Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: I Didn't Know What A Prune Was...
Date: September 18, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Notable Guest: Greg Lukianoff (President of FIRE; free speech advocate)
Episode Overview
This episode centers on the controversial removal of Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show following remarks about the Charlie Kirk assassination, sparking a wide-ranging discussion on free speech, cancel culture, and government overreach in media. The hosts also touch on recent news, AI’s impact on jobs, and, for a lighter diversion, Jack’s new-found enthusiasm for prunes.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Jimmy Kimmel Pulled Off Air: Free Speech vs. Broadcast Standards
- Initial Reactions:
- Joe Getty introduces Jimmy Kimmel as the "general manager" of the day, calling recent events surrounding Kimmel's show a “danged interesting conversation” (00:37). His show has been “taken off air indefinitely”—usually, he notes, "indefinite is forever."
- “I found Jimmy Kimmel over the last many years to be an insufferably pompous… just the whole, 'our side is wonderful and everyone else is stupid.'"
— Joe Getty, 01:22
- Debate Over Reasons:
- The hosts note ratings for late-night shows have been "really low" and speculate whether Kimmel’s removal was economic, political, or both.
- They discuss the impact of his comments regarding the Charlie Kirk assassination, played for listeners:
— "[Kimmel:] ...trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them..." (08:30)
- FCC Involvement:
- Joe references the FCC Commissioner’s comments about pulling broadcast licenses and the discomfort this causes, worrying about precedence for silencing dissent across political changes (07:43, 13:23).
Notable Quote:
“Some of my favorite conservative commentators are pretty uncomfortable with the Jimmy Kimmel being driven off the air...whatever you do, the next administration's gonna do too.”
— Jack Armstrong, 07:53
Key Segment:
- Comparison to Past Events:
- Bill Maher's firing after 9/11—hosts note that while Maher's show was dropped purely by networks, Kimmel’s case hints at government pressure (10:40-12:39).
- “It’s not crazy that they would decide... we’re not going to air Jimmy Kimmel here in Provo, Utah.”
— Joe Getty, 11:14
2. The “Words Are Violence” Cliché & Political Violence
Greg Lukianoff Interview (Free Speech Advocate, 19:32–33:43)
- “Words Are Violence” and its dangers:
- Lukianoff recounts how 10–15 years ago, the claim "words are violence" moved from fringe rhetoric to widely accepted principle on college campuses (20:47).
- He and Jonathan Haidt argue for the “bright line distinction between physical violence and expression of opinion” (21:43).
- Real-Life Impact:
- FIRE’s study: ~1/3rd of surveyed students believe violence is acceptable in response to speech in some cases; some schools >50% (23:25).
- Current Political Climate & Cancelling:
- Censoring from the left on-campus, increasing pressure from the right off-campus, especially surrounding Kimmel’s removal (24:16–24:48).
- Lukianoff is "not optimistic" that the Charlie Kirk murder will shift trends—he sees a worsening global free speech crisis (25:59).
Notable Quotes:
“There’s nothing more totalitarian than saying I get to respond to your words with violence.”
— Greg Lukianoff, 22:16
“Right now, the rules of the road matter more than ever, and it’s our job to defend them.”
— Greg Lukianoff, 30:46
3. AI's Disruption of Work, Technology & Media
- Tech Titans at State Dinner:
- Trump hosted a state dinner at Windsor Castle, inviting AI leaders (Nvidia, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Apple’s Tim Cook) as special guests. Armstrong remarks: “I don’t know exactly what the message was there.” (04:03)
- Nvidia Buys from Intel:
- Hosts bemused by Nvidia's $5B purchase from competitor Intel, noting “AI is reshaping the tech industry” (04:53).
- AI & Journalism:
- Business Insider using ChatGPT for stories, not informing readers (16:51).
- “Journalists are incorrect a lot. So.”
— Joe Getty, 17:11
Notable Moment:
- Story of a high schooler switching from coding to welding fearing AI will soon handle all computer programming (05:34).
4. News Roundup (15:08–18:11)
- Major Headlines:
- Fox News: Charlie Kirk assassin’s gentle surrender
- ABC: Jimmy Kimmel show pulled after FCC comments
- News Nation surpassing MSNBC, CNN in primetime
- Gaza conflict updates (IDF operations expanding)
- Kristi Noem touting new ICE applications
- Fed cuts interest rates by 0.25 percent
- Wild chimpanzees in Uganda “consume two cocktails worth of alcohol a day by feasting on boozy fruit” (17:15)
- Fatty foods can “scramble your memory”—hosts joke that’s why Jack forgot the show’s text line
5. Cancel Culture: Double Standards & Dangers
- Lukianoff distinguishes between political pressure from left and right:
- On campuses = mostly left
- From outside = increasingly right (28:12)
- The current Kimmel uproar is “target of opportunity”: pressure existed “months ago” (29:01).
- Armstrong & Getty warn of precedents: once government gets power to silence, it will be used against both sides (29:27-29:59).
- Lukianoff: “People sometimes say... 'your quaint little First Amendment thing doesn’t really apply now'... Right now, the rules matter more than ever.” (30:46)
6. Lighter Segment: The Prune Saga (37:40–39:44)
- Jack confesses to never knowing what a prune was until recently, spurring listener mail and a swag box from the California Prune Board.
- “I didn’t know what a prune was. I’d heard about it my whole life.”
— Jack Armstrong, 39:00 - The discussion is full of self-deprecating humor about aging and changing dietary needs.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
Free Speech/Censorship
- "I don’t want a Democratic administration to be able to do that any more than I want a Republican administration to be able to drive Jimmy Kimmel off the air, even though he said a really awful, stupid thing." (Jack Armstrong, 07:53)
- "There's nothing more totalitarian than saying I get to respond to your words with violence." (Greg Lukianoff, 22:16)
On Cancel Culture
- "When it comes to college campuses, it’s pretty one-sided, isn’t it? That liberals can say whatever they want and conservatives can’t?" (Joe Getty, 24:16)
On AI & Technological Change
- "Funny, I was talking to a person yesterday who said their kid… was into coding… has specifically decided to learn to weld because of AI." (Jack Armstrong, 05:34)
On Aging & Prunes
- "I didn’t know what a prune was… when I was a kid they would always joke about them on sitcoms. Old people would joke about prunes." (Jack Armstrong, 39:00)
Key Timestamps
| Timestamp | Segment | |---------------|------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:33 | Opening banter, Kimmel as “general manager” / show pulled | | 01:41 | Media polarization & consequences for ratings | | 08:31 | Jimmy Kimmel’s controversial remarks replayed | | 10:40 | Comparison to Bill Maher’s firing post-9/11 | | 13:13 | Dangers/upside of FCC pressure, historical context | | 15:12 | News headlines wrap with Katie | | 19:32 | Greg Lukianoff (FIRE) interview begins | | 23:25 | Survey: 1/3 of students think violence is sometimes okay for speech| | 29:27 | Dangers of government cancel culture; risk of precedent | | 33:43 | Wrapping up with Lukianoff, plugs FIRE's work | | 37:40 | Jack’s “prune” story & California Prune swag | | 39:44 | Episode close, invitations to listen for upcoming guests |
Tone & Style
- Conversational, sardonic, and frank.
- Frequent asides, personal anecdotes, and direct audience engagement.
- Nuanced approach to political and cultural issues, commitment to First Amendment values regardless of ideology.
Summary for New Listeners
This episode is a nuanced deep-dive into the weaponization of outrage, free speech risks, the dangers of both right- and left-wing cancel culture, and the importance of consistency in defending speech—even for those you can’t stand. If you want a clear, relatable take on turbulent social issues—with a dash of humor about aging and fruit—this is a must-listen Armstrong & Getty episode.