Podcast Summary: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – 02/26/26 – Josh Blue In Studio with His New Autobiography

Episode Theme:
Comic Josh Blue drops into the studio for a rollicking, candid, and irreverent conversation about his enduring comedy career, life with cerebral palsy, family hijinks, adventures in Africa, and his new autobiography Something to Stare At. The hosts and Josh riff on everything from divorce and disability to zoo pranks and excavator shopping, blending sharp wit with heart and honesty.

1. Josh Blue Returns: Comedy Roots & Long History with the Show

• Longevity in Comedy and Friendship

  • Josh Blue’s appearances with the show date back almost two decades.
  • "I won Last Comic Standing in 2006." (Josh Blue, 02:47)
  • Discussion of pivotal life events shared with the show over the years — marriage, kids, and divorce.
  • Light teasing about his repeated breakups and reconciliations, all in good humor.

• Quote:
  “You guys are really making differences.”
  – Josh Blue, (02:30)

2. Disability, Comedy, and ‘Palsy on Ice’

• Josh’s Approach to Disability

  • The group jokes about Josh’s palsy, with Josh steering and owning the humor:
    • “No, I don’t. I’m just a real prick.” (Josh Blue, 03:10)
  • He pitches comedic concepts: "Palsy on Ice" (disabled contestants in a skating contest), and palsy-themed versions of pop culture (Masked Singer, Carpool Karaoke).
  • The hosts riff along, cooking up more over-the-top (but self-aware) ideas.

• Quote:
  "Last one standing gets the helmet."
  – Josh Blue, (03:35)

• Memorable Line:
  “Comedian with palsy and cars. Doing karaoke. Getting coffee.”
  – Brett Vesely, (06:16)

• Josh describes buying a side-by-side off-road vehicle:
  “It’s really dangerous.”
  – Josh Blue, (05:29)

3. Family Stories: Siblings, Pranks & Tampons

• Sibling Dynamics

  • Josh is the youngest of four—describes getting picked on and pranked by older siblings.
  • Recounts being convinced by his sisters that he should be worried about not having a period, complete with carrying a tampon to school.
    • “For two weeks, I had that in my backpack.” (Josh Blue, 10:44)
  • Fondly (if wryly) reflects on how these childhood experiences shaped him.
  • Quick indictments of his family’s sense of humor, “My disability is on the outside. I’m lucky.” (08:08)

• Brother Works for Josh

  • His elder brother (whom he suspects is autistic) now works for him — cooking dinners and editing.
    • “The smartest man you know is your under…”
      “Yeah.” – Josh Blue, (09:25)

• Notable Quote:
  "I’m waiting for like, Menopause… I think I’m perimenopausal."
  – Josh Blue, (11:23, 11:29)

4. Personal Growth, Adventure, and Setbacks

• Camelback ‘Everest’ Climb

  • Josh and Brett reminisced about hiking Phoenix’s Camelback Mountain together—Josh’s ‘Everest.’
  • Jokes about being unable to summit Kilimanjaro because another man with palsy did it first, and after Josh had a mishap:
    • "I cracked my...what’s it called? The coccyx." (Josh Blue, 17:43)

• Quote on Facing Physical Setbacks:
  “I became one of three people in the world that could pet that gorilla.”
  – Josh Blue, recounting zoo adventure, (23:05)

5. The Book: Something to Stare At

• Background and Themes

  • Josh’s autobiography covers his childhood, living in Africa, his career, and wild personal stories.
  • Born in Cameroon, spent time in Senegal—speaks French and Wolof.
    • “People…have seen me on the TV…they don’t really realize I was born in Africa.” (Josh Blue, 19:23)
  • Large portion describes his time as a zoo intern—being the "Boo Boo monkey" on display in a Senegalese zoo.
    • “I had them lock me in a cage for an entire day next to a 400 pound gorilla.” (Josh Blue, 21:12)

• Quote:
  “They said it was the busiest day of the zoo they’ve ever had.”
  – Josh Blue, (21:31)

• Zoo Experiment Story:

  • Crowd tossed bananas, Josh grunted and played the part, totally in character.
  • “People were like throwing bananas to me. No kidding. I mean it's all in the book.” (Josh Blue, 22:30)
  • Gained unique status with the gorilla: “I became one of three people in the world that could pet that…gorilla.” (23:05)

• Book Purchase Info

  • Go to joshblue.com for a signed copy; jokes about slow shipping.
    • “Guarantee it will not be there [on time].” (Josh Blue, 25:08)

• Audiobook?

  • Not yet available; hosts joke about doing the narration.

6. Odd Life Purchases and One-Liners

• Excavator Over Sports Car
  • Instead of a traditional luxury purchase, Josh buys an excavator for mountain land.
    • “Most like successful people buy like a nice sports car. So what I bought instead was excavator.” (Josh Blue, 27:22)

7. Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• [03:10] Josh Blue: “No, I don’t. I’m just a real prick.” (Joking about his palsy)
• [06:16] Brett Vesely: “Comedian with palsy and cars. Doing karaoke. Getting coffee.”
• [10:44] Josh Blue: “For two weeks, I had that in my backpack.” (On keeping a tampon due to prank)
• [11:23] Josh Blue: "I'm 46. I'm waiting for like, Menopause."
• [17:43] Josh Blue: “I cracked my...what's it called? The coccyx.”
• [21:12] Josh Blue: “I had them lock me in a cage for an entire day next to a 400 pound gorilla.”
• [23:05] Josh Blue: “I became one of three people in the world that could pet that gorilla.”

8. Closing Rapid-Fire

• Josh jokes about a lack of wisdom in parting ("I don’t know. Perfect." – 29:03).
• The show closes with reminders about his book and his stand-up shows at Tempe Improv.

Conclusion

This episode delivers everything you’d expect from a Josh Blue appearance with Holmberg’s crew: unsparing self-deprecating humor, outlandish but true stories, raw candor about family and ability, and the kind of camaraderie you only get with years of shared history. The conversation never lags, swerving from ridiculous pranks to near-death gorilla encounters, with Josh’s new autobiography as the anchor. Laughter, irreverence, and poignant insight about life on the margins — all with the quicksilver charm that’s made Josh Blue and these hosts audience favorites for two decades.