Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD)

Episode: 02-02-26 - BR - MON
Date: February 2, 2026
Main Theme:
This lively episode centers around random celebrations (National Tater Tot Day and Groundhog Day), quirky debates about animal facts, mythological showdowns among holiday mascots, humorous takes on everyday news, and their signature offbeat video segment. Panelists John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo deliver fast-paced banter, skepticism, and plenty of wisecracks in the show’s irreverent style.

1. Show Opener & Banter

Timestamps: 01:11–04:33

• Panel responds to listener emails: encounters at events, misunderstandings about friendships, and a touching shout-out to a listener’s late pet (“Boss”).
• Announcement of the upcoming UFest 2026 concert with Dorothy, Stone Temple Pilots, and Godsmack at Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater (Sept 12; tickets on sale Friday).
  • “That’s the best venue in the city by a ton...That’s a hit festival.” – John [03:16]
• Introduction of a special guest: Zach, sitting in for Kevin Ray.

2. The Brady Report – News & Fun Facts

Timestamps: 04:33–14:20

National Days

• National Groundhog Day and National Tater Tot Day acknowledged.
• John shares a “Russian Hash Browns Story”:
  • Story about a Russian woman at IHOP who had never heard of hash browns.
  • “She wasn’t that foreign, but she didn’t know what hash browns were. And that threw me off.” – John [06:07]
  • Laughter ensues about Russian potato stereotypes and odd questions from the guest (“How much was house like.”).

Fun Facts & Animals

• Hashtag symbol called an “octothorpe.”

• Crown Jewels contain the two largest cut diamonds, from the Cullinan diamond.

• “You can hear a blue whale’s heartbeat from two miles away.” – Brady [07:59]

  • Leads to Holmberg’s incredulous skepticism:
    • “You can’t hear a blue whale’s heartbeat for two miles. Unless you’re another blue.” – John [09:24]

• Lively Animal Sound Debate:

  • Claim: A lion’s roar can be heard five miles away.
  • John and Bret vehemently challenge this, poking holes in the logic and using personal anecdotes (e.g., never hearing lions at the zoo, even nearby).
  • “If you’re within five miles of a zoo, you’d hear it.” – Brady [12:56]
  • “No, you couldn’t. That’s a garbage stat for uninteresting people.” – John [14:09]
  • This becomes a running joke through the episode, with references to “garbage stats” and how to shut down boring conversations.

Notable Quote:

• “That’s how you know you’re boring, when you throw one [fun fact] out and people just go ‘yeah’ and move on with life.” – John [13:18]

3. Mythical Character Fight Poll

Timestamps: 14:41–18:54

• Discussion of a poll: Which holiday character would win in a free-for-all fight?
  • Candidates: Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Cupid, Leprechaun, Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog), etc.
• Debate over Tooth Fairy’s gender—Brady admits always picturing a male, referencing The Rock’s movie.
  • “I probably went with male.” – Brady [16:23]
  • “You gendered him.” – Bret [16:00]
  • John jokes about imagining a sexy Tinkerbell-like Tooth Fairy [17:45]
• Santa predicted as strongest (“Santa’s got them all”), though Cupid’s weapon and Leprechaun’s magic discussed.
• Hilarious aside: “My Tooth Fairy is always like Tinkerbell…kinda hot too.” – John [17:45]
• “Out of those three, I’m going with…the Easter Bunny. Think the bunny wins it.” – John [16:48]

4. Rapid-Fire: Everyday News & Oddities

Timestamps: 19:03–22:34

• Minivan sales surge: Millennial dads shifting perception.
• Listener claims to hear lions while golfing at Papago; John remains unconvinced:
  • “No, you didn’t. You heard a car go by.” – John [19:31]
• Philippine Airlines flight: Lavatory failure; crew had to scoop out waste during a 15-hour flight.
  • Panel jokes about handling this, passengers bagging it, and who would use a non-flushing toilet.
  • “Who’s gonna deuce on a 15-hour flight when they tell you it doesn’t flush?” – John [20:54]
• Amtrak’s new luxury tracksuit: Mockery about its practicality and price.

5. Philosophical Return: Lion's Roar Debate (Redux)

Timestamps: 24:35–25:33

• John and panel return to the animal sound arguments, referencing Serengeti, Savanna noise, and local Arizona context.
  • “Wouldn’t you then hear everything on the savannah?” – Listener text/Bret [25:08]
• Continued ridicule of the mythic “five-mile lion roar.”

6. Video Time: Internet Oddities & Reactions

Timestamps: 25:33–31:31

• Series of dark-web style “shock” videos are watched and described:
  • Street drifting event: Man narrowly missed by car doing donuts in Africa; debate over whether it’s his son protecting him.
  • Explicit fetish video: “Looking directly into somebody’s anus…she just pooped…for the camera.”
  • Drunk motorcyclist crashes, lands on car, falls asleep on the hood.
    • “He’s so drunk that he crashed on the car, landed on the hood, and then went into a nice sleep position.” – John [27:59]
  • Indian street scene: Man with diarrhea runs through crowd, sprays bystanders.
  • Parachute fail: Parachutist misses water, leg injury described.
  • “Redneck” reclaims vape pen dropped in a ballpark toilet/sewer, cleans, and vapes it immediately after.
    • “Why is it all in slo mo like an assassination?” – John [30:44]
• Panel’s disgust and fascination is expressed in classic gross-out, shocked banter.

7. Bonus Sports Clip

Timestamps: 31:31–33:03

• Viral video: Gymnast Livvy Dunn faces boyfriend Paul Skenes (MLB) in the batter’s box.
  • Panel ogles over Livvy Dunn, jokes about risking throwing at a girlfriend.
  • “He’s throwing 100 miles an hour at his girlfriend. And just in the off chance…Don’t do that!” – John [32:19]

8. Closing & On-Going Bits

Timestamps: 33:03–34:34

• Set-up for “Brady Gro,” the show’s birthday quiz game for their guest.
• Reprise of jokes: standing outside the zoo to test the lion roar claim, odd Tooth Fairy revelations.
• Transition to promotions for local events and sponsors.

Episode Highlights & Memorable Moments

• Animal Sound Stats Debunked: The “five-mile lion roar” and “two-mile whale heartbeat” debates span much of the show, serving as running gags and sources of playful skepticism.
• Holiday Character Battle: Hilarious turns as the team exposes their own assumptions and childhood memories, particularly Brady’s “sexist” Tooth Fairy.
• John’s Russian Hash Browns Story: Classic Holmberg, skewering American vs. foreign food experiences.
• Dark Web Video Segment: Unfiltered, shock-humor reactions to gross/absurd viral clips.

Notable Quotes

• “You know what these dummies did…somebody heard it, ate it, then got in one of those weird Toyotas, drove and…at five miles saw a lion. That has to be the one.” – John [10:42]
• “That’s absolute horse.” – John [13:43]
• “You need to have it proved. Let’s stand outside. If I hear it, I’ll give Brady my car.” – John [13:46]
• “I never once assumed someone else had a man Tooth Fairy. My Tooth Fairy is always like Tinkerbell...kinda hot too.” – John [17:45]
• “Don’t do that. You’ve got a beautiful girlfriend. Don’t throw things at her.” – John [32:19]

Episode Flow & Tone

• Pace: Fast, irreverent, and dense with jokes.
• Language: Snarky, sarcastic, sometimes crude, characteristic of the show’s humor.
• Dynamic: Lighthearted argument and relentless teasing; real camaraderie and improv energy.

Summary for New Listeners

If you missed this episode, rest assured you’ll get a healthy dose of fact-checking skepticism, wild debates about pop culture myths, quirky news oddities, and the crew’s signature unfiltered humor. Whether it’s animal trivia or meditations on the Tooth Fairy’s gender, Holmberg and crew keep the laughs rolling and never fail to poke fun at each other (and everything else).