Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Cannibalism Is Right Around The Corner

Date: October 6, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive into the current political, legal, and cultural events dominating the news cycle. The episode focuses on the U.S. government shutdown, looming Supreme Court cases (particularly around free speech and gender issues), updates on international conflicts, the AI industry’s new business deals, and quirky stories making headlines. The tone is characteristically irreverent, with a blend of dry humor, skepticism, and concern over political norms.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Government Shutdown: Indifference & "Cannibalism"

• The hosts riff on the now one-week-long government shutdown, noting its relatively low impact on the day-to-day lives of most Americans. Joe Getty jokes about "reacquiring a taste for human flesh" in response to the shutdown.

  • Quote:

    "I have bit by bit been reacquiring a taste for human flesh because the cannibalism is right around the corner, folks."
    — Joe Getty [01:30]

• They discuss poll results showing little political pressure from the public, despite media attempts to stir drama.

  • Quote:

    "The main thing being very low paying attention to it factor... If people aren't like nobody's writing their congressman over this or anything like that or marching in the street, what's the political pressure for anything to move?"
    — Jack Armstrong [07:43]

• The narrative that Republicans are being mostly blamed is questioned, as polls show mixed views and overall apathy.

2. Supreme Court: Major Cases & Constitutional Questions

• The Supreme Court's unusually busy off-season is highlighted, having handled many "emergency" decisions. Several upcoming cases could have sweeping constitutional implications:
  • Trump’s Emergency Tariffs: The legitimacy and scope of executive emergency powers on trade.
    • "That's going to be decided here ... That might be the biggest one is this whole tariff thing." — Jack Armstrong [02:35]
  • Free Speech & Gender Issues: A Colorado ban on conversion therapy is challenged on First Amendment grounds. The case pits regulations on "conversion therapy" (including talk therapy aimed at helping minors accept their biological sex) against claims of professional free speech.
    • Joe Getty is particularly passionate (and worried) about the case's outcome:

      "The lower courts ruled against Ms. Childs...The idea that talk therapy is conduct, not speech. That could get a chilly reception from the justices...I swear to God, if this goes the wrong way, I don't know what I'll do, but it will be notable."
      — Joe Getty [25:50]

  • Gender-Related Sports and Participation: The Court is expected to decide on whether boys can participate in girls’ sports.
    • "So they're going to make the final decision, I think on can boys participate in girls sports or not..."
      — Jack Armstrong [04:27]

3. International News: Middle East, Russia, & Hostage Situations

• Updates on the Israel-Hamas negotiations in Egypt, focusing on the difficulty of recovering hostages or victims’ bodies.

  • Quote:

    "That's part of what they're working on right now in Egypt is getting the, the remaining living hostages out and then the bodies of quite a few dead hostages out of there. Also Hamas said some of them, they're buried under rubble. Man, I don't know how you're going to get them out of there."
    — Jack Armstrong [09:37]

• Russian attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure make the headlines.

4. Big Tech & AI: Bubble Worries and Major Business Moves

• OpenAI and AMD have struck a massive multi-billion-dollar deal, potentially challenging Nvidia's market dominance in AI computing.
  • The hosts compare the current investment environment in AI to historical financial bubbles, wondering if it will burst.
    • "Does the AI thing ever happen or is it just these big companies investing each in each other? This could end up being, I'm not predicting this...This could end up being the biggest bubble in the history of bubbles."
      — Jack Armstrong [10:53]
  • Joe Getty muses: "You're scaring me before Halloween is even here." [11:23]

5. News Round-Up & Social Commentary (with Katie Green)

(13:25–17:45)

• Bari Weiss named CBS News Editor, lauded for her trajectory and impact on media business.
• Inside Trump-Netanyahu Exchange: Reportedly tense, with Trump telling Bibi: "Stop being so effing negative." [13:48]
  • Joe Getty quips, imitating Netanyahu: "I'm being effing realistic. Could be, replied Bibi, whether silently or out loud." [13:53]
• National Guard Disputes: Courts (including a Trump appointee) block relocation/federalization of National Guard to Oregon amid demonstrations.
• Controversial Photo: New York State Assemblyman Zoran Mandani pictured with a Ugandan official who supports anti-gay laws.
• Tech Trends: Young people romanticizing "old" tech (CDs, flip phones, digital cameras) to regain control from screens—hosts skeptical this is more than a hipster fad.
  • "I'm gonna start churning my own butter." — Jack Armstrong [16:52]
• Guns Removed from Bond Posters: Amazon deletes guns from every James Bond film poster, leading to visual oddities.
  • "That’s really gonna solve everything." — Joe Getty [17:18]
  • "Hollywood. As left as left can get. Turns out idiots violent gun toten movie after gun totem over and over again." — Joe Getty [17:18]
• Clickbait & Satire: Robot snakes in South Korea, and Babylon Bee jokes about Taylor Swift dating a "dumb hairy football jock."

6. Culture & Comedy

• Saturday Night Live (SNL):
  • Jack calls the recent episode "the least funny episode [he's] ever seen," pointing to both writing changes and political slant.
    • "I've watched nearly every episode...That was the least funny episode I've ever seen." — Jack Armstrong [19:10]
    • Joe Getty: "Weirdly, I feel compelled to check it out." [19:56]
• AI Companions:
  • A new "Friend" necklace listens and gives positive feedback—hosts joke about the loneliness of those who might buy it.
    • "If you think you have no real friends now, wait till everyone sees you talking to your necklace." — Joe Getty [18:48]

7. Mailbag & Listener Questions (33:24+)

• Listeners ask about inside jokes and running sound clips; the hosts promise to compile explanations.
• On the importance of ignoring what you dislike rather than fueling outrage cycles.
  • "Sometimes it's important to fight back, but a lot of times ignoring something makes it go away faster." — Listener Ryan [36:48]

Notable and Memorable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|--------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:30 | Joe Getty | "I have bit by bit been reacquiring a taste for human flesh because the cannibalism is right around the corner, folks."| | 03:18 | Joe Getty | "[Tariff case] is going to be enormous...there's no doubt whether you love it or hate it...Trump is pushing constitutional norms a lot."| | 10:53 | Jack Armstrong | "Does the AI thing ever happen or is it just these big companies investing each in each other? This could end up being...the biggest bubble in the history of bubbles."| | 19:10 | Jack Armstrong | "I've watched nearly every episode [of SNL]...That was the least funny episode I've ever seen." | | 25:50 | Joe Getty | "The idea that talk therapy is conduct, not speech. That could get a chilly reception from the justices...I swear to God, if this goes the wrong way, I don't know what I'll do, but it will be notable."| | 36:48 | Listener Ryan| "Sometimes it's important to fight back, but a lot of times ignoring something makes it go away faster." |

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:53 – General manager riff, setting the comedic tone
• 01:30 – Government shutdown and “cannibalism” joke
• 02:35 – Supreme Court: major upcoming cases
• 04:27 – Gender, sports, and the law
• 09:07 – Hostage update and Israel-Hamas peace talks
• 10:14 – OpenAI & AMD AI chip deal analysis
• 13:25–17:45 – News headlines roundtable w/ Katie Green
• 19:10 – Critique of SNL and cultural observations
• 20:04 – In-depth discussion: Supreme Court conversion therapy case
• 33:24–38:37 – Listener mailbag and community interaction

Tone & Style

The show is fast-paced, sarcastic, and irreverent, balancing skepticism with genuine concern for issues of free speech, medical ethics, and political liberties. Armstrong and Getty poke fun at the news, criticize both sides, and engage in conversational banter filled with pop culture and sports references.

For New Listeners

If you haven't tuned in, this episode gives you a feel for Armstrong & Getty's mix of political skepticism, cultural critique, and humor—covering everything from the Supreme Court to SNL flops and AI doom-mongering, always with a touch of absurdity and self-awareness.