Holmberg's Morning Sickness – September 17, 2025

Episode Theme:
A satirical, freewheeling look at recent declines in Arizona organ donation rates, the absurd rise of news anchors as arena-filling celebrities (including Megyn Kelly’s hockey arena show), and memories of the hosts’ earliest concert experiences. The crew, led by John Holmberg, delivers irreverent takes on current events and cultural trends, laced with banter, mockery, and classic “guy talk” humor.

Main Topics & Discussion Points

1. Arizona’s Organ Donation Crisis (00:08 – 09:40)

• Falling Organ Donation Rates:
  John opens with news that thousands of Arizonans are withdrawing from the organ donor registry in recent weeks, prompting jabs that Brady’s public kidney issues might be scaring people off.
  • Quote:

    "I'm not saying it's your fault, Brady, but ... they've noticed a massive amount of Arizonans removing themselves from the organ donor list." – John (00:28)

• Conspiracy Fears:
  John blames online conspiracies and documentaries that claim doctors profit from prematurely harvesting organs.
  • Quote:

    "A conspiracy doesn't need facts, it just needs craziness." – John (01:39)

• Medical Tech Hype:
  Bret notes 3D-printed organs are on the horizon; John urges skepticism, comparing doctors' promises to car salesmen hyping future models.
  • Quote:

    "Don't get your hopes up for that, Brady." – John (02:22)

• Brady’s Health & Diet:
  The group teases Brady about his health, tracking his snack habits and his commitment since needing a kidney.
  • Quote:

    "You used to eat those terribly unhealthy dirt snacks that you thought were almonds." – John (04:54)

• Organ Donor Odds & Morbid Humor:
  They mash up dark humor about the odds of being an organ donor for Brady, with jokes about rooting for young, healthy coworkers to have accidents.
  • Quote:

    "Every time you check that box, an organ kneader starts to weep and pray for your death." – John (08:07)

  • Quote:

    "Brady’s rooting for Jessica to get into a terrible mangled metal crash ..." – John (09:05)

2. Megyn Kelly & the Celebrity News Tour Phenomenon (10:01 – 24:54)

• News Anchors as Arena Acts:
  The hosts ridicule the concept of Megyn Kelly (and others) selling out arena shows for live news presentations. John is astonished that straight news’ “celebrities” are now filling venues rivaling rock stars or comedians.
  • Quote:

    "We have made our news presenters super celebrities to where we'll pay money to whatever she's gonna ... I don't know what she does live." – John (11:11)

• Satirical Imaginations:
  They lampoon the notion of Tom Brokaw or Larry King doing arenas, reimagining them with pyrotechnics, musical guests, and stand-up bits.
  • Quote:

    "I'm kicking ass, taking names here at the Tom Brokaw Live show." – John (12:45)

  • (Multiple “rock concert” and parody scenarios continue up to 24:00)
• Ticket Prices & Absurdity:
  Stunned by ticket costs ($2,100+), the hosts question why anyone pays arena-level money for political opinions or news analysis.
  • Quote:

    "If $2,100 was the price to see Megyn Kelly live and she doesn't show me her tits in the middle of that show, I've been ripped off ..." – John (28:21)

• Merch & Crowd Banter:
  Imagined jokes about Megyn Kelly merch, crowd surfing, and Brokaw smashing things on stage spoof the event’s theatricality.
  • Quote:

    "Get your plastic off. You're about to get some melon squishins on your face." – John (24:20)

3. News, Pop Culture & Critique of Celebrity Worship (25:00 – 42:20)

• Ben & Jerry’s Corporate Saga:
  The show detours briefly as John notes one of the Ben & Jerry's founders quitting after their Unilever buyout, ridiculing ice cream politicization.
  • Quote:

    "Fat America can't ... like, we need better stars." – John (26:26)

• Critique of News-as-Entertainment:
  Holmberg rails against audiences elevating news personalities and politicians (left or right) to the level of rock stars, equating political rallies and live news podcasts with a dangerous celebrity culture.
  • Quote:

    "Live shows are for live entertainment. And I don't know that we've started to make news entertainment, and that's dangerous." – John (41:08)

• Past Attempts at News “Spectacle”:
  The group remembers “EVB Live,” Channel 12’s attempt at in-studio glass fishbowl-style news with a live audience, and John’s prank—appearing outside in a devil mask until they shut the curtains.
  • Quote:

    "Now that's fun news." – John (39:23)

• Live Podcasts vs. Concerts:
  John compares live podcasts (Kevin Smith, Adam Carolla) to proper shows, stating they fall flat without music or entertainment elements.

4. The Hosts' First (and Worst) Concert Experiences (29:44 – 33:49, 47:48 – 53:15)

• Nostalgic Roundtable:
  The crew recalls their earliest concerts—some respectable (Ice T, Emmylou Harris), others less so (Bread, attended by Brady and his uncle as kids).
  • Quote:

    "My first one was Emmylou Harris at the New Mexico State Fair ... it was terrible." – John (30:28) "Uncle Mike took two young boys to go see Bread. I wanna make it with you." – John (31:59)

• Running Jokes:
  John mercilessly teases Brady’s wholesome first show, joking about “Uncle Mike,” and likening going to see Bread to something creepier.
  • Quote:

    "Uncle Mike likes when little fellas up against him like that. Just sway with me." – John (32:29)

• Contrast to Megyn Kelly Live:
  They quip about the absurdity that some kid’s first “concert” experience will be a Megyn Kelly arena show, as opposed to a real band or performance.

5. Final Riffs: Sports, Fashion, and the Absurdity of It All (53:15 – 55:23)

• Arena Events vs. News Events:
  John answers a listener: he’d rather see the WNBA than Megyn Kelly live, since "at least it’s entertainment that makes sense in an arena."
  • Quote:

    "I don't like making news people super celebrities. WNBA is at least trying to put an entertainment package together ..." – John (54:22)

• Childhood in the ‘Old West’:
  John tells humorous stories about his dad’s obsession with Western tropes after moving the family to New Mexico, including dressing him in cowboy gear and awkward “assimilation.”
  • Quote:

    "I was homeless. Cowboy hat and Walter Payton sweater with boots on ... If it wasn't for my mom, I'd have had chaps on." – John (51:09)

• Music Picks:
  The show (as it does daily) closes with a run-down of hard rock tracks, this time featuring new Limp Bizkit.

Notable Quotes & Moments

all quoted with attribution and timestamps in MM:SS format

• "A conspiracy doesn't need facts, it just needs craziness." – John (01:39)
• "Every time you check that [donor] box, an organ kneader starts to weep and pray for your death." – John (08:07)
• "Brady’s rooting for Jessica to get into a terrible mangled metal crash ..." – John (09:05)
• "We have made our news presenters super celebrities…" – John (11:11)
• "I'm kicking ass, taking names here at the Tom Brokaw Live show." – John (12:45)
• "It’s nuts. You've all lost your minds." – John, on $2,100 Megyn Kelly tickets (24:56)
• "Fat America can't ... like, we need better stars." – John (26:26)
• "Live shows are for live entertainment...making news people superstars is dangerous." – John (41:08)
• "Uncle Mike took two young boys to go see Bread. I wanna make it with you." – John (31:59)
• "I was homeless. Cowboy hat and Walter Payton sweater with boots on ... If it wasn't for my mom, I'd have had chaps on." – John (51:09)

Timeline – Key Segments & Timestamps

• [00:08 – 09:40] – Organ donor news, Brady’s health, donor registry panic
• [09:41 – 24:54] – Satire on Megyn Kelly’s arena event and the culture of celebrity news
• [25:00 – 42:20] – Ben & Jerry’s, politics in food, and extended critique of news-as-entertainment
• [29:44 – 33:49 and 47:48 – 53:15] – The crew’s first concerts and wild family stories
• [54:22] – Arena entertainment vs. news shows
• [55:06 – End] – Music segment and close

Tone & Style

• Irreverent, satirical, and rapid-fire: Classic morning radio “guy talk” with biting humor, pop culture jabs, and playful insults among friends.
• Mock-serious social critique: Underneath all the banter, John repeatedly laments the ways culture glorifies inconsequential celebrities (especially news anchors), with tongue-in-cheek exasperation.

For Listeners Who Missed This Episode:

This episode stands out for its blend of biting humor and cultural observation, skewering both pop and political phenomena unique to modern America—from health conspiracies to the monetization of celebrity “news.” If you want comic relief about organ donors, trash TV, performative politics, or just some good-natured teasing about 1970s concerts, this is essential listening.