Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona

Episode: Entertainment Drill – MON – w/Kristi from Wildlife World Zoo – Asking Kristi If Animals Are Or Can Be Gay

Date: January 26, 2026
Host & Crew: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo
Guest: Kristi, Wildlife World Zoo

Episode Overview

In this episode, the crew welcomes Kristi from Wildlife World Zoo—and a special primate guest—to the studio. The conversation covers animal behavior, the joys of having a bush baby (primate) as an emotional support companion, and a surprisingly candid discussion on homosexuality in animals. The gang also dives briefly into entertainment news, music trivia, and country music nostalgia, keeping their trademark irreverent banter throughout.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bush Baby in the Studio: The Power of Animal Encounters

• John’s Shirt Guest: John experiences a bush baby nuzzled inside his shirt. The animal quickly becomes a focus of fascination and delight.
• Emotional Impact: The hosts muse about the therapeutic effect of having a primate close by—“You can't feel bad at all.” (John, 03:19)
• Kristi’s Knowledge Drop:
  • Bush Baby Facts: “They're an insectivore, so they help regulate the insect population. They go around at night and just eat massive amounts of insects.” (Kristi, 02:19)
  • Predators: "Anything bigger than them that's nocturnal. I mean, snakes, birds of prey." (Kristi, 02:34)
• Discussion on Conservation: Kristi makes a point about how zoos spark awareness for animals that often fly under the radar—“That’s why zoos are amazing...You don't even think about bush babies. They're not even on your brain at all so you don't know what they're up against in the wild." (Kristi, 03:53)

Entertainment Drill: Movie, Music, and Festival Chat

[06:13 - 09:04]

• Brad Pitt’s Biggest Movie?:

  • The guys guess "Oceans" or "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood."
  • Actual Answer: "Deadpool 2. 786 million. He was in it for one second. Does that count?" (Brady, 06:42)
  • John’s Take: "If you're getting paid, you're not really the reason. You're—The people are at the movies." (John, 06:52)

• Paris Hilton vs. Deepfake Porn:

  • Paris is campaigning for bill reform allowing victims to sue creators/distributors of deepfake content. John jokes: "Who's the victim?...We already saw her in a porn." (John, 07:13)

• Country Music Festival Cancellations:

  • Watershed Music Festival canceled (following others).
  • Kristi’s taste: “I love older country. I don't know any of the new country.” (Kristi, 08:14)
  • John: “Today's country's horrible.” (John, 08:30)

• Music Trivia:

  • Mistakes left in classic songs (e.g. “Hey Jude” and “Roxanne”).
  • Fun Fact: “About 2 minutes and 58 seconds into the song [Hey Jude], McCartney says, Effing hell, he hits the wrong chord... they leave it in.” (Brady, 08:37)

The Science & Comedy of Gay Animals

[09:04 - 11:14]

• Prompted by Media Trends: John notes, “They're doing a lot of stories about gay animals now.” (John, 09:04)

• Lesbian Animals?

  • Kristi: “Oh, yeah. How do you know all the animals? They’ll swing.” (Kristi, 09:14)
  • John jokes: “Are they tuna? Right. Mostly.” (John, 09:18)
  • Kristi provides a specific example: Female African black footed penguins. “We...know, they just live together….They’re a couple.” (Kristi, 09:46)

• Animal Bonding and Behavior

  • The crew jokes about penguins’ domesticity and habits; Kristi discusses same-sex pair bonding in animals.
  • John presses for proof: "But what do they like? Like, there's no mating, though. It's not sexual." (John, 10:28)
  • Kristi: “You would never know that it wasn't a male female. But we've done the—" (Kristi, 09:55), indicating testing and observation in zoos/resources.

• Physical Barriers to Same-Sex Behavior:

  • Conversation veers into anatomy—why lesbian tortoises are unlikely: “The males have a concave shell to help them with mounting. So it would be impossible for the female to mount another female because they're not built.” (Kristi, 10:48)

• Male Same-Sex Activity:

  • Kristi: "But yeah, that happens all the time, too." (Kristi, 11:15)

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On Bush Babies and Therapy:

  • “Everybody spends so much money on therapy and trying to feel better. It's like just put a primate in your shirt for a minute. Maybe that's emotional support. Bush baby.” (John, 02:56)

• Kristi, Wildlife Educator:

  • “And that's what happens when you introduce people to have that one on one interaction...I want to conserve and protect.” (Kristi, 03:36, 03:48)

• On Animal Sexuality:

  • “I don't believe in lesbians in the wild.” (John, 10:13)
  • “Their names are Ellen and Portia, too. I'm not even lying.” (Kristi, 10:17)

• On Parenting—Tongue Firmly in Cheek:

  • “Don't have kids. Don't be uncool. And if you do, run like Toledo's dad.” (John, 13:14)

Timestamps for Noteworthy Segments

• 01:26 – Bush baby introduced in-studio; John’s delight and Kristi’s bush baby facts
• 03:53 – Importance of zoos in animal conservation awareness
• 06:13 – Entertainment Drill begins
• 06:42 – Brad Pitt's highest-grossing movie surprise
• 07:13 – Deepfake porn legislation discussion
• 08:14 – Kristi declares her country music nostalgia
• 08:37 – Accidental swears in classic songs
• 09:04 – Are there gay/lesbian animals? Inquiry begins
• 09:14-10:48 – Kristi discusses same-sex animal pairings, examples & anatomy
• 13:14 – John on animal dads (and a dig at Toledo)
• 12:26-13:06 – Wrapping up: John reflects on emotional impact of bush baby

Overall Tone & Takeaway

This episode is lighthearted, full of punchy one-liners, and blurs the line between education and goofy banter. John’s fixation on having a bush baby as a comfort device becomes a running theme, while Kristi provides insight into animal behavior—responding with patience and humor to questions about same-sex relationships in animals. The segment is peppered with irreverent takes on pop culture and animal facts, typical of HMS’ blend of shock jock humor and genuine curiosity.

For listeners: If you like your animal knowledge with a heavy dose of sarcasm and awkward questions, and want to learn whether penguins can be lesbians while hearing a bunch of grown men giggle about primates in their shirts, this one’s for you.