Holmberg's Morning Sickness – September 3, 2025

Episode Overview
This episode of “Holmberg’s Morning Sickness” on 98KUPD is packed with the show’s trademark rambunctious humor and topical banter. John Holmberg and co-hosts Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo riff their way through a medley of absurd local news, pop culture tidbits, and hot-button social debates, including language statistics, internet scams, food brand drama, and an extended (and typically irreverent) take on the comedian Druski’s recent viral “white face” bit. Expect rapid-fire jokes, outrageous analogies, and the crew’s signature lack of filter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cheesy Food Debrief and Rarebits [09:15]

• National Days: Brady opens up with a mention of US Bowling League Day and National Welsh Rarebit Day.
• What is “Rarebit?”: Confusion erupts over what Welsh Rarebit is, with John commenting:

  “Is this real rabbit? It tastes like bread. What’s wrong with you? It’s just bread, you dumb bastard.” [09:44]

• Fun Facts: Booy Poon lists quirky facts, like Doc Martens’ origin and the six countries with the most English speakers, notably with England only at 7th place after the US, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

2. Druski's 'White Face' and Social Double Standards [11:46]

• The Bit: Discussion focuses on Druski, a Black comedian who recently did a video in “white face” at a NASCAR event.
• John’s Take: While acknowledging emailers upset about a perceived double standard, John calls for folks to relax:

  “The guy made a joke... Most white people are like, okay, we won’t do the blackface thing, even though we’ve all probably been in a room where somebody’s doing it or we’ve done it ourselves.” [11:46]

  • John praises the makeup but feels the bit didn’t land comedically.
• Social Commentary:

  “Not everything is an attack... Just act like it’s no big deal—and then all it starts to become no big deal.” [14:23]
  “That's exactly what Drewski did. He was trying to rile up the rednecks, to make them get mad. If we went in blackface... It was smart. That's why the jokes weren't there.” [16:04]

• Recurring Satirical Point: Repeatedly telling people not to get worked up on social issues, likening Druski’s bit to Trump’s political maneuvers just to prompt a reaction.

3. Gen Z and the “Career Lilypad” [16:49]

• Corporate Shifts: The show discusses how Gen Z is rejecting the old “corporate ladder” in favor of a “lily pad” approach—jumping between roles for opportunities.

  “A path where we can jump to whatever opportunity fits best at the moment. In the long run, that kind of flexibility is more sustainable.” – Booy Poon reading survey [16:49]

• Attitude Change:

  “Nobody wants to play the long game.” – John [17:55]

• Workplace Loyalty: John points out, “No corporate office is loyal to you... There’s no reason for you to sit and think that anyone in your office is on your side. They’re on their side.” [18:07]

4. Kraft–Heinz “Food Divorce” [19:07]

• Major Split: Discussion on the breakup of Kraft and Heinz—a food industry power couple since 2015.
• Who Gets the Kids?: Banter about which brand gets custody of which products, especially the naming of macaroni and cheese:

  John: “If they want the Mac and cheese, they're certainly not going to keep giving Kraft credit for it.” [22:51]
  Booy: “If that brand that you bought is making money, why would you change the name...?” [23:37]

  • Extended, circular debate about corporate naming rights.
• Local Pittsburgh Angle: John, as a Steelers fan, expresses surprise at never knowing about the corporate merging behind Heinz Field.

5. Bizarre Crime Reports & Local Oddities [24:50]

• Online Romance Scams: Tales of elderly Japanese women falling for “astronaut” romance scams—sending money for oxygen on spaceships.

  John: “Never give money to anyone you’ve never met.” [25:58]

• Used Shoe Sale Turned Assault: Booy Poon reports on a Florida man who, denied the chance to sniff a woman’s feet while buying her used shoes, resorts to theft and vehicular assault.
• Arizona Car Wash Flasher: Local story of a man “offering” to show his genitalia to women vacuuming their cars.

  “Excuse me, miss, can I interest you in this?” [28:31]

  • Extended banter about the “best places” to expose oneself, with bus stops and car washes debated for their comedic opportunity.

  John: “The third worst thing that's happening at a bus stop is the guy’s dick’s out because there’s like heroin use... Lady's just worried about her Valtrex. Nobody cares about your penis there. Car wash, you’re running. Some classy people there trying to keep their lives clean.” [36:36]

6. Classic HMS: Gross-Out Videos & Absurdity [29:37+]

• Graphic Video Commentary: From vet table mishaps to absurd adult videos, including a play-by-play of a particularly nasty “tampon popsicle” bit.

  John: “He pulls out a rogue tampon. And then he starts to use it like it’s a sugar free popsicle. I’ll end there. Ugh, that was rough.” [32:59]

• Signature Outlandishness: Banter full of jaw-dropping gross-out humor, running gags about the news, and relentless riffing on anything and everything.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Strawberries and Homeless Noses:

  “Bite into this, and it was a homeless man's nose and you bit it and then all the blackheads shot out... that's the exact same feeling as the strawberry.” – John [05:24]

• On Political Branding:

  “We need funny names here. Arizona’s got lame politicians. Doocy was the closest thing we had to something.” – John [07:08]

• On Druski and Outrage Culture:

  “The more we see this, the more relaxed everybody’s... Be smart about this and don’t get upset about something that if it was in reverse, it would go the other way.” – John [13:53 – 14:23]

• On Gen Z Career Attitudes:

  “Gen Zers aren’t less ambitious. They’re just channeling their ambition differently.” – Booy Poon [17:58]

• On Kraft-Heinz Divorce:

  “I never knew Kraft and Heinz were together. So Heinz is going out for a pack of smokes.” – John [19:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [09:15] – Fun facts and rare food items
• [11:46] – Druski “white face” and double standards in comedy
• [16:49] – Gen Z’s “career lily pad” approach
• [19:07] – Kraft–Heinz divorce, brand custody debate
• [24:50] – Romance scams, scam stories from Japan
• [27:16] – Used shoe transaction gone wrong
• [28:31] – Arizona car wash flasher report
• [29:37+] – Outlandish gross-out video segment, including signature HMS banter
• [35:02] – “Best” places to expose yourself: bus stops vs. car washes

Tone and Language

• Provocative and Irreverent: True to tradition, segments are unsparing, often crass, and unapologetic in their lampooning of authority, societal norms, or bodily functions.
• Riffing, Scattershot Humor: Frequent use of banter, callbacks, and intentionally over-the-top analogies (eg., strawberries as homeless noses).
• Topical, Self-aware Social Commentary: Skeptical of outrage culture, the hosts skewer both sides while making fun of their own inability to keep “panties from getting in a bunch.”

Final Thoughts

This HMS episode is a rollicking tour of the day’s weirdest stories and social flashpoints, laced with the hosts’ signature blend of sarcasm, brutal honesty, and “anything goes” humor. The conversation moves fluidly from pop trivia to philosophical takes on corporate and cultural trends, always underpinned by the show’s Arizonan flavor and rough-and-ready energy. If you missed it, this summary gives you the gist—and then some—without skirting the colorful details that make Holmberg’s Morning Sickness what it is.