Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "Don't Sit On Me!"
Date: October 10, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Producer/Guests: Mike Hansen, Katie Green (news), Katie Porter (briefly featured)
Episode Overview
In "Don't Sit On Me!", Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty tackle a wide array of topics ranging from the credibility and meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize (with a special nod to Donald Trump's latest ambitions), to current headlines—including a pivotal Middle East peace deal, AI fears, celebrity gaffes, and a viral baseball blunder. The episode is characteristically irreverent, mixing sharp commentary with their signature humor, while also including thought-provoking analysis, notably an in-depth discussion of Peggy Noonan’s take on Trump’s Middle East strategy. The hosts also reflect on failure, resilience, and the peculiarities of fame and recognition.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Nobel "Piece of Crap": On the Prestige of the Peace Prize
[00:41–06:05]
- Hosts mock the selection process for the Nobel Peace Prize, questioning its current significance.
- Joe: "You know who chooses the winner? Five Norwegian jackasses." [01:31]
- Jack: "It's five Norwegian jackasses. Anybody can be nominated...I mean, it’s like a $25 fee or was at the time." [01:43]
- Recalling the media hype around Trump’s anticipation of the award, and comparing it to Obama’s controversial win.
- Philosophical turn:
- Joe cites Neil Ferguson: “Really, after high school, you shouldn’t be worried about awards. The achievement is the award.” [02:31]
- Conversation about Trump’s interest in awards and public recognition.
- Discussion on the subjective and political nature of awards like the Nobel and Pulitzer Prizes:
- Joe: "It's just overrated as a thing. It's like the Pulitzer Prize for journalism. It’s the woke Pulitzer folks saying, yeah, you argued my point of view real well, so I’m going to give it to you.” [06:05]
2. Trump, War, and Peace: Personalities and Policy
[03:14–08:02]
- The hosts reflect on Trump’s motivations and attitudes toward conflict.
- Jack: "He seems to be, like, really bothered by death in wars and stuff like that...I wonder as an old man, if he isn’t, you know, in that stage of life where...It just seems so awful that it ever has to happen. And he wants to stop these wars wherever he can." [04:29–05:09]
- On growing older and reevaluating the rationale for war and sacrifice:
- Joe: "It takes a little life experience and a little perspective to understand what you are sacrificing. You’re sacrificing everything that happens after that age." [05:09]
- Reflection on the paradoxical status of the Nobel: Tony Blair's quip that winning it might mean you failed in your mission.
3. Baseball Blunders & Life’s Public Failures
[08:16–13:33]
- Analysis of a pivotal Dodgers playoff game, where a major league pitcher commits a “Little League” error.
- Jack: “…the sort of error I make playing little league baseball. And all your play. The other players look at you like, how did you do that, Jack? Good lord, why are you on my team? Baseball player did it.” [08:45]
- The psychologists of failure, embarrassment, and moving past public mistakes:
- Joe: "If John Wilkes Booth was still alive, how often do you think they’d ask him about acting? Never is the answer. Never. It’d be shooting Lincoln. This is your shooting Lincoln. Okay.” [11:13]
- Parallels drawn between sports failure and high-stakes mistakes in life, like work or relationships.
- Joe: "You’ve just closed a zillion dollar deal...and you text your boss what an a hole this guy is. But you accidentally text the client...and lose the deal." [12:59]
4. News Rundown With Katie Green
[15:10–17:55]
- Key headlines discussed:
- Israel-Gaza ceasefire and U.S. troop deployments: "So one of the most amazing parts...is Israel pulling out (of) Gaza...and we’re sending a couple of hundred U.S. troops." [15:26–16:05]
- Trump’s physical exam and the expected hyperbolic statements about his health.
- Growing rate of Americans falling behind on car payments: "We're going to dive deep into this. It's like record setting, falling behind..." [16:47]
- Odd human-interest and lighter stories, including a man stealing lottery tickets and “corgasms” triggered by exercise.
5. Peggy Noonan, Trump, & Peace in the Middle East: Deep Dive
[23:27–32:25]
- Joe highlights Peggy Noonan’s WSJ analysis breaking down Trump’s unconventional method for approaching the Israel-Hamas peace deal:
- Joe: “He said, you agree to the basics, right? You agree to the basics, right? We have an agreement. We’re gonna hash out the details. But if anybody flakes, I’m gonna kill you. In essence, that's a gross oversimplification, but that's essentially the way it went. And it’s...very real estate developer-ish.” [23:36]
- The advantage of Trump’s lack of ideological baggage:
- Jack: "He has none of that. It’s just making a deal, with all of that extraneous stuff not involved." [24:53]
- Peggy Noonan’s take (as read by Joe, [25:39–29:16]):
- “I want to pay tribute to the wonderful creative insanity Donald Trump can display on the international front...He looked (at) the whole complicated picture…and said, that’s fabulous beachfront property going to waste. We can build a luxury resort…” [26:16]
- “Because it was absurdist. It changed the picture you have in your head. It was a reorienting thought…In his insane way he was saying, imagine it differently. And for a second you did.” [27:16]
- On the power of the “idiotic idea,” and how sometimes breaking convention offers hope or a new path forward.
- Philosophical reflections on negotiating strategy, change, imagination, and the effects of thinking outside global “paradigms.”
6. Growth, Comfort, and Change
[34:24–35:10]
- Joe shares a "freedom loving quote": "Growth and comfort do not coexist." [34:39]
- Jack: "That’s the want-to-write-them-down-and-carry-them-in-my-pocket variety." [34:49]
- Discussion on the necessity of discomfort for meaningful personal and societal progress.
7. Listener Mailbag, Humor, and Cultural Silliness
[35:10–38:25]
- Answers to listener emails about identity politics and the cancellation of public figures.
- Joking banter about Katie Porter’s reputation and derisive nicknames.
- Commentary on Republican messaging weaknesses.
Notable Quotes & Moments
-
On the Nobel Peace Prize:
"You know who chooses the winner? Five Norwegian jackasses."
— Joe Getty [01:31] -
On seeking recognition as an adult:
“Really, after high school, you shouldn’t be worried about awards. The achievement is the award.”
— Quoting Niall Ferguson, via Joe Getty [02:31] -
On failure and resilience:
"If John Wilkes Booth was still alive, how often do you think they'd ask him about acting? Never is the answer. Never. It'd be shooting Lincoln. This is your shooting Lincoln. Okay."
— Joe Getty [11:13] -
Peggy Noonan (read by Joe):
“Because it was absurdist. It changed the picture you have in your head. It was a reorienting thought…In his insane way he was saying, imagine it differently.”
— Joe Getty reading Peggy Noonan [27:16] -
On growth and risk:
“Growth and comfort do not coexist.”
— Quoted by Joe Getty [34:39]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Nobel Peace Prize satire and Trump’s ambitions: 00:41–06:05
- Reflection on Trump, war, and aging perspectives: 03:14–08:02
- Major League Baseball blunder & analogies to life’s public failures: 08:16–13:33
- News highlights w/ Katie Green: 15:10–17:55
- Clips of the Week montage: 20:13–23:27
- Deep dive on Trump, the “deal,” and Peggy Noonan: 23:27–32:25
- Freedom loving quote (“Growth and comfort do not coexist”): 34:24–35:10
- Listener mailbag and light commentary: 35:10–38:25
Tone & Style
The episode is high-energy, irreverent, and often sarcastic, mixing serious analysis with comedic asides and barbed commentary. Armstrong and Getty favor quick, witty exchanges, often lampooning media, politics, and even themselves, while occasionally pausing for genuine insight—especially around the psychological roots of current events and public discourse.
For New Listeners
This summary provides all the major themes and insights from this Armstrong & Getty episode—balancing satire, skepticism, and sharp commentary on awards, political process, leadership style, failure, and hope. Not only will you find their take on the day's news, but also their reflections on the quirks of humanity—both in the headlines and behind the scenes.