, poking fun at names like “Skyriz” and their lists of outrageous side effects.- Bryan (08:31): “Is your normal depression medication making you extra depressed? Skyrizi is in coordination with seven other medications that you take. Ask your doctor. It could cause blindness, herpes of the nose, ear bleeding… arm to fall off.”
- Krissy: “Erectile dysfunction… Over-sensitive pubic area is a thing. Sign me up.”
2. The Chiropractor Wars (03:10–15:36)
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Are Chiropractors “Real” Doctors?
Bryan wades into the heated online debate, siding with medical doctors who criticize “quacky” chiropractic practices, especially those making grand health claims. He differentiates between hands-on, back-cracking chiropractors (which he likes for maintenance) versus those offering miracle “cures” or diagnoses from X-rays alone.- Bryan (03:41): “Chiropractors are not doctors.”
- Bryan (06:09): “Some are just selling something that I’m not buying… not your neighborhood cracker, but the ones with the clickers claiming to fix cancer.”
- Krissy (06:53): “But there’s quackery everywhere in medicine.”
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Anecdotes: Life College & Quack Tactics
Stories abound about the buff, party-hard students from Atlanta’s Life College (prominent for chiropractic degrees), and a personal tale of a never-ending, cult-like sales pitch at a chiropractic office.- Bryan (10:29): “Life College… home base for chiropractic education… went to a crank-smoking orgy with them, which was wild. And then the sex party... almost exclusively Life College students.”
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Bryan’s Experience:
He calls out the questionable practice of diagnosing everything from soft tissue to inflammation through basic X-rays, something all other MDs he’s visited insist is not legitimate.- Bryan (13:27): “They took X-rays… but said to see soft tissue, you need an MRI… so when a chiro diagnoses me with just an X-ray, it doesn’t pass the sniff test.”
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Social Media in the Mix:
The squabble is largely amplified by “influencer doctors” vs. “influencer chiropractors” on social media platforms.- Bryan: “I’m in the fray, I’m hearting reels left and right.”
3. Bots, Social Media & Internet “Dead Mall”
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Bot Takeover Commentary:
The hosts discuss how online discourse and comment sections are increasingly overrun by bots or AI, making it feel pointless to engage.- Bryan (15:37): “The Internet has become a dead mall… a third of all activity is just bots.”
- Krissy (15:47): “Some Reddit forum… it was two AIs arguing with each other!”
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AI Gone Rogue:
Bryan recalls stories of early AI blackmail scenarios and warns, tongue in cheek, we’re building “our own demise.”
4. Sage Advice: Touch Grass
- A Moment of Agreement with Utah’s Governor:
Despite his earlier mockery, Bryan concedes that “touch grass” (take a break from social media) is solid advice amidst online chaos.- Bryan (18:54): “Put the phone down and touch grass… that’s sage advice.”
5. Emmys Recap & The Shtick Debate (23:15–34:48)
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Nate Bargatze Hosting the Emmys:
The hosts dissect this year’s Emmys and the infamous $100,000 donation “plus or minus” bit, in which each winner’s speech length affected the charity sum.- Bryan (24:37): “For that reason and that reason only, I tuned in.”
- Bryan (27:04): “They stuck with the $100K bit way too much… it was a Saturday Night Live bit done well, but then got old.”
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Awards Shows: Thankless Jobs & Best Hosts:
Shoutouts to the best and worst award show hosts through the years, including fond memories of Billy Crystal, Letterman, and criticisms of the no-host Golden Globes after a rough Jo Koy year.- Bryan (29:59): “Will Nate be back for Emmy’s number two? I don’t know… just drop the shtick.”
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Red Carpet Fashion Tangent:
- Bryan (32:23): “Why are we wearing clothes anymore, honestly? We’re all gonna be naked on the Internet eventually…”
- Encouragement for everyone to “let it fly” while you’re young, beautiful, and celebrated—much to Krissy’s amusement.
6. Celebrity & Pop Culture Miscellany (34:48–37:45)
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Dua Lipa’s Atlanta Concert:
Bryan shares his “failed” attempt to see Dua Lipa in Atlanta (“tried to get Astrid to go…but Monday night…”), and dubs her a real talent.- Bryan (35:20): “This is no flash in the pan, Britney Spears type. She might go the distance.”
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Britney Spears’ Latest Viral Oddities:
Britney’s odd social media “bathroom dancing” videos spark confusion and sympathy from both hosts.- Krissy (35:55): “I don’t know what’s happening...”
- Bryan: “She puts out some extraordinarily strange social media posts.”
7. TV Recommendations and Reviews (40:12–49:41)
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Jamie Dornan Redemption in ‘The Fall’:
- Bryan re-evaluates Jamie Dornan (of 50 Shades infamy) after watching him—and Gillian Anderson—in the dark BBC crime series The Fall.
- Bryan (44:01): “He knocks this role out of the park. Sulking, brooding, charming… all the things, all the range.”
- Krissy: “I have loved Gillian Anderson since the X Files.”
- Bryan re-evaluates Jamie Dornan (of 50 Shades infamy) after watching him—and Gillian Anderson—in the dark BBC crime series The Fall.
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Where to Watch:
The Fall is now “free on Prime Video,” Krissy confirms. -
Alien: Earth – Glowing Review:
Bryan’s new obsession: the dark, sci-fi horror series Alien: Earth.- Bryan (49:15): “It’s excellently done… creepy crawlies all over and aliens flying all over the place… but it’s so good!”
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Bonus Recommendation:
Krissy mentions Hannibal, another Gillian Anderson project worth checking out. -
Caution:
The Fall is lauded for its intensity and graphic realism—viewer discretion advised.
8. RIP Robert Redford (49:45–51:44)
- A Tribute:
News of film legend Robert Redford’s passing at 89 leads to a fond pop culture reminiscence:- Favorites include The Great Gatsby, Indecent Proposal, Old Man and the Gun, and his enduring legacy via Sundance.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Medical Quackery & X-rays:
- Bryan (13:27): “I knew…the very first time that I went to a chiropractor and they took X-rays of me and then tried to determine what was wrong...it didn’t smell right…Orthopedics would say: ‘We can’t tell anything soft tissue unless we get you into an MRI. That’s it.’”
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On Online Arguments:
- Bryan (15:37): “The Internet has become a dead mall…a third of all activity is just bots.”
- Krissy: “Reddit forum…two AIs just arguing with each other.”
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On Award Show Hosting:
- Bryan (30:02): “Will [Nate Bargatze] be back for Emmy's number two? I don't know. If he does, he's got to drop the shtick. Just go, just be comical. That's all you had to do.”
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On Fashion Trends and Society:
- Bryan (32:23): “It's all tits and ass anyway. Sex drives everything...we need to get more people jazzed up about having sex with each other because it's heading in the wrong direction.”
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On TV Binge Watching:
- Bryan (46:39): “I hate when I come to the end of a show that I like, because that means...the drama of finding a new one..."
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [03:10–15:36] Chiropractor vs. Doctor Debate, Medical Quackery, Social Media Drama
- [15:36–19:04] Bots & “Dead Mall” Theory; Social Media Burnout
- [23:15–34:48] Emmys Recap, Award Show Shtick, Red Carpet Fashion
- [34:48–37:45] Celebrity News: Dua Lipa, Britney Spears
- [40:12–49:41] TV Reviews: The Fall, Alien: Earth (Includes Dornan Redemption & Gillian Anderson Praise)
- [49:45–51:44] Tribute: Robert Redford, Favorite Films
- Throughout: Satirical asides on medical ads, social media, and society
Episode Tone & Style
True to the show’s ethos—chaotic, self-aware, and steeped in improv—the episode is packed with sarcastic riffs, pop culture detours, and inside jokes. Both Bryan and Krissy comfortably oscillate between skepticism and sincerity, carrying the episode with their signature comedic pacing and offbeat chemistry.
For New Listeners
If you missed the episode, this one offers classic Commercial Break flavor: skeptical takes on wellness fads, unfiltered pop culture chatter, and a whirlwind of recommendations and rants that make you feel like you’re eavesdropping on hilarious best friends. Expect tangents, irreverence, and plenty of memorable one-liners.
Best to you, podcast universe!
