Holmberg’s Morning Sickness - Arizona’s #1 Morning Radio Show

Episode: 09-10-25 – FULL SHOW – WEDNESDAY
Date: September 10, 2025
Host: John Holmberg
Co-hosts: Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Broadcast on: 98KUPD, Hubbard Radio, Arizona

Episode Overview

Theme:
A trademark irreverent, freewheeling episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness, blending caustic humor, local banter, unfiltered pop culture analysis, and semi-serious social commentary. Today, the boys traverse topics from pig kidneys and food safety to infamous conspiracy theories, Magic Johnson’s HIV, sleazy self-promotion in radio, the devaluation of electric cars, and a viral murder on public transport. All delivered with signature Arizona sarcasm, personal stories, and listener interaction.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Show Open & Pig Kidney Banter

• [01:40 – 03:35]
  Offbeat humor around Brady’s ongoing kidney discussion and the prospect of receiving a pig kidney transplant.
  • Quote:
    • “Gotta get that pig kidney. That’s the only thing I’ll accept at this point, Brett.” — Holmberg [01:40]
    • “If you do this, Brady, I will front the money to re-Porkopolis and run it as Pigman Bogan. I believe in pig meat so much, I put some in my body.” — Brett [02:13]

2. Ratings, Radio Industry & Authenticity

• [03:35 – 05:22]
  Chatter about recent ratings, radio management's self-delusion, and the show’s continued dominance.
  • Quote:
    • “Rumors of the demise of this show, which are greatly exaggerated by our own executives, would go FL into the ether, Brady, as we continue to dominate.” — Brett [02:50]
    • “It’s funny to watch executives lie to themselves about stuff. I love it.” — Brett [02:59]

3. Charlie Sheen Documentary, Sex & HIV

• [03:55 – 11:47]
  Hot takes on the newly released Charlie Sheen doc, his public celibacy, and a segue into a deep-dive theory about Magic Johnson’s HIV announcement in the 90s.
  • Quote:
    • “Eight years sober and celibate.... because he’s got HIV. That’s not his choice.” — Brett [04:13]
    • “My OJ [Magic] theory... he was misdiagnosed and they made him the face of AIDS. You don’t cure yourself from that stuff.” — Brett [09:06]
    • ”If you remember, in 1991... HIV was a death sentence. Magic got fatter. No one with HIV in 1991 gained weight. Magic ends up 300 pounds.” — Brett [11:27]

4. Societal Shifts: AIDS, Porn, & Sex Culture

• [13:54 – 22:48]
  Wide-ranging, humorous, and sometimes crass takes on how society’s fear of AIDS evaporated, the evolution of sex in the 90s and beyond, and the normalization of once-taboo topics in media and porn.
  • Quotes:
    • “Now, you see a condom, you just think... AIDS. And now I can’t get hard.” — Norm MacDonald (quoted by Brett) [19:40]
    • “They don’t wear condoms [in porn] and they do horrible stuff to each other.” — Brett [20:02]

5. STDs & Personal Anecdotes

• [22:48 – 27:26]
  The team dives into honest, awkward, and occasionally graphic conversations about dating, STD disclosures, uncomfortable hotel-room confessions, and the real fear behind STD transmission: the conversation.
  • Quote:
    • “The only reason people are afraid of STDs is the phone call or the talk.” — Brett [26:27]
    • Brett needles Brady over a long-ago date who disclosed her diagnosis only after flying in for a tryst.

6. Throwback Toys & Collectibles: Stompers

• [27:01 – 29:36]
  Nostalgia over childhood toys (Stompers) leads to jokes about collectible values and misleading toy commercials.

7. Food Safety, Trash Dodges & Neighborhood Watch

• [50:56 – 56:36]
  Stories of neighborly weirdness: a listener emails about a neighbor who keeps swapping out trash bins, sparking paranoia about being framed for murder.
  • Quote:
    • “If a neighbor’s swapping trash bins... tell the cops. He might be dumping something on you.” — Brett [51:07]

8. Tesla, Crime, and Murder in Pop Culture

• [57:06 – 70:11]
  National news: discussion of rapper D4VD (pronounced “David”) found linked to a dismembered body in his Tesla. The hosts joke at length about his suspicious lack of concern, how the car’s data could implicate him, and oddities of modern life.
  • Memorable Moment:
    • The team improvises fake R&B songs about murder (“Romantic Homicide,” “She’s Fallen to Pieces”) [61:27+]
    • “If you have a body in the trunk, you’re guilty. There isn’t a normal human being who keeps going about their day.” — Brett [59:00]

9. Electric Cars, Resale & Manliness

• [65:26 – 69:41]
  Roasting the depreciation of electric vehicles, manliness of driving Teslas, and absurdity of using a cybertruck for anything but kid’s play.

10. Social Commentary: Viral Murder, Media, and Politics

• [82:26 – 94:32]
  Breaking down the viral video of a Ukrainian woman murdered on public transport in the US. The show denounces the politicization of tragedy and media’s love of salacious coverage.
  • Quote:
    • “Murder is always bad. When did we lose that plot?” — John [84:07]
    • “People didn’t help because last time someone did [Daniel Penny on the subway], they ruined that guy’s life.” — Brett [88:32]

11. Fun Facts, News Flashes & Weird Science

• [94:32 – 113:02]
  Brady’s “Brady Report” segment: stats about TV dinners, soccer field size, food allergies, Cracker Barrel’s décor controversy, Girl Scout cookies, and Hawaiian shirt factoids. Tangents galore.

12. Rock Wars: Coffee Shop Lines Playlists

• [153:09 – 160:37]
  Theme: “What song would you play while stuck in a soul-crushing coffee line when baristas force conversation?”
  • Picks:
    • John: “One Step Closer” – Linkin Park
    • Brett: “I F***ing Hate You” – Godsmack
    • Brady: “Duality” – Slipknot
  • Memorable quote:
    • “How’s your day? None of your goddamn business!” — Brett (as himself in the drive-thru) [149:08, 150:22]

13. Old Phoenix TV Nostalgia

• [130:36 – 136:47]
  Stroll down memory lane with local weatherman legends Dewey Hopper and Stu Tracy, including rumors, inside jokes, and 1980s channel politics.

14. End of the World, Pumpkin Spice, and Fools

• [138:20 – 147:46]
  Fall always brings "end of days" religious predictions, usually coinciding with pumpkin spice’s return.
  • Quote:
    • “Every September we get inundated with pumpkin flavored things and then some pastor comes out and says Jesus will be back…” — Brett [139:19]

Notable Quotes & Moments by Timestamp

• Pig Kidney and Show Banner:

  • “Gotta get that pig kidney. That’s the only thing I’ll accept at this point, Brett.” — Holmberg [01:40]
  • “I believe in pig meat so much, I put some in my body.” — Brett [02:13]

• Radio Biz and Self-Promotion:

  • “It’s funny to watch executives lie to themselves about stuff. I love it.” — Brett [02:59]

• Magic Johnson HIV Theory:

  • “You don’t cure yourself from that stuff. When he did it early 90s, HIV was a death sentence for everyone.” — Brett [09:06]
  • “Magic got fatter. No one with HIV in 1991 gained weight.” [11:27]
  • “He was made the face of AIDS, and it was too late to admit it was wrong.” [13:37]

• STDs: The Real Fear:

  • “The only reason people are afraid of STDs is the phone call or the talk.” — Brett [26:27]

• Vehicle/Trash Can Crime Theories:

  • “If a neighbor’s swapping trash bins… tell the cops. He might be dumping something on you.” — Brett [51:07]

• Murder in the Tesla:

  • “If there’s a body in the trunk, you’re guilty. Sorry.” — Brett [59:00]

• Public Transport Murder & Media:

  • “Murder is always bad. When did we lose that plot?” — John [84:07]
  • “People didn’t help because last time someone did, they ruined that guy’s life.” — Brett, on the Daniel Penny case [88:32]

• Barista Small Talk Bit:

  • “How’s your day? None of your goddamn business!” — Brett [149:08; 150:22]

Popular Culture, Satire, & Local Flavor

• Ongoing ribbing of Arizona’s radio ratings, management foibles, and searingly honest critiques of local media.
• Gross-out and “bro” humor about sex, toilets, food safety, and childhood toys.
• Real Arizona issues: trash pickup etiquette, neighbor feuds, and the reality of living in Phoenix.
• Willingness to take on viral internet news and deconstruct media narratives with biting skepticism.

Tone & Approach

Unapologetically raw, sarcastic, sometimes graphic, and consistently self-aware—a tone that mixes mock-outrage, relentless ball-busting, and a deep affection for real talk. The team refuses to treat sacred cows gently (magic Johnson, Charlie Sheen, rednecks at Cracker Barrel, or their own radio bosses), and always ties lengthy tangents back to the self-deprecating running gags and local color listeners have come to expect.

Listening Guide: Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:40] – Pig kidney running gag
• [09:06] – Magic Johnson HIV/AIDS theory
• [19:40] – AIDS, condoms, and changing sex culture, Norm MacDonald bit
• [22:48] – STD confessions, Brady’s awkward date
• [29:36] – Nostalgia toys: Stompers
• [51:02] – Trash bin switching neighbor
• [57:06–70:11] – D4VD Tesla murder case dissection, AI cars, manliness
• [82:26] – Stabbing on public transport & news commentary
• [153:09–160:37] – Rock Wars: Coffee line songs
• [130:36] – Phoenix weatherman nostalgia: Dewey Hopper, Stu Tracy
• [138:20] – Pumpkin Spice & “end of world” predictions

For New Listeners

If you’re unfamiliar with Holmberg’s Morning Sickness, expect rough language, candid social commentary, absurd tangents, and a show as likely to reference Magic Johnson as local Arizona trash pickup protocol. It’s a blend of locker room podcast and morning drive chaos—best enjoyed if you can take a joke, appreciate razor-sharp wit, and have a high tolerance for off-color asides.

Skipped:
All ads, intros, and outros are excluded from this summary. Content included is all show substance—calls, discussions, listener emails, banter, and stories.