The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial: Joanna Hausmann

Episode Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Brian Green & Krissy Hoadley
Guest: Joanna Hausmann

Episode Overview

This episode of The Commercial Break welcomes the irreverently brilliant Venezuelan-American comedian, writer, and performer Joanna Hausmann for her second appearance. Best known for her sharp comedic takes on Venezuelan culture and her work as a writer on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, Joanna joins hosts Brian and Krissy for a hilarious, candid discussion about parenthood, diaspora identity, intergenerational culture clashes, and her career in animation. The loose, banter-filled chat covers everything from how the Venezuelan community has rallied around her, to the realities of starting a family far from home, to her journey in Hollywood—and plenty of silly, improvised tangents along the way.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Parenthood and Motherhood Surprises

(13:26 - 18:07)

Joanna, now four months postpartum, confesses surprise at how much she’s enjoyed motherhood, especially compared to the dire picture painted by “the media”.
She reflects on her lack of stereotypical maternal instincts prior to having her daughter, sharing:

“It just came so naturally. I was like, what the hell is happening? Wow. Biology is strong.” (14:02 – Joanna)
The hosts and Joanna poke fun at how parenthood doesn’t require any training, leading to a reflection on unqualified people raising kids:

“You need a license to get on a fucking canoe and catch a fish in your local pond. But you need zero training to be a parent.”
(18:07 – Brian)

2. The Phineas and Ferb Comeback

(19:17 - 24:26)

Joanna shares her serendipitous route to the Phineas and Ferb writers' room, which she credits partly to her comedic videos about Venezuelan culture.
The show’s rare multi-generational appeal is highlighted:

“Phineas and Ferb did sort of the impossible...50% of its viewership was adult because the writers room treats it as a true co-viewing show.”
(19:24 – Joanna)

3. How Community & Heritage Shape Opportunity

(22:06 - 27:32)

Her connection to Phineas and Ferb’s co-creator, Dan Povenmire, began when he discovered Joanna’s content via his then-Venezuelan wife, leading to a decade-long professional and personal mentorship.
The impact of the Venezuelan diaspora, both tragic and positive, is discussed:

“Within all this tragedy, there's this diaspora…your culture starts permeating outside of the country…We've created an identity outside of…geographical constraints.”
(26:04 – Joanna, paraphrasing her father)

4. Venezuelan Politics & The Meaning of Representation

(29:04 - 33:16)

The hosts and Joanna delve into Venezuela’s political challenges and what it means when a Venezuelan woman becomes a global figure:

“It felt like our struggle and our pain was a global topic…she’s our one and only hope…She’s doing everything right.”
(29:34, 30:04, 32:09 – Joanna)
Joanna pushes back gently on criticism of Venezuela’s political figures:

“I don’t have the privilege of getting picky here.”
(30:01 – Joanna)

5. Cultural Clashes in Parenting: Venezuelan vs. American

(33:28 - 42:52)

Joanna’s mom is coming to visit, and she anticipates the contrast between her American-raised approach and traditional Venezuelan family practices.
She laments the lack of village/community childrearing in the U.S. and admires the Latin American model of multi-generational involvement:

“Latin culture is very much about community...Man, do you know how much I’d love to have my 75 family members fighting distance from me?”
(35:49 – Joanna)
She shares the differences in parenting philosophies, especially the generational divide over information:

“We also have so much more research at the palm of our hand…My, my parents winged it...She was like, you were born and I just figured it out.”
(39:45 – Joanna)

6. The Joys and Realities of Grandparenting

(40:42 - 44:44)

Brian reflects on watching his own father grandparent, fondly noting the “benefit of hindsight” and the reduced stress:

"One of the great joys of my life is watching my father grandparent my children."
(40:43 – Brian)

7. Nature vs. Nurture, and Accepting Imperfection

(44:00 - 45:28)

The conversation turns to the limits of parental control and the importance of love:

“They're already cooked...All I have to do is just make sure that they don't set themselves on fire or drive the car through the front door...just shower them with love.”
(44:00 – Brian, Joanna joins in)
- The “air fryer” metaphor:
  
  “Your love is the air fryer.”
  (45:05 – Brian; 45:11 – Joanna, loving it)

8. Sharing the Mental Load—Or Not

(46:08 - 48:57)

Joanna describes her husband as “programmed for parenthood,” meticulously handling logistics, whereas she’s more relaxed:

“When it comes to taking care of the baby, I'm pretty good at it. But when it comes to like all the other minutiae...I'm like, I don’t know, it happens magically.”
(47:15 – Joanna)
Hosts commiserate about the different but complementary ways families divide mental/emotional labor.

9. Creative Work in Animation, Writer’s Room Life, and AI

(48:48 - 55:03)

Joanna explains why she loves being a Phineas and Ferb staff writer:

“It is so fun to show up and just be like, my job is to write and to make a joke funnier...there's something really liberating of being like, oh, my job is actually limiting. It makes me be a little bit more creative.”
(51:08 – Joanna)
A technical tangent on animation’s complexity and the future impact of AI:

“When every technological advances happen, there's been fear...But I don't foresee the human element being something that we can take away from art...If I know that this is not made by a person, my brain automatically disengages.”
(53:02, 54:45 – Joanna)

10. Joanna's Projects, Collaborations, and Shoutouts

(57:46 - end)

Joanna confirms her previous Disney Channel show “Hamster and Gretel” is still available on Disney Plus (but, “Fun fact, I don’t [get royalties,] unless my voice is in it.” – 58:07).
The hosts and Joanna banter about connections in the Latin American creative community, shoutout “Scuela de Nada” and fellow podcast guest Nacho.
In closing, the hosts urge listeners to follow Joanna’s social media for her uniquely funny takes on Venezuelan and immigrant life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On parenthood’s instant transformation:

“It’s wild how your brain gets rewired in seconds. I just…it’s seconds. That’s why there’s what, 8 billion of us?...It’s biology.” (15:04 – Joanna)
On childhood growing up in chaos:

“What do you think dad made me? Growing up in Venezuela, we were moving all the time, coup d’etat coming…what do you think?” (43:33 – Joanna)
On being “cooked” as a person:

“They're already cooked...Their personalities are in there. Their destiny's in there...I have done my job.” (44:00 – Brian)
“If you just shower them with love...the love element is so important.” (44:44 – Joanna)
“Your love is the air fryer.” (45:05 – Brian)
On community and diaspora:

“We’ve created an identity outside of the geographical constraints, and we’re affecting culture outside of our country...that’s kind of cool.”
(27:32 – Joanna)
On AI and creativity:

“I don’t foresee the human element being something that we can take away from art.” (53:15 – Joanna)
“When you see something and you know someone made it, it inherently affects the way you perceive it.” (54:45 – Joanna)

Timestamps for Key Segments

13:26: Joanna reflects on the reality of new motherhood, love, and surprise at being maternal
19:17: Inside the multigen appeal of Phineas and Ferb
22:06: Connecting with Phineas and Ferb via Venezuelan culture
26:04: Diaspora, “positive externalities,” and the global impact of migration
29:04: The Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Corina Machado, and globalizing Venezuelan struggle
33:28: Raising a child in America vs. Venezuela; missing the “village”
39:45: Parenting, generational shifts, and too much information
44:00: Nature vs. nurture, “cooking” your kids with love
46:08: Husbands, mental load, and division of labor in the household
48:48: Being a staff writer vs. producer in animation
53:02: The looming question of AI in creative work
57:46: Shout outs to projects, Disney Plus, and fellow creators

Final Thoughts

The episode exemplifies TCB’s trademark blend of comedy, authenticity, and cultural curiosity. Joanna’s warmth, intelligence, and humor shine, whether discussing the peculiarities of her cross-cultural life, commiserating about millennial parenting, or weighing in on the anxieties and hopes of a people in diaspora. Listeners come away feeling both seen and thoroughly entertained—and grateful that, while the world may be absurd and difficult, it’s also full of possibility, creativity, and community.

Follow Joanna Hausmann:

Phineas and Ferb streaming on Disney+
Hamster and Gretel available on Disney+
@joannahausmann on social for more comedy and commentary

Catch more TCB episodes, and connect:

tcbpodcast.com
Instagram: @thecommercialbreak

(This summary skips ad reads and non-content interludes per instructions.)

The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial: Joanna Hausmann

Episode Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Brian Green & Krissy Hoadley
Guest: Joanna Hausmann

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Parenthood and Motherhood Surprises

(13:26 - 18:07)

Joanna, now four months postpartum, confesses surprise at how much she’s enjoyed motherhood, especially compared to the dire picture painted by “the media”.
She reflects on her lack of stereotypical maternal instincts prior to having her daughter, sharing:

“It just came so naturally. I was like, what the hell is happening? Wow. Biology is strong.” (14:02 – Joanna)
The hosts and Joanna poke fun at how parenthood doesn’t require any training, leading to a reflection on unqualified people raising kids:

“You need a license to get on a fucking canoe and catch a fish in your local pond. But you need zero training to be a parent.”
(18:07 – Brian)

2. The Phineas and Ferb Comeback

(19:17 - 24:26)

Joanna shares her serendipitous route to the Phineas and Ferb writers' room, which she credits partly to her comedic videos about Venezuelan culture.
The show’s rare multi-generational appeal is highlighted:

“Phineas and Ferb did sort of the impossible...50% of its viewership was adult because the writers room treats it as a true co-viewing show.”
(19:24 – Joanna)

3. How Community & Heritage Shape Opportunity

(22:06 - 27:32)

Her connection to Phineas and Ferb’s co-creator, Dan Povenmire, began when he discovered Joanna’s content via his then-Venezuelan wife, leading to a decade-long professional and personal mentorship.
The impact of the Venezuelan diaspora, both tragic and positive, is discussed:

“Within all this tragedy, there's this diaspora…your culture starts permeating outside of the country…We've created an identity outside of…geographical constraints.”
(26:04 – Joanna, paraphrasing her father)

4. Venezuelan Politics & The Meaning of Representation

(29:04 - 33:16)

The hosts and Joanna delve into Venezuela’s political challenges and what it means when a Venezuelan woman becomes a global figure:

“It felt like our struggle and our pain was a global topic…she’s our one and only hope…She’s doing everything right.”
(29:34, 30:04, 32:09 – Joanna)
Joanna pushes back gently on criticism of Venezuela’s political figures:

“I don’t have the privilege of getting picky here.”
(30:01 – Joanna)

5. Cultural Clashes in Parenting: Venezuelan vs. American

(33:28 - 42:52)

Joanna’s mom is coming to visit, and she anticipates the contrast between her American-raised approach and traditional Venezuelan family practices.
She laments the lack of village/community childrearing in the U.S. and admires the Latin American model of multi-generational involvement:

“Latin culture is very much about community...Man, do you know how much I’d love to have my 75 family members fighting distance from me?”
(35:49 – Joanna)
She shares the differences in parenting philosophies, especially the generational divide over information:

“We also have so much more research at the palm of our hand…My, my parents winged it...She was like, you were born and I just figured it out.”
(39:45 – Joanna)

6. The Joys and Realities of Grandparenting

(40:42 - 44:44)

Brian reflects on watching his own father grandparent, fondly noting the “benefit of hindsight” and the reduced stress:

"One of the great joys of my life is watching my father grandparent my children."
(40:43 – Brian)

7. Nature vs. Nurture, and Accepting Imperfection

(44:00 - 45:28)

The conversation turns to the limits of parental control and the importance of love:

“They're already cooked...All I have to do is just make sure that they don't set themselves on fire or drive the car through the front door...just shower them with love.”
(44:00 – Brian, Joanna joins in)
- The “air fryer” metaphor:
  
  “Your love is the air fryer.”
  (45:05 – Brian; 45:11 – Joanna, loving it)

8. Sharing the Mental Load—Or Not

(46:08 - 48:57)

Joanna describes her husband as “programmed for parenthood,” meticulously handling logistics, whereas she’s more relaxed:

“When it comes to taking care of the baby, I'm pretty good at it. But when it comes to like all the other minutiae...I'm like, I don’t know, it happens magically.”
(47:15 – Joanna)
Hosts commiserate about the different but complementary ways families divide mental/emotional labor.

9. Creative Work in Animation, Writer’s Room Life, and AI

(48:48 - 55:03)

Joanna explains why she loves being a Phineas and Ferb staff writer:

“It is so fun to show up and just be like, my job is to write and to make a joke funnier...there's something really liberating of being like, oh, my job is actually limiting. It makes me be a little bit more creative.”
(51:08 – Joanna)
A technical tangent on animation’s complexity and the future impact of AI:

“When every technological advances happen, there's been fear...But I don't foresee the human element being something that we can take away from art...If I know that this is not made by a person, my brain automatically disengages.”
(53:02, 54:45 – Joanna)

10. Joanna's Projects, Collaborations, and Shoutouts

(57:46 - end)

Joanna confirms her previous Disney Channel show “Hamster and Gretel” is still available on Disney Plus (but, “Fun fact, I don’t [get royalties,] unless my voice is in it.” – 58:07).
The hosts and Joanna banter about connections in the Latin American creative community, shoutout “Scuela de Nada” and fellow podcast guest Nacho.
In closing, the hosts urge listeners to follow Joanna’s social media for her uniquely funny takes on Venezuelan and immigrant life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On parenthood’s instant transformation:

“It’s wild how your brain gets rewired in seconds. I just…it’s seconds. That’s why there’s what, 8 billion of us?...It’s biology.” (15:04 – Joanna)
On childhood growing up in chaos:

“What do you think dad made me? Growing up in Venezuela, we were moving all the time, coup d’etat coming…what do you think?” (43:33 – Joanna)
On being “cooked” as a person:

“They're already cooked...Their personalities are in there. Their destiny's in there...I have done my job.” (44:00 – Brian)
“If you just shower them with love...the love element is so important.” (44:44 – Joanna)
“Your love is the air fryer.” (45:05 – Brian)
On community and diaspora:

“We’ve created an identity outside of the geographical constraints, and we’re affecting culture outside of our country...that’s kind of cool.”
(27:32 – Joanna)
On AI and creativity:

“I don’t foresee the human element being something that we can take away from art.” (53:15 – Joanna)
“When you see something and you know someone made it, it inherently affects the way you perceive it.” (54:45 – Joanna)

Timestamps for Key Segments

13:26: Joanna reflects on the reality of new motherhood, love, and surprise at being maternal
19:17: Inside the multigen appeal of Phineas and Ferb
22:06: Connecting with Phineas and Ferb via Venezuelan culture
26:04: Diaspora, “positive externalities,” and the global impact of migration
29:04: The Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Corina Machado, and globalizing Venezuelan struggle
33:28: Raising a child in America vs. Venezuela; missing the “village”
39:45: Parenting, generational shifts, and too much information
44:00: Nature vs. nurture, “cooking” your kids with love
46:08: Husbands, mental load, and division of labor in the household
48:48: Being a staff writer vs. producer in animation
53:02: The looming question of AI in creative work
57:46: Shout outs to projects, Disney Plus, and fellow creators

Final Thoughts

Follow Joanna Hausmann:

Phineas and Ferb streaming on Disney+
Hamster and Gretel available on Disney+
@joannahausmann on social for more comedy and commentary

Catch more TCB episodes, and connect:

tcbpodcast.com
Instagram: @thecommercialbreak

(This summary skips ad reads and non-content interludes per instructions.)

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TCB Infomercial : Joanna Hausmann

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Summary

The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial: Joanna Hausmann

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Parenthood and Motherhood Surprises

2. The Phineas and Ferb Comeback

3. How Community & Heritage Shape Opportunity

4. Venezuelan Politics & The Meaning of Representation

5. Cultural Clashes in Parenting: Venezuelan vs. American

6. The Joys and Realities of Grandparenting

7. Nature vs. Nurture, and Accepting Imperfection

8. Sharing the Mental Load—Or Not

9. Creative Work in Animation, Writer’s Room Life, and AI

10. Joanna's Projects, Collaborations, and Shoutouts

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Final Thoughts

Summary

The Commercial Break – TCB Infomercial: Joanna Hausmann

Episode Overview

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Parenthood and Motherhood Surprises

2. The Phineas and Ferb Comeback

3. How Community & Heritage Shape Opportunity

4. Venezuelan Politics & The Meaning of Representation

5. Cultural Clashes in Parenting: Venezuelan vs. American

6. The Joys and Realities of Grandparenting

7. Nature vs. Nurture, and Accepting Imperfection

8. Sharing the Mental Load—Or Not

9. Creative Work in Animation, Writer’s Room Life, and AI

10. Joanna's Projects, Collaborations, and Shoutouts

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Final Thoughts