Episode Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – 11-20-25 FULL SHOW (Thursday, 98 KUPD Arizona)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness, hosted by John Holmberg with Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Byron, Dick Toledo, and Dale Hellestray, delivers comedic, sometimes irreverent takes on everything from traffic woes and holiday toys to celebrity scandals and the dynamics of marriage and friendship. The show blends local flavor, news, cultural commentary, and morning banter, culminating in a featured phone interview with standup comedian Joe Koy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weather and Arizona Mornings

• Rain, Traffic & "Stay Home" Advice
  Rain and traffic jams dominate the intro, with John lamenting how even a hint of bad weather paralyzes Phoenix drivers.
  • [03:36] John: “You’ve got an hour at home to pretend you’re stuck in that. Don’t go out in it. Wait until it’s done… Call your boss, go I’m trapped in this tunnel thing…”
• Seasonal Sickness
  Jokes fly about how cold and flu season is a convenient excuse to stay in bed.
  • [02:08] “If you’re laying there… get back in there. It’s too wet to go outside. This is a cold and flu season. I think we should all stay in bed.”

2. Brady’s Hearing Loss

• Ongoing Hearing Problems
  The team relentlessly roasts Brady for his deteriorating hearing and volume habits—jacking up TV, ignoring feedback from his wife, and his resistance to overtly acknowledging how bad it’s gotten.
  • [06:22] John: “Oh, that’s really bad if you don’t know what loud is.”
  • [06:48] Byron: “She said that on the last one. Why don’t you turn it down and put the captioning on? Because you’re making everybody crazy!”
• Old-Timer Gadgets
  Running joke about Brady needing an old-time hearing horn, not electronic aids.
  • [10:02] John: “Any member of Holmberg’s morning sickness who has a hearing issue cannot use electronics… you must use the horn.”
  • [10:53] John: "If you need glasses, not just for ornamental purposes...you have to wear the Harry Caray style glasses and use the horn."

3. Dangerous Tech Toys & The Kuma Bear AI Scandal

• Holiday Toys Turned Evil
  Spirited discussion of holiday shopping and the new wave of AI toys—specifically mocking a scandal in Japan where an AI-enabled teddy bear (“Kuma Bear”) dispenses wildly inappropriate advice to kids.
  • [12:24] John: “Your teddy bear suddenly was giving out BDSM advice in graphic detail. It was explaining sex positions, was showing kids how to tie knots...”
  • [13:40] John: “…It jumped into BDSM and where are the weapons much faster than like, ‘Do you want to play?’”
  • [17:13] John: “Be sure before you start buying these technologically advanced presents for your kids that they don’t have AI, because your kids are smarter than you think. And within minutes, they will have that thing doing horrible stuff.”
• Classic Teddy Ruxpin Memories
  The segment morphs into nostalgia and horror stories involving 80s toys and how even those were twisted by kids (like feeding metal tapes into talking bears).

4. Dave Ramsey’s “God Owns My Properties”

• Christian Wealth and Mental Gymnastics
  A brief segment skewers financial advisor Dave Ramsey’s recent remarks justifying multiple house ownership by claiming they “belong to God, not me.”
  • [28:34] John: “Oh, no, no. I’m just like, basically a property manager. Those houses belong to God.”
  • [29:39] John: “That’s a good spin. That’s a good spin, Ramsey. Well played, my friend.”

5. Trump, Epstein, & The Power of Hot Women

• Presidential 'Kill Sheets' & Double Standards
  Tongue-in-cheek debate over which US presidents had the "best" sexual conquests, with Trump’s taste lauded over others.
  • [31:51] Brett: “Kennedy, probably the closest.”
  • [32:07] John: “Trump actually picks and chooses by hotness. Clinton was another one that just, if it was available, he’d do it. Trump’s got a good kill list.”
• On Women at Epstein’s Parties
  They note how only men are demonized in the Epstein scandal, though many adult women were also on the island.
  • [36:18] Byron: “None of these...nobody’s mad at women. They assume that all the dudes were there just for the sex. And they were. But if those women were there, changes the entire thing…”
• What Men Will Do for Sex
  Extended bit on how men endure wives’ or girlfriends’ dumb hobbies to stay in good favor.
  • [39:47] John: “Supporting dumb hobbies. But at least a piano is a real instrument. Bowls...there’s no return on investment on those bowls. Maybe if you get her a piano, she, like, hits it real fast and she realizes she’s a concert pianist, starts making a couple bucks. Bowls…”

6. Social Trends: Food Delivery & Human Interaction Collapse

• “Thank You, COVID”
  The team celebrates how the pandemic destroyed forced small talk with delivery drivers.
  • [65:34] Byron: “You don’t bell rings, everyone drops their pants.”
  • [65:37] John: “Everybody’s naked. Somebody else is going to get it. God damn it. Well, somebody put some pants on, he’s going to leave with our pizza.”
  • [66:20] John: “Covid. Thank you, Covid. You made the world a better place...No traffic. Deliveries got better. Social distancing. Oh, I pray for the day that comes back.”

7. Celebrity Scandal: Smokey Robinson Allegations

• Mockery of “Too Late to Accuse”
  The panel cracks irreverent jokes about sexual assault charges against 85-year-old Smokey Robinson, largely ridiculing the idea that he could overpower anyone.
  • [67:56] John: “…If Smokey Robinson was right here… he grabbed my hand and he placed it on his genitals. I would laugh and that would be a story I’d have for the rest of my life.”
  • [69:42] John: “If you couldn’t defend yourself from Smokey Robinson in his heyday, he was tiny, but you’re still struggling with it. Last year, Darwin would probably have you removed from the planet.”
  • [74:14] John: “Sexually assaulted by an 85 year old. I will victim shame. I’m tired of this.”
  • [76:48] John: “Any man masturbating can’t catch me. I guarantee it. The man with an erection is not fast, it’s not fleet of foot, he’s not mobile.”

Feature Interview: Joe Koy (Comedian)

[Starts ~1:14:45]

A full, high-energy segment with the comedian.

• Career Success & Guest Guilt
  Holmberg teases Koy for abandoning the show after his Hollywood ascent; Koy expresses genuine affection and guilt for not staying in touch, playing along with the bit.
  • [115:16] Joe Koy: “That’s my intro? Really?”
  • [117:04] Joe Koy: “I just called to see how you guys are doing.”
  • [117:37] John: “I told you… you’re above where you’re currently... this show you should never do, even on the phone.”
• Public vs Private Love Life
  On post-Chelsea Handler romance, Koy admits he now prefers privacy, reflecting on how unwanted attention changed his behavior.
• Sofi Stadium with Gabriel Iglesias
  Much is made of Koy's upcoming co-headlining standup show at SoFi Stadium (~55,000 seats) in LA—mind-blowing for a comedian.
• Notable Quotes
  • [126:26] John: “You’re going to be at what, 70 something thousand, 80,000 people maybe.”
  • [125:22] Joe Koy: “...the biggest I ever done was Tacoma Dome. I sold 23,000 tickets. That was the biggest I ever done. And that’s huge. That’s like two arenas...”
• Playful Negotiations & Callbacks
  Koy and Holmberg riff about fake scandals (Smokey Robinson, TMZ setups), joke about exchanging contact info, and poke fun at the practicalities of massive comedy shows.
  • [132:31] Joe Koy: “So it’s cool to have his [Martin Lawrence] number in my phone…”
  • [137:14] Joe Koy: “If you texted me, I probably didn’t see it...”
  • [138:38] Joe Koy: “I’m shooting another special for Netflix.”
• End Note
  Pride and camaraderie with heartfelt, if tongue-in-cheek, mutual appreciation.

Other Topics & Memorable Moments

• Marriage Power Dynamics
  • [42:34] John: “Women’s vaginas have a secret thing... when you say something like that, all right, then I won’t have sex with you ever again. That it does. Like a party popper of confetti, just right out…”
• DoorDash Confessions
  • [52:05] John: “Who still answers the door for Doordash? And if your pants are off, I’m taking pictures of that because that’s evidence later.”
• Local Philanthropy
  Brett is at Local Legends bar kicking off "Operation Santa Claus," collecting food, toys, and cash for various charities.
• Sports Jabs
  Banter about Cardinals and Steelers, Dale Hellestray's football stories, and a brief, tongue-in-cheek mention of women’s professional baseball leagues,
• Brady’s Algorithm: Pageant Fails & Viral Videos
  Brady’s favorite genre: beauty queens falling off the stage.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Brady’s Hearing Loss & The Horn: [04:25]–[12:00]
• AI Toys Gone Wrong (Kuma Bear): [11:10]–[17:30]
• Dave Ramsey’s “God Owns My Houses”: [28:30]–[30:20]
• Presidential ‘Kill Sheet’/Epstein Chat: [31:13]–[38:26]
• Marriage & “Bowls” Rant: [39:45]–[47:07]
• COVID Solved Delivery Awkwardness: [65:34]–[66:20]
• Smokey Robinson Scandal Bits: [66:54]–[83:05]
• Joe Koy Interview: [115:15]–[144:40]

Notable Quotes & Speakers (with Timestamps)

• On Avoiding Work
  • John: “Stay in bed. Don’t go to work. It’s dumb. Work’s dumb.” [03:36]
• On AI Toys
  • John: “...your teddy bear suddenly was giving out BDSM advice in graphic detail.” [12:24]
• On Marriage Leverage
  • John: “You get too lippy about those bulls, and there’s a shutdown period.” [41:52]
• On DoorDash Interactions
  • John: “Covid... you made the world a better place... no more interaction at doors.” [65:34]
• On Smokey Robinson Allegations
  • John: “If you get raped by Smokey Robinson, you were asking for it. You practically have to lay down and do it yourself.” [69:42]
  • John: “Any man masturbating can’t catch me. I guarantee it.” [76:48]
• Joe Koy on Paparazzi
  • “I didn’t think it was gonna be like that public... you go out to eat, and next thing you know, there’s cameras.” [119:56]
• Joe Koy on Playing SoFi
  • “...now we’re playing SoFi. That’s the size of four Tacoma Domes. Like, it’s just crazy.” [125:46]

Tone

Playfully irreverent, fast, local, and self-deprecating, with plenty of dark and risqué humor. The hosts riff on current events, local news, their own lives, and each other's quirks with contagious camaraderie. The show doesn’t shy away from adult jokes, gallows humor, or poking fun at both themselves and others.

Conclusion

In this episode, Holmberg’s Morning Sickness leans into their trademarks: riffing on the absurdities of daily life and American culture, relentless ball-busting (especially at Brady’s expense), and anchoring it all in local detail. The highlight is the sprawling, funny, and sincere conversation with Joe Koy, which perfectly encapsulates the show’s mix of heartfelt connection and relentless comedy.

For a fan or a first-time listener, this summary covers the major themes, best lines, and most important moments—delivered with the energy and snark that define Holmberg, his crew, and their Arizona’s #1 Morning Show.