The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial: Brian Moses

Release Date: July 30, 2024
Hosts: Brian Green (“B”), Chrissy (Kristen Joy Hoadley)
Guest: Brian Moses (comedian, creator & host of Roast Battle)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the wild roots, global expansion, and comedic mechanics of Roast Battle with its creator, Brian Moses. The hosts bring their signature irreverent banter to an in-depth and freewheeling conversation about the evolution of Roast Battles from a chaotic comedy club idea to an international league and TV phenomenon. Moses shares origin stories, behind-the-scenes tales from Comedy Central and the UK, and reflects on the unique equalizing power of roast comedy. The trio hatch plans for a future live podcast roast showdown, blending bro-esque camaraderie with sharp, tongue-in-cheek insight about the state of comedy, TV, and more.

Key Topics & Timestamps

1. Welcome & The Surreality of Having Notable Comedy Guests

• [01:39] The hosts riff on the imposter syndrome of booking celebrated comedians, describing themselves as “nobodies on a shoe.”
• [02:38] Introduction to Brian Moses, his role as Roast Battle’s creator, and the concept of Roast Battle as a genre separate from standup.

“This one’s got my goat… We’ve all heard the roasts, we’ve all seen the Roast Battles. And this guy is the puppeteer behind a lot of the Roast Battles that have made note.” — Brian Green [02:19]

2. What is the Roast Battle & Moses’ Origin Story

• [09:00] Moses recounts how Roast Battle unexpectedly began as a Comedy Store open mic alternative, stemming from a potential slap boxing match between two comics who disliked each other.
• [13:22] Security cameras at the Comedy Store inadvertently forced the show into a verbal, not physical, battle, creating the format that became Roast Battle.

“The only reason that Rust Battle exists is because the comic store a week prior had put cameras up.” — Brian Moses [13:26]

3. How The League Works & Its Global Expansion

• [15:01] Moses explains the global league format, points system, and international club participation.

“There are so many factions of Roast Battle happening all around the world... So we said, ‘Let’s make this a league.’” — Brian Moses [15:09]

• Pat Barker is highlighted as the “LeBron James of Rose Battling” and key to running the league.

4. Inside the Art and Mechanics of Roasting

• [16:16] Moses and the hosts discuss what makes for great roasting: the interplay of joke writing, charisma, improv, and crowd-work, and how the genre blends all aspects of comedy craft.

“It’s a joke writing showcase... It really does incorporate a lot of elements, but really, at the end of the day, it’s just a joke writing showcase. It's just you and your subject writing about each other, and everything around you is kind of doing everything else in comedy.” — Brian Moses [16:16]

5. Writing for TV Roasts (Notably the Jonas Brothers Roast)

• [18:13] Moses shares candid stories of joke-writing for TV, like Sophie Turner specifically requesting the hardest jokes during the Jonas Brothers roast.

“Sophie was like, ‘Give me the hardest jokes you have. I'm trying to break my marriage up.’” — Brian Moses [18:48]
“Death by roast, Divorced by roast.” — Brian Green [19:25]

6. TV’s Changing Landscape & Streaming Predictions

• [28:24] The group reflects on the demise of classic TV in favor of streaming, Moses noting how “connected TV” and on-demand viewing are changing what “TV” means — and how traditional TV still performs well overseas.

“Connected TV... 32% of [young people] only watch connected TV. That means… almost 70% are not watching connected TV, they're only looking at the TV screen. And they only watch YouTube or things like YouTube.” — Brian Moses [31:23]

7. Showbiz Tales: Comedy Store, Helicopters, Stars, and Bunkers

• [24:23] Moses and the hosts swap stories about comedy condos, legendary comics, and wild times at the Comedy Store.
• [32:38] Candid, humorous asides about Russell Brand’s current “bunker” phase, and props for his off-the-cuff comedic intellect.

“That guy didn’t write anything, and everything he said was A-plus... This is why you're a superstar, because you're not writing anything down.” — Brian Moses [34:21]

8. Roast Battle Rules and Wildest Moments

• [35:40] The three golden rules: original material, no physical contact, and always hug it out post-battle.
• [36:18] Best “almost a fight” stories: beefs between comics and a moment the local news blamed a murder on Roast Battle.

"So somebody got… murdered. But because we were the only show going on at the time when the news showed up… it was because of us." — Brian Moses [38:11]

9. Funniest Roast Joke Ever Heard

• [40:13] Moses recalls a particularly brutal yet genius roast line:

“‘Joe is going to hell because there’s a stairway to heaven.’ [for a battler in a wheelchair]” — Brian Moses [40:38]

10. Roasting as the Great Equalizer

• [43:13] Roast Battle’s inclusiveness: able-bodied, disabled, LGBTQ+, all identities participate, and the communal power of laughter and shared “hits.”

“It is that great equalizer, in the sense of [that] anybody can get it. Everybody's accepted... We've had people with cerebral palsy, HIV positive, trans, black, yellow, brown, women — we've had everybody.” — Brian Moses [43:13]

Plans for a Commercial Break Roast — The “Chrissy vs. Brian” Challenge

• [44:07] The main thread: The hosts and Moses agree to organize their own live roast at the Comedy Store or La Jolla, with professional writers and a friendly but fierce format.
• Chrissy gleefully assembles an “entourage” of Brian’s wife and their executive producer Christina to dig up dirt.
• The trio debate boundaries, consent, and the surprisingly therapeutic angle of roasting close friends.

“That’s what our show is, though. It’s about consent and boundaries. Your subject has to consent to the battle, and then they have to consent to the boundaries or things that you can or can't say.” — Brian Moses [44:43]

• Talk of a professional “panel of experts” to judge it; plans to tape and publish the showdown by year’s end.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Those who can’t roast, host.” — Brian Moses [20:10]
• “Why do third parties always get involved with beef? You see that at the bars a lot.” — Brian Green [37:54]
• On Comedy Central: “There’s no money. Yeah… When TV was a thing, right back in the last decade, it was great…” — Brian Moses [28:18]
• “Cable does really well [in the UK]… We were the highest rated television program in Comedy Central history overseas.” — Brian Moses [32:32]
• “How can we pass up the opportunity? I mean, it was a direct invite… He seemed excited.” — Chrissy [55:24]

Tone & Dynamics

• Characteristic freewheeling, chummy TCB energy with tangents, mutual ribbing, and inside jokes.
• Brian Moses is relaxed, self-deprecating, candid, and quick-witted — matching the hosts’ pace.
• The trio balance comedy club war stories, serious reflection on comedy’s cultural role, and ambitious (possibly ill-advised) live show planning.
• Many asides about glory holes, old-school radio, and questionable La Jolla adventures.

Conclusion & Takeaways

Brian Moses gives an insider’s look at the wild, totally unscripted rise of Roast Battle, illustrating its evolution from a midnight potluck open mic to a global comedic institution. The episode is packed with sharp, insightful, darkly funny banter about what makes great roasting work, why it’s uniquely inclusive, and what it reveals about human nature.

TCB’s hosts and Moses plot a future live roast, promising good-natured brutality and all the behind-the-scenes scheming their listeners crave. The challenge is accepted — stay tuned for the big showdown.

Essential Links

• Roast Battle League & Weekly Shows: Roast Battle League on YouTube | roastbattleleague.com
• Brian Moses Live: Comedy Store, LA, every Tuesday
• The Commercial Break: tcbpodcast.com | Instagram @thecommercialbreak

Key Segment Timestamps

• [02:19] — Roast Battle intro & Moses background
• [09:26] — Origin story of the first Roast Battle
• [15:01] — How the international league operates
• [18:48] — Jonas Brothers roast writing room stories
• [28:24] — TV & streaming industry talk
• [35:40] — Rules and wild incidents at Roast Battles
• [40:13] — Funniest roast line Moses has heard
• [44:07] — Plans for the Commercial Break Roast
• [54:55] — Final reflections, excitement for the upcoming roast

For listeners new and old, this episode is a fast-paced, laughter-packed masterclass in roast culture, behind-the-scenes comedy, and long-form friendship chemistry — setting up what promises to be a truly “equal opportunity” on-stage roasting that will live on in TCB lore.