The Commercial Break

Episode Title: TCB's Endless Day #2: Rachel Bloom
Published: May 31, 2025
Guest: Rachel Bloom
Host(s): Bryan Green (and references to co-host Krissy Hoadley)

Episode Overview

In this lively, heartfelt, and sharply funny episode, Bryan Green sits down with award-winning comedian, writer, and performer Rachel Bloom, best known for her musical comedy series Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The conversation jumps from absurd pet stories and the chaos of parenting, to grief, the surreal experience of the pandemic, creativity as a lifeline, the evolution of entertainment, and navigating fame and parenthood in the digital age. Bloom shares personal stories about her family, career, and artistic process, all while maintaining her signature mix of honesty and irreverence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Pets, Parenting, and Family Chaos

• Rachel’s Senior Dog: Rachel shares hilarious and heartfelt anecdotes about her 15-year-old rescue dog’s digestive woes (00:57–04:59).
  • Quote: “She's 15 and a half and her stomach is a mess. She's allergic to chicken and her stomach's getting more and more sensitive…” – Rachel Bloom (01:10)
• Parent vs. Pet Dynamics: Discussion on how the arrival of a child changes one’s relationship to their pet, comparing a dog’s “genius” body awareness to a toddler’s chaotic energy (01:31–03:58).
  • Quote: “When you have a newborn, your dog is a genius. You're like, ‘Oh my God, I don't have to worry about my dog breathing.’” – Rachel Bloom (01:37)
• Navigating Aging Pets: The costs, emotional toll, and logistics of caring for aging animals, including the value of pet insurance and medical procedures like TPLO surgery (04:10–06:12).
• World’s Oldest Dog Tangent: Rachel fondly recounts her friend’s pilgrimage to meet “Bobby,” the then-world’s oldest dog at 32 years old (06:46–07:19).

2. Gross-Out Parenting Stories

• Vomit Talk: An extended, comically graphic exchange about the horrors of child (and pet) puke and why vomit is the most upsetting bodily fluid (07:27–08:43).
• Kids and Sickness: Tales of 12-hour stomach bugs, child vocabulary gaps (“the burp feeling”), and the traumatic yet innocent confusion young kids experience when ill (09:06–10:36).
  • Quote: “She kept saying, ‘Oh no, the burp feeling is happening.’ And I was like, yep, it does feel like you have to take a super burp.” – Rachel Bloom (09:13)

3. Comedy, Grief, and Rachel’s Netflix Special

• Origin and Structure: The real-life events behind Rachel’s new special—having a baby in March 2020 as the pandemic hit, her daughter’s unexpected stay in the NICU, and the tragic loss of her songwriting partner Adam Schlesinger to COVID, all influencing the arc and tone of the show (11:56–14:44).
  • Quote: “I was gonna do a special... and then I started thinking like, oh, what if there's a special about... trying to stick with silliness despite the world going tits up.” – Rachel Bloom (14:44)
• Themes of Loss and Silliness: How humor and “stupid songs” became essential tools in processing trauma (“laughter for a moment, you defy death… the thing that continued to get me through was stupidity”) (21:11–22:30).
  • Quote: “There is if... nothing matters, why not this song about trees that smell like cum. And what if that stupid song is the point of the universe?” – Rachel Bloom (22:23)
• Healing Power of Comedy: Both host and guest share personal stories and listener feedback illustrating how comedy can provide genuine emotional relief and connection during dark times (23:29–24:50).

4. Showbiz, “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” and Luck

• Genesis of the Show: Rachel’s YouTube music videos and a serendipitous connection with writer Aline Brosh McKenna (27:11–27:47).
  • Quote: “My writing partner... saw one of my videos and said, do you want to get together and talk about creating a musical TV show?” – Rachel Bloom (27:11)
• The Realities of Making TV: The volatile, luck-drenched process of pitching and selling innovative, high-risk shows in “peak TV,” how platforms like CW ultimately enabled “daring things” (28:02–30:54).
  • Quote: “We had a network who let us do pretty much whatever we wanted... That’s just luck.” – Rachel Bloom (30:28)
• Creativity and Gatekeepers: Rachel’s views on hard work, luck versus “fortune,” the role of champions in creative industries, and the expanding importance of direct platforms like YouTube and TikTok (32:49–34:43).

5. Live Performance vs. Online Creation

• Audience Connection: Why nothing replaces the raw, immediate feedback and healing nature of live performance. Rachel pledges allegiance to stage work for real, human interaction (34:44–36:54).
  • Quote: “Live performing... people are so... right in front of you and they're real... It's human and it's healing and... getting in front of people is just... extremely healing.” – Rachel Bloom (36:17)
• The Problem with Online ‘Connection’: The falseness of digital interaction; host and guest bond over the perils of internet comments and social media’s shallow feedback loop (37:09–38:20).

6. Parenting, Privacy, and Digital Dangers

• Raising Kids with Boundaries: Rachel and Bryan candidly explore the minefield of raising children amid technology, social media, and fame. Both intentionally restrict their children’s exposure to digital platforms and public scrutiny (38:20–43:15).
  • Quote: “You can’t close the box once it’s open. So... I haven’t even shared her name publicly.” – Rachel Bloom (41:54)
• Ethics of Child Fame: Broader reflection on the unintended consequences and “weird experiment” of putting kids in the spotlight or online (44:28–45:06).

7. What’s Next for Rachel

• Current Projects & Uncertainty: Rachel is in a holding pattern, waiting for news on two TV scripts at Disney; grapples with the unpredictability of the entertainment business and the challenges of balancing her creative ambitions with family life (46:02–47:52).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bodily Chaos:
  “The dog went from being my daughter’s big sister to now seeming like her little sister.” – Rachel Bloom (02:32)

• On the Pandemic Special:
  “My writing partner died of COVID basically a week after she was born. So that’s what the special’s about.” – Rachel Bloom (12:46)

• On Absurd Meaning:
  “If nothing matters, why not this song about trees that smell like cum... what if that stupid song is the point of the universe?” – Rachel Bloom (22:23)

• On Art as Balm:
  “Laughter—for a moment, you defy death... You feel the weight of the world suddenly feels lighter.” – Rachel Bloom (19:46)

• On Parenting in the Digital Age:
  “You can't close the box once it’s open... I haven’t even shared her name publicly. There’s a lot... I’m trying to keep her out of the system for as long as possible.” – Rachel Bloom (41:54)

• On Fame:
  “Fame is not a normal state of—no, it's not... It seems like this very, very weird experiment that's been going on for years.” – Rachel Bloom (43:39, 44:28)

Key Timestamps

• 00:57–04:59: Pet stories—Rachel’s aging dog, pet insurance, family life chaos
• 07:27–10:48: Parenting horror stories—vomit, sick kids, emotional labor
• 11:56–14:44: The pandemic, birth in March 2020, loss, inspiration for Netflix special
• 19:46–22:30: The healing/defiant power of comedy; special’s structure (death as heckler)
• 27:11–28:02: How Crazy Ex-Girlfriend began; YouTube origins
• 34:43–36:54: The irreplaceability of live performance
• 38:20–43:15: Parenting, privacy, digital dangers, child fame
• 46:02–47:52: Rachel’s next projects, uncertainty, parenting/work balance

Closing Thoughts

Rachel Bloom weaves wit, vulnerability, and insight through tales of family, grief, and show business. Both host and guest celebrate the essential weirdness of humor and the potency of laughter in grim times, underscoring how “silliness” can be survival. The episode brims with honesty about the trials of modern parenting, the volatility of Hollywood, and the ethical minefields of digital life. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that, as the hosts and Rachel agree, those fleeting moments of joy and absurdity—be it a dumb song about trees or a messy parenting story—might just be the universe’s whole point.

Links to Rachel Bloom’s special and more are in the show notes.