Podcast Summary: Holmberg's Morning Sickness – December 10, 2025

Episode Theme:
This episode playfully tackles two news stories: the arrest of Afghan teens for wearing "Peaky Blinders" costumes, seen as a Western cultural influence, and a lawsuit after a man dies from drinking 33 alcoholic drinks on a cruise’s unlimited drink package. The hosts riff on cultural norms, judgment, stereotyping, and America’s own tendency to police out-of-the-norm behavior—all with typical irreverence.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Afghanistan’s “Peaky Blinders” Arrests and Cultural Policing

• The News Story: Four young men in Afghanistan were arrested by "cultural police" for dressing as characters from the TV show "Peaky Blinders", accused of promoting Western values.
• Hosts’ Take: The team (John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Freddy, and Brett Vesely) pokes fun at both the Afghan authorities and the tendency for Americans to judge eccentric public behavior.

Highlights:

• Surprise that Afghanis had access to HBO and the means to create or acquire 1920s British-style outfits.
• Holmberg lampoons commenters decrying Afghanistan’s censorship, pointing out Americans aren't so tolerant either:

  [03:43] John Holmberg: "Let me tell you right now, if I see four people walking down the street dressed in Peaky Blinders outfit, I'm calling the cops too. That ain't normal."

• The show’s obsession with the "Mick hat" (flat cap associated with Irish immigrants and, notably, the Peaky Blinders look) evolves into a running joke about Irish stereotypes and American suspicion towards groups dressed out of the ordinary.
• They riff on the American tendency for culture policing:

  [09:52] John Holmberg: "We judge people so much based on how they're dressed and what they're doing ... If you were a business owner and dudes came storming in, dressed up in 1920s gangster clothes—be like, I'm calling the cops!"

• Brady and Holmberg mock American misconceptions of foreign countries (“mud huts and goats”), then reverse it, joking about Afghanistan’s own sitcoms:

  [23:51] John Holmberg: "Everybody Loves Halak... That wasn't real, Brady."

Notable Quote:

[05:21] John Holmberg: “Again. The Taliban was right here. ... That 13 year old boy gets to kill that guy that killed his whole family... And then Peaky Blinders people getting arrested. I’m all over that.” (Said tongue-in-cheek, demonstrating the show’s irreverent tone.)

2. Judgment, Stereotypes, and “Cultural Policing” in America

• The hosts challenge the idea that Americans are much more open-minded, suggesting we too call the police over weird costumes or gatherings.
• They mine the “Mick hat” for jokes about Irish stereotypes and shift this scrutiny to other groups/themes: kilts, “Bridgerton” attire, and groups in fairy costumes.

  [14:08] John Holmberg: “Four really angry, unsexed gentlemen walking down the road. So I am calling the police. Afghanistan was right.”

• Holmberg openly admits his own “bias”:

  [16:57] John Holmberg: "If I am racist, it is towards the Irish. Like, the real ones..."

• The segment lampoons performative diversity and superficial acceptance, with callbacks to movie references (Blazing Saddles).

3. Do Afghans Have Comedy?

• The group discusses the existence of Afghan comedy and sitcoms, with Brady and Holmberg playing devil’s advocate about why Americans think other cultures aren't funny or don’t have comedians.
• They pitch tongue-in-cheek ideas for Afghan sitcoms and acknowledge cultural differences in humor.

  [24:24] John Holmberg: “They don’t have comedy because... There’s no talent scouts going through Jalalabad looking for the next funny dude. But they have funny. They find things funny that we’d look at and go, what the hell is that?”

• Jokes about what an Afghani sitcom or version of 'Too Close for Comfort' would look like—more irreverent than malicious.

4. Cruise Ship Death – The Limits of “Unlimited”

• Transitioning from the Afghan story, they address a lawsuit involving a man who died after drinking 33 alcoholic drinks on a cruise’s unlimited package. His family alleges excessive force after he was restrained, but the hosts question personal responsibility.
• Debate over the concept of “unlimited” and the expectation that cruise lines should still cut people off:

  [29:32] Freddy: "Even with the unlimited drink package, you still gotta have limits, right? That’s the opposite of unlimited, my friend."

• The group recalls cruise experiences and riffs about the economics of pay-per-drink vs. unlimited packages—the conversation stays largely comic and casual.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Peaky Blinders cosplay:

  [04:31] Brett: "If you walked in here this morning dressed as a Peaky Blinders, I'd be like, go home. You're gonna get us all shot at."

• On American hypocrisy:

  [09:52] John Holmberg: "We judge people so much based on how they're dressed and what they're doing..."

• On cruise drink packages:

  [29:32] Freddy: "...you still got to have limits, right? That's the opposite of unlimited, my friend."

• Satirical “Taliban was right”:

  [22:51] John Holmberg: “Taliban. Chalk up another win for the Taliban. ... Sometimes so does Trump. You hear that's a good idea. ... Not a bad thing.”

• On ethnic stereotypes (in an intentionally provocative, joking way):

  [14:29] John Holmberg: "It's like the end of Blazing Saddles... But not the Irish."

• On hiring discrimination:

  [16:58] John Holmberg: "If I was in charge of hiring and it was between, like, a really qualified Mick hat wearer or, like, Brett ... I'm like, I can't look at a mick hat every day."

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:07] — John introduces Afghan "Peaky Blinders" arrest story
• [03:43 - 07:47] — Discussion: Would Americans react the same way to odd costumes? Peaky Blinders, Western culture, group suspicion
• [09:52 - 10:49] — Cultural policing, America’s own judgment vs. Afghanistan’s
• [12:11 - 13:51] — "Mick hat" (Irish) jokes, stereotypes, and personal anecdotes
• [23:13 - 24:47] — Afghan comedy, joking about sitcoms from different cultures
• [28:18] — Transition to cruise ship lawsuit, story details
• [29:32 - 32:43] — Unlimited drink package, responsibility, cruise culture
• [33:16] — Return to the idea of cultural policing in US vs. Afghanistan

Tone & Language

• Irreverent, satirical, and intentionally provocative
• Frequent use of sarcasm and self-deprecating humor
• Casual, conversational, sometimes veering into bits and roleplay skits
• Exaggerated takes voiced for comedic value, not as sincere advocacy

Summary Table

| Segment | Timestamp | Highlights | |----------------------------|-------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | Afghan Peaky Blinders | 02:07 – 10:49 | Arrest story, cultural norms, American hypocrisy, "Mick hat" | | Afghan Sitcom Discussion | 23:13 – 24:47 | Do Afghans have comedies? Satirical pitch of Afghan shows | | Cruise Ship Lawsuit | 28:18 – 32:43 | Unlimited drinking, personal responsibility, cruise stories |

Final Takeaway

This episode of Holmberg's Morning Sickness uses biting satire to reflect on cultural double standards—highlighting Western judgmentalism in the context of global news. While lampooning everything from American self-importance to Irish stereotypes, the hosts nudge listeners to self-awareness, using humor as both spotlight and mirror.

Note:
The episode blends current events with irreverent riffing—listeners should be prepared for sarcastic and edgy humor. Context is critical, as the crew’s provocations are designed to challenge, not reinforce, surface-level beliefs.