Armstrong & Getty On Demand - Episode Summary

Episode Title: I Like The Nuts
Date: December 18, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Producer: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Length: ~50 minutes (content-rich portion summarized; ads omitted)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Armstrong & Getty dive into two major topics: the growing presence and controversy around dynamic pricing (AI-driven, real-time price adjustments) in everyday commerce, and a local controversy involving a conservative high school club, free speech, and left-right campus tensions. The hosts also touch on NFL playoff races, fundraising for Scouts, and end with a roundtable on grading their 2025.

The tone is conversational, irreverent, and occasionally self-deprecating, with both hosts freely editorializing and using real-world anecdotes to ground their discussion.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dynamic Pricing and AI in Retail

[02:47–15:33]

Main Discussion:

• Armstrong & Getty discuss dynamic pricing—where companies use AI and algorithms to change prices based on demand, personal data, location, even the time of day.
• Instacart is called out for charging different customers different prices at the same store, same time, unbeknownst to the consumer. (04:08–04:50)
  • Example: One customer pays $2.99, another $3.59 for Skippy Peanut Butter at the same Target.
• Conversation extends to Whole Foods, Amazon Fresh, Kroger, and Walmart adopting electronic shelf tags for minute-by-minute price changes (05:09–05:46).

Commentary & Debate:

• Armstrong and Getty debate the ethics and transparency of such pricing, whether this is a natural evolution of the free market, or a potentially unfair and creepy use of data.
• Getty compares it to car salesmen sizing up buyers; Armstrong agrees, referencing Milton Friedman on markets as information exchanges (08:02).

Notable Quotes:

• "I eat organic peanut butter because I'm better than you, but eat your Skippy if you must."
  — Jack Armstrong (04:43)
• "And I don't like creamy. I like the nuts. I like lots of peanuts in my peanut butter."
  — Joe Getty (04:46)
• "Now artificial intelligence, advanced algorithms, [and] massive troves of user data are allowing companies to be more exacting than ever."
  — Jack Armstrong (06:07)

Concerns Raised:

• Lack of transparency and the growing information imbalance between consumer and corporation.
• Dynamic pricing not just in ride-shares but also grocery stores, zoos, museums, and amusement attractions.
• The potential for companies to "profile" consumers for maximal profits in ways that were previously impossible.

Memorable Anecdote:

• Getty’s story of being charged $33 for three bottles of water at Caesar’s Palace at night, suspecting dynamic pricing (11:45).

2. NFL Playoff Race Intrigue

[02:50–03:27; 20:19–22:51]

• The NFL regular season is especially dramatic, with no division yet locked up this late—the first time since the Obama administration.
• Tonight's Rams vs. Seahawks game is described as “one of the most consequential regular season NFL games in a decade.”
• The ever-popular dynamics of dynasties, heroes, and villains in sports; discussion on how Chiefs’ dynasty may be closing and the importance for fan engagement.

Quote:

• "Star Wars didn’t have Darth Vader on screen for 10 minutes then he was gone. You need a villain. You need a hero."
  — Jack Armstrong (20:54)

3. Local Controversy: Conservative Club and Free Speech at Lincoln High

[25:54–34:20]

Background:

• Twelve Bridges High School (Lincoln, CA) hosts a conservative club tied to Turning Point USA, drawing protest from other students.
• A petition circulates, with 300+ signatures calling for the club’s removal over alleged “hate speech.”

Key Issues Explored:

• Armstrong: The “heckler’s veto” and the labeling of anything disagreeable as “hate speech.”
• The mayor of Lincoln, who spoke at the club, was publicly targeted after a heavily edited, out-of-context video of her remarks was circulated.

Quotes & Rhetorical Highlights:

• “The problem is on the left, you label everything you don’t like as hate speech.”
  — Jack Armstrong (28:35)
• “You beat their idea with your ideas. The heckler's veto is the worst thing.”
  — Joe Getty (31:42)

Analogies & Context:

• Comparison of demonization tactics to historical examples of group targeting and scapegoating.
• Hosts denounce doxing and online harassment of the conservative club members as antithetical to education and free discourse.
• Strong challenge to the local school district to enforce anti-bullying rules equally.

4. Tech/Media Manipulation and Misrepresentation

[36:31–37:02]

• Armstrong describes how the Sacramento Bee omitted context to present the Lincoln mayor’s words as more inflammatory than they were.
• Expands critique to other media outlets (e.g., the BBC with Trump), cautioning that overreach and misrepresentation backfire.

Quote:

• "If your enemies are as bad as you claim, you should be able to do them in with their actual words. You don't need to...make stuff up."
  — Joe Getty (36:31)

5. Fundraising for Scouts

[22:22–22:51; scattered through episode]

• Ongoing fundraiser aiming to enable more kids to join Scouts; donations and wittily-named donors are highlighted throughout.
• Final total at end of episode segment: $120,222, with push to reach $150k.

6. Grade Your Year – A Roundtable

[43:29–46:18]

• Hosts and team members share "grades" for their year (business and personal).
  • Michael: A-/B+
  • Katie: A-
  • Hanson: Old-school C (just average)
  • Armstrong and Getty: B+ to A-
• Armstrong reflects on his tendency toward positivity in self-assessment.
• Discussion turns on what would trigger a “D” or “F”—Getty recalls the year his wife dumped him.

Light, reflective, humorous banter closes the segment.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “I like the nuts. I like lots of peanuts in my peanut butter.” – Joe Getty (04:46)
• “If they're charging the guy next to me, literally the guy next to me, $5 less for a steak than they are me, that pisses people off. I don't know if it should, but it does.” – Jack Armstrong (11:00)
• “You label everything you don’t like as hate speech.” – Jack Armstrong (28:35)
• “You beat their idea with your ideas. The heckler's veto is the worst thing…” – Joe Getty (31:42)
• “If your enemies are as bad as you claim, you should be able to do them in with their actual words. You don't need to...make stuff up.” – Joe Getty (36:31)

Important Segment Timestamps

• [02:47] — Start of dynamic pricing/AI discussion
• [04:46] — “I like the nuts” peanut butter exchange
• [11:45] — Bottled water price/gouging anecdote
• [20:19] — NFL playoff implications
• [25:54] — Turning Point USA high school club controversy
• [28:35] — Hate speech/gender of dialogue debate
• [36:31] — Media misrepresentation and context
• [43:29] — “Grade your year” roundtable

Episode Summary & Takeaways

Armstrong & Getty deliver a sharp, accessible critique of current issues—using real-life anecdotes and cultural commentary to explore the implications of dynamic AI-driven pricing on consumers and the evolving debate over free speech, “hate speech,” and campus activism.
They tie local events to broader national trends, especially around transparency, censorship, and media misrepresentation, offering both rhetorical bite and humor. The show closes on a lighter note, with reflections on personal and professional well-being.

For listeners wanting humor, substance, and a skeptical but upbeat take on culture and current events, this episode showcases Armstrong & Getty’s signature style.