Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness

Episode: This Is Who We Are (February 3, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and candid episode, Kim and Penn Holderness open up about navigating the challenges of creating comedy and hope during turbulent times. Against the backdrop of recent violence in Minneapolis and widespread societal anxiety, the couple wrestle with their roles as creators, parents, and public figures. They address listener reactions to a recent post about a peaceful monks’ walk, discuss the tension between comedy and commentary, and reintroduce themselves—outlining the values and boundaries that drive their work. The episode is peppered with laughter, song parodies that never made it to air, and plenty of cookie cake.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Balancing Comedy with Heaviness (04:11–07:41)

• Kim and Penn open the show with music and light banter, quickly transitioning to the emotional weight following recent violent events in Minneapolis.
• Kim shares how she's been coping: "I've been eating nothing but gummy bears, you guys." (06:28)
• They reflect on the difficulty of producing comedy when the world feels heavy, recognizing many listeners seek their content as a respite.

2. The Monks’ Walk for Peace (07:41–09:36)

• Kim describes a deeply moving experience witnessing 19 monks walking 2300 miles from Texas to DC for peace. She encourages listeners, "If they come through your community, I beg you to go witness this." (07:51)
• The couple attended the event, noting the somber, silent atmosphere and the sense of unity among onlookers:

  Penn: "The reverence and the dead silence... that was very empowering." (09:16)

3. Public Reaction and the ‘Stay in Your Lane’ Dilemma (09:36–14:56)

• Kim shares the overwhelmingly positive feedback her social media post on the monks received, but also reads several negative comments telling them to "stick to comedy" and "don't use your account for political purposes."
• The hosts unpack what is—or isn’t—political, and their struggles with the expectation to entertain while ignoring important societal issues:

  Kim: "I was talking about a peaceful moment... and that was too political." (11:15)
  Penn: "...those people who came up to us... were saying, thank you for making us laugh during COVID... It's hard for me, too, to just do that when these things are going on." (14:46)

4. Creative Process & Internal Debate (16:00–26:17)

• In response to calls to "shut up and dance," Penn quickly writes a satirical song, "Don’t Shoot People in the Head," and the team considers producing it—balancing the impulse to respond with humor against concerns of disrespecting those affected by violence.
• The creative process involved consultations with friends, family (especially their children), and trusted peers, ultimately leading to self-restraint out of concern for safety and impact:

  Kim: "...if it made our children feel unsafe walking around in real life... it's done." (17:31)

5. Writing Parody Songs that Didn’t Air (25:06–26:17)

• Writer Anne Marie shares unused song parodies inspired by recent news, such as a “We Didn’t Start the Fire” rework:

  Anne Marie: "There was a 9 to 5 parody. 'Tumble out of bed to a tragic headline, but we have to pretend that we're fine so we smile and nod and try to come to life'..." (25:48)

• The team reflects on the delicate balance between levity and respect.

6. Reintroducing Themselves: Core Values & Mission (26:17–34:30)

• Kim and Penn, with input from Anne Marie and Sam, explicitly articulate their approach and values:
  • Never punch down.
  • Give people permission to laugh.
  • Strive to model resilience, empathy, and humor for their children and audience.
  • Faith background influences:

    Kim: "The only Bible quote I know by heart is... 'Whatever you do for the least of these, you do for me.'" (28:46)
    Penn: "...Micah 6:8: 'What does the good Lord require of you but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with your God?'..." (28:54)

  • They see laughter and compassion as coexisting forces, not opposites (31:57).
  • On disagreement:

    Penn: "I want people around who disagree with me. I want to have intelligent debate..." (31:01)

7. Listener Feedback: Joy as Resistance (34:30–36:24)

• The hosts highlight a powerful listener comment:

  Jennifer Kerner: “...Making art, even silly art, is an act of resistance. Joy is an act of resistance. The bad guys are counting on us being so exhausted by their relentless piling on that we feel guilty caring for ourselves or taking any kind of rest..." (34:37)

• Quoting Dan Savage (via Kim’s mom):

  “‘During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced at night. The dance is what kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for.’” (35:53)

8. Coping Mechanisms: Cookie Cakes, ‘Feed’ Response, and Humor (42:05–45:27)

• The segment turns playful with a discussion about the “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn” responses now joined by “feed” (comfort eating) as a modern adaptation.
• Kim reveals her habit of buying a birthday cookie cake weekly for comfort—and Anne Marie presents a surprise cake on air (44:13).
• Listener Sarah from Alabama shares a church cake mishap that gave everyone a laugh:

  Kim: "If I got to church and... it said, 'Oh, my gourd, Becky, look at that butt,' I would pay double for that." (45:27)

9. Segment Name Brainstorm & Epilogue (46:33–49:38)

• The team brainstorms a new name for Penn's usual “Three Piece Nuggets” closing segment, debating options like "crumbs of hope" and "Pen’s Chipnopsis."
• Final thoughts—Penn’s “Chipnopsis”:
  1. Doing comedy is hard right now, but that’s universally true for any job after a tough week.
  2. When debating, try to empathize with others’ perspectives, no matter their background.
  3. Sometimes bringing joy is itself an act of protest (49:22).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim: “We hope you stay for the humanity. We are human beings first. We are parents first, we are married first. And asking us to ignore what's happening in our country and in our world is just a bridge too far.” (13:53)
• Penn: "Sometimes bringing joy can be an act of protest, because that's what the people you're protesting against want to take away from you." (49:36)
• Anne Marie: “If something’s on your mind, you have to get it out of your head and put it on paper.” (25:06)
• Jennifer Kerner (Listener): “Joy is an act of resistance. The bad guys are counting on us being so exhausted by their relentless piling on that we feel guilty caring for ourselves or taking any kind of rest…” (34:37)
• Kim: “Bottom line: We’ll keep making you laugh, we promise. But we won’t pretend the world isn’t happening while we do. We’re here for joy, for laughter, and for standing with people who need it sometimes.” (33:08)

Key Timestamps

• Musical intro and mood of the episode: 03:32–04:28
• Reflections on Minneapolis events and grief: 05:53–07:41
• Monks' peace walk experience: 07:41–09:36
• Dissecting social media reactions: 09:36–14:56
• Creative process and 'stick to comedy' debate: 14:56–19:52
• Parody songwriting and ethical dilemma: 25:06–26:17
• Reintroduction of values: 26:17–31:57
• Listener feedback & ‘joy as protest’: 34:30–36:24
• Cookie cake comfort and comic relief: 42:05–45:27
• Penn’s “Chipnopsis” wrap-up (comedy, empathy, joy): 49:22–49:38

Tone and Takeaways

True to the Holderness style, the episode blends sincerity, vulnerability, and broad humor. Kim and Penn do not shy away from difficult personal feelings or societal discourse, interweaving honest reflection and their signature comedy (songs, cake banter, listener jokes). The team underscores their commitment to both laughter and humanity, inviting listeners to choose whether these values align with their own.

For those who haven’t listened:
This episode captures the real-life struggles of content creators balancing their “lane” with the pull to be authentic, especially in challenging times. It highlights the importance of community, shared values, empathy, and finding room for joy—often with a side of cookie cake.