I'll Wear A Pointed Hat & Some Beads

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: Episode Summary – "I'll Wear A Pointed Hat & Some Beads"

Release Date: July 29, 2025
Host: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Platform: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Gaza Humanitarian Crisis and Media Representation

The episode opens with Jack Armstrong addressing the severe humanitarian situation in Gaza, highlighting the disparity between on-ground realities and media portrayals. Armstrong criticizes various world organizations for misrepresenting the situation, asserting, “You can certainly exaggerate it. You can misrepresent it a lot” (02:09).

Michael concurs, noting the emotional impact of the crisis: “Some of those kids are. That's real starvation stuff. I see it” (01:42). Both hosts emphasize the difficulty in obtaining unbiased information, with Armstrong pointing out the influx of humanitarian aid: “260 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday… worst genocide ever” (02:30). They debate whether the starvation is intentional or a consequence of broader conflict dynamics, concluding that the situation remains dire regardless of intent.

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2. Media Bias and DEI Policies in Major Corporations

Transitioning from the Gaza discussion, Armstrong and Getty delve into the actions of major media conglomerates, specifically Skydance Media's commitments post the CBS-Paramount merger. They discuss Skydance's pledge to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, with Armstrong questioning the future impact on respected programs like “60 Minutes”: “Do people quit? Do they adjust their sales?” (07:00).

Michael highlights the paradox of eliminating DEI initiatives while maintaining claims of nondiscrimination: “They don't believe for a second it's a trade secret. They just want to keep doing DEI” (15:03). The hosts express skepticism about the longevity and effectiveness of these policy changes, suggesting that any immediate effects may fade over time but raise concerns about the underlying motivations.

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3. AI's Disruptive Impact on the Job Market

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the rising influence of artificial intelligence on employment, particularly for recent college graduates. Armstrong introduces the topic by referencing a Wall Street Journal article: “AI is wrecking an already fragile job market for college graduates” (16:35). Michael elaborates on specific examples where companies are replacing entry-level positions with AI solutions:

• Dating Apps: "Grinders… not hiring young grads because of AI."
• Consulting Firms: "Futurity… opted to run social media copy through ChatGPT instead of hiring a summer intern."

Armstrong raises concerns about the depth of AI's impact, questioning the feasibility of replacing roles that rely heavily on human interaction: “Half a white collar job is eliminated by AI. If that's even close to true” (20:07). Michael cites industry leaders like Ford CEO Jim Farley predicting significant workforce reductions due to AI advancements, emphasizing the potential for widespread economic disruption.

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4. Societal Shifts in Education and Emotional Resilience

The hosts critique contemporary educational materials and approaches, arguing that modern literature lacks the emotional depth found in older works. An anonymous speaker laments, “Kids today are out here reading the Magical Bunny and How He Learned to Love Himself… Meanwhile we were out here getting emotionally demolished by 'Where the Red Fern Grows'” (21:18). Armstrong and Michael discuss the rise of trigger warnings and their impact on academic freedom, linking these trends to broader societal changes influenced by neo-Marxist ideologies.

Michael asserts, “Trigger warnings… it's all related to the whole neo Marxist thing… you're afraid of offending” (22:31). They criticize the sanitization of education, suggesting it undermines students' ability to develop resilience and critical thinking skills.

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5. Legal Victories and Controversial School Policies

Armstrong and Getty highlight recent legal cases reflecting the tension between parental rights and institutional policies. They discuss a Pennsylvania case where a mother, supported by the Goldwater Institute, successfully challenged a school district's attempt to classify DEI materials as trade secrets. Armstrong emphatically states, “You don't get to have any secrets. You work for us” (25:01), supporting the court's decision that educational materials should remain transparent.

Another case involves a North Carolina school district that suspended a 16-year-old student for using the term “illegal aliens” in class, leading to a $20,000 settlement and an apology from the district. Armstrong criticizes the overreach in disciplinary actions: “He was just a clarification question” (28:13), underscoring concerns about freedom of speech and the punitive measures taken by educational institutions.

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6. Academic Courses Reflecting Societal Polarization

The University of Kansas is spotlighted for introducing a course titled "Angry White Male Studies," aimed at examining the rise of the angry white male in the United States. Michael sarcastically remarks, “I went for an entire year… it's probably why I've gone out into the world and done a half-assed job of being a business person” (29:31), questioning the course's relevance and intent. The hosts view such academic offerings as symptomatic of deeper societal divisions and ideological battles within educational institutions.

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7. Critical Theory and the Influence of Michel Foucault

A critical analysis segment focuses on Michel Foucault and his pervasive influence in academia. Referencing a think piece titled "Stoner Logic in Academia," Armstrong and Michael dissect Foucault's theories on power structures within educational settings. They recount a lecturer's superficial application of Foucaultian analysis to classroom architecture, which Michael dismisses as “stoner logic” derived from high school-level insights (32:24).

Armstrong criticizes the commodification of critical theory, emphasizing the disconnect between theoretical frameworks and practical educational outcomes: “He had no objection to the avert power required to make students pay for a core curriculum” (34:35). The discussion underscores the hosts' skepticism towards academic indoctrination and the practical utility of such theories in real-world contexts.

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8. Light-Hearted Segments and Personal Anecdotes

Interspersed with serious discussions are humorous segments and personal stories. Notably, Armstrong shares his son's attempt to emulate the infamous art piece of a banana taped to a wall by creating a minimalist "Box" artwork, reflecting on the absurdity and commercialization of modern art: “He's gonna make a million dollars. He's already figured out how he's gonna spend the money. It's just a cardboard box” (38:35).

Additionally, the hosts joke about obscure products like 9-volt battery-flavored tortilla chips, adding levity to the episode while critiquing unconventional consumer products: “It's supposed to taste like a 9 volt battery” (37:18).

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9. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with Armstrong and Getty reiterating their concerns about the current sociopolitical climate, the impact of AI on future employment, and the direction of modern education. They emphasize the importance of transparency, resilience, and critical thinking in navigating these challenges.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong: “You can't fake that. Well, you can certainly exaggerate it. You can misrepresent it a lot” (02:09).
• Michael: “AI is wrecking an already fragile job market for college graduates” (16:35).
• Jack Armstrong: “Half a white collar job is eliminated by AI. If that's even close to true” (20:07).
• Michael: “Trigger warnings… it's all related to the whole neo Marxist thing… you're afraid of offending” (22:31).

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Timestamps

• 00:00 - 03:04: Introduction and Gaza crisis discussion
• 03:04 - 04:18: Introduction to upcoming topics and initial lighter stories
• 04:18 - 07:00: Ads and transition to media discussion
• 07:00 - 09:48: Media bias, DEI policies, and EV charging port initiative
• 09:48 - 13:48: AI in job market and security systems advertisement
• 13:48 - 21:18: Literature, emotional resilience, and student activism
• 21:18 - 33:03: Additional ads, societal critiques, and educational policies
• 33:03 - 40:02: Critical theory critique and academic course discussions
• 40:02 - End: Light-hearted segments, personal anecdotes, and closing remarks

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Note: Advertisements and promotional segments by washablesofas.com and simplisafe.com have been excluded from this summary as per the request to focus solely on content discussions.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Joe Getty]

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[Michael]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Various world organizations, all of whom hate is Israel, are calling it a famine now in Gaza. We'll talk more about that later in some of the proof in various directions. But President Trump was asked about it yesterday.

[Michael]

I mean some of those kids are. That's real starvation stuff. I see it.

[Jack Armstrong]

And you can't fake that.

[Michael]

So we're going to be even more involved. It's crazy what's going on over there.

[Jack Armstrong]

He mentioned. I just know what I see on television. But that's horrific. You can't fake that. Well, you can certainly exaggerate it. You can misrepresent it a lot. And they've been doing it for decades, by the way.

[Michael]

Well, insane. Yeah. Judging by what I've seen on tv, it's pretty bad. You have like the greatest intelligence apparatus on earth. Why are you judging by what you've seen on TV?

[Jack Armstrong]

Good point. @ all.

[Michael]

Carefully selected video snippets from carefully selected biased journalists.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, and I was just looking at a headline and then we'll talk about this later, so we'll move on. But 260 humanitarian aid trucks entered Gaza yesterday. 260 trucks, 20 pallets of humanitarian aid were airdropped at various parts of Gaza. As one of my favorite tweeters said, worst genocide ever.

[Michael]

Yeah. Yeah. So coming up on this show is in.

[Jack Armstrong]

You can't. It's not good at being a genocide is the is the way his point, dropping all of this food and bringing in all these trucks. You're not doing a very good job of a genocide if that's what you're doing.

[Michael]

Right. And it's interesting. I had prepared for later a story about various mainstream media journalists who are covering the situation in Gaza, all of whom are tied to Hamas or Hezbollah or have praised Yaya Sinwar or a number of these characters. Anyway, we talked about this actually yesterday and we can touch on it again. Is there actually starvation in Gaza? It is very difficult to get a straight story.

[Jack Armstrong]

It looks hellish. Oh, my God, it looks hellish. And I mean, though that's not fake. I mean, it's hellish no matter what. Now, whether or not there's purposeful starvation going on, that's a different question.

[Michael]

On later on the show. There are a number of significant stories we ought to touch on more thoroughly. The absolutely shockingly miserable poll numbers of the Democratic Party. Also, a major ruling that is allowing judges to continue to issue nationwide injunctions against Trump even though the Supreme Court, quote, unquote, struck down the ability to do that. We will get into that. And also I want to talk about how on the economic front, AI is already wrecking college graduates job prospects.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I want to hear that.

[Michael]

Yeah, like, like recent college graduates. And also, great piece from a Trump skeptical thinker. If Trump's tariffs are so bad, where's the recession? So we'll get to all of that stuff, but first, a handful of stories that tend to be a little lighter, but I wanted to touch on them. Michael, place a little bit of number 12 would.

[Gwyneth Paltrow]

Thank you for your interest in Astronomer. Hi, I'm Gwyneth Paltrow. I've been hired on a very temporary basis to speak on behalf of the 300 plus employees at Astronomer. Astronomer has gotten a lot of questions over the last few days and they wanted me to answer the most common ones. Yes, Astronomer is the best place to run Apache airflow, unifying the experience of running data, ML and AI pipelines at scale. We've been thrilled. So many people have a newfound interest.

[Michael]

In database that is A, an ad for Astronomer, which was the company run by the dude who was smooching with his illicit babe at the Coldplay concert. And the company's like, a, all right, this is bad for our look and B, everybody is curious about our company. SU and so they hired Ryan Reynolds, PR firm, marketing firm, and he hired Gwyneth Paltrow. Chris Martin of Coldplays X to do the commercial, thinking there's a little more tie in celebrity that'll get more attention for us. And my only point in bringing this up is it's kind of funny and some good pr. Secondly, in a few years, I think people are going to say Ryan Reynolds was an actor. I think he's a really innovative, smart business guy.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was just thinking, man, talk about turning lemons into lemonade. Nobody'd ever heard of this astronomer company. When you've got all of that attention, find a way to get out what you are and what you do. That's a great idea. If you ever have a scandal come your way, take that opportunity to say, yeah, I'm the guy from that video and here's what I can do for you.

[Michael]

Right. That, that would be extra bold or higher Gwyneth Paltrow. But yeah, yeah, I think that's absolutely a smart take. And Ryan Reynolds impresses me. Moving along. So speaking of the media, Skydance Media, which is the giant media conglomerate which is part of the big CBS Paramount merger, that that's one of the reasons CBS settled with Trump over some very questionable losses.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Constitution.

[Michael]

All right, anyway, but. So that's the company involved. Skydance has made a series of new commitments to eliminate bias in news and entertainment programming at CBS and its parent company, Paramount CBS, the home of 60 Minutes. Oh, boy. When its planned acquisition is complete, Skydance is also confirming the elimination of all diversity, equity and inclusion policies and initiatives at Paramount, which had been one of the most aggressive proponents of DEI in the entertainment business.

[Jack Armstrong]

I see. I think 60 Minutes is a. Is a news program that still matters and it'll be interesting to see. Do people quit? Do they adjust their sales? I wonder what's going to happen.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah. I don't think it matters much and I think in five years it'll matter much less. But five years is forever in the modern era.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sure.

[Michael]

But anyway, Scott Ants laid out the moves in two letters it sent to the FCC commissioner. The first letter addresses concerns about media buyers bias at cbs. Pledges to ensure that CBS is reporting is fair, unbiased and fact based. Second, outline Skydance's commitments going forward to promote nondiscrimination, equal opportunity employment. That's absolutely fabulous. I don't love how we got there. But end all DEI programs everywhere. They exist in schools, corporations and nonprofits and don't let them rename them and keep discriminating. And we can get to that in a little bit. This headline just deserves a quick nod. The Biden administration's Seven and a half billion dollar EV charging port initiative that was going to build allegedly a half a million by the year 2030 has built.

[Jack Armstrong]

Were these going to be the same EV charging ports that every city has put like in front of their public library that do nothing?

[Michael]

Why do you bring that up, Jack?

[Jack Armstrong]

Because they don't do anything. No, nobody seems to know that. But they don't do anything. You can plug in your car for an hour and get like five miles worth of it. I mean they just don't work.

[Michael]

So there are poses or pieces anyway. But instead of half a million, and granted it's just the year 2025 and allegedly they have time to go, they have delivered fewer than 400 charging ports since the 7 1/2 billion dollar program began almost four years ago.

[Jack Armstrong]

Unbelievable.

[Michael]

And they're worthless.

[Jack Armstrong]

God, we get stolen from.

[Michael]

And a lot of it is under the mantle of green energy.

[Jack Armstrong]

And electric cars ain't going anywhere anywhere anyway. It's just not going to happen. At least not now. Unless something changes major with technology.

[Michael]

And speaking of media, final note for this segment, maybe we can break semi in time for once in our lives. I thought this was a joke at first. The Atlantic, the great vaunted Atlantic read by the same people who run around Manhattan with NPR tote bags and tell us all what we ought to think from the lecterns of universities and the broadcast TV and radio etc. And Hollywood. The Atlantic with a story about Helen by Helen Lewis. Finally, a Democrat who could shine on Joe Rogan's show. Her point being breakthrough and be the modern go getter Democratic voice that isn't screwing around, that's forceful, that is plain speaking that can reach the common people, bring men back to the party, bring the working class back to the party. Finally the Democrats have this person and she is dead blanking serious. Hunter Biden.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I've heard a couple of people say that, that his frankness was so refreshing. And why can't we get somebody who speaks that way?

[Michael]

That reminds me of the same sort of blanking morons who declared that Tim Walls was teaching American man a new sort of masculinity.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I don't, I don't want to get off on this topic because we got plenty of time, but there were news stories out yesterday that Kamala Harris is contemplating a presidential run.

[Michael]

Please do, because that would be hilarious.

[Jack Armstrong]

How could you be that lacking in self awareness? I hope I'm not. I mean, because that's embarrassing.

[Michael]

No, that's. That isn't that. That is Actually an interesting discussion how a Kamala Harris could be that unaware.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's almost to the level of like if I'm walking around talking about I think I can make the Olympic basketball team. That's what I'm going to do.

[Michael]

My plan is I've got a fitness plan. I'm going to get in the gym and shoot a lot.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm going to try out this summer because the Olympics are next summer.

[Michael]

I've been watching Steph Curry. I've got my elbow in the right place. It's very simple. It's, it is hilariously delusional. A word from our friends at Simplisafe Home Security. One of the great things about Simplisafe, I mean it's affordable, it's technically advanced. But the Simplisafe's new active guard outdoor protection helps stop break ins before they happen. You have AI powered cameras and and live monitoring agents that can detect suspicious activity around your property. And they can call the cops, talk to the scumbags. Turn on your spotlights before your window gets smashed.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Michael]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Michael]

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[Jack Armstrong]

You know, I'm going to get into the pet psychic business. We talked about this last week. It's just if the world's going this direction, I'm just going to become a pet. Sacking.

[Michael]

I'm going to tell stupid people send their money are getting parted. Why did, why doesn't it land in my pocket?

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm going to tell stupid or mentally ill people what they want to hear about their pet. Collect the money. I'll wear a pointed hat, some beads.

[Michael]

They're happy, you're happy.

[Jack Armstrong]

Except everybody's happy. There are no losers in this hat and beads or whatever you'd wear as a pet. Psyche. What do you wear? I don't know what you wear.

[Michael]

You'll look into It.

[Jack Armstrong]

I suppose. Not a point to that. Maybe beads though. Hilarious.

[Michael]

You might have to become a pet psychic because AI is screwing up your prospects as a recent college graduate. We'll get to that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Also, we've got this hilarious bit about no wonder young people are assoft today with what they read in college versus what we read. I mean in school it's pretty funny. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

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[Michael]

I saw that Russia just started direct flights between Moscow and North Korea. It's one of those rare trips where the fun part really is the journey and not the destination.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, no kidding. I'd love to go to North Korea if I felt like I could be safe. I don't know if I could.

[Michael]

Feel like a real roll of the dice to me. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because old what's his name?

[Michael]

He.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean he.

[Michael]

He.

[Jack Armstrong]

He what? He did something. He vandalized and got my authorities, but they beat him to death. That ain't cool.

[Michael]

He just took a poster as a souvenir. Yeah. Otto Warmbier. God rest his soul. Yeah. So this is. This is the beginning, I believe. And I'm neither an alarmist nor a minimizer about AI and its disruptive powers. I lean more toward alarmist, I think. But Wall Street Journal with an article today. What do you. Let's see. AI is wrecking an already fragile job market for college graduates. Companies have long leaned on entry level workers to do grunt work that doubles as on the job training. Now Chat, GPT and other bots can do many of those chores and they go through a Handful of companies. This is a marketing agency. They've. Their clients have all but stopped requesting entry level staff. Young grads, once in high demand, whose work is now what's being called a home run for AI, Meaning it's the sort of thing AI does the best.

[Jack Armstrong]

Can you give me an example? Like what sort of things is AI doing?

[Michael]

Really well, they go, they speak more in generalities, but let me get through the list. Dating app grinders, hiring more seasoned engineers, forgoing some junior coders straight out of school.

[Jack Armstrong]

So the gay hookup app is not hiring young grads because of AI. That's an interesting story. It's got a lot to it.

[Michael]

Here's a Columbus based consulting firm, Futurity, which is pretty well known, decided not to hire a summer intern this year, instead opting to run social media copy through ChatGPT instead. And this guy, the CEO, said he's urging his own kids to focus on jobs that require people skills and can't be easily automated. So the, the tough part, yeah, the.

[Jack Armstrong]

Tough part is some people have pointed out is people skills often are a lot more something you're born with than something you can learn. As opposed to other skills that you know, you could sit down and learn.

[Michael]

Right? Yeah, you can improve them or you could let them kind of atrophy, but you either got it or you don't. That's absolutely true. So. And they go through a bunch of examples. But a years long, white collar hiring slump and recession worries have weakened the show up, work hard will educate you to become the next generation of leaders relationship. And the statistics are crazy. Unemployment stats in the last, let's see, from the 2018, 2019 statistical year to the most recent period among high school, young high school grads has ticked up a tenth of a percent. Okay, barely at all. Some college. The unemployment numbers have ticked up 4/10 of a percentage, which is quadrupled the previous number. But it's hard to glean much. An associate's degree is up 2/10 of a percent. If you have a bachelor's degree, the unemployment rate is up 1.1%. And among grad students, it's up 1%. So the rise in unemployment is steepest among college grads and grad school students. The sectors where graduate hiring is slowed the most, information, finance, insurance, technical services, those sectors are still growing.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, the best example out there, as we've mentioned multiple times, is just a couple of years ago, learn to code was like the thing you want your kid to be successful, Learn to code. Now, I know people who code, who use AI to do all their coding right?

[Michael]

And after dancing around the issue in the two and a half years since ChatGPT's release upended the way almost all companies plan for their future, CEOs are now talking openly about AI's immense capabilities, likely leading to deep job cuts. Top industry executives, including Amazon, JP Morgan have said in recent weeks they expect their workforces to shrink considerably. Ford CEO Jim Farley said he expects AI will replace half of the white collar workforce in the us. Half? Half including the hard working people at Grindr.

[Jack Armstrong]

You should have led with that half. Oh my God.

[Michael]

You don't start the show with a showstopper, Jack.

[Jack Armstrong]

Half a white collar job is eliminated by AI. If that's even close to true.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

That'll be a revolution.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg Time for a sofa upgrade? Visit washablesofas.com and discover Annabe where designer style meets budget friendly prices with sofas starting at $699, Anabe brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anabe is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy. Liquid simply slides right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink in feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years. Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop [e-mail] Authors are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.

[Unknown]

Some of y' all have not experienced emotional trauma through literature and it shows. Kids today are out here reading the Magical Bunny and How He Learned to Love Himself or Sparkle the Dragon's Conflict Free Resolution Journey. And I'm sorry, but that is emotional tofu. Just page after page of affirmations and pastel illustrations like a therapist made it on Canva. Meanwhile we were out here getting emotionally demolished by where the red fern grows. You want to talk about resilience? I watched a boy bury his two dead dogs after one got ripped apart by a mountain lion and the other one starved to death out of grief. And I read that in the fourth grade. I came out of that book Vietnam vet and aged 10 years and 200 pages. Today's kids get talking llamas who validate their feelings. And we got Old Yeller where the dog gets rabies and the dad's like, well, son, I think it's time we shoot your best friend in the face. It's all part of growing up. And that was our bedtime story. And you wonder why millennials cry during commercials.

[Jack Armstrong]

I aged 10 years reading that book. That is interesting, though. I thought about that, that when my kids were young, which I guess makes means I've become soft. Like all of modern society. Just like, good God, all the old Disney movies we'd watch.

[Michael]

And everyone.

[Jack Armstrong]

The parents die. All your old Disney classics. The parents die.

[Michael]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Absolutely. It's obligatory. Yeah, yeah. That's something else. I'm reminded. It's funny, I'm deep in thought, thinking of some of the books I read and my kids read in schools, and the concept of trigger warnings, which is one of the worst things that's ever happened, and how that's all related to. And this might seem like a stretch, but I swear it's not. It's related to the whole neo Marxist thing, where what they want to happen is, you don't know what to say. You don't know what you can say. You're afraid of offending. You're afraid of getting in trouble. You're afraid of losing your job. In short, you're afraid. And so you got to go through every conceivable trauma or discomfort there might be in reading a piece of literature. That's a bizarre notion, and yet it took hold at most of our universities. Speaking of which, and Michael, I apologize, I got a. An urgent communication during the break and wasn't able to communicate to you. Hanson prepared a little musical thing for me earlier today. Do you have that handy?

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Michael]

Here you go. Break all the rules.

[Joe Getty]

Biggest things.

[Michael]

That's. Oh, it's not good. But.

[Jack Armstrong]

What. What. What did they say?

[Michael]

We're like. I was trying to quickly, with the aid of Hanson and AI craft a theme song to our Miseducation update.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Michael]

And our twisted schools break all the rules they churn out fools it just ain't cool and I said in the style of 1970s British punk.

[Jack Armstrong]

There you go.

[Michael]

And again, it wasn't good. Anyway, a couple of stories for you. Let's start with good news. A victory for our friends at the Goldwater Institute. Tim Sandifer's outfit, a Pennsylvania mom, won a major victory for parental rights and government transparency last week when her local school district tried and failed to withhold DEI materials from parents claiming they were trade secrets. Wow. Yeah. Can you imagine?

[Jack Armstrong]

Man, I would lose my mind if any school official ever said anything close to that to me. No, no, no, no, no, no. You don't get to have any secrets.

[Michael]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

You work for us.

[Michael]

And claiming that it's like the same as the design for our jet engine here at Lockheed. Right. Our DEI materials are trade secrets. Yeah. A couple of years ago, she requested assets to her local schools, materials that were presented to teachers, staff and students to see whether school district was indoctrinating students by teaching racially discriminatory. Discriminatory dei. But the district refused, calling it trade secrets. I would say Goldwater Institutes. The judge said, you're out of your mind.

[Jack Armstrong]

I would say you're either going to release this to all his parents right now or then we'll go through the whole lawsuit process and then you'll release it to us because obviously you have to. So what are we going to do here?

[Michael]

In a groundbreaking and amazing decision, the court correctly held that the public was entitled to see records created by a government employee to train other government employees. There was no trade secret protection for these materials. And by the way, the school district appealed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because they actually believe they should be able to keep it a secret. The way they're crafting their organization to teach your kid. That's nuts.

[Michael]

It is absolutely nuts. I think, I don't know, but I think you may be making the mistake of judging their motivations by what they say their motivations are. They don't believe for a second it's a trade secret. They just want to keep doing DEI and so they're making any excuse they could find. Moving along. Another good, positive story.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, there is the, you know, there's the example of who's that guy who ran for governor In Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, who actually in one of the debates got hammered for saying something along the lines of parents can't be trusted with teaching their kids. We need to get them to the schools where they, you know, we can count on them getting the right information.

[Michael]

Right. PhDs in education can take over.

[Jack Armstrong]

There is a certain belief that actually seems to exist along those lines, which is crazy.

[Michael]

Yeah, you're right. And it's, it's that nexus of like activists, neo Marx, neo Marxist types and the well meaning fools who get swept up in their ideas, who actually believe this crap that it gets a little confusing because, you know, a lot of those people, like Terry McAuliffe I don't think is A neo Marxist, but he's a progressive and he's been convinced by the, you know, neo Marxists in the progressive wing of the Democrats, I guess, that they mean it. They really want to educate the kids better and PhDs in education are the people to do it. Some more good news. In a weird way, it occurred to me as I spoke that phrase that undoing something horrible happening, it is good news, but it's kind of half and half, if you know what I mean. Uh, a school district in North Carolina has been ordered to admit their mistake and issue an apology and fork over $20,000 and some more settlement stuff after they were sued for suspending a 16 year old student who used the term illegal aliens in class.

[Jack Armstrong]

Suspended for that?

[Michael]

Yeah. The 16 year old student was in an English class discussion, he used the term English. The teacher said aliens. And the student said, do you mean space aliens or illegal aliens who need green cards?

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow. And it was just a clarification question.

[Michael]

Right, right. The student was later suspended for three days and marks denoting racially insensitive behavior were added to his permanent record.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I. I realize it's easier said than done. You got to pull your kid out of that school. Good lord.

[Michael]

That's a lot of schools in around America.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know.

[Michael]

Yeah. So the case actually caught the eyes of Donald J. Trump, who wrote the student a personal recommendation letter according to the Liberty Justice Institute. You people are crazy. Yeah, yeah. Let's see. I could quote the judge, but they said more or less what you'd think they would have said. First Amendment, et cetera. Utterly, unracially, not, I mean, completely not racially insensitive or mean or. Yeah, that is absolutely nuts. Let's see. Speaking of nuts, the University of Kansas. Jack, you're quasi Alma material.

[Jack Armstrong]

I went for an entire year. Is offering two nieces who graduated there.

[Michael]

Wow. Wow. Rock Chalk, Jayhawk. I know you're a big fan. University of Kansas is offering a course in the fall called Angry White Male Studies that will examine the rise of the angry white male in the United States. The course will be offered with the goal of teaching about the prominent figure that is the angry white male. That's exciting.

[Jack Armstrong]

I got a half of an MBA from there, so it's probably why I've gone out into the world and done a half assed job of being a business person.

[Michael]

And finally this. Is this even worth trying? I don't know. It's a think piece and a really good one. Written by a fellow named Brandon, last name withheld entitled Stoner logic in academia. And he's talking about in particular Michel Foucault, French bastard. It looks like foul called, but it's pronounced Foucault French bastard, who is one of the most cited intellectuals in American universities today. Kids hear his ideas more than virtually anybody's. He is one of the founding fathers of critical theory and neo Marxism.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know that from listening to James Lindsay go on and on about this human being.

[Michael]

Indeed. And if you would like read his and Helen Pluckrose's brilliant cynical theories. Anyway, so it's all about how this guy was a bright stoner who liked to read and learn stuff, but he never really felt like applying himself at college and that sort of stuff. And, and, but he realized he really needed more formal education and somebody to help lead him if he was going to get anywhere in his life. And he went to college and found that a lot of what they were trying to teach was stoner logic.

[Joe Getty]

I'm just stoned.

[Michael]

And he explains that one day a lecturer. This is my favorite example. A highly esteemed scholar launched into a shallow Foucaultian analysis of something or other as it applied to the university. He went on and on with a sort of smug self awareness, like he thought he was delivering gold and absolutely blowing our minds. He says, I should note here that this lecturer is really likable and a genuinely nice person. Look at this classroom, said the lecturer. Look at how the very structure of this classroom exerts power. You are all on one side stepped up in auditorium seating so I can see all of you, but you can only see me, not each other. You are kind of forced to look and listen.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay, yeah, he can. True, but why?

[Michael]

He continued. The construction of this lecture theater exerts a system of power and ensures the self perception of you, the students, as lacking knowledge. And it sets me up as the distributor of knowledge and thus it conveys.

[Jack Armstrong]

Power and authority for what I'm paying. I hope you're the distributor of knowledge.

[Michael]

You're getting ahead of us. But you're absolutely right. These systems of power are everywhere, hidden in the architecture and the systems of our society and designed to maintain the continuity of power.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh my God.

[Michael]

And. And this guy who's writing I really like says I remember being thoroughly unimpressed. This was exactly the a simple fact, free intuitive analysis than I and other high school graduates had arrived at many times while sitting around a bong. And it wasn't even accurate. I remember thinking that since class sizes tend to be small at our university, 90% of the teaching rooms were not stepped auditoriums. They were smaller, flat, office like rooms perfect for egalitarian, discussion oriented classes. The only rooms with this structure were the few lecture theaters intended for hosting large audiences. And in any case they clearly had that structure for acoustic and a communication reasons, not because our neoliberal overlords wanted to inculcate us in some sort of pliable consciousness lest we threaten their systems of power.

[Jack Armstrong]

What's more, that is so hilarious.

[Michael]

To your point, Jack, there was a knowledge differential between us and him. At least there was supposed to be. We were there as young people with less knowledge to be educated by a more knowledgeable teacher. I couldn't see how pointing this out, this obvious fact was some kind of mind blowing revelation. And then a couple more sentences and I'll stop. Crucially, while he had an issue with the systems of power inherent in the structure of the lecture theater, he apparently had no objection to the avert power required to make students pay for a core curriculum of courses he helped design that he teaches and for which they had to buy the compulsory textbook that.

[Jack Armstrong]

He co wrote for a ridiculous. He didn't have any problem with that.

[Michael]

That system of power.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, and the insane charge for books, that whole scam.

[Michael]

So his point is the whole critical thinking thing, and that's what the course was, was just a way to indoctrinate students into a simplistic worldview.

[Jack Armstrong]

Your boss has a bigger office, makes more money than you. Yeah, he's. Somebody's got to be the boss. And he has the experience and the expertise to be the boss and manage us so the company can. What are you talking about?

[Michael]

But then they apply that stoner logic free analysis to like everything, including the oppressor. The person with more power is always wrong and the person with less power is always right. I mean, what an idiotic notion. I've said more than once, if my dog expressed that idea to me, I would hit him with a rolled up newspaper for being so stupid.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I do not hit my dog. Oh my God. The bloom is really off the rose for climate change and all kinds of stuff that's green. Among other things we can talk about. Stay here.

[Joe Getty]

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[Unknown]

Have you ever been tempted to lick a battery? Well, there's no need. You can just buy these 9 volt battery flavored tortilla chips instead. It's been a while since I last licked a battery. Let's first up, see how that tastes. Ah, tingly metallic. I really can't wait to eat these now. A lot less immediately electric. What these do have though is a sort of minerally metallic aftertaste, but does kind of taste like a battery. Final verdict is that 9 volt battery tortilla chips do beat licking an actual battery.

[Jack Armstrong]

So they're chips that are supposed to taste like licking a battery.

[Michael]

Yeah, it's supposed to taste like a 9 volt battery.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay. For people who do that sort of thing.

[Michael]

As a guy who is touched my tongue to I think licked overstates what happens, but as somebody who's touched my tongue to many 9 volt batteries, the idea of designing tortilla chips that way is insane.

[Jack Armstrong]

Katie just made her what the hell are you talking about face.

[Michael]

This whole segment just shows why women.

[Unknown]

Live longer than you guys. You're all sticking your tongues 9 v.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well that's how you check to see if it's still worth a worth it.

[Michael]

If there's voltage, it's like in if you're in a rock and roll band. You know, toward the end of my career of making mediocre music in front of drunks. No offense to our audiences who are wonderful, but stomp boxes, your distortion pedal, your tuner, just all your stomp boxes were powered by 9 volt batteries. Toward the end they're powered by cords. I got a better setup. But so if something in your signal chain wasn't working, the first thing you do is check if the battery still had juice. You can eliminate that as an issue. What do you think that's the way to do it?

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm wondering what do you what do you do, like if your toilet gets clogged?

[Michael]

Well, you shove your arm down deep in there, you fish around, see what's going on. Naturally.

[Jack Armstrong]

So my son, who's very artistic and art minded, he heard the story about the guy who had the banana taped to the wall and sold it for a couple million dollars. Remember that story?

[Michael]

Sure.

[Jack Armstrong]

So he's trying to get in on that action. So he crafted something he thought about over the weekend. It's just a cardboard box and it just says box on it. And he thinks he can sell it. And so he's trying to figure out where to get into an art auction or anything like that. But he wrote the description for it. He spent some time online going around a different crap and he put this together yesterday. He's gonna. He thinks he can make a million dollars. He's already figured out how he's gonna spend the money. It's just a cardboard box. This piece symbolizes the struggle of humanity toward the common era. The unwariness of the unknown, the common misconception of life as a whole. An illusion of what can be. Toward the unravelment of the mind of a youth. This flat, pure emotion cannot be recreated. It truly is a piece for the ages. This is a box. That's his description. It's as good as the banana tape to the wall.

[Michael]

I feel like as a fool with more money than sense, I need some reference to the structure. I mean just even the most thin reference to the cube shaped structure.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just something, right? The four corners of humanity or something just.

[Michael]

It's literally anything. I'll trust Henry to come up with that. Look, I got 700k for you, but that's as high as I go.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh my God. Consumer confidence is up, at least partially because we feel like the whole tariff thing worked out. I guess we got some details on that. The one of the biggest deals in economic history worldwide that Trump put together yesterday, among other things.

[Joe Getty]

In hour three, Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

This is an iHeart podcast.