Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Cool Song...I Wanna Get Drunk & Have Sex!
Date: November 12, 2025
Host: Armstrong & Getty

Episode Overview

In this candid episode, Armstrong and Getty delve into a decades-spanning reflection on American cultural shifts—particularly focusing on the impact of the 1950s-60s sexual and cultural revolutions. Prompted by a discussion of Elvis Presley’s infamous TV debut and Bruce Springsteen’s memoir, they analyze whether these changes have ultimately benefited or harmed American society, discussing the roots and ramifications of declining traditional values, shifting morality, and the challenges posed by diversity and cultural fragmentation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Elvis, The Ed Sullivan Show, & Cultural Upheaval

• 00:07: Armstrong: Sets the stage referencing a provocative song:
  “Wow, what a cool song. I want to get drunk and have sex. It's one more thing.”
• 03:36: Armstrong: Explains inspiration for topic: listening to Bruce Springsteen’s memoir describing the seismic impact of watching Elvis on Ed Sullivan as a youth. This sparks a debate on the origins and consequences of rejecting the “rules of the old.”
• 04:44: Armstrong: Questions the unquestioned celebration of the 'youth revolution':

  “Why has it always been presented that way my whole life? ... It's clearly, in my opinion, been bad for the country ever since that night in 1956 we went a different direction culturally.”

The Sexual Revolution & Cultural Change

• Armstrong and Michael debate whether anything good has resulted from the sexual revolution, aside from broader workplace opportunities for women and civil rights progress.
• 05:53: Armstrong:

  “Should we take a good long second look at the Cultural Revolution and whether or not that was a good idea?”

Who Drove the Narrative?

• 06:13: Michael: Points to dominance of “hippies, the media and education” in framing the era’s changes as definitively positive due to generational bias.
• Opinions shaped by teachers steeped in the 1960s counterculture.

Slippery Slope: From Elvis to Explicitness

• 07:51: Armstrong: Scrutinizes supposed benefits of broadcasting provocative acts:

  “What’s the advantage of having young Elvis Presley shaking his hips suggestively on television? What’s the upside?”

• Michael and Armstrong highlight the flawed logic equating modest rebellion (Elvis’ dancing) with accepting today’s explicitness (Miley Cyrus, pornography in schools).
• 08:05: Michael:

  “You couldn't keep Elvis off TV anymore...it reflects [culture] more than it leads.”

Defining Cultural Decline

• 09:24: Armstrong, referencing podcaster John Podhoretz:

  “There has been a tremendous cultural decline in this country for 60, 70 years now.”

• 09:31: Michael: Asks Armstrong to define decline; Armstrong cites declining morals, fractured family structure, and loss of shared community trust:

“You could leave your door unlocked and nobody’s going to go in...when that changes, there’s been a cultural decline of some sort.”

Liberty vs. License & The Challenge of Diversity

• 10:30: Michael: Explores difference between liberty and license, expressing nostalgia for a culture with stronger shared values:

  “If you have incredible watered down common cultural values...it becomes impossible to [draw lines]. So what you end up with is: we don’t have any standards at all. Anything goes.”

• Cites difficulty of cultural cohesion amid immigration and diversity:

  “How do I convince all those different constituencies that...no, we don’t let porn in schools.”

Where Does It Stop?

• 12:56: Armstrong: Dramatizes slippery-slope fear:

  “If not showing Elvis being suggestive dancing would keep porn from being everywhere, I’d be for keeping Elvis off the TV.”

• 16:02: Armstrong: Wonders aloud if, based on current trends, explicit sex acts on mainstream stages could become normalized within his lifetime.

Historical Contextualization & Inevitable Change?

• 13:28: Michael: Points to generational shift after WWII—kids tired of unity and self-sacrifice, seeking individualism and expression.
• Both co-hosts admit difficulty in stopping such changes once a culture moves in a certain direction.
• 14:31: Michael: Notes why social democracy works in homogeneous societies but flounders amid fragmentation.

From Ed Sullivan to Amsterdam Sex Shows—A Tangible Example

• Michael recounts (21:04-24:43) a visit to an Amsterdam live sex show, underlining the dehumanizing, unsexy reality of public sex performance as “team building” with colleagues:

  “They both had looks on their faces like they were working a shift at the drive-through at a not very good fast food place.” (22:18, Michael) “It was like, what are we doing here? ... That reminded me of how dehumanizing ‘sex work’ is.” (23:02, Michael)

A Theory: The Color TV and the Allure of Modern Life

• 25:12: Armstrong: Jokingly attributes cultural decline to the advent of color TV—life seemed more exciting, leading to new forms of rebellion.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Armstrong (04:44):

  “It's clearly, in my opinion, been bad for the country ever since that night in 1956 that we went a different direction culturally.”

• Michael (10:30):

  “Diversity is a real challenge...because if you have shared cultural values, you can have conversations about, is this too far? ... If you have incredibly watered down common cultural values such that you really don't have them anymore, it becomes impossible to have [that] discussion.”

• Armstrong (12:56):

  “If not showing Elvis being suggestive dancing would keep porn from being everywhere, I'd be for keeping Elvis off the TV.”

• Armstrong (16:02):

  “Is there any reason to think we won't have a woman performing oral sex on a dude on stage at a concert and that people cheering?”

• Michael (22:18):

  “They both had looks on their faces like they were working a shift at the drive through at a not very good fast food place. And he's chewing his gum looking like, can't wait till this is over.”

• Armstrong (25:12):

  “The decline happened when we got color TV because it made life seem more exciting. People went out, they started doing drugs and non sexual positions. So nailed it. That's exactly so. Blame color tv.”

Timestamps for Segments

• 00:07–04:44: Setting the theme—Elvis, Ed Sullivan, and paradigm shifts
• 04:44–07:51: Critiquing the legacy of the youth/sexual revolution
• 07:51–09:24: The "slippery slope" argument: where rebellion leads
• 09:24–10:30: Has the U.S. seen a moral/cultural decline?
• 10:30–12:56: Liberty vs. license and the challenge of maintaining standards in a diverse society
• 12:56–16:32: How far will explicitness go? Norm erosion and possible future scenarios
• 16:32–25:12: Amsterdam sex show anecdote illustrating the dehumanizing effect of “anything goes”
• 25:12–25:31: Armstrong’s (joking) color TV theory

Overall Tone & Style

• The conversation is irreverent, humorous, and often nostalgic, yet underpinned by genuine concern about cultural trajectory.
• Both hosts are skeptical of the legacy of 1960s-70s cultural change, questioning cherished narratives and poking fun at modern mores.
• Tone shifts between serious philosophical debate and banter, with occasional vivid anecdotes and satire.

This summary provides a comprehensive guide to the episode's arguments and memorable moments, useful for listeners or those interested in debates about American culture, media, and morality.