Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – Arizona

Episode: 01-21-26 – Sophie Cunningham Announces On Podcast She Has Herpes | Davis Emails That Our Smoke Alarm SFX Are Hitting Too Close To Home
Date: January 21, 2026
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Podcast: 98KUPD | Hubbard Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness dives headfirst into two unexpectedly hilarious and revealing topics: the viral headlines over WNBA star Sophie Cunningham’s on-air herpes admission, and an avalanche of listener feedback on the show’s smoke detector sound effects, including a particularly memorable email from a listener named Davis. Packed with banter, cultural commentary, and trademark irreverence, the crew unpacks media sensationalism, social stereotypes, and the everyday annoyances that unite us all (like that damned smoke detector chirp).

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sophie Cunningham & The Herpes Admission (01:26–06:39)

• The "Herpes" Bombshell

  • Bret brings up that Sophie Cunningham, highly regarded as one of the most attractive players in the WNBA, "went on a podcast yesterday and said she has herpes."
    • “I have to straighten this out because the news is out there now, and I don't know if I can. I might contact lawyers. ...Sophie Cunningham went on a podcast yesterday and said she has her feet. So now you guys know. I do, too.” – (01:26, Bret, tongue-in-cheek)
  • John and Bret lampoon the clickbait:
    • “The headlines say, Sophie Cunningham stuns and divides fans with herpes admission.” – John (02:46)
  • The reveal is anticlimactic and commonsense: She had a cold sore, which literally is herpes (simplex), but headlines play it up.
    • “Sophie had a cold sore, which is herpes.” – John (02:56)
    • Co-hosts note that shingles and chickenpox are also herpes viruses, demystifying the stigma.
    • Explains the difference between oral “herpes” (cold sores) and genital herpes, calling out tabloid-style reporting.

• Media Sensationalism and Overreaction

  • Bret points out the harm in misleading headlines and jokes about mass panic among Sophie’s presumed recent partners—
    • “How funny would it be if you did know a guy who’d been bragging to you, ‘I was with Sophie Cunningham a couple weeks ago,’ and then this comes out? The next day, his phone would ring immediately.” – Bret (04:46)
  • John: “Big deal. They sell a Breva at Walgreens for that very reason.” (04:42)

• Herpes Stigma & Honesty

  • Panel agrees most people carry some strain of herpes and joke about how dating would work if everyone announced their cold sores.
  • “It’s like having a period, only it’s not as consistent. You got to tell people at any moment now this could happen.” – Bret (06:05)

2. Smoke Alarm Stereotypes & Listener Backlash (06:42–17:32)

• The Davis Email (07:12–08:08)

  • John reads an email from a listener, Davis, who finds most jokes hilarious but can’t handle the recurring smoke alarm sound effect—
    • “Your cracker ass with that damn chirp sound is gonna be the last of me. ... My mother never fixed it. I changed the batteries in my smoke alarm every two months. …You found my line. You made me write you a letter complaining about you being a racist. You big nose liberal juke Huck Stern wannabe. I can't quit you. Sign, Davis.” – (07:12)
  • Everyone cracks up over how universally annoying the chirp is and how it transcends race, yet maintains cultural stereotypes.

• Discussing the "Smoke Alarm Chirp" Stereotype

  • The crew riffs on the stereotype that smoke alarm beeps are a “Black household” thing:
    • John: “White people just take it down. Right when it starts chirping, you can't figure it out. We just disconnect them.” (09:24)
    • “I'd rather house burned down than listen to that all night.” – John (09:41)
  • They recount stories about friends’ apartments and how different cultures handle the noise:
    • “My friend Tony was the first one, ...just allowed it. I didn’t know it was somewhat universal.” – Bret (17:33)
  • Jokes about rap music using the smoke detector beep as a beat, and the universal struggle to locate and silence chirping alarms.

• White Folks' Approach: Just Take 'Em Down

  • John and Bret laugh about keeping de-installed smoke alarms in a kitchen drawer, “wires hanging out of the ceiling.”
    • “That’s the white move. I gotta hand it to the black people; they just let it go. Yeah, it’ll happen—I get used to it as I turn up the radio.” – Bret (16:43)
  • Houses as “gas covered” due to lack of functional detectors.

• Universal Annoyance and How Everyone Copes

  • "Pay your insurance" becomes a joking catchall:
    • “And the odds of you burning your own house down are very minimal. Just, you know, do what most white people do.” – John (16:10)

Memorable Quotes & Laugh-Out-Loud Moments

• Bret’s faux-reveal about Sofie Cunningham

  • "Other than when we exchange herpes…” (02:26—Bret, joking)

• On tabloid headlines:

  • “You can’t just say, ‘Sophie Cunningham has herpes.’ That’s clickbait.” – John (03:21)

• The Davis Email:

  • “Your cracker ass with that damn chirp sound is gonna be the last of me. …You found my line. You made me write you a letter complaining about you being a racist… I can’t quit you. Sign Davis.” – (07:12)

• On smoke alarms:

  • “White people just take it down… If place isn’t on fire and it’s warning me, it’s just annoying. So I’m getting rid of it.” – John (16:10)
  • “All rap music should be on the beat of the smoke detector.” – Bret (16:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Topic / Segment | |----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:26 | Opening up Sophie Cunningham’s “herpes” revelation | | 02:46 | Media headlines and impact; dissecting the clickbait | | 03:45 | Playful ranking of WNBA players’ attractiveness; more on Sophie’s persona | | 04:42 | The cold sore clarification and calling out the panic | | 06:03 | Stigmas about herpes and everyday reality/checks | | 07:12 | Davis’ email—smoke alarm stereotypes and “finding the line” for jokes | | 09:00 | White and Black approaches to handling chirping smoke alarms | | 14:20 | Co-hosts’ personal horror stories with alarms; “the brain” of the new detectors | | 16:10 | Philosophical advice: just pay your insurance, don’t sweat the smoke detectors | | 17:20 | Wrapping up DIY smoke detector removal stories and signature irreverent banter |

Tone & Style Reflection

The episode blends raunchy morning radio humor with cultural satire and a knack for finding joy—and comedy—in life’s minor humiliations and social stigma. Regulars banter with easy chemistry and spike the show with self-deprecating commentary, affectionate teasing, and boundary-pushing humor (in the classic 98KUPD style).

For New Listeners

If you haven’t tuned in before, this is classic HMS: irreverent, unfiltered, and ready to turn even viral tabloid nonsense into relatable, hilarious conversation. Whether you’re here for takes on sports, social quirks, or the tribulations of owning a working smoke detector, you’ll finish this episode laughing—and probably checking your own smoke alarm batteries.