Podcast Summary

Podcast: Holmberg's Morning Sickness (98KUPD, Arizona)
Episode: 12-04-25 – Ryan Hamilton (Tempe Improv – In Studio)
Date: December 4, 2025
Host: John Holmberg (with Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, and Dick Toledo)
Guest: Stand-up comedian Ryan Hamilton

Episode Overview

This episode features stand-up comic Ryan Hamilton, in Phoenix to perform at the Tempe Improv. John Holmberg and the crew engage Hamilton in a freewheeling conversation about comedy, hecklers, the weird phenomenon of audience participation, life in Idaho, handling fame, billionaires, and what it takes (and risks) to be a comedian today. The discussion is peppered with self-deprecating humor, wit about “apocalypse skills,” and some sharp observations on how stand-up comedy is changing.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Idaho Roots & Border Rivalries

Timestamps: 01:24–02:27

• Ryan describes growing up on the Idaho-Utah-Wyoming border and reflects humorously on local rivalries:
  • “There’s a little rivalry between southern Idaho and Utah... Idaho blows and Utah sucks or something like that.” (01:47–01:58, Ryan Hamilton)
• The hosts joke about how interchangeable Idaho and Utah people seem:
  • "I literally think you could, like, swap out people, and it would take a few days for the people in the house that you’ve swapped with to realize, oh, that’s not the same guy that was here before." (02:27–02:35, John Holmberg)

2. Comedy, Smiles, and the ‘Good Humor’ Look

Timestamps: 02:36–02:52

• John commends Ryan's "huge Idaho smile," joking:
  • “I feel like I could sell ice cream in the 50s.” (02:44–02:51, Ryan Hamilton)
• The hosts riff on how Ryan's look matches his nice-guy comedy and Midwest roots.

3. Hecklers: The Warren Buffett Incident & Crowd Participation

Timestamps: 03:04–07:30

• John brings up a viral video where Ryan handled an angry Warren Buffett heckler:
  • “Somebody went there angry at Warren Buffett… why would that trigger him?” (03:13–03:29, John Holmberg)
• Ryan explains:
  • "He was just upset that I was talking about money or something… I ask him, did you lose money? Yeah, lost some money." (03:29–03:40, Ryan Hamilton)
• The hosts discuss how heckling is evolving—from random outbursts to personal, targeted grievances, with some people eager to “participate” ("influencer hecklers"):
  • “He was triggered by something. He was angry. He wanted to make it known. And so that was like a true heckler, you know…” (04:35–04:50, Ryan Hamilton)
  • “I love that hecklers have kind of gotten to the point now… Have you ever had one where you’re like, oh, tip of the cap, you win?” (05:28–05:39, John Holmberg)

Notable Quote

• John Holmberg: “He ruined it, even for his friends… This guy’s a dick, and we can’t change him.” (05:28)

• Ryan Hamilton: Shares personal vulnerabilities about hecklers, recalling a time a heckler perfectly targeted his insecurity—a new, oversized watch:

  • “I was doing really poorly… and the guy goes, ‘Nice watch.’ And I was like, how did you know that? That’s what I was thinking about. It was crazy.” (05:53–06:18, Ryan Hamilton)

4. Heckling in Radio vs. Stand-Up & Handling Haters

Timestamps: 07:30–09:44

• John compares radio “heckling” (delayed hate mail or calls) to live stand-up outbursts, reading a particularly bizarre email he received:
  • “I read his apology on the air and killed him. Screw you… He called me, he said, you’re racist… you’ve got the lib cuck Jew nose… I mean, I’m racist and you’re okay closing up with that.” (07:55–08:31, John Holmberg)
• They joke about how some people just want to be offended and make it personal.
  • “You get heck of a class. You Got to. You got to remind me why I pissed you off.” (07:56, John Holmberg)
• The crew reflects on the odd impulse of certain audience members to “have a discussion,” not just watch a show.

5. Personal Life: Bachelorhood & Comedy Focus

Timestamps: 10:08–10:34

• Ryan reveals he’s single, never married, with no children:
  • “This is it for me. My whole thing is here at the Tempe Improv, Thursday, Friday, Saturday.” (10:23–10:34, Ryan Hamilton)

6. Famous Idahoans & The Burden of Fame

Timestamps: 10:49–12:13

• John quizzes Ryan on Idaho’s most famous person—eventually suggesting Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Sarah Palin.
• “You’re kind of the Finland of the United States, so it makes sense…" (11:21, John Holmberg)
• “It’s your turn right now. And it’s yours. This is your time.” (11:54, John Holmberg)

7. Are Billionaires Still ‘Cool’? Wealth, Envy, and Warren Buffett

Timestamps: 12:13–14:29

• Ryan and John debate whether billionaires are now seen as villains rather than aspirational:
  • “A year ago, billionaires were cool, and now they’re evil.” (12:17–12:23, Ryan Hamilton)
  • “I feel like those are weak people. If someone said, here’s $1 billion… you take it.” (13:09–13:12, John Holmberg & Ryan Hamilton)
• They discuss how people love hearing about lottery winners whose lives are ruined—because it makes non-winners feel better about themselves:
  • “Because then we’re like, well, good, I’m glad I didn’t win.” (13:43, Ryan Hamilton)
• Ryan admires Warren Buffett:
  • “You can be rich and cool, but you can’t buy cool… Warren Buffett got all the money, and then he was like, I’m just gonna live my life. And I think that’s cool.” (13:58–14:11, Ryan Hamilton)

8. ‘What Would You Do If Not Comedy?’ Real Estate & Apocalypse Survival

Timestamps: 14:33–18:09

• John and Ryan fantasize about alternative careers:
  • “Maybe real estate. I’m interested in real estate… I got the headshot already. I got the face for it.” (14:51–15:10, Ryan Hamilton)
  • John jokes about Ryan becoming a “traveling serial killer of home sales.” (15:42–15:47)
• The crew ponders their lack of "real" survival skills for an apocalypse:
  • “If the apocalypse came, what would you do?... There’d be no need for you as a comedian.” (16:11–16:24, John Holmberg)
  • “I think that’s kind of how we’re orphaned into this stuff… you end up there because you can’t do anything else.” (17:29–17:35, Ryan Hamilton)
• Both admit they have zero “handy” skills; John is currently stuck with a scissor lift in his backyard he doesn’t know how to remove.
  • “I currently have a scissor lift stuck in my backyard because we tried to drive it through the grass and it’s too heavy... I got a hire guy.” (19:08–19:19, John Holmberg)
  • “I don’t even know what a scissor lift is. So that’s where I’m at.” (19:29, Ryan Hamilton)

Notable Quotes

• Ryan Hamilton: “I feel like I could sell ice cream in the 50s.” (02:44)
• John Holmberg: “He ruined it, even for his friends… This guy’s a dick, and we can’t change him.” (05:28)
• Ryan Hamilton: “He was just upset that I was talking about money or something… I ask him, did you lose money? Yeah, lost some money.” (03:29–03:40)
• John Holmberg: “You’d be a traveling serial killer of home sales.” (15:44)
• Ryan Hamilton: “You can be rich and cool, but you can’t buy cool… Warren Buffett got all the money, and then he was like, I’m just gonna live my life. And I think that’s cool.” (13:58–14:11)

Memorable Moments

• Ryan’s take on hecklers: The watch story—a heckler picking on the one thing Ryan was self-conscious about that night.
• John’s email hate mail anecdotes: A particularly colorful, bigoted listener interaction, highlighting the weirdness of being in talk radio.
• Idaho’s anonymity: The hosts realizing how few famous Idahoans there are, and jokingly passing the “torch” to Ryan.
• Apocalypse admissions: Both admitting they're largely useless if civilization collapses.

Closing & Ryan’s ‘Words of Wisdom’

Timestamps: 19:44–20:11

• Ryan’s tongue-in-cheek closing advice:
  • “Do what you want to do. I don’t know.” (19:48, Ryan Hamilton)
  • John: “What if that’s rape?”
  • Ryan (quickly, nervously): “If it’s comedy, do that. If it’s rape, maybe take… No take. Don’t. Not anything.” (19:51–19:58, Ryan Hamilton)
• Ryan plugs his real (and fictitious) open house:
  • “I got an open house Sunday at noon. Support your local real estate.” (20:05, Ryan Hamilton)

Summary Takeaways

An episode filled with sharp comedic banter, candid reflections on the pitfalls and rewards of stand-up comedy, and self-aware humor at the expense of both host and guest. Ryan Hamilton reveals both the challenges of modern crowd work (and heckling) and the humility of a performer rooted in small-town America, while the HMS crew keeps the laughs (and the existential fears) coming. A great listen for comedy fans and anyone curious about what happens behind the laughs.