Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "A Resounding Chorus Of Boos"

iHeartPodcasts | September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty is a classic mix of sharp political and social commentary laced with humor. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty navigate the week’s headlines, beginning with political theater at a New York sporting event, delving into speech freedoms in America, critiquing the state of education and the power of competition, reflecting on current geopolitics (Russia/Ukraine/Trump), and griping about the sneaky difficulties of modern subscriptions and corporate fines. The show maintains its signature style: irreverent, conversational, insightful, and occasionally wryly exasperated.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Governor Hochul Booed at Ryder Cup Event

[03:50 - 05:14]

• The Ryder Cup, a high-profile golf event, kicks off at Bethpage Black, NY.
• Governor Kathy Hochul is repeatedly booed by the crowd despite formal thanks from event officials.
  • Jack Armstrong jokes about how he would remove his own name from speeches after being booed multiple times.
    • "I get up there and say, is my name in the script anymore? … How about you don't thank me anymore?" (04:09)
  • Both hosts agree: it was “a resounding chorus of boos”—not just mixed crowd noise.
• They muse on the political makeup of sports crowds and speculate this is a symptom of deep dissatisfaction with Hochul’s governance.

2. Ryder Cup’s Changing Identity

[05:14 - 07:02]

• Joe reminisces about how the mystique of international competition has faded: most European golfers now live/play in the U.S., blurring cultural lines.
  • “They play like Americans… all these guys are on TV every single week, they speak… accent-free English.” (06:33)
• Jack likens it to NBA stars representing other countries in the Olympics.

3. FCC, Speech Policing, and the Hypocrisy of Both Parties

[07:11 - 11:36]

• Conversation shifts to free speech debates: the feds pressuring broadcasters over political content, specifically referencing Jimmy Kimmel and critiques of Trump.
  • Both hosts denounce government interference in media content.
    • Joe Getty: “We don’t need the government weighing in on free speech, all right?” (08:01)
  • Democrats, the hosts note, have also pursued expanding FCC power to police misinformation, e.g., discussing actual legislative proposals to create new agencies for digital speech regulation.
    • Jack Armstrong: “They invented the whole concept of hate speech, right?” (08:31)
    • Joe Getty: “Orwell is spinning in his grave like a Black and Decker drill.” (10:44)
• The shared message: power to police speech inevitably gets abused, regardless of the party in control.

4. Competition in Education—The FedEx Parable

[11:36 - 19:46]

• The show explores John Stossel’s libertarian argument for introducing competition into public schooling, drawing on FedEx as an example of how business competition spurred the post office to improve.
  • Jack tells the legendary story of FedEx’s founder, Fred Smith, saving the fledgling company by gambling its last $5,000 in Las Vegas.
    • “He hopped a plane and he went to Vegas… and won enough money to pay the bills for another week. And FedEx picked up some more venture capital and took off.” (17:16)
  • The story is both a celebration of American entrepreneurial grit and a commentary on how such stories are uniquely possible in the U.S.
    • “You can't do that almost anywhere else in the world.” (18:44)

5. Russia, Ukraine, and Trump’s Shifting Rhetoric

[21:49 - 29:15]

• News recaps: Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s warnings to Russia; discussion of Trump’s recent remarks about Ukraine’s chances and Russian military weakness.
  • Hosts critique Trump’s odd tone—wishing “good luck to both countries,” despite only supporting one—and muse on his style of instinct-driven foreign policy.
    • Jack Armstrong: “What is that? Good luck to all. Good luck to both countries. One country is evil and started the whole thing… Why are you wishing them luck?” (24:42)
    • Joe Getty: “He thinks he can instinct his [way], and it takes him months and months… to realize, oh, Putin never negotiates in good faith.” (25:15)
• They discuss the unpredictability of the war, the threat of escalation, and Finland’s entry to NATO as a regional stabilizer.
  • Alexander Stubb (Finland’s leader): “We are a security provider, not a security consumer. In NATO, we take care of the northeastern flank of Europe together with America.” (29:59)

6. Corporate Trickery: Cancelling Subscriptions & Amazon’s Record Fine

[34:27 - 39:01]

• The hosts rail against companies making cancellations difficult (gyms, telecoms, Prime subscriptions).
  • Jack Armstrong: “You can sign up for it here, but you can't cancel it… You're hoping I can't or won't.” (36:06)
  • Joe Getty jokes they need a government agency just to test and enforce cancel procedures.
• Amazon’s $2.5 billion FTC fine is discussed as a rare case where such practices crossed into illegality.

7. Tax Code Changes: Roth IRAs & 401k Catch-Up Contributions

[39:01 - 39:42]

• New rules mean high earners can no longer make certain pre-tax “catch-up” contributions; will need to use post-tax Roth accounts instead.
  • The hosts bemoan the complexity and ever-shifting nature of the tax code.

8. Final Thoughts, Humor, and Universal Wisdom

[39:50 - 41:54]

• A round of light-hearted reflections: forgotten subscriptions, a complaint about infuriating return policies (Snuggie anecdote), and a universal human instinct (“if you want to know if something’s alive, you poke it with a stick”).
  • Joe Getty: “Everywhere on Earth… if you want to figure out if something’s alive or not, you poke it with a stick. That’s right, universal.” (41:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jack Armstrong, on Hochul being booed:
  “Every time I get thanked, it’s a resounding chorus of boos. So one, three times.” (04:37)
• Joe Getty, on speech policing:
  “We don’t need the government weighing in on free speech, all right? And there’s no such thing as hate speech. That’s a non-existent thing.” (08:01)
• Jack Armstrong, on education reform:
  “When you found out, wow, you’re telling me for like 10% of the money all the kids can be proficient in reading and math and I’ll be darned.” (15:47)
• On the FedEx origin story:
  “He hopped a plane and he went to Vegas and he played blackjack. And he won enough money to pay the bills for another week.” (17:16)
• Joe Getty, on immigrants and entrepreneurship:
  “Well, if you can contribute and you’re going to work hard and you’re going to value this country, welcome my friend.” (19:07)
• On Trump’s ‘good luck to all’ in Ukraine:
  “What is that? Good luck to all. Good luck to both countries. One country is evil and started the whole thing… Why are you wishing them luck?” (24:42)
• Alexander Stubb (Finland):
  “We’re a security provider, not a security consumer.” (30:27)
• Jack Armstrong, on return policies:
  “It shows up in a cardboard box. With no label, no paperwork, no nothing. Who are you gonna send it back to? How? What?” (41:12)
• Joe Getty, on poking things with sticks:
  “Everywhere on Earth… if you want to figure out if something’s alive… you poke it with a stick. That’s right, universal.” (41:54)

Segment Timestamps

• [01:28] – Teasers: Obama marriage gossip; Trump/Kimmel/FCC; sports openers
• [03:50] – Governor Hochul’s Ryder Cup Booing
• [05:14] – Ryder Cup’s international flavor and changes
• [07:11] – FCC, Jimmy Kimmel, and free speech policing past and present
• [11:36] – Stossel’s case for school competition; FedEx survival story
• [17:16] – Fred Smith’s Las Vegas gamble saves FedEx
• [21:49] – Russia/Ukraine, Trump’s messaging, NATO (incl. Finland’s perspective)
• [34:27] – Corporate tactics: canceling subscriptions & Amazon’s Prime fine
• [39:01] – Changes to 401k/Roth IRA catch-up rules
• [39:50] – Final thoughts, jokes, and closing wisdom

Tone & Style

The Armstrong & Getty trademark blend is on full display: fast-paced, candid, with dry wit and common-sense skepticism. Whether dissecting politics, policy, or poking fun at themselves and their producers, the conversation remains approachable yet sharp—perfect for listeners seeking clarity with some comic relief.

For New Listeners

This episode is a standout for covering a little bit of everything: political theater, current affairs, libertarian principles, entrepreneurship, international tensions, and the frustrations of modern life—all with a unique blend of humor and insight.

No outrage, no hysteria—just Armstrong & Getty’s resounding chorus of real talk.