The Commercial Break – Episode: “The 700 Club!”

Date: February 20, 2025
Hosts: Bryan Green & Krissy Hoadley

Episode Overview

In their 700th episode, Bryan and Krissy celebrate the podcast’s unlikely longevity with their trademark irreverence and stream-of-consciousness humor. The hosts reflect on the show’s journey, discuss the grind of consistent content creation, and lampoon the culture of milestone obsession. A centerpiece of the episode is their comedic takedown of televangelist Pat Robertson and the infamous “700 Club,” using real clips for both satire and salty commentary. The show is a love letter to long-term listeners, full of playful self-deprecation and meta-podcast musings, topped off with salutes to the loyal “cats and kittens” who’ve stuck around for the ride.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Podcasting Milestones and Survival

• Bryan and Krissy marvel at reaching 700 episodes:
  • The duo note how few podcasts endure this long. (<ins>03:27-04:33</ins>)
  • Bryan: “It’s un-fucking-believable that this podcast made it to seven episodes, let alone 700 episodes.” (02:19)
  • Reference to statistic: fewer than 2.5% of podcasts surpass episode 300. (<ins>24:06</ins>)
• The grind of content creation:
  • "The beast has to be fed ... No rest for the weary." (03:40)
  • Even keeping each other accountable can be tough:
    Krissy: "At least you and I have each other ...”
    Bryan: “Yeah, that doesn’t even work all that much.” (01:49-01:53)
• Reflections on quality vs. quantity:
  • “Consistent, mediocre content ... is better or worse than really good content put out just a few times a year.” (04:33)
  • Aspiration for fame as podcasters who could “just do two killer episodes a year and get paid $100,000 per spot,” but deliver “consistent mediocrity” instead.

2. The Show’s Evolution: Structure, Chaos & Chemistry

• Early days to now:
  • Started with “crazy stories”—still doing that, plus dissecting weird videos and interviewing guests.
    (15:38) Krissy: "It started off with us telling crazy stories, and we're still doing that."
  • Attempted more structure (sketches, bits) early on, but found improvisation allowed more freedom.
    (16:19-18:00)
• Finding the show's personality:
  • Bryan outlines “the phases”:
    • First 10-50 episodes: tried to be a sketch/improv hybrid.
    • Episodes 100-200: “relied a lot on videos.”
    • After 350+: found their groove as a looser, more personality-driven show.
    • “Now at episode number 700 ... The podcast has taken on a personality of its own.” (19:07)
• Not every episode is a classic:
  • Bryan: "Maybe like 70 of our episodes that I think I would consider, like, really good TCB episodes ... and probably 10 to 15 episodes ... I would call classic." (08:07)

3. Self-Deprecation, Taglines, and Meta-Vibes

• Constantly changing slogans:
  • Propose “Raw dog it with The Commercial Break” as a new tagline.
    Krissy: "Raw dog it with the commercial break." (21:04)
• The “just fine” mediocrity oath:
  • “We will win just by staying steady, staying the course. Mediocre all the way. Doesn't matter. The only 15 episodes are good. We're going to keep on going. We'll add a 16th by episode 1000. I promise ...” (24:06)
• Listener/fan relationships:
  • They shout out loyal long-term listeners by name (Tina, Marianne, Roxanne, Gustavo, Rachel). Family included but maybe “doesn’t count.” (02:39)
  • Bryan: “God bless you. Seriously. What are you doing with your life when you're just listening to us?” (20:01)
• Podcast means different things to different people:
  • It’s helped some through “a divorce, or whatever the situation may be ... that, to me, feels like, you know, I don't feel like we're saving little kittens from trees, but we're doing something.” (24:06)

4. Deep-Dive Roast: Pat Robertson and The 700 Club

Historical/Cultural Takedown

• Bryan launches a blistering satirical intro:
  • “Pat Robertson has got to be one of the biggest idiots that ever lived… He was a bigot, a racist, an interpreter of the Bible in any which way he saw fit to twist the words to make sure that it fit his narrative.”
  • Lambastes 700 Club as a paid infomercial (“not because the network wants that content, it’s because they pay for that airtime”). (26:41-27:58)

Clips and Ridicule

• Hosts riff over real 700 Club clips:
  • Take aim at typical viewer questions: “Can people be saved on their deathbed?,” “Should I invest for retirement?,” “Is it okay to buy lotto tickets?” (32:48-51:45)
• Lampoon Pat’s “advice” (including various nonsensical or bigoted comments), using irreverent, sometimes dark humor:
  • Pat’s bizarre statements about “winning the ovarian lottery” (i.e., being white and born in America).
    Bryan: “How highly offensive, Pat. You could have been born a different color and poor. You're right, you could have.” (41:17)
  • Mocking Pat’s physical decline (“Tales from the Crypt,” “The Crypt Keeper,” “Is this stupid still sitting next to me?”).
  • Constructing absurd scenarios about creepy church buses, condemnation of “toxic family members,” and his repeated “give more to the church” theme.

Memorable Satirical Quotes

• Bryan: “Let’s be real, if the last 699 episodes have been any example of what we would put out twice a year, no one’s paying $100,000 to be on that show.” (05:08)
• On Pat’s worldview:
  “[He] just pouring more salt in the wounds of people who can’t afford a pretty television studio and three private planes.” (41:48)
• On religion/big churches:
  • “People don’t want to come into the church building because they don’t want to get sanctified in your, you know, in your hypocrite box. That’s just what’s going on. People are becoming less and less secular because they feel like religion is not very modern.” (52:10)
• On Pat’s money advice:
  "You are one of the richest Christian preachers that has ever lived. Of course you believe. Investing, investing in you. Tithing to the church to make you and your family personally wealthy without taxation." (35:51)

5. Listener Involvement & Inside Jokes

• Longtime listeners encouraged to send messages, texts, or voicemails to be included in future shows. (66:18)
• “Commercial Break” stickers available for free through their website. (23:08, 66:18)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Bryan (on 700 episodes):
  “It’s un-fucking-believable that this podcast made it to seven episodes, let alone 700 episodes.” (02:19)

• Krissy (on evolving format):
  “It started off with us telling crazy stories, and we’re still doing that.” (15:38)

• Bryan (on classic episodes):
  “Maybe like 70 of our episodes ... are really good TCB episodes ... and probably 10 to 15 I would call classic.” (08:07)

• On taglines:
  Krissy: “Raw dog it with The Commercial Break.” (21:04)
  Bryan: “Welcome back to another episode ... it’s not for everybody, but at least it’s free...” (21:14)

• On listeners’ devotion:
  “God bless you. Seriously. What are you doing with your life when you’re just listening to us?” (20:01)

• Bryan on religion as MLM:
  “It’s another ML[M]. That’s all it is. But there’s, you know, the product they’re selling is your soul.” (53:36)

• Pat Robertson soundbite, immediately mocked:
  “I won the ovarian lottery.” (41:05)
  Bryan immediately lambasts the subtext.

• Pat’s “televangelism fart” moment:
  When audio from the 700 Club appears to catch Pat audibly passing gas, producing delighted mockery:
  “That was Pat Robertson farting. That’s incredible. That soul demon trying to escape.” (47:53)

• On the “700 Club” name:
  “After 700 episodes...I can now confirm Pat Robertson and the commercial break do indeed have something in common. We are up against it month after month. Getting started was the hardest part. We had $70 in our pocket, trailer full of kids, and we’re just trying to make it work.” (63:22)

Important Timestamps by Segment

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |:--------------:|:--------------------------------------------------------| | 02:09–04:33 | Introduction, celebration of 700 episodes | | 08:06–09:16 | Grading show quality, classic episodes | | 15:38–19:07 | Evolution of show format and chemistry | | 24:06–26:40 | Podcasting stats, impact on listeners | | 26:41–29:26 | 700 Club/Pat Robertson mock history & intro | | 29:42–41:17 | Live riffing on 700 Club viewer Q&A, satire & commentary | | 47:48–48:41 | The infamous Pat Robertson “fart” moment | | 52:10–55:30 | Church attendance, kids on buses, religion as business | | 63:22–66:47 | Closing reflections, gratitude, future of show |

Summary and Takeaways

• The episode is a loose, self-aware celebration of 700 episodes, full of comic humility and gratitude for persistent listeners.
• The hosts lampoon both themselves and televangelist Pat Robertson, using real audio clips for savage (but comedic) social commentary on pop religion.
• Throughout, Bryan and Krissy reiterate that the heart of the show is their long friendship and unvarnished banter, not careful planning or polish.
• Listener participation is encouraged for future episodes, reinforcing the community vibe.
• The show’s ethos: Stay mediocre, stay consistent, “raw dog it,” and never take yourself—or the culture of milestones—too seriously.

Final Word

Bryan: “Here’s to 700 more ... I hope you’re sitting right there next to me at 1400, just like you were at 700. ... I didn’t have any answers for you on Jesus or God or the Second Coming ... But I will tell you this. It’s highly likely we’ll be here tomorrow.” (63:50)

Krissy: “I love you.” (66:48)

Bryan: “Best to you. Best to you out there in the podcast universe ... Until next time, we will say, we do say, we must say, goodbye.” (66:48)

For more: visit tcbpodcast.com or follow on Instagram @thecommercialbbreak. Get your free sticker and join the ongoing party, one raw, unpolished episode at a time.