Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Boy Oh Boy...Boys!!
Date: January 22, 2026

Overview

In this episode, Armstrong & Getty delve into two interconnected yet distinct topics concerning young men today: one serious and one absurd. They begin with a deep dive into the rise of alienated, angry young men gravitating toward extreme online subcultures and conspiracy-laden politics, before shifting to the bizarre and sometimes dangerous world of "looksmaxing"—where adolescent boys take drastic, even self-harming measures in pursuit of unattainable physical ideals.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Alienation of Young Men and Alt-Right Radicalization

[00:10–06:21]

• Influencers & Ragebait
  The hosts discuss viral videos of Nick Fuentes and associates openly celebrating Nazi iconography and seeking attention online. This behavior is dismissed as “human rage bait” and “engagement bait.”

  • Getty: "They are human rage bait.” (01:11)
  • Armstrong: “To the extent that...people particularly, who are into it and follow that, I don’t just want to yell at them that you’re stupid...I would like to understand them.” (01:14)

• A Systemic Perspective
  Armstrong reads from an essay analyzing the disaffection of young male Trump supporters.
  Key points from the essay:

  • Progressive institutions racialized discourse and demonized traditional male traits—leading to “a widespread kind of non coherent mood of distrust.”
  • Distrust is summarized as:
    1. Nothing works anymore.
    2. The system is rigged.
    3. The people in charge hate us.
    4. All causes are just more schemes to "bleed the country dry."
  • Armstrong reflects on how a lifetime of being told one is “inherently suspect” can damage young men’s sense of self.
    • Armstrong: “If I had been raised and schooled in that...that environment, it would end it very, very badly.” (02:44)

• Emotional Impact of Societal Narratives

  • Charlie: "If somebody keeps telling you over and over again, you should be upset and miserable...even though the reality is you live in a perfectly fine house..." (03:27)
  • Armstrong: “You’re told you’re a piece of crap because you’re masculine, and especially if you’re white, your entire life...where would that leave you?” (03:53)

• Sexual Alienation & College Culture
  The hosts discuss modern sexual politics, referencing cases where young men have been expelled from college without due process.

  • Armstrong: "If you put your hand on top of a girl's hand, that's sexual assault, unless you've gotten her permission..." (04:33)
  • Charlie: “…you’re discovering, kicked out of college based...on her word with no investigation...” (04:54)

• The Resulting Generation

  • Armstrong: "I apologize. I really do. We should have been better. And number two, I wonder if this generation will be written about like the lost generation..." (06:00)
  • Charlie: “Add in some porn addiction, a couple other things, and man, it just gets bad fast.” (06:21)

2. Looksmaxing: Desperation and Dangerous Trends

[07:00–16:41]

• Self-Destructive Beauty Trends
  Armstrong brings up the “looksmaxing” subculture, where young boys modify their bodies to fit extreme beauty standards. Methods include:

  • Jawline “sculpting” through special exercises or gadgets
  • “Bone smashing” (hitting oneself in the face with a hammer to change bone shape)
  • Injecting feet with fillers to appear taller
  • Armstrong: “Gabriel Blank was 13 when he became obsessed with improving his looks...he started bone smashing…” (07:43)
  • Armstrong quotes Gabriel: “I got a permanent swelling...but it looked good.” (08:31)

• The Absurdity of Extreme Measures

  • Charlie: “I feel like a human that hits themselves in the face with a hammer...there’s gotta be a Darwin thing there...” (08:44)
  • Armstrong: "The crime is its own punishment." (08:46)

• Looksmaxing Forums and Peer Pressure
  Boys, some as young as 14, exchange advice ranging from benign tips to life-threatening ones.

  • A forum post: "So I started meth like a week ago because I wanted to get hollow cheeks. But now my heart has been acting really, really weird..." (10:36)
  • Charlie: “I just think this is natural selection.” (11:01)

• Brutal Appearance Rating Scales

  • Armstrong describes the PSL (PUA, SlutHate, Lookism) scale, where young men request to be "rated brutally" by strangers online.
    • Armstrong: “One of the first posts I saw was from a 14 year old boy who was asking to be rated brutally. He added he was told to get a skull transplant.” (11:46)
  • Charlie: “Who wants that opinion in your head for the rest of your life? What a weird thing to do.” (12:05)

• The Core Belief: Physical Appearance as Destiny
  On these forums, young men internalize that only "Chads" have success with women or careers, and women are only interested in "the most attractive men."

  • Armstrong: “Being outstandingly physically attractive is the only path to a successful career or a good social life...in these forums, men seem to accept the idea that women are hypergamous by nature...” (12:23)

• Contrasting Perspectives from Real Dating Sites
  Charlie offers a counterpoint: many women on dating sites express interest in “regular” men or “dad bods,” not just the “Chads.”

  • “There's tons of women who say looking for a dad bod don’t need to be...Just want a regular guy who's nice to me. You see that sort of thing a lot.” (14:37)

• Humorous Take on Looksmaxing Rituals
  The hosts mock the various devices and routines:

  • Charlie: “Are they chomping down? And then I need that, the apparatus I wear on my head that I’m just going to start wearing around because that'll definitely help me get dates, right?” (13:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Alienation:

  • Armstrong: "If I had been raised and schooled in that...that environment, it would end very, very badly." (02:44)
  • Armstrong: "Oh, my God, did we fall asleep at the switch, letting our education system become that." (04:12)

• On Looksmaxing Extremes:

  • Armstrong: "The crime is its own punishment." (08:46)
  • Armstrong: "One of the first posts I saw was from a 14 year old boy...he was told to get a skull transplant." (11:46)
  • Charlie: "Who wants random idiots'...opinion in your head for the rest of your life? What a weird thing to do." (12:05)

• Wry Humor:

  • Armstrong: “Well, then do your Masai jumps and get a little taller and you’ll be in tall clover.” (14:16)
  • Armstrong: “Imagine being subhuman and dreaming of chadhood all the day long.” (16:09)
  • Charlie: "Son, your mom and I want to talk to you. Stop hitting yourself in the face with a hammer." (16:43)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Video of Fuentes & Nazi Meme Culture: 00:39–01:11
• Analysis of Young Men’s Alienation: 01:32–04:12
• Discussion of Sexual Politics & College: 04:23–05:57
• Reflections on Generational Impact: 06:00–06:21
• Introduction to Looksmaxing: 07:00–07:43
• Bone Smashing & Self-Harm: 08:06–09:14
• Face Rating Forums & Unhealthy Standards: 10:34–12:23
• Online Dating, 'Chads', and Dad Bods: 14:16–15:09
• Subhuman vs. Chad Scale & “Influencers”: 15:09–16:09
• Closing Humor: 16:31–16:43

Episode Tone

The episode oscillates between serious concern, exasperation, and biting sarcasm. Armstrong & Getty blend empathy for disaffected young men with incredulity and mocking wit, especially when skewering the absurdities of online beauty subcultures.

This summary captures the core discussions and the episode's distinct blend of critical reflection, skepticism, and comic relief.