Podcast Summary: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – Arizona

Episode: 08-22-25: “Will Toledo's Dad Come To His Mother's Funeral? Would We Go To An Ex's Funeral? John Questions Why In A World Where People Save And Store Everything That We Haven't Found The Holy Grail Yet”
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, (Dick Toledo absent)
Date: August 22, 2025

Overview

This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness blends dark humor, irreverent philosophical inquiry, and debates about human nature, memory, and faith. The core discussion centers on funerals—who attends, why, and the intent behind such rituals—using the recent passing of Dick Toledo’s mother as a springboard. The conversation then careens, in classic HMS fashion, to a sarcastic and critical debate about the lack of physical artifacts from biblical times, especially concerning Jesus and the supposed Holy Grail. Throughout, the hosts tackle tough, weird, and frequently hilarious questions about honesty in relationships, the value of mementos, and collective memory.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Funerals: Who Attends and Why?

• Toledo’s Absence & Family Dynamics

  • The hosts reflect on Dick Toledo’s absence due to his mother’s passing.
  • Speculation arises about whether Toledo's estranged father would attend the funeral.
    • “Do you not show up to a funeral of a woman you had a kid with?” (John, 04:15)
    • Consensus: If he hasn’t been present in decades, why start now?

• Would You Attend an Ex’s Funeral?

  • The crew ponders whether they’d attend the funeral of a first love, ex-wife, or even a high school coach.
    • “Would you go to your first true love’s funeral?” (John, 04:58)
    • General answer: Not unless it was convenient or they felt a profound connection.
    • Brady notes: he might stop by a visitation if already in town (05:41).

• Motivations & Social Dynamics

  • Funerals are described as more for the living than the dead.
  • Debate over whether going is respectful or just self-serving—especially if there was no meaningful relationship for years.

• Email from Toledo (06:13)

  • Toledo confirms: “Yeah, no funeral. She's getting cremated and didn't want a service. And yeah, the prick still doesn't talk about me with his family. So he ain't showing his face for my mom now.”

2. Mementos, Memory, and Attachment

• Physical Keepsakes as Markers of Meaning

  • Brady recounts attending a Toto, Men at Work, and Christopher Cross show with his daughter, keeping a signed poster as a memento (18:59–20:07).
    • “I thought it was kind of… She had pointed that out… to commemorate a special event she’ll have…” (Brady, 20:01)

• Why Are Some Artifacts Saved and Others Lost?

  • John pivots from modern day memento-collecting to question why, in all of history, humanity has no genuine physical relics from Jesus.
    • “How are we still having archaeologists try to find Jesus's wine glass… Why didn't anything mean anything to the people watching Jesus, enough to keep one effing artifact?” (John, 20:54–21:32)
  • Analogies to modern collecting—autograph tickets, memorabilia, gum from baseball games.

3. The Holy Grail & Skepticism Around Biblical Relics

• Archaeology, Relics, and Faith

  • The conversation crescendos into a sarcastic critique of the endless archaeological searches for holy relics.
    • “If we didn’t care enough to keep [Jesus’s stuff], quit looking for it.” (John, 32:05)
    • The group lampoons the idea that humanity, a "collecting species," would not keep even a fishing bone from a 'miracle'.

• Comparisons to Artifacts from Other Eras

  • Egyptian kings, Caesar, and even Rasputin are referenced as people whose relics and personal items survived across millennia.
    • “We've got records of Caesar and some of his things. That was before Jesus.” (John, 47:18)
  • Emphasized point: countless trivial items from history endure, but none ‘for sure’ from Jesus.

• Faith vs. Physical Evidence

  • The debate culminates in the acknowledgment that faith must fill the gap where evidence is lacking.
    • “That’s where you guys have to lean in on the faith thing and just run away from the argument. Faith doesn’t mean anything if I have faith that it’s not true and you have faith that it is true.” (John, 56:33)

4. Philosophical and Comedic Flourishes

• Nostalgia for objects (“autographed cigarette butts,” tickets, etc.)
• Jokes about “found jars” and would-be Jesus artifacts.
• Imaginative riffs: What if Jesus left behind ‘Air Hosannas’ (sandals) or wrote Airbnb-style thank-you notes?
• Satire on the meticulousness (or lack thereof) of biblical record keeping.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Funerals and Exes:

  • “Would you go to your first true love's funeral?”
    – John (05:02)
  • “If I was in town maybe, but I'm not gonna fly if…”
    – Brady (05:26)
  • “Toledo's going through it right now, and dad may or may not... got to brace yourself though... maybe he does sit there and go, I gotta make amends before he... Because he's close to the end.”
    – John (13:10)

• On Collecting and Memory:

  • “Brady took his daughter... to see Toto, Men at Work and Christopher Cross. She's 17 years old… and you left with an autograph poster. Why?”
    – John (19:23)
  • “You wanted to commemorate… a special event she’ll have…”
    – Brady (20:01)

• On Biblical Relics and Skepticism:

  • “Why didn't anyone pick up anything along the way?”
    – John (21:14)
  • “We have Kennedy's brain. We have Rasputin's dick. We have William Wallace's DNA just in case. We kept everything except him [Jesus]. It drives me bananas.”
    – John (38:00)
  • “If a dude shoots wine out, human minds save stuff. We're savers. Well, we're big time savers.”
    – John (40:54)

• On Faith vs. Evidence:

  • “I'm a believer. But it is tough when you don't have any evidence. That's right. That's where you guys have to lean in on the faith thing and just run away from the argument.”
    – Listener email read by John (56:33)

• Irreverent Comedy:

  • “He didn’t hand out his flow hose to somebody.”
    – Brett (32:50)
  • “He had his air hosannas.”
    – Brady (33:07)
  • “We still have Chris Kattan’s cigarette butt that he autographed.”
    – Brady (31:37)

Key Timestamps for Segments

• [03:41] – Sincerity vs. brutal honesty in relationships.
• [04:13 – 06:13] – Reflection on Toledo’s family, death, and who attends funerals.
• [08:24 – 09:48] – Funeral etiquette; when (if ever) it becomes about making oneself feel good.
• [18:59 – 20:18] – Brady’s story about the concert and why we keep memorabilia.
• [20:54 – 39:31] – Main riff: Why didn’t anyone save Jesus’s stuff? The quest for relics.
• [43:05 – 47:18] – Argument: Romans, Egyptians, and so many others left stuff behind—why not Jesus?
• [56:33 – End] – Philosophical wrap-up: Faith fills the void left by missing evidence.

Tone & Style

HMS delivers constant banter, biting sarcasm, and playful irreverence. The humor borders on dark, especially when riffing on sensitive life topics (death, faith, failed relationships), but always circles back to a blend of self-deprecation and thoughtful social critique. The conversational style is loose, fast, and often tangential, with abrupt shifts from silly to serious and back.

Takeaways

• Funerals are more about the living than the dead, with etiquette shaped by history and relationship complexity.
• People are natural collectors—so why are religious relics so sparse?
• Faith fills the void left by a lack of evidence, but even believers find the absence of artifacts frustrating.
• Humor and critical thinking can coexist, even on heavy topics like death and spirituality.

For those who missed the episode, this hour is classic HMS—whip-smart, brash, and full of unexpected connections between daily life and the big questions, all delivered with unapologetic Arizona flavor.