Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: “I Can't Believe You Still Want A Pony So Bad” (September 15, 2025)

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the aftermath and cultural impact of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, the media's response, public reactions, and America’s ongoing tribal divides. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty debate media coverage, freedom of speech, public polarization, and the implications of political violence. The conversation is laced with their trademark irreverence, skepticism toward conventional wisdom, and concern over the trajectory of American unity.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Charlie Kirk Assassination: Fallout and Media Response

• Dominating the News Cycle: The hosts note that every major outlet, including NPR, opened with Charlie Kirk coverage, highlighting its national significance. (04:36)
• Public Conversations: Joe shares that nearly everyone he met over the weekend wanted to discuss it, underscoring how much Kirk’s death rattled real life communities. (04:44)
• NFL and Emmys Contrasts: Jack points out that most NFL games observed a moment of silence, while the Emmy Awards didn’t mention Kirk at all, a decision both hosts dissect as reflective of ideological divides. (05:17–06:28)
  • Jack: “No mention on the Emmys. Wow.” (05:52)

The Emmys, Colbert, and Industry Tribalism

• Discussion of Stephen Colbert receiving a prolonged standing ovation at the Emmys, which Jack and Joe argue sends a pointed message about the show’s political alignment.
  • Jack: “You just announced to America, anybody in right America… this show isn’t for you.” (07:04)
  • Joe: “Not only that, we prefer you didn’t watch.” (07:19)
• Commentary that tribalism and partisanship remain entrenched in cultural institutions, even after a major tragedy.

The Kirk Shooting: Motive, Coincidence, and Social Media Theories

• Jack raises his “big question”: Was it just a coincidence that a student asked a question about trans activism—right before Kirk was shot by a man linked to a trans partner? Both hosts express skepticism, suspecting deeper significance but acknowledging the absurdity of a killer “waiting for an especially objectionable moment.” (08:43–09:23)
• Joe: “It’s almost too much to not be a coincidence...” (08:43)
• Reflections on the proliferation of conspiracy theories and difficulty parsing truth in the social media age.

Cultural and Ecclesiastical Responses

• Joe recounts churches framing Kirk as a spreader of “hate and division,” even while condemning his murder. He connects this to broader patterns of equating dissenting beliefs with hate, using insights from Greg Lukianoff’s book on free speech.
  • Joe: “If I have a belief and you say I don't agree... people... will say that is hateful and divisive.” (10:46)
• Challenges around censorship and labeling opposing viewpoints as hate speech.

Political & World Affairs as Backdrop

• Brief updates on Trump postponing enforcement of TikTok-related legislation and “calls” for master trade deals with China (13:33–14:17), along with a tongue-in-cheek aside about invading Venezuela.
• Discussion about Trump’s push to end quarterly earnings reports, which both hosts see as a possible solution to companies’ short-termism. (14:28–15:27)
  • Jack: “They make all kinds of horrible short-term decisions for the quarterly number to keep their stock up.” (15:17)

Headlines Rundown with Katie Green (20:40–24:15)

Katie reads through a rapid-fire selection of the day’s headlines, ranging from the tragic (Kirk shooter refusing to cooperate), to political/historical (Poland proposing a NATO no-fly zone), to lighthearted and absurd (a man caught driving a pink Barbie Jeep drunk for a Slurpee, and the “American university system” branded a terrorist org at the Babylon Bee).

• Notable moment: Joe exclaims, “Do you have a single headline that’s not a gigantic moral or political dilemma? You’re stressing me out, lady.” (22:27)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Colbert’s Emmys Ovation:
  Jack: “The first thing you do is announce to America… this show isn’t for you… Not only that, we prefer you didn’t watch… go away, we don’t like you.” (07:04–07:22)

• On Social Media Skepticism:
  Jack: “I am very skeptical to believe anything in the first couple of days after one of these events because I have been burned many, many times.” (29:29)
  Joe: “That one sounded too perfect.” (29:51)

• On Political Violence & Media Reaction:
  Jack: “If you cheer political violence, you are a nut… I don’t care what side your politics are.” (50:37)

• On Social Media’s Poison:
  Jack: “If you could, would you go back and kill Steve Jobs, stop him from inventing the smartphone, which has caused all of this.” (34:37)

• On America’s Divide and the Role of Social Media:
  Jack: “I don’t know how we break out of [this]. …We pick out the worst of the other side, retweet it and talk about how doomed we are.” (33:39)
  Joe: “All it takes is a vocal, organized minority to carry out a revolution.” (36:46)

Analytical Debates:

Is Social Media Driving Doom or Just Revealing the Fringe? (32:31–35:59)

• Mark Halperin’s tweets reflect shock at the celebratory response to Kirk’s death on social media (“deeply, deeply worried about this country”). The hosts debate whether this represents a significant portion of the population or just an outsized vocal fringe that warps our perceptions and drives media conversation.

The Cancel Culture Mirror (20:29–20:40; 46:55–47:20)

• They tee up a later discussion on people fired for celebrating Kirk’s death—is this an instance of right-wing cancel culture, and does it make them hypocritical?
  Joe: “I have a provocative point of view on that, Jack… It will bring hate upon us, but that was probably going to happen anyway.” (20:40)

Is There a Way Out? (42:04–42:23)

• Both hosts express deep pessimism about bridging America’s divides, especially with the toxic influence of social media and the current campaign funding structures.
  Jack: “Is there any way out? …I don't know if there is.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:36 – Charlie Kirk's death dominates news and social discussions
• 05:17–07:19 – Dissection of Emmys' political signaling and media divides
• 08:43–09:23 – Debating coincidence vs. intent in Kirk assassination
• 10:46 – Churches’ nuanced responses & Lukianoff’s argument against speech policing
• 13:33–14:17 – Trump's moves on TikTok, trade, Venezuela
• 14:28–15:37 – Trump and the end of quarterly reports discussion
• 20:40–24:15 – Katie Green’s headline roundup; mix of grim and comedic news
• 29:29 – Skepticism about early narratives & differences in media coverage
• 32:31–41:52 – Reflections on social media, hate, and Mark Halperin’s warnings
• 46:55–47:20 – Previewing the cancel culture debate over firing Kirk-death celebrants
• 42:04–42:23 – Existential hand-wringing about whether the US can escape current divisions

Episode Tone & Language

The episode maintains Armstrong & Getty’s sarcastic, unsentimental tone, mixing gallows humor with serious cultural criticism. They freely jump between weighty societal issues and breezy banter (“I can't believe you still want a pony so bad” emerges as a running joke illustrating longing for naïve solutions), keeping the conversation snappy but thoughtful.

Conclusion

For listeners, this episode provides:

• A detailed exploration of the aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s assassination—how institutions, media, and individuals have responded.
• A critical look at the divisive, performative nature of public conversation (and how media, both social and traditional, fuels it).
• Sober, sometimes bleak, but always lively debate about whether there’s any path back to unity—or whether American life will remain fractured.
• Memorable humor and recognizable Armstrong & Getty skepticism throughout.

Recommended segments:

• The dissection of the Emmys and NFL responses to Kirk’s death (05:17–07:22)
• The nuanced debate about whether we let fringes control the national conversation (32:31–36:46)
• Mark Halperin’s observations and the hosts’ own, on how the response to Kirk’s assassination could signal deeper trouble for the country (31:58–41:52)

For those looking to understand not just what happened, but how Americans are reacting to what happened—this episode is essential listening.