Podcast Summary – Holmberg’s Morning Sickness 98 KUPD

Episode: 12-10-25 – FULL SHOW – WEDNESDAY
Date: December 10, 2025
Host & Cast: John Holmberg (Host), Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo

Main Theme and Episode Overview

This episode kicks off as a classic Holmberg’s Morning Sickness: an irreverent, conversational, and often edgy look at the weirdness and news of the day. The hosts blend personal anecdotes, local Arizona news, wild tangent debates, listener emails, and their usual parade of crude jokes and observational humor. Central themes include grief over a beloved pet, debates about cultural policing and “weird” public attire, a bizarre rescue on Camelback Mountain, unusual sexual fetishes (instigated by a listener email), and a running discussion on the peculiarity of celebrity scandals. The tone is equal parts rowdy, mocking, and candid—very much in the style regular listeners expect.

Key Discussion Points and Highlights

1. Bret’s Personal Loss & Pet Euthanasia

[00:34–02:07]

• The show starts on a somber note with condolences for Bret, who had to put down his beloved dog Dirty, age thirteen and a half.
• They discuss “Happy Endings Pet Euthanasia” and Dr. Fixler, praising them for their compassion:

  “Can't say enough—just great people.” (John, 01:24)

• The segment alternates between sincere empathy and classic Holmberg humor about coping and old-age tragedies:

  “It’s like living in an old folks’ home, when the phone rings—someone’s gone.” (John, 01:24)

2. Cultural Policing & Peaky Blinders Arrest in Afghanistan

[02:08–14:59]

• John dives into a news story: four Afghan teens arrested for wearing Peaky Blinders (1920s British gangster) costumes, accused by the Taliban of promoting Western culture.
• The main discussion: “Sheeple” commentary on social media overreactions and how Westerners judge outsiders.
• John humorously claims he’d also call the police if he saw a group dressed as Peaky Blinders:

  “If I see four people walking down the street dressed in Peaky Blinders outfits, I’m calling the cops too. That ain’t normal… Peaky Blinders people getting arrested? I’m all over that.” (John, 03:43 and 05:21)

• They debate hypocrisy: Afghanistan bans “foreign attire,” but so does American cultural policing, just less formally.
• Afghanistan’s hidden modernity (“They’ve got HBO and 80,000-seat stadiums?”), skepticism about how the teens got the costumes, and jokes about “Afghan Amazon.”
• Extended riff: Groups in odd costumes like Braveheart or Bridgerton (“If a bunch of fairies in puffy skirts are walking towards Brady, you’d call the cops too.” – John, 21:17).

Notable Quote

“Another thing I really like that’s happening right now: there’s a dude currently… trapped on Camelback Mountain…” (John, 07:59)

3. Camelback Mountain Rescue—Mocking Arizona Stupidity

[07:59–11:00, 79:04–84:45, 142:25–142:37]

• A climber spent the night stuck on Camelback Mountain—rescued after sunrise.
• Firefighters refused to attempt a night rescue (“We’ll get you in the morning. You did this to yourself.” (John, 08:25)
• Jokes about droning him a blanket and snacks; the guy is ridiculed for going up with no phone.
• Segment becomes a metaphor for “don’t do dumb things, expect full rescues.”
• Later update: his wife called him in; possibly a “suicidal” attention-seeking act.
• John’s theory: “If you die on Camelback, you were gonna die anyway” (08:25).
• The whole scenario, from arrogant hiker to taxpayer-funded rescue, is teased as “classic Arizona dumb.”

4. Panty Sniffing, Listener Email, and Kink Dissection

[36:38–47:05; 51:55–54:18]

• A listener named Natalie asks: is it normal her boyfriend insists on sniffing her underwear nightly?
• The guys, one by one, express disgust:

  “No regular guy does that. Any major dude will tell you… that’s just creepy. This guy has some metaphorical skeletons in the closet.” (John, 46:57)

• They debate possible origins of the fetish (“most fetishes are uncle-born…!”), why it’s not “normal,” and the hygiene realities.
• Segues to fraternity panty raids, gross-out laundry stories, and jokes about “catch-all” underwear.
• Final consensus: Natalie, he’s weird—dump him.

Notable Quotes:

“Don would make him sniff it. ‘Smell my dick, smell my dick!’” (John, 37:48)
“Panty sniffer guy… it’s a deal breaker.” (Brady, 45:01)

5. Cruise Ship Death & Over-Serving Debate

[28:06–33:12]

• John relates a news story of a man who died on a Royal Caribbean cruise after drinking 33 alcoholic beverages and being restrained by security.
• The show lampoons the cruise industry (“If you have an unlimited drink package, you can’t have limits in the word unlimited…that’s the opposite.” John, 29:23)
• Extended jokes about Mick hats (Irish flat caps) and drunkenness:

  “Imagine that… Royal Caribbean Cruise, Mick hat and 33 drinks.” (John, 29:23)

• Tied to the running riff: stereotypes, racialized joking (“If I was racist, it’s to the Irish… Not the normal Irish…” John, 15:18)

6. Other Segments and Bits

• Comparing Diddy Parties and Epstein: Late in the show, John launches a lengthy (and mocking) discussion of celebrity “corruption,” drawing parallels between P. Diddy parties for black celebrities and Epstein Island for whites.

  “Diddy is Black Epstein—Black Epstein’s a good band name.” (John, 135:49)

• TV Shows & Pam Anderson: Quick hits on Pamela Anderson’s love life, favorite TV shows, and sitcom ideas with Liam Neeson. ([161:20])
• Product Endorsements: Multiple asides hawking underwriters or sponsors (intentionally omitted from this summary).
• Gross-Out Videos: A segment where they describe and react to NSFW listener-submitted videos, emphasizing their After Dark live show’s upcoming schedule ([106:27–113:21]).
• Rock Wars Game: A debate and music segment, this week themed around what song would be playing as the Camelback hiker called for rescue ([149:24–155:32]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On judging public costumes:
  “You judge people so much based on how they're dressed... if you were a business owner and dudes came storming in dressed in 1920s gangster clothes, you’d be like, I’m calling the cops.” (John, 09:52)
• Summing up American hypocrisy:
  “We do culture policing all the time. We act higher and mighty about it. They’re worse than us.” (John, 33:04)
• On the panty-sniffing email:
  “If you’ve got somebody who’s like, ‘Yeah, that’s a—no fetishes, no fetish.’” (John, 37:34)
• On the Camelback ‘rescue’:
  “If you die from that, you were going to die anyway… I’d light a house on fire just to not go up there.” (John, 08:25)
• On Nicknames:
  "Phil Joe the Dildo. I could always help the bullies with good nicknames for people." (John, 165:49)

Important Timestamps

| Segment | Description | Timestamp | |---------|-------------|-----------| | Bret’s dog & pet euthanasia | Condolences, personal moment | 00:34–02:07 | | Peaky Blinders arrests | Main discussion riff; cultural policing | 02:08–14:59 | | Camelback Mountain rescue | Ongoing story, local news commentary | 07:59–11:00; 79:04–84:45; 142:25–142:37 | | Listener’s panty-scented boyfriend | Major email response & debate | 36:38–47:05; 51:55–54:18 | | Royal Caribbean—death by drinks | Cruising, over-serving, Irish riff | 28:06–33:12 | | Gross-out videos & jokes | NSFW segment, reaction | 106:27–113:21 | | "Rock Wars" music game | Themed song picks & results | 149:24–155:32 |

Running Themes, Tone & Takeaways

• Cynicism and Satire: The hosts lampoon society’s double standards, our online “culture policing,” and even themselves.
• No Shying from ‘Gross': From bodily functions to fetishes, the show refuses to shy away from taboo topics—often using them as launchpads for wider commentary or flat-out filth.
• Mockery as Coping: Even in serious moments, like Bret’s grief, the show uses banter and jokes to keep things light (with a tinge of care).
• Self-awareness: The hosts directly challenge their own and the listeners’ biases (“call me Taliban, but...”), always willing to turn social critique back on themselves and their audience.
• Arizona as a Character: Local news, culture, and geography (Camelback, Sedona, “typical Arizona dumb”) are constant reference points.

Conclusion

This episode is emblematic of Holmberg’s Morning Sickness: unfiltered, often profane, always fast-moving, and ultimately more sincere than it first appears. Whether they’re mocking the news, challenging listener emails, or just riffing off one another, Holmberg & co. deliver their signature blend of satire, local flavor, and unabashed “locker room” realness.

For Listeners Who Missed the Show

You’ll get all the laughs, the cringe, the NSFW shock, and real talk about grief, cultural dogma, and the “weirdos” all around us. Skip this one if you’re easily offended—but for fans, it’s a classic mish-mash of news, humor, and mayhem.