Armstrong & Getty On Demand – “Get Your Cosmic Grove On!”
Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Episode Overview
This episode of Armstrong & Getty navigates a wide range of current events and personal stories with their trademark blend of irreverence and insight. The main themes include reflections on travel (especially Joe’s recent trip to England), commentary on violent crime and media narratives, the persistence of "woke" and progressive ideology in schools, U.S. foreign policy and global power dynamics—especially concerning China, and a candid discussion of gender ideology featuring a somber interview clip with Elon Musk and Jordan Peterson. Interspersed are engaging tangents on food, books, and the universal constancy of human complaints.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Labor Day Crime Stats and Media Narratives
[03:29–04:13]
- Chicago shootings: Jack shares stats—58 shot, 8 dead over Labor Day in Chicago, contrasting this with last year's higher toll, and notes the media's focus on criticizing Trump over potential National Guard involvement.
"The headline for mainstream media is how dare Trump send the National Guard?" – Jack Armstrong [03:29]
- Joe points out that the idea of “crime is down” relies on a very selective perspective:
“Nobody thinks that way but lefty advocates and the media.” – Joe Getty [04:00]
2. Travel Tales: England, Stonehenge, and Reflections on History
[04:13–12:23]
- Joe's England trip: Joe details his walking adventures in London and Cambridge, praising their efficient train system (“the next train was literally in one minute” [05:49]).
- Tourism and British economy: Britain is densely packed with global tourists, he notes—possibly even more so because of current US political tensions.
- King’s College Chapel, Cromwell, and Art Destruction: Visiting King’s College and its immense stained glass leads to musings on Cromwell's iconoclasm and historical parallels to the Taliban:
"He was also a Puritan and very much like the Taliban... they literally shot the faces off of...religious statuary." – Joe Getty [07:33]
- Stonehenge Mystique: A sense of awe at humanity’s long fascination with Stonehenge, despite no one really knowing its purpose.
"I did stand there feeling a bit of awe... people keep coming back to this spot and trying to get some sort of cosmic groove on..." – Joe Getty [09:13]
- Roman Baths and Human Nature: Most ancient offerings “to the goddess” were complaints about mundane theft—proof that humans haven’t changed much.
“The oldest known writing on Earth was like, dude, what are you trying to pull here?” – Joe Getty [12:12]
3. Global Power Struggles & US Policy
[13:19–15:35; 19:56–32:47]
- Venezuela & Hemisphere Influence: Satirical analysis of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s “over-the-top” warnings about US naval presence, poking fun at his hyperbole ("Fat Maduro, the communist scumbag dictator kleptocrat...") and referencing Ian Bremmer’s prediction of possible US military strikes [13:49–14:57].
- China-led Global Summit: Jack and Joe note the significance of recent summits involving China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, India, etc., and muse about a shifting world order:
"That era is over. And they might be right. I'm not looking forward to it." – Jack Armstrong [28:03]
- China's Infrastructure & Nationalism: Admiration for China's engineering feats and rapid construction is mingled with concerns about anti-Japan propaganda and "stirring up nationalism" through film and media.
"They're really whipping up the nationalism, anti-US, anti-Japan hate..." – Jack Armstrong [31:01]
4. US Cultural Trends: Education, Wokeness, and National Self-Perception
[32:06–36:32]
- Joe laments that while China is instilling patriotism, “we're teaching our children to hate their country and to believe that it probably ought to be torn down” [32:06].
- Land Acknowledgments and Pronouns in Schools: Jack’s “land acknowledgment” and pronoun form story highlights the expansion of progressive education protocols in public schools.
"Who benefits? Is there one human being whose life is made even slightly better by a land acknowledgment?" – Jack Armstrong [35:45]
5. Gender Ideology & The 'Woke Mind Virus' Debate
[20:10–24:44]
- Elon Musk’s Family & Gender Transition Crisis: The hosts play a revealing clip where Elon Musk (with Jordan Peterson) discusses feeling manipulated into Grünfeld’s transition and the devastation that followed:
"So my son Xavier is dead. Killed by the woke mind virus." – Elon Musk [23:39] “You work on these kids forever... trying to convince them that... they can change their sex. Then you tell the parents if you don't do this, the kid will kill themselves.” – Joe Getty [24:29]
- The hosts express profound concern for how progressive institutions approach gender transition among minors.
6. Human Nature: Universal Complaint & Enduring Grievance
[12:23–13:19]
- Wry humor emerges in recounting how humanity’s oldest writings—whether from ancient baths or cuneiform tablets—are, in essence, formal complaints.
7. Books, Art, and the Value of Difficulty
[36:32–47:42]
- Jack and Joe share thoughts on novels and the challenge/enjoyment of reading complex works like Martin Amis’s London Fields and James Joyce’s Ulysses.
"I had to look up one to two words, virtually every page." – Joe Getty on Amis [37:21] "I'm loving it. I'm like absolutely freaking loving it. Probably the best thing I've ever read." – Jack Armstrong on Ulysses [39:10]
8. Food, Health, and American Excess
[39:24–40:36]
- Jack marvels at the calorie counts in Southern food:
"2990 is the calories... 3,000 calories for one plate of food. Barbaric." – Jack Armstrong [39:58]
9. Sports and Culture
[43:59–45:24]
- Brief discussion on Amazon's policy against beer ads and the NFL expanding Thursday Night Football, including a game in Brazil.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On the unchanging nature of humanity:
"The oldest writing on Earth is 'I want to talk to the manager.' That is really interesting." – Jack Armstrong [13:19]
- On the shift in world power:
"They want to change the world where the United States doesn’t make all the rules anymore… That era is over. And they might be right. I’m not looking forward to it." – Jack Armstrong [28:03]
- On modern US education:
“They’re teaching their kids to love their country to the point of laying down their lives for it. And if they win, things are not going to be better here.” – Jack Armstrong [32:47]
- On “woke” education:
"Who benefits? Is there one human being whose life is made even slightly better by a land acknowledgment?" – Jack Armstrong [35:45]
- On reading challenging literature:
"I had to look up one to two words, virtually every page." – Joe Getty on London Fields [37:21] "I'm loving it... Probably the best thing I've ever read." – Jack Armstrong on Ulysses [39:10]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Labor Day Crime Commentary: [03:29]
- Reflections on England & Stonehenge: [04:13–12:23]
- Venezuela Naval Tensions & Global Influence: [13:19–15:35]
- Upcoming China Summit & Shifting World Order: [19:56–32:47]
- Elon Musk Interview Clip – Gender Crisis: [22:32–24:44]
- Land Acknowledgments & Progressive Education: [32:47–36:32]
- Book Talk: Martin Amis & Ulysses: [36:32–47:42]
- American Excess - Food Segment: [39:24–40:36]
- NFL, Amazon, and Football Culture: [43:59–45:24]
- Final Thoughts: [48:13–49:19]
Episode Tone & Style
The tone oscillates between gallows humor, thoughtful historical and cultural observation, and sincere concern or frustration with political and social trends. Jack and Joe’s banter is sharp, candid, and often self-deprecating. Their focus on the theme of how little people change over centuries ties together many otherwise disparate topics, from ancient complaints to modern political correctness and global geopolitics.
Conclusion
“Get Your Cosmic Grove On!” is classic Armstrong & Getty: a blend of world-weary skepticism, humor, and genuine curiosity about the way history, politics, and culture intersect in everyday life. Longtime listeners will appreciate the deep dives into both serious and trivial current events, while newcomers get an immediate sense of the hosts’ style, perspective, and wit.