Podcast Summary: "Holmberg's Not A Fan Of Thanksgiving"

Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness - Arizona
Date: November 26, 2025
Host: John Holmberg
Crew: Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo, Byron, Larry McFeely, Megan
Episode Focus: Holmberg's skepticism about Thanksgiving traditions, dodging family obligations, awkward gatherings, and the saga of his father delivering massive quantities of elk meat from Texas.

Main Theme

This episode is a sharp, comedic exploration of why Thanksgiving is often more stressful than joyful, especially when it comes to forced family time and the chaos of holiday hosting. John Holmberg and the crew swap stories about awkward family dynamics, dodging unwelcome guests, and the hilarious problem of inheriting too much wild game meat from life-long hunters.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Forced Nature of Thanksgiving (07:35–09:00, 22:44–23:27)

• Holmberg's Core Complaint:
  He finds Thanksgiving to be a "forced" holiday, resenting the expectation to gather just because of tradition—"I feel like it's all forced. You have to do this. You have to do—I’m like, no, why don’t we just do this when we want to spend time together?" (07:35)
• Personal Solution:
  “I’m dodging it all. Thanksgiving’s… I get just people. I’ve been to three where it’s just like, nobody’s happy. Everybody’s just wanting to go home.” (09:00)
• Holmberg prefers casual, unregimented gatherings:
  “I don’t like shoehorn things. That’s a personal thing. I need to get over it, truthfully. But I don’t like the ‘today’s the day’ we do this.” (22:44)

Holiday Hosting Disasters & Dodging Family

(03:29–06:07, 07:21–08:16)

• Brett’s Hobo Thanksgiving:
  Bret hosts huge informal Thanksgivings with “30 and change” people—"Invites the entire city of Mesa!" (04:30)
  Guests are mostly couples or those avoiding their in-laws.
  On crashing out: "One year we had five people crashed out…" (05:05)

• The Anatomy of an Overstayer:
  "I don’t think there’s any worse noise than when you’re ready to close up your house, and you hear… one dude’s in the corner, just cracked open another one—like, oh, Christ." (05:30)

• Who’s Invited?
  Class counts: "You gotta have class. I could find a couple people in your house tomorrow without class." (04:44)
  On not being invited back: "Anyone who just eats and bails? They won’t be invited back." (06:17)

Gender Roles & Old-School Family Dynamics

(06:19–07:07)

• Brett’s Mom Laying Down the Law:
  "'Hey, you, get your ass in the kitchen.'…Broad not doing Broadway…That is 100% true." (06:29–06:36)
  The guys reminisce about the 'Mad Men'-era vibe in some households.

Holiday Stress, Prep, and the Problem with Over-Planning

(07:21–09:00, 20:21–20:55)

• Universal Experience:
  “Leading up to it sucks… gotta get everything straightened out.” (08:11, Brett)
• Food Doubts:
  “We’re not going to have enough!” becomes “We had more than enough.” (20:21–20:55, Brett & John)

The Demise of the “Turkey Bowl” & Changing Traditions

(09:41–10:50)

• Nostalgia & Cultural Changes:
  Fewer families play the traditional football game; now it’s "Mexican soccer" at the park, with existing “turkey bowls” being almost chaotic—“60 on 60…soft generation can’t take a punch without getting a concussion.” (10:17–10:50, John)
• Societal Critique:
  "You can't throw a real hard football at him. What if it hits Braden in the face? He’ll get a concussion and he'll never know math." (10:41, John)

Ways to Actually Enjoy Thanksgiving: Alternative Traditions

(17:27–19:38)

• Escaping the Kitchen:
  Byron: “One of the largest pizza ordering nights.” (17:27)
• Restaurants & Buffets:
  Megan recommends Casino Arizona’s buffet: “No cleanup.” (17:36)
  John’s experience: “That’s where Jehovah’s Witnesses go. The weirdest group of people I’ve ever been around.” (17:49–18:03)
  On eating out: “If I go anywhere, it’ll be a restaurant. Not gonna do anything in that.” (14:20)

Holiday Drama – Storm Outs and Brawls

(15:55–17:17)

• Physical altercations:
  "Brady's the only one that's got a physical altercation" at Thanksgiving. (15:59–16:01)
• Classic storm outs:
  "Brother-in-law slammed his beer on the table and walked out." (16:03, Megan)
  John: “You’ve ruined another wonderful day!” (16:22)

Exploring the Saga of “The Elk Meat”

(24:18–37:19, Highlights at 24:18, 27:05, 30:08, 33:03)

• John’s Dad the Hunter:
  “Dan’s in Texas killing stuff. He killed an elk the other day… this gigantic elk he killed.” (24:18)
• Meat Logistics:
  “My dad… texted—We're coming out December 5th. I'll also be bringing a massive cooler of [elk].” (27:07)
  • “He’s making room for all the elk he didn’t eat from the last one he killed for the new elk meat to fill its space…like some lunatic.” (30:08)
  • “He’s got to get rid of hundreds of pounds of meat. You want half of it? Are you crazy?” (31:24)
• Freezer Overload:
  “How many freezers does he have? Hundreds. And I know I’m gonna inherit nine freezers.” (27:09)
• Elk Meat Taste Test:
  “Is elk meat good? — No…it’s not as good…it’s good, but you’d rather have a steak.” (33:03)
  John: "You have to…make it taste like a steak. There's so much preparation to make it not taste like a gamey outdoor animal." (33:12–33:23)

On Inheriting Animal Trophies and Heads

(40:11–42:18, 43:10–44:16)

• Trophy Dilemma:
  “What are you gonna do with all those heads when you die? Oh, don’t you want them? I’m gonna ask you again, and don’t ask that back.” (40:22)
• On Display:
  “It’s clutter now. It used to be an impressive beast when it had a body attached to it. Now it’s just the severed head sitting where a coffee table should be.” (41:31–42:13, John)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Thanksgiving Pressure:
  “Why can’t I have dinner with these people on a normal night and call it the same thing? …We’re so regimented into this sheep-get-in-line kind of thing.” —John Holmberg (22:44, 23:27)
• On Overstaying Guests:
  “I don’t think there’s any worse noise than…that one dude’s in the corner, just cracked open another one—like, oh, Christ.” —John Holmberg (05:30)
• On Hosting Chaos:
  “How many are coming?” “I think Christmas we had 40-something. Thanksgiving last year, I think it was 30 and change.” —Brett Vesely (04:25)
• On Gender Roles:
  “Hey you, get your ass in the kitchen …my mom, she mad because there was one broad that just happened, and the rest…are in the kitchen.” —Brett Vesely (06:29–06:51)
• On Turkey Bowls:
  “Turkey bowls used to be the best. They are dead and gone because a soft generation can’t take a punch without getting a concussion.” —John Holmberg (10:28, 10:50)
• On the Great Elk Delivery:
  “I know I’m gonna inherit nine freezers. I’ll put an order for you. Don’t worry about it. It’s coming whether I ask or not.” —John Holmberg (27:09) “He’s got to get rid of hundreds of pounds of meat. A killing elk, you want half of it? Are you crazy?” (31:24) “I don’t want a freezer either.” (39:41)
• On Raw Meat:
  “The other day, I had a steak. I didn’t even cook it. I just opened the package and I ate it.” —John Holmberg (37:12)

Timestamps for Noteworthy Segments

• Thanksgiving Is Forced & Overrated: 07:35–09:00, 22:44–23:27
• Hosting Nightmares: 04:25–06:07
• Guest Etiquette & Overstaying: 05:30–06:02
• Old-School Family Gender Dynamics: 06:29–07:07
• Turkey Bowl & Tradition Demise: 09:41–10:50
• Escaping via Restaurants/Buffets/Casino: 17:27–19:38
• Family Drama: Fights & Storm Outs: 15:55–17:17
• John’s Dad, Elk Hunter: 24:18, 27:05, 30:08, 33:03, 40:11
• Freezer Full of Meat & Elk Head Problem: 27:09–32:41, 40:11–42:18

Conclusion

This episode is a witty and slightly acerbic take on Thanksgiving as a holiday many merely endure—highlighting the awkwardness, forced sentimentality, and logistical absurdities underpinning family get-togethers. John Holmberg’s stories about dodging family obligations and being the unwilling recipient of giant coolers of wild elk meat add a unique (and hilarious) flavor to a classic American ritual.

Tone & Style

Direct, irreverent, and relentlessly self-aware—Holmberg’s perspective keeps the show edgy but always relatable, with an emphasis on poking fun at obligatory traditions and family quirks.

For future episodes, tune in to hear the fate of the elk meat, more family drama, and reliably cynical advice on surviving the holidays!