03-03-26 - Entertainment Drill - TUE - Kristin Bell Josh Gad Reportedly Getting 60Mil For Frozen Sequels - Paramount Buying Warner Discovery Merging HBOMax And Para Plus

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Entertainment Drill (March 3, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD - Arizona), led by John Holmberg with Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo, dives into the latest entertainment news. The crew covers everything from wild streaming costs, the realities behind big Hollywood paydays (especially Kristen Bell and Josh Gad’s Frozen deals), Bruce Campbell’s health update, Paramount’s potential merger with Warner Discovery, and some hilariously awkward euphemisms from Bridgerton. The crew’s trademark banter turns everyday Hollywood news into relatable, offbeat and sharp-witted radio gold.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Frozen Movie Paydays – Rumor vs. Reality

• Rumored $60 Million Payouts:

  • Reports had suggested Kristen Bell and Josh Gad were paid $60 million for future Frozen sequels.
  • Holmberg reacts to the rumors:
    • “She said, that’s BS, 59 million.” – [07:06, D]
    • The hosts poke fun at the supposed amounts and the economics behind animation voiceovers.

• Actual Numbers:

  • Bell denied the precise amount but confirmed it’s still a hefty payday.
  • “Yeah, there’s a lot of money coming in from those Frozens.” – [07:14, C]

2. Bruce Campbell’s Health News

• Cancer Diagnosis:
  • "Evil Dead" star Bruce Campbell revealed a treatable but not curable cancer diagnosis.
  • “He didn't say what type but he said it was treatable, not curable. But if you're looking to see him at any of the Comic Con, he's not doing it for a minute.” – [07:18, D]
  • The group reflects on Campbell’s age and enduring cool factor.

3. Paramount and Warner Discovery Megamerger

• Merger Rumors and Implications:

  • News drops that Paramount/Skydance is set to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, predicting a combined streaming powerhouse.
  • “They're all going to be one thing. Yeah, like $80.” – [08:32, C]
  • Despite claims that the services will keep their branding, the combined service would have over 200 million subscribers.
  • Holmberg acknowledges the merger as part of an ongoing trend of media consolidation.

• Streaming Fatigue & Absurd Costs:

  • Holmberg divulges his own out-of-control TV/streaming bill, which balloons to $780/month due to redundancy and “fear of missing out.”
    • “I have YouTube. I have DirectTV. I have about 18 to 20 apps… It's nuts.” – [09:04, C]
    • “I’m literally paying like $20 a month for one show per app.” – [09:19, C]
  • The group commiserates on the app overload and FOMO that comes with new hit shows emerging across platforms.

4. Bridgerton’s Struggle with Sex Lingo

• Euphemisms for "Orgasm":

  • Bridgerton’s writers struggled to find a historically accurate alternative, landing on “Pinnacle” instead.
  • “The big ragu.” – Holmberg’s joke suggestion – [05:27, C]
  • They share further comedic suggestions for period-appropriate or awkward euphemisms:
    • “A joy blast or a party favor. Chinese fireworks.” – [05:55, C]
    • “According to a sex historian, 'the crisis' would have been more accurate.” – [05:39, D]

• Biblical Euphemisms:

  • The group riffs on how the Bible handled intimacy:
    • “In the Bible, King David said to the guard, go have relations with the wife. He said, go get your feet wet.” – [06:07, D]
    • [They joke about ‘squirters’ and covering up affairs in the Old Testament.]

5. Other Quick Entertainment Headlines

• Diddy and Good Behavior:
  • “Diddy got a month and a half knocked off his four year sentence, sat through a little drug rehab deal…” – [07:49, D]
• Streaming Service Redundancy:
  • “After a while I’m like, this is multiple... And at two different places. Two different houses so I can share to a certain extent, but it's nuts.” – [09:36, C]
  • The struggle of “wanting to dump apps” but always getting reeled in by the latest recommendations.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"They're charging six or seven there, $7,000. Six, seven. Doesn't matter when you're up that high... And I’ve met him. What’s an extra G? John, you’ve met him. Not worth seven grand. They're just normal dudes. And you’re not gonna get like an invite."
– [01:19-01:39, C] on the price of Metallica meet-and-greets

"You can walk around with a limp. You can say, I got a trick knee. You can't have a trick eye. It just goes away... That’s creepy to, like, lose your eyesight."
– [04:44-04:55, C] on vision health

"The big ragu."
– [05:27, C], joking about alternative terms for “orgasm” in Bridgerton

"I’m literally paying like $20 a month for one show per app."
– [09:19, C], on the streaming service overload

"That’s the fear of missing something. And all I watch is sports and murder shows and, oh yeah, war now, I love that war."
– [10:04, C], on why it’s so hard to cut back on subscriptions

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Frozen pay revelations & Shrek payouts: 07:01–07:14
• Bruce Campbell cancer news: 07:18–07:37
• Paramount buying Warner Discovery, app overload: 08:22–10:14
• Bridgerton period euphemisms & biblical quirks: 05:16–06:42
• Diddy’s sentence reduction: 07:49–08:17

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Tone and Language

The show retains its sarcastic, light-hearted, and irreverent style while swapping real industry knowledge and relatable everyday frustrations. The hosts’ comedic timing and friendly ribbing make even eye health and biblical references land with humor.

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For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode packs in biting entertainment news, sharp-witted debates about money in Hollywood, the maddening realities of modern streaming TV, and plenty of moments that’ll leave you laughing and shaking your head at the absurdity of it all.

Skip the FOMO—Holmberg’s got you covered.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

Watcham Hberg's morning sickness. The old method of treatment for a person in this condition was to throw him in jail. All righty. There you go. Look at this. It's already 10 o'. Clock. And that means we've got a word for you for the 10 o' clock hour too. And that, my friends, would be frantic. Frantic is the word for 10 o' clock to get you up at Sphere in Vegas to see Metallica in October. What a show. Handing out those tickets will be exciting. And you've only got a couple more days because this contest ends, I believe, Friday. Is that right? I believe so. A week and a half. Make sure. March 6th. Yep, yep, Friday. So you only got a couple more days to get this in and then we're gonna draw us a winner. Send you guys off to lost wages, Nevada, put you up in a hotel, give you a couple hundred bucks for fuel, and you are there thousands and thousands of dollars of tickets. What was it, eight grand for a meet and greet? Yeah, something like seven. Seven, oh, seven. Ridiculous. To meet Metallica. They're charging six or seven there, $7,000. Six, seven. Doesn't matter when you're up that high. Yeah, yeah. I mean, and I've met him. What's an extra G? John, you've met him. Not worth seven grand. They're just normal dudes. And you're not gonna get like an invite.

[D]

Oh, that doesn't. Just a dinner with you and no.

[C]

Remember when I asked Gene Simmons?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

For $6,000, I get to hang out with you. Does that. Like, what if we hit it off, can we go to lunch? And how fast did he go? No, it was immediate. Nope. So we could never be. We're not gonna be friends after this? No. Okay.

[D]

You get a song out of the deal.

[C]

Well, you get a line. Or did you just say Christine 16 and then get out of here. And I mean it. Quickly. Get the out of my life. Can we go grab a sandwich? Maybe Jersey Mike's? No. Anyway, it's time for the entertainment drill. It's brought to you by our friends at the Schwartz Laser Eye Center. I got an email. Considering all I've gone through with my silly eye situation, a guy said this. This punches you in the nuts a little. Says, John. I heard about what you went through with your eye and your detached retina didn't detach, but it was awfully darn close. I was about an hour away from having that just naturally happen. Two tears, says even somebody who went through three eye surgeries myself. Your story made me cringe. But John, I'm writing you to know that I have a co worker who I deeply respect that just went through the exact same thing you went through in his left eye. But unfortunately not so lucky. Caught it late. Doctor just told him he's going to be blind in his eye and there's nothing they can do. That's how close I was. I. I don't know that I take it that seriously. Says the real kicker is that this happened to him simultaneously with your incident. Puts things into perspective. Thank you, Chancellor, for putting the word out as much as you can on this. I hope it saves someone else. That's all I care about is that I don't want people have to deal with what I had to deal with. There's no pain, there's no problems. And that's the scary part. You think you're fine, and it's not. You see those floaters? You see that stuff immediately. TeamIDoc.com head on over to the Schwarz Laser Eye center and take advantage of of that complimentary consultation. A lot of you just go over there for your vision issues and that's great. Are you a candidate for lasik? Are you thinking about maybe a lens replacement? You got something going on you're worried about? Just go get checked out and he might see a tiny tear and you're retina baby. One that could lead into the Crap that happened to me. And then unfortunately, to Carter's friends. So take it seriously. The eyes are different than bones and stuff. You can walk around with a limp. You can say, I got a trick knee. You can't have a trick eye. It just goes away. Boy sight. So to me, that is creepy to, like, lose your eyesight. Sean Rockefeller is one of. He used to see it, now he doesn't. That scares the hell out of me. So Dr. J. Schwartz is the place to go. Take it seriously. I certainly didn't as quickly as I should have. And evidently I'm wildly lucky. And that's a. I dodged a bullet there. I still got that bubble in my eye, too. And it's people like Dr. J. Schwartz that have all the great materials and all the great technology that can help you make sure that your peepers stay golden. Pony boy. That's all you got to do. Team IDOC.com the Suns and Diamondbacks. Trust them. You should, too. Jay Schwartz in the Schwartz Laser Eye Center.

[D]

Brady Entertainment Got a little follow up on Bridgerton. The new season.

[C]

Sure.

[D]

Showrunners struggle to find an alternative word for orgasm because they didn't think it sounded historically accurate.

[C]

The big ragu.

[D]

So it's not with. Nope. They didn't come up with a big ragu. They landed on Pinnacle.

[C]

Oh, that's nice. Why not Climax?

[D]

According to a sex historian, the crisis would have been more accurate. Why they use that term.

[C]

A woman said that?

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Which. Why would you call it the crisis?

[D]

Because there probably was religious guilt behind it or something.

[C]

No, a joy. A joy blast or a party favor. Chinese fireworks.

[D]

In the Bible, King David said to the guard, go have relations with the wife. He said, go get your feet wet.

[C]

Oh, right. She was a squirter. Was it King David's wife? That's he. The guard.

[D]

Well, he was trying to cover up the affair that he had. And he had the husband.

[C]

Oh.

[D]

And said, hey. Pulled him off the front lines and said, invite him to dinner and go. Go home, take a break from war and get your feet wet with your life. And he didn't.

[C]

Oh,

[D]

that's the truth. Had to come out. I don't know if you remember this, but it was about a year ago. Kristen Bell. There was rumors that she and Josh Gad Both got paid 60 million for the upcoming Frozen movies. What, like two more?

[C]

Oh, there's two of them. Okay. Still? Well, no. I mean, they were getting 25 a piece for the Shrek.

[D]

She said, that's BS59 million.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

It wasn't that much. But she wouldn't say it's a lot.

[C]

Yeah, there's a lot of money coming in from those Frozens.

[D]

Evil Dead star Bruce Campbell just shared yesterday. He has cancer and he didn't say what type but he said it was treatable, not curable. But if you're looking to see him at any of the Comic Con, he's

[C]

not doing it for a minute.

[D]

He's stopped or canceled all appearances this summer.

[C]

Yeah, he's a cool dude, but he's up there, right? He's got to be pushing mid-70s, early-70s. How old is Bruce Campbell? Find that outcome.

[D]

Yeah, he's got to be 70. Diddy got a month and a half. He got a month and a half knocked off his four year sentence, sat through a little drug rehab deal and they.

[C]

Oh, some good behavior. Yeah, you took a little class like a timeshare thing and then drug abuse rehab program.

[D]

But he's trying to get the more reduced too.

[C]

Well, sure.

[D]

Taking it the corner court.

[C]

Everyone in jail is doing that.

[D]

It looks like Paramount Skydance is going to buy Warner Brothers Discovery. Paramount plus and HBO Max will merge.

[C]

They're all going to be one thing. Yeah, like $80.

[D]

Paramount says they'll continue to operate independently. That move will give them more than 200 million directions. Consumer subscribers.

[C]

Did I tell you what my bill is for TV?

[D]

You said 190 for YouTube.

[C]

Well, I know it's $800 a month. Whoa, that's a little heavy. $780 a month for. Because I have YouTube. I have Direct TV. I have about 18 to 20 apps and they're all averaging about 15 or 16. That's got real DirecTV. No, I just, I did it well because Channel 3 is in a fight with YouTube and that's never going to change. And I want to watch Suns games. And so I got, I said screw it. And then remember the when ESPN fought with UT YouTube and I didn't know they were going to clear that up so fast. So I just got the stream direct and so I've got that and it's, you know, that's dumb. But I started to look and I'm like, how is this better? It's not. And I want to dump half of those apps because I'm paying, I'm literally paying like 20 bucks a month for one show per app. Yeah, I'm not watching a bunch of stuff. And Netflix is on like. And they're not expensive individually. After a while I'm like, this is multiple. And at two different places. Two different houses so I can share to a certain extent, but it's nuts. And sure, I could peel back and then Brady will come on. Go. You seen that new thing on Hulu? It's awesome. I could just dump to the. I'll go. I'll go get it tomorrow. Yeah, so you can't. That's the fear of missing something. And all I watch is sports and murder shows and, oh, yeah, war now, I love that war.

[D]

And you don't need those.

[C]

That's a great show. All the war shows. So good. So good. All right, that's it. Larry's coming up next. Frantic is the 10 o' clock word for your Metallica contest. All you live listeners having a good time with that? Frantic is the one to go with the 10. Larry will have another one every hour on the hour. He's better at the time than I am, but he'll take care of you, get you through the rest of the day. You guys have yourselves a great Tuesday and we'll see you tomorrow right here. The morning Sickness. Hello. Until later.

[D]

Bye. It's not weird. It's pretty cool, actually. No membership fees. I have heard enough of this.

[C]

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