Podcast Summary: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – Entertainment Drill – THU – w/ Dale Hellestrae

Date: January 29, 2026
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo, Dale Hellestrae (guest), Doug Hopkins (guest)
Theme: Entertainment news, personal banter, and pop-culture commentary with comedic edge

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness focuses on pop culture headlines, celebrity news, and tongue-in-cheek social commentary. Regular hosts John Holmberg, joined by Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo, are joined by guest Dale Hellestrae and recurring presence Doug Hopkins. The group riffs on current events, football woes, Bruce Willis’s dementia diagnosis, fallout from Kid Rock’s controversial festival, and quirky takes on celebrity-driven popcorn memorabilia—all filtered through the show’s irreverent, quick-witted banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. Light-Hearted Banter & Football Woes

• Cardinals Fan Fatigue:

  • John (01:24): “I got all these emails from people… ‘I’m finally done with it and I’m happy.’ First year he took off from being a Cardinal fan and he’s like, ‘I enjoyed Sundays again.’”
  • Doug Hopkins, a fan of both the Jets and Cardinals, feels the pain of rooting for struggling franchises.
  • The hosts joke about the good (or not so great) stadium seats their friends have, shifting into making fun of being stuck behind tall players or having bad views—“Unless you’re 7’4, you’re not seeing anything.” (03:19)

• Commercial Banter:

  • Running gag about John’s TV commercial with Doug Hopkins recruiting more business—sometimes for the wrong reasons.
  • Over-the-top jokes about women being “moist” from seeing the ad, and carpets needing replacement as a result.
  • “The ladies were so moist…” (04:24, John)
  • "You know, going in there with a fountain of youth. Yes, it's because of you, brother." (02:59, John)

B. Bruce Willis’s Dementia (Entertainment News)

• Bruce Willis Unaware of His Dementia:
  • Doug: “Bruce Willis. His wife says he doesn’t know he has dementia, which she’s really happy about.” (06:18)
  • John: “Isn’t that dementia point, isn’t it?” (06:24)
  • Hosts discuss the comparative kindness of letting the person be happily unaware, referencing real-life family experiences with dementia.
  • Co-host story (06:47): "Well, we went through that with my mom and my brother would correct her… I said, let her be on the cruise."

C. Kid Rock Festival Fallout & PC Culture

• Artists Leaving Kid Rock’s Tour:
  • Doug: “Two more people have dropped out of Kid Rock’s Rock the Country festival because of the comments he’s made in the past.” (07:13)
  • John: “If you signed up for Kid Rock’s festival in the first place, you should have known you’re doing it for attention. If you’re pulling out… you were doing it to get attention.” (07:22)
  • Artists named: Morgan Wade, Carter Faith. “Ludacris dropped out.” (07:36)
  • Ludacris had been listed by mistake; possible appearance elsewhere.
• Commentary on Outrage:
  • John lampoons retroactive offense: “Clutch my pearls, I can’t believe what he sent you. You were doing it to get attention...Exactly what I was getting into.” (07:49)

D. Bruce Springsteen’s "Streets of Minneapolis"

• Political Lyrics & Minnesota Protests:
  • Doug: “Bruce Springsteen dropped a song called ‘Streets of Minneapolis.’ ...He refers to the ICE agents as federal thugs. King Trump’s private army.” (08:07)
  • John: “Not that Steve Miller—joking, the singer, the joker.” (08:27)
  • Tom Morello also headlining a protest concert.
  • Panel jokes about political activism, risk of violence, and further unrest in the city.

E. Ironic Popcorn Swag: “Melania” Movie

• Limited Edition Popcorn Bucket:
  • Film "Melania" arriving in theaters January 30th.
  • “You get the large bucket with Melania forever.” (10:38, Doug)
  • Banter about “reaching into her bucket,” objectification, and observation on novelty memorabilia reselling almost instantly.
  • John’s playful objection: “I hate the words unlimited food. What’s wrong with limited? Limited edition.” (10:28)

F. Dating, Sex, and Divisive Politics

• Riff on Dating Across Political Divides:
  • John: “The day we lost focus is the day that men stopped wanting to have sex with women because of their political views.” (11:09)
  • “If there was a hot girl working at Tony Roma’s when I was there and she’s like, ‘I am Muslim and I hate it here and I hate capitalism.’ Me too. But I’d like to bone you.” (11:42)
  • Satirical lament about how political differences have become deal-breakers for romance, compared to prior generations just caring about hookup potential.
  • “You seen the snooch on that thing? She might talk me into liberal stuff. She might talk me into Republican stuff. I’m getting what I need to.” (13:12, John)
  • Hosts riff about the limits: “She was too dumb to have sex with… but I did eventually end up talking to that girl. And he was right. She was too dumb after.” (13:27, John)

G. Generation Change & Parental Advice

• Hopes for the Youth:
  • John (14:09): “That’s the way we lost it. Train your kids better. That’s what I say. I should have been a dad. I’d have raised a good one that would have been phoning one of them socialists and giggling with me.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On commercials and perceived attractiveness

  • “The ladies were so moist…” — John, on his real estate ad appearance (04:24)
  • “Get a tile house, for God’s sakes, if you’re going to sit through that.” — John (05:10)

• On Bruce Willis’s dementia

  • “Isn’t that dementia’s point, isn’t it?” — John (06:24)
  • “Why would you keep telling somebody with dementia they got dementia?” — John (06:29)

• On Kid Rock festival fallout

  • “If you signed up for Kid Rock’s festival in the first place, you should have known you’re doing it for attention…” — John (07:22)

• On limited-edition popcorn memorabilia

  • “Because that’s what you want. Just reach into her bucket.” — John (10:41)

• On sex and politics

  • “The day we lost focus is the day that men stopped wanting to have sex with women because of their political views.” — John (11:09)
  • “I’d have simped my way right through… Just means I banged the socialist and I can tell my friends about it later.” — John (11:42)
  • “You seen the snooch on that thing? She might talk me into liberal stuff. She might talk me into Republican stuff. I’m getting what I need to.” — John (13:12)

• On generational shifts

  • “I should have been a dad. I’d have raised a good one that would have been phoning one of them socialists and giggling with me. High five, daddy. Did you nail that socialist? I did. Good stuff. Did you get her out of her turban?” — John (14:09)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:24 – Cardinals fan exasperation and escaping the struggle
• 03:19 – Stadium seating jokes and sports banter
• 04:24 – John’s commercial, jokes about attractiveness and audience response
• 06:18 – Bruce Willis’s dementia discussed
• 07:13 – Kid Rock’s festival fallout and performers leaving
• 08:07 – Bruce Springsteen’s protest song and political lyrics
• 10:28 – “Melania” popcorn bucket and novelty item culture
• 11:09 – John’s observations on romance, politics, and generational differences
• 13:12 – Satire about doing anything for an attractive woman
• 14:09 – Reflective joke on teaching the next generation

Tone & Style

• Irreverent, fast-paced, heavy use of sarcasm and exaggeration
• Comedic, sometimes crude, but always self-aware
• Blends real-life anecdotes with tongue-in-cheek commentary on pop culture

For New Listeners

This episode is a typical slice of HMS—blunt, quick-witted, and unafraid to poke fun at celebrities, current affairs, or themselves. While the insults and crude jokes are tongue-in-cheek, the crew’s banter often sneaks in genuine observations about life and media. If you appreciate bawdy, unapologetic comedy with a sharp edge, this episode delivers top-tier entertainment news in classic HMS fashion.