Holmberg's Morning Sickness - 09-17-25: “Brady Muddies The Stats In Circumcision Story – Cheating Scandal In World Rock Skipping Championships – Brady Loves His Defect Videos Too Much”

Date: September 17, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Main Theme: News breakdowns, comic riffs on social topics, and the show’s trademark fascination with odd and uncomfortable viral content

Episode Overview

This episode is a classic mix of irreverent local news, social commentary, and the cast’s love for bizarre viral videos. Major conversation threads included a heated and hilarious debate on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion), a confused but revealing deep dive into circumcision statistics, controversy at the World Rock Skipping Championships, and the team’s continued obsession with videos of physical defects and viral oddities.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Acknowledgments & Social Topics (01:22–07:01)

• National Days: Hosts lampoon “National Pet Bird Day” and “National DEI Day” with playful mockery.
• DEI Discussion: John launches into a surprisingly candid and conflicted debate about DEI hiring practices, questioning whether these policies may cause more harm than help by fostering skepticism about the qualifications of hires—and even inadvertently encouraging bigotry.
  • John (03:11): “I think it’s backfired on everybody… if you see somebody in a prominent position… you wonder, is that a real hire? Is that mentally handicapped person the best CEO we could find?”
  • Brett: Points out that DEI was meant to break down barriers for qualified individuals who weren’t given a fair shot, but acknowledges that “sometimes it happens, but you cloud it up.” (04:35)
• Personal Anxieties: The hosts reveal personal anxieties and paranoia that would come with being hired for anything other than merit, poking fun at themselves and the wider system.
• Chris Rock Reference: John references a Chris Rock bit to highlight how forced inclusion can feel hollow: “It’s what Chris Rock used to say about minimum wage… if they could pay you less, they would.” (06:01)
• Tone: Blunt, skeptical, and self-deprecating, often veering into intentionally provocative territory.

2. Fun Facts & Odd News (07:01–09:06)

• Godzilla Trivia: Only building never destroyed is the Imperial Palace out of respect—leading to riffs on Hollywood and Japanese sensibilities.
• WWF Panda Logo: Chosen for being easy to print in black & white (08:05).
• Name-Letter Donation Fact: People more likely to donate to hurricane relief if the hurricane shares their name's first letter (08:17).
• Tiny Alaska Town: Diomede, Alaska, just 2.5 miles from Russia. The cast jokes this could be a new “border crossing route.” (08:37–09:06)

3. Circumcision Statistics Debate (09:06–13:04)

• Declining Rates: Brady muddles his way through circumcision stats—rates fell from 54% in 2012 to 49% in 2022, with wealthier/privately insured families seeing the biggest recent drops and white families seeing the sharpest decline.
• Brett tries to clarify: “More people are saying skipping the circumcision. That rate’s gone up.” (09:47)
• Comedic confusion: Brady gets increasingly lost in the numbers: “Read that again. …Higher rates but more declines?” (09:58)
• John: “We need an Asian, there’s a lot of math.” (10:54)
• Medical Background: World Health Organization and CDC had recommended circumcision to prevent disease, but trends are reversing.
• Ralphie May Reference: John notes Ralphie May refused circumcision for his son, believing it reduces sexual sensation: “That’s some good fathering right there… I want my boy to have good spurts.” (12:29–12:33)
• Comedic Self-Reflection: The segment is meta-commentary on their inability to clearly deliver straightforward news, becoming a running joke.

4. World Rock Skipping Cheating Scandal (13:22–15:41)

• Cheating Accusations: Some teams in Scotland disqualified for filing down stones to make them perfectly circular.
• Brett: “Stones must come from naturally occurring island slate, and fit through the ‘Ring of Truth.’” (13:44)
• Glacial Pace: Hosts roast Brady’s storytelling: “Land the plane. Just crash the plane, for God’s sake.” (14:25)
• Winner: American skips stone 580 feet.
• Self-Deprecation: “That story made more sense than just circumcisions down a little bit” (14:34).

5. Fast Food & Miscellaneous Stories (15:41–16:09)

• Wendy’s lettuce switch: Swapping from whole romaine to shredded iceberg on burgers. “I love that you still do these, even though you can’t have it” (15:58).
• Mockery: Team teases that Brady now brings “salad stories” to the show.

6. Viral Videos Segment: Arrests, Accidents, & Defects (16:09–31:01)

Arrest Video (16:09–19:35)

• Story: Woman in Tampa arrested for DUI after driving wrong way, tries to blame her (nonexistent) husband.
  • Cop video banter: “We could see you coming.” (16:39)
  • Holmberg riff: “The reason you’re going the wrong way … is because you’re a woman. Your husband is nowhere near this.” (16:40)
• Brady on being a cop: Hilariously asserts he’d be a terrible, corrupt cop: “Show me your cans and you’re out of this DUI.” (19:32)

“Brady’s Defect Videos” & Dark Humor (19:43–30:52)

• Brady’s Algorithm: The team mocks Brady’s Instagram obsession with birth defects and medical oddities.
  • Holmberg: “Brady loves deformed people. He’s like Mother Teresa without any of the help.” (20:40)
  • Show-and-tell: Describes videos featuring people with severe physical abnormalities, including a hair-flying circus accident, “skeleton boy” (severe malformation), and more.
  • Brutal banter: “Look at this catastrophe of birth defect.” (22:15) “Brady loves the—if you’ve got a deformed relative, send photos to bbogany@kupd.com” (31:14)
  • Undertone: The team walks the line between tasteless dark humor and genuine fascination with the absurd.
• Other viral content:
  • Bungee accident: Unsuccessful military-style training ends with a man face-planting. (26:11)
  • Crackhead video: Off-air, a video of a homeless man performing sexual acts on another in public, played for shock and anti-drug education: “That video should be played in high schools everywhere.” (28:13)
  • Woman smashing beer cans with her breast: Team laughs and marvels at the physics. (28:32)
  • Obese woman smothering a man: “Where do you find a thong that fits that? I guess they’re all thongs.” (29:02)
  • Man self-penetrating: “He has slinkied his own wiener up the downstairs.” (30:05)
  • Summary: The videos are appalling, hilarious, and often designed to provoke maximum discomfort, with dark humor bordering on offensiveness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I think it’s backfired on everybody… makes you wonder when you see somebody in a prominent position… was this a real hire?” – John (03:11)
• “It’s what Chris Rock used to say about minimum wage. If they could pay you less, they would.” – John (06:01)
• “We need an Asian. There’s a lot of math.” – John (10:54)
• “Less than half… people are getting cut. You’re cut. I’m cut. Everybody…” – Brady (11:31)
• “Show me your cans and you’re out of this DUI.” – John (19:32)
• “Brady loves deformed people. He’s like Mother Teresa without any of the help.” – John (20:40)
• “Look at this catastrophe of birth defect.” – Brady (22:15)
• “That video should be played in high schools everywhere. Do not do crack.” – Guest 1 (28:13)
• “He has slinkied his own wiener up the downstairs.” – Brady (30:05)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• DEI Rant & Social Commentary: 01:22–07:01
• Fun Facts Segment: 07:01–09:06
• Circumcision News & Confusion: 09:06–13:04
• World Rock Skipping Cheating Scandal: 13:22–15:41
• Wendy’s Lettuce Switch: 15:41–16:09
• DUI & Cop Video Banter: 16:09–19:35
• Brady’s Defect Videos & Viral Oddities: 19:43–31:01
• Outrageous Viral Videos: 26:11–30:52

Tone and Takeaway

Holmberg’s Morning Sickness displays its trademark blend of shock humor, aggressive riffing, and side conversations. The crew dives enthusiastically into uncomfortable territory—be it DEI policy, medical statistics, or viral trainwreck videos—balancing genuine commentary and satire. If you like your morning news with a heavy dose of irreverent banter, the team delivers in spades, especially in their “Brady videos” segment.

For listeners new and old: You’ll find candid talk, crude comedy, and no sacred cows—a formula that cements HMS as Arizona radio’s brashest, most outrageous show.