Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "I Hate You & I Hope You Get A Rash"

Date: January 23, 2026
Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty (plus producer Katie)
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This fast-paced episode of Armstrong & Getty is an entertaining and rant-driven journey through American culture, media, and politics. The hosts kick off by dissecting a viral local story about people lining up for a new Costco, then dive deep into controversy over New York Times political reporters grilling American tennis stars at the Australian Open. The show’s second half tackles viral images of family separations at the border, the ethics of blame, weather misery, a money-saving trend, musings on AI in art, and football. Throughout, Armstrong, Getty, and Katie are in feisty, sarcastic, and sometimes exasperated form, with frequent memorable one-liners and playful banter.

Key Topics & Timestamps

1. Costco, Scarcity, and Modern Status Symbols

00:29 – 03:09

• Jack mocks Sacramento locals for waiting outside in the cold for a new Costco to open, questioning the obsession with “being first” at new stores.
• Reveals that it's actually about special, rare bourbons available at deep discounts to draw crowds.
• Katie: “There is rampant fetishization of certain bourbons… It might be incrementally better than something a tenth of its price. But because it’s rare and because you having it elevates you… there's a lot of that in wine too.” (02:24)
• Armstrong relates to similar scarcity-driven mania for coffee beans.

2. Media, Tennis, and Political Gotcha Questions

03:30 – 11:00

• Discussion shifts to the Australian Open, where NYT/Athletic reporter Owen Lewis repeatedly tries to coax U.S. players into political commentary about America under Trump’s presidency.
• Audio clips of the players ducking the questions: Taylor Fritz, Amanda Anisimova, Jessica Pegula, and Madison Keys.
• Hosts are incensed, calling the reporter an “asshat,” “jerk,” and “dick,” accusing him of setting athletes up for controversy.
  • Jack Armstrong: “You take these young people… and try to put them in an awkward position, hoping they'll say something you can exploit. God, you're a bad person.” (05:14)
  • Katie: “Would you stop, please? Get it out of your book reviews, get it out of your freaking recipes…” (08:48)
• Repeated references to the NYT’s “injecting politics into everything” culture.

3. Social Media & Typos

09:45 – 12:06

• Katie complains about mistweeting due to a typo, and the unfixable nature of Twitter mistakes: “I tweeted a really good tweet and there’s a typo in it.”
• Banter about autocorrect and the AI “fixing” texts after the fact; Jack finds this sinister and annoying.

4. Storms, Cold, and Weather Misery

13:04 – 15:36

• News of a massive winter storm gripping much of the U.S.: extreme wind chills, shut airports, relatable cold weather anecdotes.
• Jack: “In Aberdeen, South Dakota... it's going to be 40 below. That’s the temperature with the wind chill.” (13:54)
• Katie: “Once you get into that 'I’m dying' zone, the incremental differences just don’t make that much difference.” (15:27)

5. Money Habits: ‘No-Spend January’ Trend

15:36 – 18:18

• Joe introduces “No-Buy January,” a viral trend where families lock their credit cards and must justify all purchases.
• Discussion on the ease of spending with Apple Watch, touchless payments; nostalgia for when cash was king.
• Stats: 25% of surveyed adults have tried “No Spend January.”

6. ICE, Family Separation, and Photo-Op Politics

18:21 – 27:36

• The viral photo of a 5-year-old boy behind a chain-link fence—purportedly separated from his mother by ICE—becomes the focal point for debate on border policy, media narrative, and what actually happened.
• ABC News reports vs. ICE’s version of events: conflicting stories about who “abandoned” whom.
  • Official quote: “They saw the young boy and they refused to open the door and take him back.” (24:19)
• Armstrong & Getty criticize viral stories driven by emotional imagery over “bedrock truth,” reminding listeners of earlier immigrant-toddler “cages” media cycles.

7. Football Banter & Athletic Evolution

27:36 – 29:53

• Prospects for the weekend’s NFL games: various rooting interests, jokes about team rivalries, comebacks, and storylines.
• Startling increase in professional athletes’ capability over time.
  • Jack Armstrong: “I feel like the athleticism is just on a different level than it was when we were watching… maybe once a year. Now it’s 10 times a game.” (28:43)
  • Katie: “These guys are miracles of athletic strength and speed.” (29:37)

8. Race, Politics, and Media Narratives

30:04 – 31:23

• A critique of how race is handled in the media and obituaries: Scott Adams and Charles Murray briefly discussed, highlighting “minefield” topics and the stupidity of pretending meaningful differences don’t exist.

9. AI, Art, and Harry Potter in ‘Apocalypse Now’

33:23 – 35:32

• Conversation on AI-generated content, citing a viral Harry Potter/Apocalypse Now mashup film.
• Katie: “[AI] shines and stinks like a rotten mackerel by moonlight. I am astounded and awestruck by it and horrified by it.” (34:29)
• Ben Affleck’s assertion that AI can imitate but not create “true art” is debated.

10. Teases & Odds and Ends

31:44 – End

• Promos for Armstrong & Getty’s fourth podcast hour and upcoming topics, such as why brains remember some things better than others.
• Joe Getty: “I have come across an Internet trend that I think is great, and it’s an actual trend. It’s got a silly name, of course…” (15:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “He is an asshat. He is the biggest of asses and asshats. What a jerk. I hate this person.”
  — Jack Armstrong calls out the political reporter (05:11)
• “Would you stop, please? Get it out of your book reviews. Get it out of your freaking recipes...”
  — Katie on the NYT's politicization (08:48)
• “You take these young people... and try to put them in an awkward position, hoping they'll say something you can exploit. God, you're a bad person.”
  — Jack Armstrong on media tactics (05:14)
• “AI shines and stinks like a rotten mackerel by moonlight.”
  — Katie, channeling John Randolph on AI’s double-edged nature (34:29)
• “The picture will be seen by many, many millions. And again, I don’t know that what that gentleman said is true.”
  — Jack Armstrong on viral stories versus facts (24:58)
• “He needs to go to that El Salvador prison... marching him around that El Salvador prison.”
  — Jack Armstrong indulging in hyperbolic fantasy about the reporter (06:52)

Episode Structure

• Warm-up anecdotes—Costco & bourbon culture
• Primary issue: Should athletes be forced to answer political questions?
  • Series of interviews, reactions, criticism of “gotcha” journalism
• Pushback against politicization of everyday life & humor at the expense of NYT
• Social media and technology annoyances
• Major winter weather update and cold-weather nostalgia
• Trend analysis: “No Spend January”
• Immigration story: parsing the facts and the role of media imagery
• Lighter discussion: football, race/media, and the expansion of athletic standards
• Cultural byways: AI, creativity, and viral content
• Closing teases: upcoming topics and bonus hour plugs

Useful For:

• Anyone wanting a witty, irreverent summary of early 2026's sports-media-politics intersections
• Those interested in how national and viral stories are filtered through a skeptical, sardonic media lens
• Fans and newcomers to Armstrong & Getty seeking a flavor of their signature blend of rant, humor, and occasional insight without listening to the whole show.