Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Hans Kim In Studio
Podcast: Holmberg’s Morning Sickness – Arizona (98KUPD | Hubbard Radio)
Episode: 10-31-25 – Hans Kim – Desert Ridge Improv – In Studio
Air Date: October 31, 2025
Episode Overview
Comedian Hans Kim joins John Holmberg and the Morning Sickness crew in the studio ahead of his Desert Ridge Improv shows in Phoenix. The episode delivers a freewheeling, irreverently funny conversation covering Hans’s journey in stand-up comedy, life in Austin, the quirks of Halloween, drug use, growing up in a strict Korean Christian home, and even bizarre hygiene mishaps. The tone is playful, a little off-color, and relentlessly candid, with Holmberg and Hans riffing on each other’s stories.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Hans Kim’s Comedy and Texas Move
- Austin as Comedy Central
- Hans now lives in Austin, noting the mass migration of comedians there.
- “All of comedy has moved to Texas.” – Host (02:28)
- Hans admits he initially resisted the move: “I refused to move to Texas. Why would you move there? You’re gonna get shot.” (02:36)
- Despite his concerns, he now enjoys Texas – sort of secretly.
- Hans now lives in Austin, noting the mass migration of comedians there.
- Impact on Local Scenes
- Discussion on how media attention can ‘ruin’ the coolness of cities like Austin and Phoenix by attracting outsiders (02:53-03:16).
2. Hans’s Background and Early Influences
- Seattle Upbringing
- Hans is from Seattle; his Mariners baseball fandom is revealed to be shallow as he admits to only paying attention when they’re good (04:10-04:19).
- Asian Representation in Comedy
- Reflects on being among few Asian comics, naming influences like Bobby Lee and Margaret Cho.
- “Before I told [my parents] I was into comedy, I was heavily into marijuana use…" (06:24)
- Margaret Cho recognized as an early, important artistic figure for Koreans in comedy (05:14).
- Reflects on being among few Asian comics, naming influences like Bobby Lee and Margaret Cho.
3. Drug Use: Tales and Perceptions
- Weed and Mushrooms
- Hans is open about his marijuana use; says he appreciates the ability to change his brain’s mood:
- "What I like about drugs is that if my brain is in a certain mode… I can just change it." (08:40)
- Host shares his own disastrous experience with marijuana, leading to paranoia and confusion:
- “The minute I knew I was high, it felt like my thumb switched hands.” (07:20)
- Hans suggests, “I don’t want to smoke around you.” (08:02)
- Hans is open about his marijuana use; says he appreciates the ability to change his brain’s mood:
- Psychedelics and Curiosity
- Brief discussion on ayahuasca and mushrooms; Hans says he would try ayahuasca (08:17).
- Cast jokes about how drugs have become popular in the comedy scene (08:30).
4. Relationships and Technology (AI Partners)
- Hans’s Girlfriend
- Hans has a girlfriend who enjoys cruises and is currently at Disneyland; the hosts playfully tease him about dating an “80-year-old woman” and joke about whether she is real or “online-only” (09:57-10:12).
- Rise of AI Companions
- Playful speculation about AI girlfriends and sex dolls, with Hans admitting he’s “not even a Fleshlight owner” and wouldn't be “an early adopter” (10:53).
5. Adult Humor: Sex, Hygiene, and Oddities
- Horror Stories
- A riff on the importance of self-cleaning AI dolls leads to Hans offering the episode’s most unforgettable line:
- “There’s nothing worse than banging your doll and then taking it out back with a garden hose.” – Host (11:09)
- A riff on the importance of self-cleaning AI dolls leads to Hans offering the episode’s most unforgettable line:
- Hygiene Confessional
- Hans reveals a story about post-sex hygiene confusion, which quickly devolves into signature Morning Sickness banter:
- “I had a little thing on there and I wiped it off and it popped.” (14:27)
- “It was just, like, unhygienic… I got in the bathtub… just a little fermentation.” (14:50, 15:13)
- Both parties make quips on male insecurities and shame around sexual hygiene.
- Hans reveals a story about post-sex hygiene confusion, which quickly devolves into signature Morning Sickness banter:
6. Halloween: Culture Clash and Strict Childhoods
- Hans’s Halloween Memories
- Growing up in a conservative Korean Christian home, Halloween was seen as "Devil's Day," and even Harry Potter was forbidden:
- “We grew up super Christian… We thought Halloween was like, you… don’t practice Devil’s Day.” (16:30-16:37)
- “Harry Potter was out.” (16:40-16:45)
- Church ran its own “Halloween alternative” events — including a strange game involving blindfolded kids crawling around a maze (17:22-18:27).
- Growing up in a conservative Korean Christian home, Halloween was seen as "Devil's Day," and even Harry Potter was forbidden:
7. Korean Identity and Visiting Korea
- Identity Shifts
- Jokes about “not even Korean anymore… transitioned to Chinese” (19:23-19:26).
- Explains most outside Korea don’t specify North/South; North Koreans hide it if they emigrate (19:47).
- Returning to Korea
- Hans has visited 14 times, loves Seoul (“…it’s like someone actually built the streets on purpose. It’s functional.” 20:17)
- Notes the rarity of homelessness (“There’s like, seven.” 20:32).
8. Hypothetical: Fixing the World
- Hans’s solution: “I would…make everyone smoke weed.” (21:17)
- With a nod to crop-dusting planes, not “just walking around a mall and knocking kids down” (21:32–21:38).
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On moving to Austin:
- “I refused to move to Texas. I just was like, why would you move there? You’re gonna get shot.” – Hans Kim (02:36)
- On being an Asian comedian:
- “I mean, there’s not a lot of us. It’s just Bobby Lee and Bowen Yang.” – Hans Kim (05:06)
- On marijuana:
- “What I like about drugs is that…if my brain is in a certain mode and a mood, I can just change it.” – Hans Kim (08:40)
- “I don’t want to smoke around you.” – Hans Kim to Host (08:02)
- On relationships and cruises:
- “You’re dating an 80-year-old woman. Congratulations.” – Host (09:50)
- On hygiene mishaps:
- “I had a little thing on there and I wiped it off and it popped.” – Hans Kim (14:27)
- On Halloween growing up:
- “We grew up super Christian…we thought Halloween was like, you…don’t practice Devil’s Day.” – Hans Kim (16:30)
- On North vs South Korea:
- “If you are North Korean, you hide it.” – Hans Kim (19:47)
- If Hans fixed the world:
- “I would…make everyone smoke weed.” – Hans Kim (21:17)
Key Timestamps
- 02:26 – Hans discusses moving to Austin, Texas, and the changing comedy landscape.
- 05:06 – Discussion about being Asian in American stand-up.
- 06:24–08:57 – Delving into drugs: marijuana, mushrooms, and their impact on mood.
- 09:26 – Hans opens up about his girlfriend, leading to jokes about cruises and AI relationships.
- 10:53–11:50 – Hilarious debate on the practicality and hygiene of future AI dolls.
- 14:27–15:38 – Hans’s candid, awkward story about sexual hygiene and fermentation.
- 16:30–18:50 – Hans’s Halloween as a child, forbidden fun, and unique church substitutes.
- 19:21–20:17 – Korean identity, family history, and trips back to Seoul.
- 21:17–21:52 – Hans’s comedic “fix” for the world: weed and crop-dusting.
Tone & Final Remarks
The episode is both irreverent and surprisingly earnest, with Hans Kim blending deadpan quips and self-deprecation with candid insights on Asian identity, religion, and life as a modern comedian. It’s fast-paced, explicit, and full of side-splitting one-liners, matching the energy and absurdity that defines Holmberg’s Morning Sickness.
If you’re looking for comedy club stories, culture clash confessions, and off-the-cuff banter—plus maybe a hygiene horror story you can never unhear—this is an episode not to miss.