Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: "Did You Just Call Me 'The Fat One?'"
Date: February 9, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty
Producer/Staff Commentary: Katie Green, Michaelangelo
Episode Overview
In this lively episode, Armstrong and Getty blend sharp political analysis, media criticism, and classic Super Bowl banter, with a humorous discussion on food guilt and cultural moments from the big game. The show’s main segments range from the evolving narrative around missing persons and law enforcement rhetoric to deep dives into the flaws of modern journalism and the changing landscape of American politics, especially in relation to upcoming elections and media crises.
Key Topics & Discussion Highlights
1. Media Handling of Missing Persons Cases
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Opening Segment [03:17 – 05:22]
- The hosts discuss reports about an ongoing missing persons case.
- Skepticism towards law enforcement's focus on "hope" in their public statements:
"Ain't interested in hope as a strategy. Let's just go with likelihoods, facts, etc." — Jack Armstrong [03:25]
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Debate over whether authorities should publicly express hope or stick to facts:
"I just think until you know somebody's dead, you proceed as if they're alive." — Joe Getty [04:02]
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Speculation on ransom and criminal strategy:
"All the experts are saying, this is not like any ransom situation we've ever dealt with... None of that is happening right." — Jack Armstrong [05:05]
2. Political Parties Swap Positions on Nationalizing Elections
- Sarah Isger Commentary [06:59 – 08:15]
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Jack highlights Sarah Isger’s ABC analysis on Trump suggesting the nationalization of elections.
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Isger’s quote on party hypocrisy:
"We're seeing both parties switch sides. It had actually been the Democratic Party that had been in favor of nationalizing voter registration... And so once again, we see both sides switch." — Sarah Isger (via Armstrong) [07:31]
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Hosts reflect on exhausting nature of political flip-flopping:
"It's just exhausting." — Joe Getty [08:29]
"It is exhausting." — Jack Armstrong [08:30]
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3. Super Bowl (Food, Culture, and Critique)
- Super Bowl Banter [05:30 – 10:01; 25:48 – 27:07]
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Jack shares Chris Collinsworth's football commentary:
"If you can't stop a four-man rush, you're not going to win." [05:37]
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Food confessions—ribs, pizza, and the delusion of 'earning' cheat days with exercise:
"I exercise before your big eating days. I feel like that might not work the way I think it works." — Jack Armstrong [09:28]
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Mike Tyson’s nutrition advice (audio clip):
"We're drinking and eating so much sugar, that's even becoming narcotic... addicted to sugar..." — Mike Tyson [14:34]
"That is words live by, Mike. That's words to live by." — Joe Getty [14:55] -
Super Bowl halftime show discussed:
- Critique of Green Day’s "American Idiot" (anti-Bush) and Bad Bunny’s inclusion; confusion and generational gap felt by hosts on latter:
“Why is Green Day singing American Idiot? ... It was a staunchly anti George Bush, I'm ashamed of my country anthem..." — Joe Getty [18:07] “I don't know no Bad Bunny song.” — Jack Armstrong [42:17]
- Critique of Green Day’s "American Idiot" (anti-Bush) and Bad Bunny’s inclusion; confusion and generational gap felt by hosts on latter:
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Audience reactions and players' unfamiliarity with Bad Bunny:
"Seattle Seahawks players asked their favorite Bad Bunny song and ... all the people interviewed there said, I don't have one. I don't know who that is." — Jack Armstrong [42:30]
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4. Uber Liability & Social Media Lawsuits
- Recent Uber Lawsuit [10:01 – 13:34]
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Jury awarded damages against Uber after a sexual assault by a driver. Discussion explores corporate responsibility, rarity of such events, and legal precedent.
"Expecting perfection—God. How many Uber drivers there are in the country?... Might be impossible." — Jack Armstrong [11:12]
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Comparison drawn to other industries (McDonald’s, etc.), complexity of company liability.
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Brief mention of upcoming social media trial and juries’ tendencies to punish large corporations regardless of strict scientific causality.
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5. Critique of Modern Media & Journalism
- Decline of Washington Post & Journalism [28:06 – 39:10]
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Hosts reflect on the irrelevance and partisanship of the Washington Post:
"Almost entirely. Not just like Democrats, but like the woke left pulling their hair out over how awful this is." — Jack Armstrong [28:23]
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Peggy Noonan’s Wall Street Journal column cited:
"I fear sometimes that few people really care about journalism, but we are dead without it." — Peggy Noonan (read by Armstrong) [30:48]
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On changing business models and audience desires:
"As a business model, there's just no point in even trying to start a newspaper. We're going to be fair to both sides... There's just not really a crowd for that." — Jack Armstrong [38:29]
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Journalist career path compared to that of becoming a doctor, with criticism for the new, elite, college-to-column pipeline:
"Now you come out of Columbia at age 22 with these ridiculous fantasy Marxist beliefs... it's a completely different profession." — Joe Getty [35:24]
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6. Political Skill & the California Political Machine
- Matt Iglesias on Newsom & Harris [18:34 – 22:13; 27:07 – 27:59]
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Iglesias’s metaphor: Democrats often vault candidates like Kamala Harris or Gavin Newsom who’ve only ever run in non-competitive states, likening it to “making the Super Bowl without ever beating top teams.”
"A politician can achieve an extremely prominent role... without ever winning a hard race against a Republican." — Matt Iglesias (via Joe Getty) [21:01]
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Critique of party overemphasis on demographics:
"The rest of us are not obsessed with intersectionality like you are." — Joe Getty [27:27] "If you believe in the founding principles ... I don't freaking care at all." — Jack Armstrong [27:32]
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7. Miscellaneous and Cultural Side Currents
- Quick Commentary:
- Discussion of Olympic coverage and gendered ski courses [22:13 – 22:35]
- Reference to bizarre headlines (RFK Jr. and Epstein) [05:22]
- Jokes about Spanish becoming the new normal in American culture, wry commentary on the Super Bowl’s outreach:
“And now we're all speaking Spanish.” — Jack Armstrong [39:12]
Notable Quotes and Moments
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On Hope as a Strategy:
"Ain't interested in hope as a strategy. Let's just go with likelihoods, facts, etc."
— Jack Armstrong [03:25] -
On Media Partisanship:
"You're the only people that care that the Washington Post is going away. Woke lefties, the rest of us are a combination of 'I don't read it anyway' or 'I'm glad it's going away.'"
— Jack Armstrong [28:23] -
On Uber Liability:
"How many Uber drivers are there in the country? ... And you have to get not one employee that ever does this sort of thing? Might be impossible."
— Jack Armstrong [11:12] -
On Bad Bunny & the Generational Divide:
"I don't know no Bad Bunny song."
— Jack Armstrong [42:17] -
On Super Bowl Halftime Shows of Old:
"You don't remember the Super Bowl halftime shows of the 80s...bunch of young, fresh faced people smiling and dancing to pop music with people."
— Jack Armstrong [46:21] -
Peggy Noonan's Journalistic Warning:
"I fear sometimes that few people really care about journalism, but we are dead without it."
— Peggy Noonan (read by Jack Armstrong) [30:48]
Timestamps for Major Segments
- [03:17]–[05:22] — Missing Persons Case & Law Enforcement Rhetoric
- [06:59]–[08:15] — Sarah Isger on Nationalizing Elections
- [09:08]–[10:01] — Super Bowl Food & Personal Health
- [10:01]–[13:34] — Uber Sexual Assault Case & Liability
- [18:07]–[18:34] — Green Day/Band Bunny, Super Bowl Halftime Critique
- [18:34]–[22:13] — Matt Iglesias on Democrats’ Candidate Pipeline
- [27:07]–[27:59] — Intersectionality & Demographic Politics
- [28:06]–[39:10] — Washington Post & Media Decline
- [42:11]–[43:18] — Bad Bunny/Generational Disconnect
- [45:06]–[46:46] — Final Thoughts and Lighthearted Super Bowl Banter
Tone & Style
- Sarcastic, irreverent, conversational
- Deeply skeptical toward political and media institutions
- Frequent use of humor, asides, and cultural references
Summary for New Listeners
This episode is a microcosm of classic Armstrong and Getty: a bracing mix of timely news, political skepticism, pop culture irreverence, and food guilt confessions. The hosts deliver wide-ranging conversation moving seamlessly from sober topics—systemic media disintegration, legal liabilities, electoral politics—to giddy banter about Super Bowl snacks, awkward halftime shows, and generational musical touchstones. Throughout, Jack and Joe remain true to their trademark blend of cynicism, humor, and pointed questioning that challenges conventional narratives in politics and media.
For more: Visit armstrongandgetty.com for clips, links, and follow-up resources.