Podcast Summary: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – August 22, 2025

Main Theme

In this episode, John Holmberg and the crew (Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Larry McFeely) tackle two major topics with their characteristic irreverent humor:

• The cultural phenomenon of "Shreking," a new dating term where attractive women date less-attractive men (as inspired by the Shrek movies).
• The sometimes over-the-top depiction of Arizona weather events in local news coverage.

The team also reflects on life milestones and the quirks of the news industry while engaging in lively banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Personal Touch: Life Events & Reflections

[02:13] – [04:21]

• The episode opens with personal updates: Dick Toledo is in Montana because of his mother’s passing, leading the group to reflect on aging, mortality, and appreciating life’s moments.
• Brady prepares for surgery. The mood is a mix of support, gallows humor, and camaraderie.

Notable Quote:

“To our guy, Toledo, we love you, buddy. … He’s got a mess up there. That’s no fun.” – John Holmberg [02:21]

Humorous Insight:
Holmberg jokes about planning “the eulogy show” just in case, keeping things light despite heavy news.

2. Paula’s Advice & Dr. Ruth: The Oldest Wisdom

[04:32] – [06:35]

• Holmberg shares advice from his 90-year-old friend Paula: “Just bone it out.”
• They riff on Dr. Ruth’s similar life advice and laugh about the enduring truth of physical intimacy as a solution to petty arguments.

Notable Quotes:

“She said we should have just, instead of arguing over dumb things, we should have just essentially boned it out.” – John Holmberg [05:01]
“Bone it out with Paula.” – Brady [05:47]

3. Shreking – The New Dating Term

[06:38] – [26:22]

• "Shreking" Defined: Women purposely date men they find less physically attractive, inspired by Fiona’s choice in "Shrek."
• The team unpacks the logic: attractive women may turn to "Shreking" after being mistreated by handsome men, whose abundance of options can coincide with risky behavior (e.g., higher STD rates).

Key Points:

• Shreking is not about a one-night stand, but about long-term relationships.
• Men’s egos may be bruised if they realize they were “Shreked.”
• Women have subtle ways of labeling men unattractive (e.g., calling someone “breathtaking” as an insult).

Memorable Exchanges & Quotes:

“Shreking is women who are very attractive basically saying, ‘I’m gonna test out the ugly guy. Cuz like Fiona did it in Shrek.’” – John Holmberg [06:51]

“Where I'm from, when we call someone breathtaking, it's usually someone's ugly.” – Recapped from listener’s text [10:13]

“The bad thing is I don't think a lot of guys' egos can handle a woman who Shreks them.” – John Holmberg [09:42]

• The double standard: It's more socially accepted for women to "Shrek" men than vice versa, and men are often told “you outkicked your coverage” if their partners are more attractive.

• Jokes about Partner Selection:

  • “Favorite position with most married women is doggy style. … You know why they don't have to look at you.” – John Holmberg [16:49]
  • "I’ve never slump busted. … Can you imagine? It’s disgusting." – John Holmberg [15:07]

• Cultural Touchstones: Reference to the Patrice O’Neal bit about women falling in love with a trait they want you to stop once you’re together. [18:24]

4. “Shreking” – Gender Dynamics and Relational Honesty

[23:04] – [26:22]

• Discussing the social acceptability of Shreking and the uncrossable lines for men.
• Satirical role reversal: How would a woman react if a man openly said, “I used to date great looking women, but now I date women like you.” (It wouldn’t fly!)

Notable Quote:

“Try it with them. Right on your date this weekend … just go, ‘I’ve wasted so much time dating all these beautiful women and so I started to date women that look like you. And I feel like it’s going better.’” – John Holmberg [25:52]

5. The Love of Arizona Weather and Local News Antics

[26:22] – [38:47]

• Holmberg skewers the local news’ obsession with monsoon storms, storm-chasing, and sensationalizing minor events (like downed trees).
• News stations “hunt” for rain, driving around just to find something dramatic; this is called out as both pointless and hilarious.

Notable Quotes:

“The invention in the last few years of them driving around looking for rain in the car is hilarious to me because when they find it, they flip out.” – John Holmberg [26:44] “If I look outside, I know whether it’s raining or not. … But I will watch Holly Bach drive around for a while.” – John Holmberg [33:02]

• The crew fantasizes about improving ratings by having attractive newswomen report storms in wet white T-shirts, mocking the superficiality of TV news.

“Put Holly Bach in a white shirt, no bra, and have her stand outside … I will watch this news for hours.” – John Holmberg [33:20]

6. Exaggerated Names & TV Reporter Personalities

[34:33] – [38:47]

• Teasing weatherman Jorge Torres’ on-air name delivery and the performative aspects of local TV news.
• Calls out "rolling R’s" and over-ethnicizing names, comparing to other cultures (Swedes, Germans, etc.) for comedic effect.

Notable Quotes:

“Jorge Torres. It will be 80 degrees in Flagstaff, 69 in Sholo. I’m Jorge Torres. Did he just bust more cheaps? Yes. Jorge Torres. More chips.” – John Holmberg [34:33] “If you’re Mexican and you’re rolling your R’s every time you talk to one of us, knock it off.” – John Holmberg [45:21]

7. News Anchors, Fashion Crimes, and Personal Gripes

[38:47] – [46:52]

• Digs at news personalities who wear fingerless driving gloves (specifically referencing Corey McCloskey and Scott Pasmore).
• Fashion and accessory choices as proxies for personality—mocking the superficial elements of the news industry.

Notable Quote:

“If you’re wearing [fingerless driving gloves] right now, knock it off. Unless you’re 80 and you’ve got the dumb little racing hat … then people think you’re adorable.” – John Holmberg [43:30]

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:13] Personal updates: Toledo’s loss, Brady’s surgery
• [04:32] Paula’s advice & “boning it out”/Dr. Ruth
• [06:38] "Shreking" concept introduced
• [09:42] Why Shreking can bruise men’s egos
• [14:29] Double standards: Men vs. women on dating “down”
• [23:04] The social acceptability of openly Shreking
• [26:22] Local news & weather obsession begins
• [34:33] Jorge Torres and performative weathermen
• [38:47] Fashion critiques of TV personalities

Memorable Quotes

• “Bone it out with Paula.” – Brady [05:47]
• "If the dude is an Ugo and she... it works in reverse as well, like the hot chick goes after the uggo and tries the Shrek." – Brett Vesely [14:37]
• "No, I hate this car. I absolutely hate it. I bought it because I want to just destroy my life." – John Holmberg [42:12]
• “If you’re again, and I think this is a PSA, if you’re Mexican and you’re rolling your Rs every time you talk to one of us, knock it off.” – John Holmberg [45:21]

Tone and Style

As always, the HMS crew is:

• Irreverent and quick-witted
• Unafraid to tackle taboo or awkward social topics
• Equal parts satirical and self-deprecating
• Fond of local color and lampooning regional quirks (especially the Arizona news cycle)

Conclusion – What Makes This Episode Stand Out

Listeners will walk away with both a hilarious and insightful look at new dating trends ("Shreking"), the realities of dating and ego, and a healthy dose of satire directed at the dramatics of local news and modern weather coverage. Offbeat personal stories and riffing on everyday absurdities keep things high-energy and entertaining for both loyal fans and new listeners.