Podcast Episode Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (11-19-25)

Main Theme:
This episode features the HMS crew (John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo) bantering about upcoming KUPD events including the Homeberg's After Dark show and the annual charity efforts for the Arizona Humane Society and Military Assistance Mission (MAM). They also discuss a surprising scientific study about Viagra potentially improving hearing, peppering the topic with trademark irreverent humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. KUPD Upcoming Events & Housekeeping

• Happy Endings Homeberg After Dark Show:

  • Third annual event, described as a “live show for an hour and a half,” followed by drinks with attendees.
  • Tickets: $20 (general), ~$30 (reserved); VIP sold out.
  • Proceeds go to the Arizona Humane Society.
  • Shout-out to sponsors: “Lerner and Row and my friend Dr. Fixler from Happy Endings Euthanasia.”
  • Notable Moment: “We all get drunk, we dick around, we have a live show for an hour and a half, and then we get the hell out of there and drink some more with you guys.” – John Holmberg (03:31)

• Update on the KUPD Golf Tournament:

  • Originally canceled due to legal/internal issues.
  • John expresses determination to bring it back, independently if necessary.
  • “We’re gonna have that golf tournament whether KUPD is involved or not, because the lawyers ruined everything.” – John (05:51)

• Military Assistance Mission (MAM) Holiday Giving:

  • Annual charity event enabling military parents to shop for holiday gifts for their children.
  • Donations can be made via Amazon Wishlist linked at 98kupd.com.
  • Emphasizes real needs within military families, particularly National Guard members.
  • “You are not… Especially the National Guard guys who get pulled away from a job…for whatever reason, they’re struggling. But they’re still troops. If we’re really going to support the troops, it’s more than just standing up at a baseball game and saying, ‘Hey, thanks.’ It’s about doing stuff like this.” – John (06:56–07:27)

2. Celebrity Banter: Joe Koy

• Holmberg reflects humorously on their history with comedian Joe Koy, noting his rise to stardom.
• Attempts to contact Koy but notes, “He changes his phone number, like, every year…I didn’t get a response…none of them are his numbers anymore. And that I’m happy for, too. He…got super duper famous…” (02:10–02:25)
• Jokes about inviting him back for HMS events.

3. Social & Cultural Commentary

• Discuss “Visit Rwanda” NBA sponsorships in the context of recent and ongoing genocides in the region.
• Analogy: “That would be like if Las Cruces was killing Mormons. And we’re like, why don’t you come on over here to Phoenix?” – John (08:26)
• Discuss cultural memory and how problematic ideologies linger after historical tragedies:
  • “You have to age those ideas out.” (09:27)
• Quips about people bringing problematic ideas when moving to new places:
  • “Keep your ideas there. The reason you left can’t come with you.” (09:39–09:49)

4. Science Segment: Viagra May Improve Hearing

• John introduces a research finding that Viagra might cure low-level deafness.
• “Viagra actually cures low level deafness.” – John (11:39)
• Jokes about hearing your own bodily reactions on Viagra.
• The crew riffs on the “hard of hearing” phrase: “If you’re hard of hearing, ha ha ha…You’re now hard on hearing.” – John & Brady (12:24)
• Speculation about how Viagra, originally for blood pressure, keeps finding new uses:
  • “How bad did they swing and miss on what they were working on with Viagra? Because wasn’t it a blood pressure pill? Yeah, they don’t even use it for that…Dude’s hard as a rock and he can hear.” (13:39)
• Classic irreverent banter, suggesting needing an “off switch” for hearing wives talk after Viagra:
  • “It doesn’t work for that though, right? Cause that’s also going to kill your boner.” – John & Brady (12:34)
  • “The thing that kills boners the most is woman talking.” – John (13:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [02:10] John: “He [Joe Koy] ended up banging Chelsea Handler for a little while and got super duper famous…he hosted the damn Golden Globes.”
• [05:51] John: “We’re gonna have that golf tournament whether KUPD is involved or not, because the lawyers ruined everything.”
• [06:56] John: “If we’re really going to support the troops, it’s more than just standing up at a baseball game and saying, ‘Hey, thanks.’ It’s about doing stuff like this.”
• [09:39] John: “Keep your ideas there. The reason you left can’t come with you.”
• [11:44] John: “Viagra actually cures low level deafness.”
• [12:25] Brady: “You’re now hard on hearing.”
• [13:55] John: “The thing that kills boners the most is woman talking.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:00] – [06:00]: Charity event details (Happy Endings After Dark, Humane Society, KUPD Golf Tournament)
• [06:36] – [07:55]: Overview of MAM Holiday Assistance for military families and logistics for donations
• [08:00] – [10:30]: Commentary on “Visit Rwanda”, regional conflicts, and analogies to U.S. social/geographic contexts
• [11:40] – [13:55]: Conversational riff on new research suggesting Viagra might improve hearing

Tone, Style & Final Thoughts

The episode blends humor, sarcasm, and genuine commitment to community causes. John and crew’s signature banter weaves through each topic, poking fun at themselves and the world, even as they spotlight important charity work. Scientific news—even when played for laughs—gets a conversational, relatable spin. The show successfully balances comic entertainment with real, local action.