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John Holmberg
You're listening to the HMS Podcast, brought to you by MMP Guns.com, your most trusted online marketplace for firearms, ammunition and accessories.
Larry McFeely
Hey, it's Larry McFeely here with my friend Wayne from AMCO. Let's talk about back to school TLC for your car.
Wayne from AMCO
Larry, the last thing anyone needs right now is to start the school year with car troubles.
Larry McFeely
Yeah, makes sense. What should people do?
Wayne from AMCO
Head to your closest amco. We specialize in back to school auto repairs for the busy school season. Plus we have a back to school discount for students and teachers.
Larry McFeely
Yeah, but do you need to make an appointment?
Wayne from AMCO
Not at all. Just pop into your nearest AMCO or book online.
Larry McFeely
Now that's convenient. Google AMCO for your nearest location. That's Amco Double A, MCO transmissions and.
Brett
A whole lot more.
Wayne from AMCO
And remember, AMCO proudly supports Operation Hydration.
John Holmberg
Hey, Byron, I was looking@mmpguns.com's website. You have everything, and the prices are incredible.
Byron
Yes, sir. Mmpguns.com has over 400,000 products for sale daily. Everything from firearms, ammunition, accessories, optics, clothing, decoys and more. The best part is if you see it on our website, it's in stock and ready to ship.
John Holmberg
Wait, there's no backorders?
Byron
Nope. We work with all our distributors, so what you see on our site is what's actually available. We ship all over the country, so we're not. Not just for Arizonans anymore. If the firearm you want is legal in your state, we can get it to a dealer for you to pick up.
John Holmberg
Sounds simple. That's why I always go to mmpguns.com.
Byron
Shane Gillis live on stage.
Brett
My mom asked me. She's like, when did we stop being best friends?
Byron
His biggest tour ever is coming to Phoenix.
Brett
You remember that when you were a little boy and you, like, you loved your mom and you thought she was the cool. You remember when you were gay? Every little boy is just their mom's gay best friend. There's literally zero difference.
Byron
See Shane Gillis with his unmistakable comedic style live at PHX Arena, Friday, December 5th. Get tickets now@ticketmaster.com.
Brett
Do not listen to this while driving or when full alertness is needed. The best of H's morning sickness. This is the big red radio. It's frustrating. And also, I saw an article about this, and this is. I'm glad this law is not around anymore. Did you know that there used to be. And we. You know, a law used to be that if you were too ugly, they could kick you out of places that was a law in America, the ugly law. That's a real thing. And it said it was a centuries old ugly law. Banned people with visible disabilities, diseases and. And unsavory looks from public spaces, revealing society's harsh standards of beauties and the impact on those who didn't meet them. So if the person claimed ugly business. Ah, ugly, get out. Like I would be. I would never be in a restaurant.
John Holmberg
And damaged a radio.
Brett
Radio wasn't even invented yet. I'd have just had to. And neither was doordash. I'd have had to do takeout constantly in like a mask. It was called the rise of pretty privilege. They would say only pretty people or people that were acceptably visibly acceptable could come in. And it got to the point where they're like, we gotta pass a law. These ugly people are throwing a fit. So you call the cops on somebody for being ugly. And the cops said, all right, let's get out here, you bastard. And then old Irish cops would come and wrestle you out of the restaurant. That's enough of you. I'll go. I'd hit you in the face, wouldn't do any harm, might make you look better. So it was justified. The law was this public health measure. Because they used to think that if you had something, you know, if you had a little bit of a look, you could. You were contagious.
Brady
Yeah.
Brett
And I just in case. And they weren't wrong. Like back then they didn't know. They didn't know about medical anything. They didn't know about germs until like the 1800s.
Brady
A couple of plagues will keep you a little.
Brett
Well, yeah, that was the 60s, this is the 1900s. Right.
Brady
But you're learning from, you're looking around.
Brett
Like, yeah, the birth rate's pretty low. There's a lot of ugly weirdos. They're filthy. There weren't soaps. Women's hygiene wasn't invented till the mid-30s. Like they just stuffed socks and potato sacks in there to stop the bleeding. So ugly people wandering around like, I don't want any of that. And I don't know what's next. So just in case, keep them away. Only good looking people allowed in here. Because at least if I catch what they've got, I won't look bad.
Brady
If you had money, that kind of.
Brett
Went away too, some of it. But that would have been more of a. Then you have to dress it up.
Brady
Those areas, you know, the elite were trying to keep the elite in there.
Brett
It got to the point where you could drive down the road and have somebody outside, I guess, walk down the road or whatever. You're on a horse or whatever, you point over and you're like that guy right there. Call somebody and get him off. Hey, you, sir.
Brady
Me?
Brett
Yes, you. Get indoors immediately. Why? You're breaking the ugly law. Mr. Holmberg, I see you found daylight again. Please remove yourself from our vision. You are unsightly and loathsome. I know. I just wanted something to eat. Not in the daytime. Sir. You've forgotten your sack. No, I have it here. No, the one on your head. You're on your way to dinner and you want to visit your beloved or have composed in your mind the last stanza of a new poem that has given you such trouble. It is not agreeable at that time to be confronted by a loathsome vision. That's the law. You've written poetry for another beautiful person. The last thing you want to do, see something ugly upon the way of drop off. This cost a lot of people their ability to earn a living. Disabled street vendors, panhandlers and performers were forced out of work. I'm not against that. Panhandlers forced out of work. That's not work. Now they weren't allowed to enjoy public spaces. In the mid-1910s, a 35 year old Cleveland man with clubbed hands and feet had to quit his job selling newspapers because people didn't want to. He needed to be inside and they struggled to support himself afterwards. And his family, which was owned a drugstore, they said you can permit to sell stuff from the front of the shop unless somebody says something and then everybody complains. So they just put him in the back. He wasn't allowed in the front.
John Holmberg
Like sloth from Goonies chain him up in the basement.
Brett
FDR even was like considered in the 30s. Like he would have fallen because he was in that wheelchair. Which is why they always stood him up. Yep, he couldn't stand up. He had miserable problems.
Brady
Brutal.
Brett
And they just, they'd prop him up, make him stand up and like wobble him up to stand. How about that? 1936, a Chicago police officer attempted to arrest a guy named Ben Lewis, who was an amputee. They kicked his good leg out from under him and at that point people attacked the cops because they're like, you can't just start kicking amputees legs up from him. Ugly laws themselves are no longer in effect. The last recorded arrest. Take a guess. Due to the ugly law on the books. 1964, 64, 22, 22, 57, 74. Well, there's only two. 1974 in Nebraska. Legacy continues to influence attitudes, people's feelings about ugly man. I would have lasted five minutes back then. A. I got no skills. I would have had to be a waiter. Maybe I'd have worked in some sort of a slaughterhouse. And then at night slunk home to my cruddy apartment in my hay bed. Yeah, like Quasimodo. So very ugly.
Brady
Sorry.
Brett
You've been to the slaughterhouse, have you not, Hoenberg? Yes. The sun sets at 8pm you have to sit inside the slaughterhouse till the sun is set. So keep working until the sun goes down. No one can see your face in the day. The Elephant man lost that dude. I am not an animal. He had, or I'd have just joined the circus as Nose Boy.
Unknown Male Guest
Aw, think of the money you'd have made.
Brett
Look. Behold. He can smell you. It's Nose Boy. I'm all right. They reveal me. The ladies scre. What can he smell? You're menstruating.
Unknown Male Guest
He's a heretic.
Brett
He burned the Nose Boy.
Brady
Headlines would be Noseboy Engaged Bearded woman.
Brett
Right? Well, I'd have banged a bearded lady, that's for sure. Any port in the storm, right? I don't think I'd want to bang if I had a time machine. I'd go back. The last thing I want to do is have sex with those people. They were filthy taking. Well, that's what I'm saying.
Unknown Male Guest
Take off nine layers of clothes.
Brett
No feminine hygiene till the 1930s. That's something. God knows what they were putting in, clogging that thing up with clay and mud. I don't know.
Unknown Male Guest
We've done this before, but let's go down that road again.
Brett
It's the 30s. This guy says, sure, John, your mouth says charity, but your nose says many, many, many. Like Mr. Krabs. Hey, his name is Israel Montenegro. Look what it did to Brett. Got the word Negro in his name and Brett can't. You're an idiot, Matthia. Come on. Him? Really? She says the same thing every day. Well, then what is she, really? She's. Who's your boy? Mauricio. So what's your husband do? Ah, he's the third wheel on some redneck morning stones for slow people. Oh, that's great. He's the laugh track. He's the. He's the. He's the third guy on a. You know, it's for rubes in a small. It's just. It's for idiots. He's like third dong. You're not even like best man. You're just one of the groomsmen, for God's sakes. What is she doing?
John Holmberg
I don't question it.
Brett
You should. If you cared about her, you should. Nope. This is selfish on your part. Nope. You should be looking at her going, what are you doing? Let's get you out of here. You should be wingmanning for her and take her to.
John Holmberg
If Mauricio shows up.
Brett
I'm.
John Holmberg
Yeah, absolutely.
Brett
Because you were getting some of that. Yeah, damn right. You take her to a decent restaurant up there in Paradise Valley or North Scottsdale, and you. You parade her around. I don't want anybody.
John Holmberg
She may pull a Megan and go.
Brett
I know. And that's disappointing. That is true. I wish she'd have left me that day so badly. How much dough I'd be rolling in that dead Maurizio. What a dream. What a dream. We can all fantasize, right? Brady's awfully quiet. Shh.
John Holmberg
He's thinking the same thing.
Brett
What in the world?
Brady
They're trying to keep the illusion alive.
Brett
Why in the world would Ronnie know not want to be with me? I don't get it.
Brady
Don't wake her up.
Brett
I can tell you 30 reasons without even thinking. Once you get me thinking, it'll jump up to like 3000 reasons. 30 top of my head reasons.
John Holmberg
Hey, Byron. I heard you have something new to announce from MMP Guns, Brett.
Byron
I sure do. It's M and P Guns. Customs M and P Guns is creating some amazing firearms. We offer polishing, plating, bluing, custom laser engraving, laser stippling, Cerak and performance upgrades. We do everything in house with our master trained craftsmen. You can select our designs or make up your own.
John Holmberg
Well, can you do this to my gun?
Byron
We can do it to nearly any firearm. Doesn't matter where you live. You can ship it to us or. We already have completed firearms in inventory daily with no wait.
John Holmberg
Well, there you have it. MMP Guns on the northeast corner of 12th street and Indian School or online at mmpgunscustoms.com It's John Holmberg here from.
Brett
The Morning Sickness for lifechangerloan.com A guy I know is going through a divorce, which stinks for him. He's trying to figure out how much it's going to take to pay off the future ex wife. You got bills you want to consolidate, you got some stuff you want to take care of, go ahead and do it. Or if you're just really good with money and you want to get out of that mortgage as fast as possible, life changer Loan is the way to do it. Average Customer saves about 250,000 in interest. House is paid off in about five years. Life changer loan. It's not magic, it's just math. Lifechangerloan.com It's John Holmberg here for turfmonstersaz.com if that yard of yours doesn't look great all of the time, if it is work all of the time, it does not have to be. Turf monsters can come to your house and make your yard a beautiful showcase place for you, your family, your pets. Yeah, it's pet friendly as well. Anything you can dream up in that backyard, they can do. Tell them Holmberg sent you. Get 10% off turf monsters. Az.com Holmberg's morning sickness. And it would mostly be. It would mostly sound like I'm just enacting the ugly law. Then we get into personality. Oh, forget it. We haven't gotten to the finance part yet. Which is just. I don't know. Even a woman in a wheelchair willing to touch it can get a 90 year old dude to hand over some of it.
Unknown Male Guest
74. Was it Rocky Dennis? Wasn't that based on a true story?
Brett
Rocky Dennis, Yeah. Mask. He wasn't arrested for being ugly. He was just really ugly.
John Holmberg
I mean, he should have been, but he wasn't.
Brady
Was he in Nebraska?
Brett
He was in the Midwest. He was tooling around on that motorcycle gang. I can't imagine what I'd have done had Rocky Dennis entered my life in person for real, in Tony Roma's or something. I would have. I'd have made a noise. That face, that movie. What if he's got a great personality? I ain't learning that. Cause I'm running away from that peanut head. The only thing I would do is put a monocle in one eye and a top hat on him and make him do a peanuts commercial. That head of him was massive. And then you started to feel for him in the movie. But it would have been tough to have been friends with Rocky Dennis just off, you know, maybe if I met him on He Got a Girl, man. Laura Dern. She was blind. Remember when she had to feel his giant foot face? She's her. Even her eyes were like, whoa, what is going on here? Touch my face. Yeah, I am. When does it end? And whatever he had is cured. I haven't seen another one of him. There's no two Rocky Dennis'. There'd have been another movie.
Brady
They keep him back in the warehouse. The Ugly Law.
Brett
Still the ugly law.
Brady
That's why you don't see him.
Brett
I think he was a one off. There's no possible way. Yeah. What did he have? I don't even know. Rocky Dennis disease. If they didn't name admit that, they're idiots.
Brady
Giantism of the face.
Brett
It's just his head, Just his skull. The rest of them was totally normal. Yeah. They grew up in a small town. That's a good thing. He's had that one friend that was, like, cool with it. I'd have been all right until, like, high school. You're kind of killing the vibe here. Dennis, he had the one friend that was cool. I guess he did what?
John Holmberg
He had the one friend that was cool.
Brett
Yeah, the one guy, I think, oh, he knew his mom. And then they got figured, you know, and Cher.
John Holmberg
He'd be up in there afterwards.
Brett
His mom was Cher. So you're like, wow, your mom's really hot and sort of slutty. Hangs out in a biker gang. She's getting tossed around. No wonder you're all scrambled up. Probably got dented by a bunch of biker dorks while you were in there. Did they discover that? Is that what it's called? Biker dick to the head disease?
Unknown Male Guest
I think so.
Brett
It's the dick zygote problem. That probably was it. They don't talk about that much in the movie. That Rocky Dennis mom was just getting railed on the reg by the Hell's Angels. Anyway, if you haven't seen it yet, the movie's called Mask, and it's fantastic. But Rocky Dennis is. He wouldn't have made it through that ugly. Well, what do you got on the big board of musical treats? You got a picture?
John Holmberg
I'm not even gonna try to pronounce.
Brett
What he had there. Jesus. That's the real one. It's not even as bad as the movie. Or it is.
Unknown Male Guest
What's worse, it's pretty accurate, though, for what they built in the movie.
Brett
The best they could do with Eric Stoltz. Cranio dies. Where is it? Yeah, Cranio. Diaphyseal dysplasia. Very rare. He's the only one who had it. Really? Truly is kind of the only one who had it. I know Brady's had a couple of those videos that he chases around on YouTube where people are, oh, Kenny Loggins. Yeah, he's got a couple like that. They might have it, kid.
Brady
The head is gigantic.
Brett
Yikes. I wouldn't make it through that ugly. Me and Rocky Dennis would have been pretty much the same. I think I'd have been as a kid. They'd have been like, oh, he's adorable. I'd have been allowed everywhere. And then somewhere around age 14 or 15, it would have been like, you're not allowed in the drugstore anymore. And then after that, it would have been restaurants and groceries. I would have been. I would have probably invented doordash just to eat horse dash. I'd have been eating rats and slaughtering pets.
John Holmberg
They don't show what his mom really looked like.
Brett
The real one. Yeah.
Brady
He had two sisters, too.
Brett
Well, because they never got a picture of her with her face facing the camera. She was always looking away or in a pillow.
John Holmberg
At least the back of her head.
Brett
You could have got. Can we get a picture of Rocky's mom's back of her head? There's a bunch of bikers who can describe it to a te. I never really got a look at her face, I have to be honest. But from behind. Is that her?
John Holmberg
I think this is her.
Brett
She doesn't look anything like Cher. Yeah.
Unknown Male Guest
About you, what you'd expect 70s mama.
Brett
Yeah. Oh, my God. Now we know how you catch that disease. Rock from that to this. Well, you were. And Sam Elliott was the. Let me tell you this. There was some Hell's Angels wieners pounding into that. Oh, man. Developing baby. Planned Parenthood does less damage with their pokes. There she is. That's good stuff. Oh, here you go. There's the comparison. Yeah, she kept it together in that one. Yeah, that's back in the day. You know who I'm feeling sorry for is the. I don't know if you guys looked this up. This is how shallow I am. I saw the thing. It said, those two astronauts that aren't allowed to come home for, like, another year.
Brady
Yeah.
Brett
They were just a man and a woman.
Unknown Male Guest
Starliner fell out of the sky or something.
Brett
Something broke. And they're like, we gotta stay for a year. We're camping now. And they're just floating around. So I'm like, well, what's she look like? Oh, this poor bastard. They sent him up there with a. It can't be trapped in space and ever find this person attractive. It's gonna be just.
Brady
Maybe that decision will kick in or something. Space goggles.
Brett
That's what I'm wondering, Is it after a while.
Unknown Male Guest
Oh, the space deliriums.
Brett
Yeah. Oh, look at her. I got the space crazies, and you're looking pretty good. Hey, I got the space crazies right now. You're looking pretty good to me. Yeah. And he's all right, but she. She looks like Deep Roy. Oh, my God, man.
Brady
Wow.
Brett
And you're trapped in space for a.
John Holmberg
Year, and he's on. He's on the CB all the time.
Brett
Get me out of here. Hurry up. Jesus Christ. We can't fire up a shuttle. No, it's gonna take at least a year. God damn it.
Unknown Male Guest
Somebody call Musk.
Brett
Guys, I'm getting the space crazies, and I'm thinking about banging Deep Roy. We've got to get a shuttle up there before he does that.
John Holmberg
Send the space D up there.
Brett
I don't know.
Brady
You want to light some candles?
Brett
Maybe you and I could. I got the space crazies.
Brady
He could be fine at night.
Brett
It's always night.
Brady
Turn the lights off in the capsule.
Brett
Camping in space. And you were trapped with her. Look, there she is, upside down with a. Because it's inevitable you get trapped. You know, if you got trapped in an elevator with somebody for two days, you might have sex with Skeletor, that thing. And as a man, that's all I thought. Well, all right. Trapped in space with a woman for a year. What's this look like? Oh, that poor bastard.
Brady
Good Halloween costume. Ghost space couple.
Brett
Well, yeah, I guess if you have Deep Roy as a friend, you're gonna.
John Holmberg
Set me up with this.
Brett
Hold on. Wait a minute. You know, he asked too. It's like, all right, what happens if something goes wrong and I'm trapped with her up there? It's like, could I get a. Do I have any other astronaut astro ladies? What do we call those astro women?
Brady
Can't she ride out on a broom?
Brett
Astronaut. A man? Is the whole. Is the space thing shaped like a broom? It's mean.
Brady
I've seen Princess Leia.
Brett
She did it. None of those space people were that bad. Hey, you get trapped up there with Princess Leia, it's like I broke something on purpose. Uh oh. Looks like we're gonna be up here for a while. Let me light some space candles.
Unknown Male Guest
You guys talk good games, but you know what Brett experiences that you never will.
Brett
Jon. What?
Unknown Male Guest
When a bill comes, he'll look at his lady Madea and say, hand her the bill and says she pays for it with her own money.
John Holmberg
God damn right.
Unknown Male Guest
You do that with Megan. What about you, boss man?
Brett
Does Ronnie ever. The generator Money Toledo. I won't even mention he's not wrong. Let's get an earner.
Brady
The main reason.
Brett
That's the only reason. He's been fighting for years to work. And then he's right. Brett's just dead. Beaten enough to hand bills over to Mathia and go. You know the deal. That's pretty impressive. You're welcome. You you're half of the electrics do.
John Holmberg
Oh what a dream. Pretty amazing.
Brett
That is pretty awesome. Hey, it's not weird. It's pretty cool actually. No membership fee. I have heard enough of this.
John Holmberg
We're here with Byron from MMP Guns. Byron, why should someone choose to go to MMP Guns?
Byron
The choice is simple, Brett. MMP Guns is your one stop shop for all your shooting needs. We offer Arizona's largest selection handguns, rifles, shotguns, new and pre owned. We also have a large selection of ammunition, accessories and even training. In fact, right now all pre owned firearms are 20% off. All new firearms are 10% off. We have ammo, 9 millimeter hollow points for only $12.99 a box and much more.
John Holmberg
Well, it sounds like M and P Guns is committed to providing the customers with the best possible service and selection.
Byron
That's a fact. You can visit us at the store at the northeast corner of 12th Street Indian School or online at M&P guns.com.
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Brett
Thanks.
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Episode Title: "There Used To Be An Ugly Law Where Ugly People Weren't Allowed In Public Places BO"
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Main Theme:
The episode dives into the bizarre and now-defunct “ugly laws” that prohibited people deemed "unsightly" from public spaces in the US, exploring their historical context and how concepts of beauty, privilege, and exclusion persist in society. The hosts discuss the cruelty and absurdity of the laws, riff on the social dynamics of attractiveness, and riff humorously and irreverently on historical and pop culture references.
Timestamp: 01:43–06:00
Brett brings up an old US law that banned “ugly” people – those with visible disabilities or diseases – from public places, supposedly for public health.
Both Brett and Brady point out that ignorance about medical science at the time contributed to such laws.
Timestamp: 04:03–07:20
The hosts parody what enforcement might have sounded like, with Irish cops shooing people away for being ugly, and how people would have to live secluded lives.
These laws impacted livelihoods, targeting especially disabled street vendors and performers, forcing marginalized people into isolation and poverty.
John quips about being like Sloth from Goonies, chained in a basement, while FDR’s presidency is discussed in this light (his visible disability would have made him a target).
Timestamp: 06:16–07:20
Timestamp: 12:58–15:57
The hosts compare the ugly law’s impact to the life of Rocky Dennis (subject of the film Mask), joking about how even someone like Rocky could have been targeted.
They joke about how rare Rocky Dennis’s condition was, riffing on doomsday scenarios for people with unique conditions.
Timestamp: 18:08–20:53
Timestamp: 20:57–21:39
On the cruelty of beauty standards:
On historical ignorance:
On enforcement absurdity:
On how even historical figures might have suffered:
On the human impact of the law:
On Rocky Dennis and Mask:
On being stranded with someone unattractive:
The hosts blend shock, humor, and irreverence to address serious historical prejudice while exposing its absurdity and lingering effects today. Jokes about pop culture, relationships, and modern equivalents keep the discussion light despite the topic’s dark past. The conversational, rapid-fire banter is full of satirical asides and over-the-top hypotheticals, characteristic of “Holmberg's Morning Sickness.”