Episode Summary: "Hot Releases - Diddy Doc On Netflix - Kylie Minogue - Bret's Hatred Of XMas Music"

Holmberg's Morning Sickness, 98KUPD Arizona – December 9, 2025

Overview

In this lively episode, the HMS crew dives into their signature “Hot Releases” segment, touching on new music, games, documentaries, and with their trademark irreverence: debates about Christmas music, AI in entertainment, bizarre video game concepts, and the new Netflix docuseries about Diddy. Alongside their reviews and banter, the hosts reflect on authenticity in documentaries, pop culture phenomena, and poke fun at each other's taste—especially Bret Vesely’s notorious disdain for Christmas tunes.

Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Concert Pass Contest and Banter (01:19 – 03:21)

• Segment Highlights:
  • Announcement of an all-access concert pass giveaway; winners get tickets to all scheduled concerts in 2026.
  • “Whoever wins this thing, we're going to have to become best buddies with them. Because every time a concert comes up, we're going to have to put a pair [of tickets] whether they want it or not, because then they can sell them, right?” — Holmberg (02:33)
  • Jokes about concert schedules reaching into 2027 and playful ribbing about the contest's logistics.

2. Toledo Missing & Pet Emergency (03:21 – 04:17)

• Running Joke:
  • Toledo, one of the team, is absent because his cat needs to visit the vet, sparking false concern and humor about what he’s “really” up to.
  • “Toledo had to leave his job so his wife wouldn't be late for her job and got some deadbeat laying in bed there. Toledo's doing all of the work. He's doing more work there than he is here.” — Holmberg (03:55)
  • “Toledo's been taken and I won't look for him.” — Holmberg, deadpan (04:05)

3. Hot Releases: Diddy Doc on Netflix (04:52 – 08:38)

[Segment Begins 04:52]

• Netflix “Diddy” Docuseries:
  • Four-part documentary on Puff Daddy, created by 50 Cent, notorious for his feud with Diddy.
  • “First episode locks you in, and it's done by 50 Cent, who hates him.” — Holmberg (05:16)
  • 50 Cent did interviews only on ABC “because ABC is the only channel they show in the prison [Diddy’s] in. So I know he'll see this.” — Holmberg (05:34)
  • “You can't do a documentary about your shortcomings and be honest about it.” — Holmberg (07:36)
  • Crew contrasts the honest, external perspective of the Diddy doc with sanitized self-made documentaries like “The Queen Movie” and “N.W.A.”
  • “Skips all the bad parts because the guy's in charge of making it.” — Holmberg (07:47)
  • Discovery: Diddy’s link to a deadly trampling at a rap basketball game in his youth.
  • “I didn’t realize that P. Diddy killed a bunch of people in a... high school gym...He was the face of it and survived it somehow. It’s pretty amazing.” — Holmberg (06:37)

4. Hot Releases: Other Streaming & TV (07:02 – 07:19)

• Eddie Murphy Doc Mention:
  • “A celebration of Eddie by Eddie.” (07:12–07:14)
  • Briefly discuss how celebrity docs often gloss over uncomfortable truths.

5. Hot Releases: Video Games (08:38 – 12:29)

• Flight Simulator 2024:
  • Excited by newly included crashes and disaster simulations. “You can crash in all sorts of new cities and new ways…I would love to do Malaysia Air [in the simulator]...” — Holmberg (09:07)
• Dome Keeper (09:53):
  • Described as a modern “Dig Dug,” where you dig for resources between waves of enemies.
• Digging a Hole: The Game (10:00):
  • Literal pitch: Dig a hole with a shovel for points.
  • “It’s literally called a game about digging a hole. And its simplicity has me curious.” — Holmberg (10:32)
• Mutant Football League 2, Warhammer 40K, Terminator 2D, Star Trek Infection:
  • Noted as holiday releases; some games require age verification, hinting at mature content.

6. Hot Releases: More Games (12:09 – 12:27)

• "Thank Goodness You're Here":
  • An off-beat, comedy-forward fish-out-of-water video game.
  • “A bold bit of masterfully orchestrated comedy that confounds expectations at every turn.” — Holmberg (12:09)
• Yakuza & Other Nerd Games:
  • Brief mentions re: upcoming releases.

7. Hot Releases: Music (12:39 – 21:01)

• Christmas Music & Bret’s Hatred (12:39 – 13:53):

  • “You made me play some Christmas [music].”—Bret (12:44)
  • “Nobody cares about Christmas. Everybody does. Look at the ratings, it's ridiculous.” — Holmberg (12:47)
  • Kylie Minogue’s new Christmas song: Praised for her enduring looks and musical relevance.
  • Joke about Australian Christmas being in the summer.

• Luke Spiller’s “Merry Christmas, Everyone” (14:02):

  • Holmberg and Bret guess he’s from a country background, only to realize he’s from The Struts.
  • “If it's a Christmas song, it's still trash.” — Holmberg (14:26)

• Sam Fender’s “Treadmill”:

  • “Buy your wife a treadmill for Christmas”—sarcastic gift suggestion.
  • Lyrics poke at holiday consumerism and body image.

• AI Covers: Thunderstruck Funk, Hotel California (AI Blues/Soul version), Depeche Mode (19:01):

  • Holmberg and Bret delight in and question the rise of AI music, especially race-bending covers:
    • “Has AI missed? Not often… they're like Clive Owen. Everything they touch is amazing.” — Holmberg (16:23)
    • “…Feeds white people's needs for black people to work for them for free… the only thing we've done for AI so far is to turn all white songs into black songs.” — Holmberg (17:04)
    • “Eliminating the need for bass players, which is a fantastic thing because they're the most frustrated and annoying musicians in the world.” — Holmberg (19:27)

• AI Christmas Song “Santa’s Sweatshop” (19:56):

  • Comedic, satirical take from the elves’ perspective.
  • “It's a snowy living hell that does not pay. Was water boarded with hot cocoa yesterday?” — AI lyrics (20:29)

8. Game: N-word or F-word? (21:01 – 21:47)

• The recurring edgy game where they guess which slur appears first in a rap song.
• “That is a hard R N word coming out of this album cover. That dude is mad right off the picture. So I'm gonna go hard N word.” — Holmberg (21:13)

9. Toledo Returns (22:00)

• Toledo finally rejoins, met with mock scolding for his absence and concern for his cat.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Christmas Music:

• “If it's a Christmas song, it's still trash.” — Holmberg (14:26)

On AI Music Covers:

• “Has AI missed? Not often…they’re like Clive Owen. Everything they touch is amazing.” — Holmberg (16:23)
• “Feeds white people's needs for black people to work for them for free…that’s the only thing we’ve done for AI so far is to turn all white songs into black songs.” — Holmberg (17:04)

On Diddy Docuseries:

• “First episode locks you in, and it's done by 50 Cent, who hates him.” — Holmberg (05:16)
• “You can't do a documentary about your shortcomings and be honest about it.” — Holmberg (07:36)

On Video Games:

• “It’s literally called a game about digging a hole. And its simplicity has me curious.” — Holmberg (10:32)
• “There's this one called Thank Goodness You're Here, which is weird because it's a video game about just arriving.” — Holmberg (12:09)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Concert Pass Contest & Intro Banter: 01:19 – 03:21
• Where Is Toledo? Pet Emergency: 03:21 – 04:17
• Hot Releases: Diddy Doc on Netflix: 04:52 – 08:38
• Hot Releases: Games & Streaming: 08:38 – 12:29
• Hot Releases: Music & Bret’s Christmas Rant: 12:39 – 14:26
• AI Music Covers & Discussions: 15:24 – 20:56
• Santa’s Sweatshop AI Song: 19:56 – 20:56
• N-word or F-word? Game: 21:01 – 21:47
• Toledo Returns: 22:00

Tone & Style

The crew brings their trademark irreverence, skepticism, and biting humor throughout—teasing each other, lampooning the commercialization and sanitization of pop culture, and questioning trends like AI creativity and the endless churn of Christmas music.

For Listeners Who Missed The Episode

You’ll get the inside scoop on the new Netflix Diddy doc (spoiler: 50 Cent really hates Diddy), quips about sanitized celebrity documentaries, a rundown on quirky indie/video game releases, and a comedic take on how AI is changing music (mostly by making “AI black musicians cover white hit songs”). Plus: expect cynical takes on seasonal music, Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere, and plenty of off-the-cuff social commentary.

Skip the ads, but don’t miss the music and game recommendations—and, of course, Holmberg’s rants.