Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Arizona
Episode: 01-21-26
Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Main Themes: Rage over line cutting, heated incident at QT bathroom, and porn star Abella Danger’s ESPN cameo apology
Episode Overview
This episode of "Holmberg's Morning Sickness" dives into two headline-grabbing topics: the social fury and sometimes violence sparked by line-cutting—exemplified by a deadly shooting at a Phoenix QT gas station bathroom—and the comedic fallout from adult film star Abella Danger’s appearance on ESPN during the national college football championship, which led to her public apology.
As ever, Holmberg and his crew wield their blend of irreverent commentary, local humor, and personal anecdotes to make sense (and fun) of the news. The team swerves from social commentary on line etiquette to riffing on the absurdity of celebrity apologies, with characteristic asides into bodily functions and sports fandom.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Line-Cutting Rage: From QT Incidents to Childhood Memories
- Opening Anecdote & Listener Email
- John reads an email from a listener, Glenn, about a tense interaction at a local QT. Glenn describes being called out by a "mean little lesbian" for allegedly cutting the line, which escalated with insults and ended with the woman knocking items off the shelf (05:00).
- “You can’t tell who the whores are unless they’re outside smoking. I think that’s half the reason they passed all those laws.” – John Holmberg (01:45)
- Escalation to Violence
- John recounts seeing a news story about a man being shot at QT for cutting the line to the bathroom; the shooter was DeAndre Franklin, and the victim was Danny Castor (07:07).
- The group jokes about the eternal childhood feeling of yelling “no cuts!”, but notes how adults can lose their minds over the issue.
- “It never stops being juvenile. Couldn’t cut in second grade, and you’d think eventually it’d be like, it’s all right. But cuts piss people off.” – John Holmberg (08:06)
- Personal Line-Cutting Stories
- The crew shares personal brushes with cutting—from pretending to meet up with people in line, to the ethics of holding spots for friends (09:58).
- “I think cuts in life balances. There’s been plenty of times I’ve been in line and just slid in because a friend’s there. It’s not cuts—we were holding.” – John Holmberg (09:55)
2. Escalation and De-Escalation of Public Conflict
- Dealing with Confrontations
- Toilet Emergencies and Social Grace
- The hosts riff about QT’s bathroom congestion, recalling stories of people desperate enough to go elsewhere, including at public events (18:12).
- “If you need the bathroom so much that you’re gonna run in front of me, I’m gonna let you. If you’re in a hurry to go to the bathroom, door is yours.” – John Holmberg (17:51)
3. Abella Danger on ESPN: When Porn Fame Meets Mainstream TV
- Incident Recap
- The crew discusses how Abella Danger, a high-profile porn star, was spotlighted during the NCAA National Championship game, becoming instantly recognizable to many viewers (22:23).
- “Every man watching went, ‘Hey, that’s Abella Danger. I’ve seen her with Johnny Sins and I’ve seen her work.’” – John Holmberg (22:39)
- Abella’s Public Apology
- Abella apologizes online for any distraction, stating: “I’m so sorry if it distracted from the school, my presence. …I didn’t ask ESPN to put me on, but they did.” (22:51)
- John and Bret joke about the absurdity of her needing to apologize for simply existing, poking fun at public prudery.
- “You don’t have to apologize for that. You didn’t take away from anything, you little angel. You’ve done nothing.” – John Holmberg (23:52)
- Personal Connections and Brand Liability
- John compares his own “brand liability” to Abella’s, since Suns broadcaster Kevin Ray hesitated to openly acknowledge their friendship during a Suns broadcast (24:03).
- “There I was last night feeling exactly like it when K. Ray throws my name out. …I just want you to acknowledge I exist. Am I important to you at all or is it all about our fun?” – John Holmberg (27:42)
- Porn Star Recognition Gags
- Banter about listeners and hosts recognizing porn stars by sight—or, humorously, “by ass” (36:03).
- “You know, they have software to recognize faces. …You will recognize a person by their ass.” – John Holmberg (36:20)
- Brett recalls meeting Abella at a promo event and recognizing her years later only after seeing a photo from the back; the group jokes about his “assh-ole recognition system.”
- “You’re the Terminator of ass.” – John Holmberg (38:32)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the Eternal Rage of Line Cutting
- “Adults lose their mind over cuts. It’s a huge… people getting shot over cuts, lesbians tearing down QT over cuts.” – John Holmberg (08:06)
- About Brand Liability
- “At least I’m open about it. Everything I talk about at work goes out on the air when I talk about friends making my car gay.” – John Holmberg (21:00)
- On Abella Danger’s ESPN Apology
- “She should apologize publicly for being alive. And she did. She said she was sorry for being at the game and wished she could just be a regular student…” – John Holmberg (25:34)
- Porn Star Recognition System
- “If only ESPN would have shot a different angle. Brett’s like, ‘Hey, there’s a Bella Danger.’ …That is an impressive recognition skill.” – John Holmberg (36:01)
- Classic Morning Sickness Absurdity
- “You must be destroyed. The world is filled with fast packs and I’m here to get rid of all of them. Fastback Terminator.” – John Holmberg (38:52)
- On the Oddity of Apologies for Fame
- “If you are a porn star and you’ve got front row seats, you’ve earned it.” – John Holmberg (39:35)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- [01:45] – Laws about women smoking in public and sexist history riff
- [05:00] – Listener email: line-cutting incident at QT
- [07:07] – News story of QT bathroom shooting over line-cutting
- [12:04] – De-escalation tactics and road rage story
- [18:12] – Porta-potty etiquette and public urination tale
- [22:23] – Abella Danger appears on ESPN; public recognition
- [22:51] – Abella Danger’s apology and discussion of social prudery
- [27:42] – John compares his own “side piece” feeling to Abella’s predicament
- [36:03] – Brett’s “ass recognition” delivers a comedy highlight
Tone and Style
The episode maintains Holmberg’s trademark mix of locker-room banter, local color, and unfiltered observations. The crew’s humor is sometimes crass, often self-deprecating, and laced with a sly critique of social absurdities—always pushing boundaries while inviting listeners to laugh at the news and themselves.
Summary
Anyone who missed this episode got a full dose of Morning Sickness humor: how something as simple as waiting in line can unravel civilized behavior (with local tragedy to prove it); how even world-weary adults occasionally act like schoolkids; and how America’s puritanical streak makes porn star sightings into TV news. Along the way, John and the gang weave in awkward personal experiences, unfiltered opinions, and the kind of radio camaraderie that has made the show an Arizona favorite.
Contact:
Tune in to 98KUPD (97.9fm, the 98KUPD app or www.98kupd.com) for more irreverence weekdays 5:30-10am.