Armstrong & Getty On Demand Episode: France Is A Failure At Life Date: October 22, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty tackle the theme of institutional decline, both in America and abroad, with a special focus on education, discipline, and societal standards. The conversation covers a range of topics from the effects of cell phones in classrooms, cultural shifts around discipline and "gentle parenting," to issues facing France and Europe more broadly. The hosts also dig into recent political news, including the state of US healthcare, demographic changes, and high-profile media moments related to the Biden administration.

Key Topics & Insights

1. The Crisis in American Schools: Cell Phones & Declining Standards

[00:55–10:24]

• Comprehensive Study on Banning Phones in Classrooms

  • Jack describes recent coverage on a study in Florida where banning phones improved test scores and increased library book checkouts.
  • Disciplinary actions rose initially but then dropped after year two as students adjusted.
  • Jack and Joe are incredulous that the benefit of phone bans is even up for debate.
    • "What are you talking about? ...Our media is dominated by half wits." — Jack & Joe, [02:54]

• Cultural & Ideological Shifts in School Discipline

  • Joe blames the “feminization of America,” arguing that consensus-building and gentle approaches have replaced old-fashioned discipline.
    • "We need far fewer PhDs in our schools and far more common sense." — Joe Getty, [03:10]

• Teacher Voices & the Limits of Enforcement

  • Jack wonders aloud: Are teachers forbidden from taking away students' phones? How do they cope?
    • "I couldn't do it...I'd walk over, give me your phone...And if I get fired over that, I need a new career." — Jack Armstrong, [04:57]
  • Both hosts emphasize that allowing students to watch videos in class is “insane” and erodes any possibility of real education.

• Wider Cultural Implications: Erosion of Standards

  • Joe connects lax enforcement in schools to broader issues, including tolerance of homelessness and a broader unwillingness to uphold any standards.
    • "Kids are bringing a television set into the classroom with them...That's so effing nuts." — Joe Getty, [07:09]
  • Jack points out that today’s smartphones are far more compelling than the old TVs they grew up with.

• Personal Experience with Technology Limits

  • Jack shares a recent story about restricting his own child's cell phone use, noting it only required minor logistical adjustment.
    • "We managed. It just takes a slight bit more planning...The argument of 'I can’t get a hold of my kid' is just dumb." — Jack Armstrong, [09:31]

2. France, Europe, and Demographic Decline

[10:24–11:48]; [27:23–30:54]

• Paris Crime & French Decline

  • Jack and Joe reference a $102 million jewel heist and use it as a metaphor for broader problems in France and Europe—a sense of decay, irrelevance, and cultural malaise.
    • "France is the guy you see at the 20th high school reunion who’s gone downhill...France is a failure in life." — Joe Getty, [11:10]
    • "Missing a tooth, sleeping in its car..." — Jack Armstrong, [11:39]

• European Demographics vs. Africa

  • Joe shares a jaw-dropping statistic: Nigeria will have more births this year than all of Europe combined.
    • "Nigeria wins by 7 million to 4 and a half million [births]." — Joe Getty, [29:38]
  • Host commentary ties declining fertility rates in Europe to its fading cultural influence.
    • "Western civilization...decided to stop having kids and we'll go away." — Jack Armstrong, [30:51]

• Ominous Warning on Genocide

  • Joe briefly highlights ongoing religious violence in Nigeria, underscoring that, despite demographic growth, human rights issues remain severe.

3. US Politics, Biden, and Media Narratives

[12:06–26:28]

• Healthcare System Critique

  • The hosts play a Bernie Sanders quote and strongly agree with his criticism of insurance companies profiting under Obamacare.
    • "That's Bernie Sanders being 100% correct...Obamacare has been a windfall to insurance companies." — Joe Getty, [12:11]

• KJP’s (Karine Jean-Pierre) Book Tour & Biden’s Fitness

  • Discussion about White House Press Secretary KJP’s tell-all book and her media appearances, especially with Stephen Colbert.
  • Colbert and KJP both indirectly acknowledge Biden’s decline, with Colbert admitting he saw a different Joe Biden behind closed doors.
    • "No one ever said he hasn't aged...he would make jokes about it." — KJP, [22:51]
    • "What are you people clapping about?" — Jack Armstrong, [23:32]
  • The hosts blast the media for covering up Biden’s cognitive struggles and mocking public rationalizations.
    • "Why didn't you [KJP] give me permission to say that? Which was plainly true." — Joe Getty, [24:50]
  • KJP's excuses (travel, nerves about family, a cold) fuel the hosts’ criticism.
    • "If you're that weak, you are not fit to be president." — Joe Getty, [26:06]

4. Headlines Roundup & Social Trends

[14:15–17:48]

• Current Events
  • Ukraine/Russia: Coverage of renewed Russian attacks and Trump’s refusal to pursue further talks while Russia escalates violence.
  • Education: Test scores for California students stagnate below pre-COVID levels; debate if college degrees are still necessary.
  • Tech & Youth: New app Whiz described as "Tinder for kids" raises alarm over child safety.
  • Generational Trends: “Velcro kids” glued to parents; discrepancy in when men vs. women are most affected by music in adolescence.
    • "Men peak at 16, women at 19. Gender shapes when music hits us the hardest." — Katie Green, [17:18]
  • Satire: Babylon Bee pokes fun at the ongoing White House cocaine saga.

5. Pop Culture & Persona Management: Bruce Springsteen

[19:31–21:50]

• Joe analyzes Springsteen’s career and artifice as an entertainer, claiming his “blue-collar hero” persona was carefully crafted.
  • "He's so funny, so well crafted as an entertainer. But part of his act is: I'm not an entertainer, I'm a vagabond poet from the street." — Joe Getty, [21:02]
  • Jack acknowledges this is consistent even in Springsteen’s memoir, where he admits he wasn’t truly the tough guy he portrayed.

6. Listener Interaction & Mailbag Segment

[32:11–38:26]

• Economic Philosophy

  • Quoting Bastiat on wealth redistribution, underscoring their skepticism of government taxing and spending.

• Personal and Lighter Moments

  • Listener questions about Jack’s “Ukrainian girlfriend” scammer, Katie Green’s pregnancy update (sharing candidly about morning sickness), and banter about Fauci and peanut allergies.

• Cynicism about Democracy

  • Responding to political ads and ballot measures, the hosts express frustration at manipulative messaging and the effectiveness of democracy.
    • "Democracy doesn't work, man. It just doesn't work." — Jack Armstrong, [38:16]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On declining standards in schools:

  • "What normal grandma and grandpa would say, yeah, I don't know, jury's still out whether or not it's okay to have your kid sitting there watching videos and with the earbuds in." — Jack Armstrong, [03:18]
  • "It's so insane, it makes you think: am I missing something here?" — Jack Armstrong, [05:22]

• On France and cultural decay:

  • "France is stumbling, fumbling, bumbling its way to complete irrelevance." — Joe Getty, [11:10]

• On media coverage of Biden:

  • "Did Colbert just admit that he saw the doddering, dementia ridden Biden behind the scenes and kept his mouth shut about it?" — Jack Armstrong, [23:46]
  • "If you're that weak, you are not fit to be president...How do you not comprehend that?" — Joe Getty, [26:06]

• On demographics and the future:

  • "Picture...what the world’s going to look like in 50 years, politically speaking...Nigeria wins by 7 million to 4 and a half million (births)." — Joe Getty, [29:38]

Important Timestamps

• [00:55–10:24]: Discussion on banning cell phones in classrooms; cultural and disciplinary collapse in schools.
• [10:24–11:48]: The France/jewel heist metaphor and critiques of modern France.
• [12:06–13:54]: Healthcare system critique, Bernie Sanders agreement.
• [14:15–17:48]: Headlines roundup with Katie Green—schools, tech, society.
• [19:31–21:50]: Bruce Springsteen, the artist vs. the persona.
• [22:51–26:28]: KJP’s book, Biden’s fitness, media cover-ups.
• [27:23–30:54]: Europe's declining birth rates, Nigerian demographics, religious violence.
• [32:11–38:26]: Mailbag, philosophy, listener questions, and democracy skepticism.

Tone and Language

The hosts' tone oscillates between sardonic humor, exasperation, and a deep cynicism about modern culture, institutions, and public discourse. Frequent ribbing, blunt language, and a conversational style engage listeners but underscore deep frustration with what they view as obvious, unaddressed societal failures.

For listeners seeking a critical, no-holds-barred discussion of cultural and political trends (anchored with irreverent humor), this episode offers a thorough, if at times bleak, survey of declining standards in education, the changing global order, and media hypocrisy.