Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – November 18, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the HMS crew – John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and special guest Frank Caliendo – blend irreverent humor with personal stories as they promote Frank's upcoming New Year’s Eve standup show at the Tempe Improv. The gang also responds to a listener email about two siblings coming out at Thanksgiving, and debates the age-old question: Would you rather have a home-cooked meal or a BJ for Thanksgiving? Expect their trademark banter, playful ribbing, and a few classic one-liners covering family dynamics, awkward holiday confessions, and nostalgia for basement kitchens.

Key Discussion Points

1. Frank Caliendo’s New Year’s Eve at Tempe Improv (01:18–04:29)

• Frank is in-studio, joking with the hosts about upcoming comedy shows across town – including his own at Tempe Improv and other comedians’ sets.
• Frank gets (somewhat unwittingly) committed live on air to participate in Holmberg's Happy Endings event on December 12th. The group reminisces about previous "Happy Endings" shows, describing them as a blend of skits and comedy videos, jokingly dubbing it “Homberg After Dark.”
  • Notable Quote:
    • “Nice job, you got Frank committed on the show.” – John Holmberg (02:59)
    • “I wasn’t listening fully...You could have just said, ‘I got leukemia, I have to go to a party.’” – Frank Caliendo (01:53)

2. Awkward Family Announcements & Coming Out on Thanksgiving (05:40–14:09)

• An emailer shares that both his 14-year-old brother and 24-year-old sister plan to come out to the family at Thanksgiving – giving the hosts plenty to riff on regarding family dynamics and generational differences.
• Holmberg digs into the tradition of using Thanksgiving as the platform for big family reveals, both comedic and serious in tone. There’s discussion of generational reactions, specifically how “Grandpa” might respond versus modern parents.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “If you’re 14 and you know you’re gay, so does everyone else. You’ve been dressing like Wonder Woman for 10 years.” – John Holmberg (07:19)
    • “Can Grandpa still get mad at the announcement?” – Frank Caliendo (07:40)
    • “Is everybody here homo? Pass the goddamn green beans.” – John Holmberg (08:11)
• The hosts recall their own awkward or tension-filled Thanksgivings – from basement kitchens packed with smoking relatives to fistfights and stewing parental resentment.
  • Notable Moment:
    • The crew talks about “Italian homes in Chicago” with full kitchens in the basement, a cultural oddity they all remember fondly (11:43–13:14).

3. Family Fights and Thanksgiving Chaos (13:46–15:10)

• Holmberg shares a particularly tense Thanksgiving involving divorced parents, a “new mom,” and stray relatives crashing dinner, hilariously ending with his dad refusing leftovers his mom cooked.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “You can’t bring new mom [to Thanksgiving].” – Frank Caliendo (13:48)
    • “If we’re saying everything’s okay, we’re admitting it’s not.” – John Holmberg (14:00)
• The segment closes with jokes about family meltdowns and mishaps with the Thanksgiving turkey, including undercooked birds and burnt food.

4. Home-Cooked Meal vs. Thanksgiving BJ Debate (15:53–18:03)

• Holmberg launches the “eternal question”: Would the crew rather have a home-cooked Thanksgiving meal or a BJ? The hosts rib each other as they awkwardly answer.
  • Notable Quotes:
    • “She doesn’t home cooked meal or BJ – which was the last you had?” – John Holmberg (15:55)
    • “It’s my goal to make Frank uncomfortable with one thing and I do it every time.” – John Holmberg (16:11)
    • “You ever have one of those? A BJ over a meatloaf that you made. Double meat?” – John Holmberg to Frank Caliendo (16:33)
    • “I think you’re just saying that. The way your face was for home cooked meal looked pretty exciting.” – John Holmberg (17:35)
• The playful debate is intercut with jokes about getting “both” at once and a running gag about announcing one’s sexuality at the dinner table.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:18–04:29] – New Year’s Eve promotion, Frank confirmed for Happy Endings, “Homberg After Dark”
• [05:40–11:15] – Email about siblings coming out, Thanksgiving as a platform, generational responses
• [11:43–13:14] – Basement kitchen memories, Italian family traditions
• [13:46–15:10] – Holiday meltdowns: new stepmom, family fights, awkward leftovers
• [15:53–18:03] – The “home-cooked meal vs BJ” debate, Frank on the hot seat

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “You’ve been dressing like Wonder Woman every Halloween for ten years. We know it’s gonna be…”
  – John Holmberg, on knowing when a kid is gay ([07:19])
• “Can Grandpa still get mad at the announcement?”
  – Frank Caliendo, poking at generational divides ([07:40])
• “She doesn’t home cooked meal or BJ – which was the last you had?”
  – John Holmberg, turning up the discomfort ([15:55])
• “You ever have one of those? A BJ over a meatloaf that you made. Double meat?”
  – John Holmberg, riffing with Frank ([16:33])

Tone & Style

The episode is fast-paced, irreverent, and sarcastic—true to the HMS brand. The crew’s friendly teasing and personal stories make even awkward topics approachable and funny for their audience, while the candid, unfiltered language keeps the tone casual and relatable. Blurring sincere moments with humor, the show leans fully into the chaos of family holidays.

For listeners who missed this episode:
Expect candid stories, family dysfunction, and a heavy dose of HMS-style humor as the crew navigates everything from stand-up gigs to sibling revelations to the pleasures (and perils) of Thanksgiving tradition.