Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona
Episode: 01-23-26 - Because He Was Sick John Felt Guilty Going Out To Barret Jackson - Idea For TV Show Where You Hide The Millionaire - List Of Most Common Words In Country, Rock And Rap - New Trend Of Vagina Vabbing Is Disgusting
Date: January 23, 2026
Episode Overview
In this episode, host John Holmberg and co-hosts Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo deliver their trademark mix of irreverent banter, storytelling, and commentary on current trends. Key subjects include John’s guilty conscience after calling in sick then attending Barrett Jackson, the genesis of a TV show featuring hidden billionaires, a breakdown of the most common words in various music genres, and a comedic yet cringeworthy look at the emerging trend of "vagina vabbing."
Major Discussion Points & Insights
1. John’s “Sick Day” Guilt & Barrett Jackson Car Auction
Timestamps: 01:23 – 11:00
- Guilty Conscience: John recounts calling out sick from work—using a telehealth service, getting prednisone, and recovering—but feeling intense guilt when he rallied enough to join friends at Barrett Jackson later that day.
- Quote: "I left the house feeling like I was under surveillance, like I was just getting big trouble... wait a minute, I’m an adult now." (03:15, John)
- Childhood Parallels: The guys reminisce about being kids and the unwritten rule that if you’re too sick for school, you’re too sick for fun or outings.
- Public Exposure Fear: John jokes about the anxiety of being “caught” out while supposedly sick—a reflex from his school days, reinforced by embarrassing past incidents in the radio industry of people getting busted (some literally) in public while skipping work.
- Quote: "If you're up to no good... you're at a massage parlor getting hand jobs and the news comes by and captures you... That was one of the greatest moments in the history of radio." (04:16, John)
2. Tales from Barrett Jackson
Timestamps: 09:38 – 16:57
- Car Observations: The hosts marvel at high- and low-priced vehicles, such as a 1969 Bronco that sold for surprisingly little and a 1988 Excalibur-style limo. They pitch in imaginary group funds to buy a ridiculous limo, riffing on potential joint ownership.
- Car Show Sociology: They laugh at the spectacle—Barrett Jackson as a “see and be seen” event—drawing both true car lovers and lots of casual attendees.
- Quote: "Barrett Jackson is now... like a CNB scene. Not everybody there’s a car person." (13:55, John)
- Gender & Demographics: The crew comments on the overwhelmingly male crowd and theorizes how the event turns into a prime territory for “trophy wife” fishing when the real money shows up later in the week.
3. TV Show Pitch: “Undercover Gold Digger”
Timestamps: 17:22 – 21:18
- Concept: Inspired by his Barrett Jackson experience, John proposes a reality show: A group of influencer women are told one of the random workers they meet during errands is a secret billionaire. The aim is to observe whether knowing a billionaire is in their midst changes how they treat everyone—including "ordinary" guys.
- Quote: "To prove that men are the more emotional and more romantic gender... Just to show them how different they are when money’s involved." (17:22, John)
- Social Experiment Angle: The guys riff on how attitudes and kindness shift for "potential billionaires" vs. regular Joes.
- Quote: “Kind of undercover gold digger. It would be awesome.” (20:21, John)
4. The Most Common Words in Music Genres
Timestamps: 21:21 – 25:48
- Country Music: Brady shares a list of the most-used words in country music. Surprisingly, “beer” isn’t on it—words like truck, whiskey, love, baby, heart, mama, and home dominate.
- Rock & Subgenres: Using AI-generated lists, they find that modern rock’s most common words are bleak: love, hate, feel, pain, alone, inside, broken, fear, and cry. Subgenres like grunge, nu-metal, pop punk, and emo are even more emotionally loaded, e.g., "pain, alone, feel, nothing."
- Quote: “Everything’s horrible... Man, this is depressing. Will somebody write a rock song to his girlfriend for Christ’s sake?” (25:10, John)
- Rap: The word “yeah” tops the list in 90s-and-later rap, followed by money-related terms and, less officially, the N-word—frequently used in lyrics.
- Quote: “Yeah is the most common word used... Money, cash, stacks, dollars, rich, paid, street, power.” (26:54, John & Brady)
- Quote: “I know which one is the most common and we’re not saying it, but I know which one it is and it is still the most common.” (26:34, John)
5. The “Vabbing” Trend – A Disgusting Dating Hack
Timestamps: 29:39 – 37:19
- Definition: Relaying news stories, John introduces “vabbing”—women applying their vaginal fluids to pulse points to attract men, as a pheromonal fragrance hack.
- Quote: "For lack of a better way to describe it... she sneezes into her underpants. She takes that and dabs it on her wrists and neck." (31:44, John)
- Quote: "It's essentially the act of taking vaginal discharge and dabbing it in certain areas... where you would normally put perfume." (32:00, John, reading an article)
- Panel Reactions: The guys are repulsed, riffing on potential side effects, the likelihood of attracting cats over men, and wondering about the desperation required to try “vabbing."
- Quote: "You smell like a can of Starkist." (32:56, Brady)
- Quote: "If you're a pig and you're covered in your own juice, you weren't doing too well in the first place." (35:38, John)
- Health Risks: They note a health expert’s warnings about risk of infection, bacteria, and fungus.
- Skepticism: They consistently argue that women don’t need to go to such extremes, pointing out most men are easy to attract without elaborate tactics.
Notable Quotes
| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 03:15 | John | "I left the house feeling like I was under surveillance, like I was just getting in big trouble…wait a minute, I'm an adult now." | | 17:22 | John | "To prove that men are the more emotional and more romantic gender... Just to show them how different they are when money’s involved." | | 21:21 | John | “Brady handed me a thing that said the most common words used in country music... it is whiskey, beer... love, baby, girl, heart.” | | 25:10 | John | “Everything’s horrible... Man, this is depressing. Will somebody write a rock song to his girlfriend for Christ’s sake?” | | 26:54 | John & Brady | “Yeah is the most common word used... Money, cash, stacks, dollars, rich, paid, street, power.” | | 31:44 | John | "For lack of a better way to describe it... she sneezes into her underpants. She takes that and dabs it on her wrists and neck." | | 35:38 | John | "If you're a pig and you're covered in your own juice, you weren't doing too well in the first place." |
Memorable Moments
- John’s Sick Day Anxiety: Hilarious flashbacks to getting "caught" as a kid and his father's stern ethics about sick days.
- Massage Parlor Sting Story: An outrageous anecdote about a radio executive being arrested during a police sting—his embroidered cuffs giving him away on the local news (04:31 - 06:30).
- Ridiculous Car Buy Plan: The idea of four grown men buying a vintage limo together just for laughs and wild adventures (12:00 - 13:13).
- Musical Word Trends: Live, irreverent brainstorming about what words define country, rock, and rap, with some mock-serious analysis.
- “Vabbing” Discussion: A blend of sincere disgust and comedic riffing that typifies the show’s tone, with the entire panel both grossed out and fascinated by the bizarre trend (29:39 – 37:19).
Important Timestamps
- 01:23-11:00 - John's sick day experience and guilt over attending Barrett Jackson
- 11:00-16:57 - Barrett Jackson car auction stories and social dynamics
- 17:22-21:18 - TV show concept: "Undercover Gold Digger"
- 21:21-25:48 - Most common words in country, rock, and rap; discussion using AI data
- 29:39-37:19 - “Vabbing” trend discussion, health concerns, and comedic reactions
Tone and Style
The episode mixes self-deprecating humor, storytelling, cultural commentary, and raunchy banter. The conversation flows naturally, moving from lived personal anecdotes to societal observations. Even when touching on gross or controversial topics, the hosts maintain a tone that is both irreverent and relatable, always delivering with comedic punch.
Summary
This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness showcases the hosts’ knack for turning mundane life moments, pop culture, and emerging internet trends into comedic gold. Listeners are treated to stories of workplace guilt, wild auctions, social experiments in romance, hilarious music analysis, and unforgettable (“vabbing”) randomness—all delivered with the show's signature blend of sarcasm, curiosity, and unfiltered commentary.