Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Nov 21, 2025

Episode Title: Holmberg Is Finding That Being His Own Booking Agent Is Hard – Hard Reality Of Car Repair Has Struck John Again As He Thought He Had A Win In Replacing His Wipers – John Makes A Generalization About Car Guys And Nails It
Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Dick Toledo
Aired: November 21, 2025
Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – 98KUPD, Arizona

Main Theme

This episode is a classic blend of self-deprecating humor and friendly banter, centered around John Holmberg's misadventures in two areas:

1. Acting as his own booking agent for the "Homeburg After Dark" live event
2. Confronting the supposed victory – and subsequent embarrassment – of changing his own windshield wiper blades
   It evolves into a larger comedic reflection about “car guys,” their quirks, and why there's always a busted car in a car guy's driveway or garage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Agony of Booking Guests (Starts ~01:29)

• John’s New Respect for Booking Agents:
  John shares his struggles with booking comedians for the "Homeburg After Dark" show, describing the process as much more complicated than anticipated due to haggling and ego management.

  • “Maybe they're right. Fire everybody. I'll do it. I've got 16 jobs right now and I'm booking and I'm negotiating prices..." – John (01:34)
  • Describes how every performer wants to know “what are the others making?” even when insisting it's just for fairness.
  • Shares a story about a guest asking for $20,000 for 25 minutes’ work:
    • “American money? What are you, out of your mind?” – John (03:07)
  • Discusses how agent involvement helps keep relationships unstrained; when there's no buffer, negotiations become awkward.

• Jay Pharoah’s Pricier Opportunity:
  Jay Pharoah was set to headline, but got a much bigger payday elsewhere:

  • “They were going to give him like a hundred grand… And I’m like, you want me to match that?” – John (04:06)

• Reflection on Handling Money:
  John admits he’s uncomfortable being “the money guy,” despite liking money:

  • “I like mine. I don't like dealing with other people’s.” – John (04:50)

2. Windshield Wiper 'Victory' & the Reality of Car Repairs (Starts ~05:43)

• Flashback to Previous Wiper Fiasco:
  Years ago, John had a surgically repaired arm, and Brady and Brett failed hilariously trying to help him change his Jeep's wipers.

  • “Brady staring at windshield wipers like they just landed from another planet…” – John (06:28)

• John's Determined Solo Attempt:
  Orders wipers for two Wranglers. Euphorically declares independence:

  • “I swore to myself no YouTube videos will be used. I’m going to do it old school…” – John (07:01)
  • Succeeds easily; “Seven seconds, found the little flap, got the wipers off. It’s easy!”
  • Declares himself “a man today. I'm doing manly, handy car stuff.” (08:09)

• Confessions of Not-So-Handy Men:
  Despite this, John admits to being “gayer than gay” when it comes to automotive repairs, barely knowing what a high-lift jack is or where it should go under his Jeep.

  • “When it comes to car stuff, I am gayer than gay. Like, I don't know what anything’s called.” – John (08:10)
  • The group launches into a comedic struggle trying to define where to put a high lift, differences between the body, frame, and safe lifting points. None is entirely sure.

3. The Ultimate Wiper Installation Fail (Starts ~12:26)

• The Unremoved Plastic:
  After feeling proud, John notices the new blades still smear water.

  • “They're squishing water around pretty good, but they're new...” – John (12:41)
  • Amy, a more mechanically-inclined friend, reveals the blue plastic protective covers are still on the blades.
    • “‘You have to take the plastic off.’ And I said, huh.” – John (14:21)
  • John believed the blue plastic was a stylized upgrade. Amy quickly removes it, revealing the real problem.

• Self-Deprecation and Car-Guy Banter:

  • “I’m like, man, I am. Just when I thought I'd solved one minor car issue and figured something out, I still idiot-girled it.” – John (19:57)

• The Emotional Rollercoaster of DIY Repairs:
  John cycles from pride to embarrassment—but leans into the humility.

  • “Don't email me telling me I'm an idiot. I'm telling you I’m an idiot. I get it.” – John (27:21)

4. The Car Guy Generalization (Starts ~17:24)

• Auto Shop Intimidation:
  John refuses to let “Autozone Trevor” replace his blades—because of car guy judgment.

  • “There's nothing worse … than car guys when you tell them you don’t know anything.” – John (17:43)

• The Ubiquitous Broken Car:
  John asserts: “There is never a car guy I've met that's a true car guy that doesn't have a broken car.” (17:54)

  • Details of friends, neighbors, and listeners with inoperable cars on their lawns or garages.
  • Brady & Brett spar about whose family has more non-running cars at any given time.
    • “You can't live your lives without a broken car on your property. That's proof you're a car guy.” – John (39:40)

• Project Cars & Perpetual Unfinished Projects:

  • “With car guys, [a project] is just a beginning, a middle. Ask any wife of a car guy.” – John (25:13)
  • Cross-examines the difference between maintaining cars and just storing projects that never get done.

• Comparisons to Other Hobbies:
  John analogizes hoarding non-running cars to having a closet full of shoes with missing soles or torn leather:

  • “If I had a shoe collection and just all of them were unwearable … you’d think I was crazy. Now you’re doing it with cars.” – John (30:16)

• The Comfort of a Broken Car:
  Brett and Brady admit, even when their own cars are running, a friend’s broken car inevitably ends up on their property.

  • “It's so comforting to a car guy to have a broken car.” – John (39:52)
  • “Car guys … love it.” – John (43:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Negotiating with Comics:
  “You have to wait for everybody to know what everybody else is getting in order for you to say, this is the price.” – John (02:15)

• Car Guy Generalization:
  “For all the knowledge you have about cars, you always have a broken one in your front yard... never gets fixed. I'm not sure you know anything.” – John (17:54)

• On DIY Auto Repairs:
  “Taking it in the ass is a lot more manly than what I was doing with those blades.” – John (34:05)

• When the Truth Hurts:
  “You guys fumbled around with that for so long.” – John (30:37)

• Best Analogies:
  “Shoes with no soles aren’t my everyday shoes. I’ll put some soles on it later. I’m a bad haberdasher.” – John (29:17)
  “I might as well host Motor Week at this point with what I’m doing with windshield wipers.” – John (43:13)

Key Timestamps

• 01:29 – John discusses challenges booking "Homeburg After Dark" and comedian negotiation antics
• 05:43 – Flashback to the original windshield wiper incident and John's setup for attempting the replacement solo
• 07:01 – John’s wiper-change success and pride
• 12:26 – The embarrassing discovery: John left plastic covers on his new wiper blades
• 17:24 – Generalization: “car guys” always have a broken car
• 19:57 – Self-mockery peaks after failing “the easiest” repair
• 25:13 – Discussion on endless “project cars”
• 30:16 – The shoe analogy: why projects are out of hand
• 39:40 – The car guy property law: there must be a busted car on the premises
• 43:13 – John, “I might as well host Motor Week…with windshield wipers.”

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain their trademark candid, sarcastic, and comedically self-effacing tone throughout:

• John is the focal point of the jokes—always the first to declare his own idiocy yet quick to roast “car guy” culture.
• Brady and Brett play the role of occasionally knowledgeable, sometimes defensive, "car guy" foils.
• The banter feels like a standup comedy routine crossbred with the camaraderie of longtime friends.

In Summary

This episode delivers:

• A peek behind the scenes of live show booking headaches
• A comedic blow-by-blow of a botched “easy” car repair
• A lovingly scathing look at “car guy” culture and its foibles

It’s a thoroughly relatable episode for anyone who’s ever felt out of their depth with car repairs—or who’s defended a perpetually unfinished project in their own garage.

For anyone who’s ever looked at a toolbox and thought, “Maybe next weekend,” this episode is for you.