Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Entertainment Drill: The Biggest Pop Culture Moments of 2025

Date: December 16, 2025
Hosts: John Holmberg (Homburg), Brady Bogen, Brett Vesely, Byron (from MMP Guns), Dick Toledo, and additional cast

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the crew at Holmberg's Morning Sickness dives into 2025's most memorable and bizarre pop culture moments. The team brings their trademark irreverence to topics ranging from toy crazes and music awards to the appointment of a new Chicagoan Pope, the year's wildest celebrity antics, notable deaths, and more. Expect off-the-cuff banter, riffs on Chicago sports, and brash but good-natured roasting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Which Season Would You Take Off? (01:12–02:23)

• The show opens with a light debate about which season is best to take off from work.
• Brady wants fall for football; Holmberg jokes about summer and dealing with kids at home.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “Brady just wants to hang out with [Kirby] for three months. … Kirby doesn't even like that idea.”
    (Holmberg, 02:09)

2. The Entertainment Drill: Biggest Pop Culture Moments of 2025 (04:15–10:49)

– The Labubu Craze (04:20–04:58)

• The strange, omnipresent toy Labubu’s popularity is discussed; no one on the show has seen one in stores, but everyone's noticed them online.
• Holmberg jokes about adult attachment to the trend.
• Quote:
  • “I don't think I've ever even seen one in person. You know what it is? It's a toy.”
    (Holmberg, 04:22)

– Beyonce's Grammy Win & The White Lotus Shock (05:00–05:13)

• Beyonce winning Album of the Year at the Grammys gets a brief mention.
• The new season of White Lotus and its “brotherly love incest scenes” is noted as a remarkable/awkward cultural moment.
• Quote:
  • “Yeah, that [White Lotus] stands out.”
    (Holmberg, 05:13)

– Katy Perry Launches to Orbit (05:15–05:20)

• Katy Perry's PR stunt—literally going into orbit and calling herself an astronaut—draws sarcastic amusement.

– New Pope Leo XIV from Chicago (05:23–07:21)

• A highlight: the appointment of Pope Leo the 14th, who hails from Chicago.
• The team delivers a long, tongue-in-cheek riff as Brady does the “Pope” with a classic Chicago accent, requesting “a wet beef” and lamenting about Chicago sports.
• Notable Quotes & Segment:
  • “How you doing? I'm the Pope. God bless. Go get me a wet beef. I want a dip. A wet beef.”
    (Brady as ‘the Pope’, 05:27)
  • “That Sox ain't making any moves in free agency.”
    (Holmberg, 05:47)
  • “Thanks to the Broncos, because they're a mile high. They're the closest ones to God.”
    (Brady, 06:16)
  • “God don't go there at night.”
    (Holmberg on the south side of Chicago, 07:10)

– The Astronomer CEO & The Coldplay Affair (07:47–07:58)

• A satirical headline: an “astronomer CEO” allegedly having an affair with Coldplay, to which the crew reacts with feigned scandal.

– Jimmy Kimmel's Ousting (08:08–08:15)

• Quick reference to Jimmy Kimmel being “pulled” from TV—“because of Charlie Kirk.”
• Holmberg: “Charlie Kirk was the biggest thing that happened this year as far as… Holy crap.” (08:15)

– The Old-Fashioned Heist at the Louvre (08:19–08:35)

• Revisiting the year’s notorious Louvre art heist, which seemingly faded from headlines.
• There's banter about whether all the culprits or the stolen goods were ever recovered.
• Quote:
  • “Yeah, that kind of went away. The NBA scandal went away. The. Oh, you know why?”
    (Holmberg, 08:35)

– Celebrity Deaths: Anthony Geary & Carl Carlton (08:48–09:17)

• Tribute to Anthony Geary (of General Hospital fame) and Carl Carlton (“She’s a Bad Mama Jama”), both of whom passed away in 2025.
• Team riffs on “Bad Mama Jama,” leading to a playful digression on hit songs and music samples.
• Quote:
  • “She’s a bad mama.” – (Brady, 09:11)
  • “How has this not been sampled by a rapper…” – (Holmberg, 09:43)

– Dave Mustaine Gets His Black Belt (10:49–11:45)

• Brief congrats to Dave Mustaine, legendary musician, on earning a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
• Anecdotes about past encounters with Mustaine, including a hilarious, awkward lunch after Holmberg poked fun at him on air.
• Quotes:
  • “He's the one who arranged that. Dave's a friend, and he's upset that you make fun of him.”
    (Holmberg, 11:19)
  • “We grapple all the time. And if I scratch you, you'll get an infection like a cat. Because redheads and cats are the same.”
    (Brady, 11:06)

3. Show-Wrap Banter & Listener Engagement (12:13–12:44)

• The group reviews potential “phrases of the year,” delivered with characteristic irreverence.
• Notable Quotes:
  • “I didn't want to finish the year on an N-word. And handjobs change friendships. I mean, those are three T-shirts we should have.” (Holmberg, 12:23)
  • “Homework's morning sickness fortune cookies. Crack them open at the end of the year, and you get some of our phrases.” (Holmberg, 12:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Brady as the Pope: “Go get me a wet beef. I want a dip. A wet beef.” (05:27)
• Holmberg on Chicago baseball: “That Sox ain't making any moves in free agency.” (05:47)
• Brady on God and the Cubs: “God don't like no butt packing, gay. You go up to that Wrigley Field there. That's the world's largest gay bar.” (06:43)
• Holmberg on pop culture: “Yeah, that kind of went away. The NBA scandal went away...” (08:35)
• Music digression: “How has this not been sampled by a rapper begging for…” (Holmberg, 09:43)
• Phrase of the year: “I didn't want to finish the year on an N-word. And handjobs change friendships.” (Holmberg, 12:23)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Season-off Banter: 01:12–02:23
• Biggest Pop Culture Moments Discussion: 04:15–10:49
  • Labubu Craze: 04:20–04:58
  • Beyonce & White Lotus: 05:00–05:13
  • Katy Perry in Orbit: 05:15–05:20
  • Pope Leo XIV from Chicago: 05:23–07:21
  • Coldplay Affair: 07:47–07:58
  • Jimmy Kimmel/Charlie Kirk: 08:08–08:15
  • Louvre Heist: 08:19–08:35
  • Celebrity Deaths: 08:48–09:17
  • Dave Mustaine Black Belt: 10:49–11:45
• Wrap-up & Phrases of the Year: 12:13–12:44

Tone & Style

The conversation is rapid-fire, irreverent, and peppered with local inside jokes, brash characters, and candid, sometimes provocative humor. The hosts riff freely and poke fun at each other and the news, all in the spirit of morning show banter.

This summary delivers a full sense of the episode’s chaotic energy and captures the key pop culture reflections, running jokes, and standout soundbites for Holmberg's Morning Sickness listeners and newcomers alike.