Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: A&G Replay Friday Hour Four
Date: November 28, 2025
Podcast: Armstrong & Getty On Demand (iHeartPodcasts)
Hosts: Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This replay episode delivers Armstrong & Getty’s trademark blend of personal anecdotes, social commentary, and cultural criticism. The hour covers a sprawling set of topics, with a focus on the impact of algorithms, the decline of public libraries, ideological conformity on college campuses, and insights from marriage counseling research. The tone is irreverent, candid, and often satirical, with hosts riffing off each other and current events.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Algorithm Fatigue: Personalization Gone Too Far

Timestamps: 03:40–07:15

• The hosts discuss frustrations with YouTube and other platforms' recommendation algorithms, emphasizing the difficulty of breaking out of algorithmically-defined content bubbles.
  • Jack: Jokes about YouTube correctly guessing his age because of his niche video habits:
    "I watch restorations of World War I cigarette lighters and videos about knee pain. And that's why YouTube correctly guessed my age of 245." (04:00)
  • Joe: Wishes for a way to reset the algorithm so exploring new topics doesn't skew recommendations indefinitely:
    "I shouldn't be afraid to search on things and think, ah, I'd like to look that up, but then I'll end up with nothing but that for the next six months." (04:18)
• Both hosts fantasize about tools for user control:
  • Joe wants a page where you can check/uncheck your interests.
  • Jack agrees and predicts companies will eventually get it right but warns of ever-increasing data collection.

2. Cultural Influence: Libraries, Schools, and Ideology

Timestamps: 07:16–16:55

• Jack spotlights concerning trends in public institutions:
  • Libraries hosting blatantly political (anti-Israel) events aimed at children ("Anti Israel storytime events that teach children that Israel senselessly murdered thousands of kids in Gaza." – 08:57)
  • Joe adds that he left his local library due to an overwhelming homeless population and safety concerns.
• A detailed discussion follows on the decline of public libraries, with stats underscoring fewer visits and more safety incidents:
  • "Visits to public libraries fell by 57% in the 10 years ending in 2022." – Jack (11:07)
• The "death of the public library" is attributed primarily to libraries becoming de facto homeless shelters, with Jack citing a Free Press article and the philosophies of two prominent library trainers:
  • Ryan Dowd: Advocates empathy for the homeless, including ideas like training librarians to dispense Narcan and tolerating behaviors like public urination ("I don't care if you urinate on the Harry Potter books..." – 14:12)
  • Steve Albrecht: Emphasizes security and maintaining a welcoming environment for the broader community.
• Joe and Jack argue that activists have stealthily gained control of key public spaces, and urge ordinary citizens to "take turns watching the hen house" (i.e., become active on school/library boards).

3. The Nature of Reality & AI Companionship

Timestamps: 17:05–20:36

• Joe relates a news story about a woman "engaged" to her AI boyfriend and reflects on the increasingly blurred boundary between technology and real human connection.
  • "She shocked the Internet with her proposal announcement, sparking a wild debate about romance, reality, and just how far tech has taken us these days." – Joe (18:50)
• Jack and Joe express concern about AI fulfilling emotional needs and how this might affect society as more people—even those assumed to be "down to earth"—form meaningful, supportive connections with chatbots.

4. Social Conformity in Academia: Preference Falsification

Timestamps: 25:05–38:35

• The hosts explain "preference falsification," where individuals hide their genuine beliefs to fit in, especially in authoritarian or ideologically homogenous settings:
  • Jack reads from Glenn Reynolds on how imposed conformity works in practice: "If you do it right, you can have upward of 90% of your population hating you and your policies, but doing and saying nothing about them..." (25:42)
• Discuss a study from The Hill and Wall Street Journal:
  • 1,500 confidential interviews at Northwestern and University of Michigan showed high rates of self-censorship among students:
    • "88% said they pretended to hold more progressive views than they truly endorse to succeed socially or academically." (30:10)
    • "More than 80% said they had submitted classwork that misrepresented their views in order to align with professors." (33:35)
  • 87% of students in the study identified as exclusively heterosexual and believed in a binary gender model, contradicting the prevailing campus narrative.
    • "Practically nobody believed there’s 58 genders and you get to choose what you are. Practically nobody. 7%." – Jack (34:00)
• The impact: students are left morally confused, hiding beliefs from even close friends, with authenticity now considered socially risky:
  • "Authenticity...has become a social liability." – Jack (35:45)
  • Armstrong & Getty decry this academic climate as intellectually and emotionally damaging for young adults.

5. Marriage Counseling: The True Red Flag

Timestamps: 42:46–47:17

• Joe, skeptical of most therapy, highlights a marriage psychologist’s claim that "contempt" is the number one predictor of divorce, reflected by nonverbal cues like the one-sided mouth raise:
  • "If one member of the couple shows a one-sided mouth raise towards the other, he can tell you if they're going to get divorced because it's contempt...94% accuracy." (44:03)
• Four negative habits—criticism, contempt, defensiveness, stonewalling—are introduced, with contempt singled out as the one rarely possible to overcome:
  • "Contempt...if it's not addressed, it just festers and grows and stays at the same level." – Joe (44:48)
• Jack reads a definition: "The feeling that a person or a thing is beneath consideration, worthless, or deserving scorn. There's no coming back from that." (45:17)
• They also discuss the "lint picker" gesture and other subtle signs of contempt.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Personalization Algorithms:

  • "I shouldn't be afraid to search on things... but then I'll end up with nothing but that for the next six months." – Joe Armstrong (04:18)
  • "I'm not worried about society. I'm worried about me and the people I care about. You do not have to go along with what Silicon Valley thinks your life ought to be." – Jack Armstrong (05:58)

• On Libraries & Public Spaces:

  • "Philadelphia Public Libraries...host anti-Israel storytime events that teach children that Israel senselessly murdered thousands of kids in Gaza." – Jack Armstrong (08:57)
  • "Visits to public libraries fell by 57% in the 10 years ending in 2022." – Jack Armstrong (11:07)
  • "His [Dowd's] essential belief is that not only do the homeless have every right to spend their days in libraries, but that librarians should view their needs as a critical part of the job." – Jack Armstrong (13:31)

• On Preference Falsification & Academia:

  • "If you do it right, you can have upward of 90% of your population hating you and your policies, but doing and saying nothing about them..." – Glenn Reynolds, read by Jack Armstrong (25:42)
  • "88% said they pretended to hold more progressive views than they truly endorse to succeed socially or academically." – Jack Armstrong (30:10)
  • "Authenticity...has become a social liability." – Jack Armstrong (35:45)

• On Marriage & Contempt:

  • "If one member of the couple shows a one-sided mouth raise...he can tell you if they're going to get divorced...94% accuracy." – Joe Armstrong (44:03)
  • "Contempt...if it's not addressed, it just festers and grows and stays at the same level." – Joe Armstrong (44:48)

Segment Timestamps Guide

• Algorithm Frustration, Media Bubbles: 03:40–07:15
• Libraries & Social Ideology, Homelessness: 07:16–16:55
• AI Companionship, Tech & Reality: 17:05–20:36
• Student Conformity & Academic Freedom: 25:05–38:35
• Marriage Red Flags – Contempt: 42:46–47:17

Final Thoughts

This episode encapsulates the sharp humor and unfiltered cultural critique Armstrong & Getty are known for. The interplay between societal trends and personal anecdotes keeps the commentary relatable, whether they're lampooning algorithm-driven media, lamenting the loss of safe public spaces, or passionately defending intellectual freedom on campuses. Their reflections on marriage, too, carry the same mix of skepticism and directness, offering both caution and insight.

Listeners will find a critical yet entertaining exploration of some of today's most pressing social issues—filtered through Armstrong & Getty’s signature blend of satire and sincerity.