Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "I'm Missing Three Toes"

Date: December 1, 2025
Producer/Host: iHeartPodcasts
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

The first show of December kicks off with the hosts’ classic blend of post-holiday wit, cultural critique, and commentary on the latest national security scandal. Fresh from Thanksgiving, the Armstrong & Getty team swaps overeating stories and then transitions into incisive, sometimes irreverent, dissections of the recent National Guard shooting, presidential politics, AI’s growing influence, and the manufactured nature of “pseudo-events” in American media. The episode is a mix of post-holiday banter, serious news breakdowns, and signature comedic asides.

Key Discussion Points

1. Thanksgiving Recap and Holiday Weight Guilt

[03:02 – 06:00]

• The hosts and staff recount the holiday, focusing on how much weight they gained and sharing food excess stories.
• Michael: “I ate three fourths of a banana cream pie by myself ... I gotta think I'm up there a couple pounds, missy. Three toes too.” — self-deprecating reference to his diabetes and amputation.
• Joe: “I could eat apple pie for breakfast five days a week and not get tired of it.”
• Jack: “If I can do that for Christmas again, I'll be an entirely new zip code by the time the new year starts.”

2. Crafted Holidays & Media 'Events' (Cyber Monday, Black Friday)

[06:11 – 08:21]

• The hosts call out the contrivance of events like Cyber Monday and Black Friday, critiquing how media presents marketing constructs as organic news.
• Jack: “It is what is known as a pseudo event … You create an event and then report on it as if it’s something that happened out of the blue.” [06:26]
• Joe: “I should be amused by that. I’m not.” [06:50]

3. Re-entry to Work: Media Cynicism and What Matters

[07:09 – 08:21]

• Both hosts express post-holiday skepticism about the significance of much media and political discourse.
• Jack: “Most of the stuff we talk about is a waste of time.” [07:30]
• Joe: “It’s ugly and corrosive and it scars your soul and is performative and idiotic. That’s all, I would add.” [07:38]
• They resolve to focus on things that genuinely matter, decrying fixation on manufactured scandals.

4. Tragedy and Immediate Politicization (National Guard Shooting)

[08:25 – 09:46]

• Discussion about a National Guard member’s death and how media quickly pivots to blame-shifting.
• Jack: “It immediately went to, is it Biden or Trump? Which is just also very frustrating.” [08:57]
• Joe: “Usually, there’d be a little time spent assembling a fact or two.” [09:02]

5. Breaking News: Venezuelan Incident and Trump Administration Scandals

[09:47 – 10:21; 25:01 – 29:56]

• Tease of a story involving alleged war crimes after a US airstrike on a drug boat near Venezuela; ties to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Trump’s statements.
• Jack: “If those get nailed down, then that's quite the story ... Trump told Maduro ... you gotta get out of there or we’re going to kill you. Wow.” [09:47]
• On the airstrike investigation:
  • Joe: “According to the legal experts I’ve read ... if it is true, no, it’s murder.” [27:13]
  • Jack: “If it did happen, I guess Hegseth has to go and he gets prosecuted by somebody.” [28:07]

6. Cyber Monday and Artificial Intelligence in Shopping

[11:42 – 13:17]

• The growing role of AI in holiday shopping (e.g., OpenAI partnering with Walmart and Target, Amazon’s Rufus chatbot).
• Jack: “I took in so much AI information over the weekend ... I am more convinced than ever that this is very, very big. Maybe the biggest thing that’s ever happened on planet Earth … deserves discussion.” [13:01–13:16]

7. Light Banter: Pie Smoothies, TV by the Grill, and Marshmallow Jello Salad

[05:21, 37:25, 21:08]

• The team jokes about mixing all Thanksgiving food into a “shake” and enjoying football, and Jack’s happiness revelation about installing a TV by his grill.
• Jack: “I actually put it in a blender … It’s Thanksgiving. Put some mice in there.” [05:39]
  • Joe: “Some ice in there. Okay, some mice. What the hell?” [05:44]
• Joe: “No, I got the outdoor TV by the grill so when I’m grilling I can watch football, refreshment in hand. It was so great.” [37:25]
• Discussion of marshmallow-jello salads as a staple (and horror) of family gatherings.

8. Headlines Roundup & Reaction

[17:43 – 21:39]

• With Katie Green, the team runs through national picks:
  • National Guard shooting and immigration
  • Ukraine peace talks and Russia
  • US AI dominance in global economies
  • “Scromming” as a cannabis side effect
  • Lions with regional “roaring accents”
  • Thanksgiving food abominations

9. Mailbag & Listener Feedback

[41:33 – 45:16]

• Listeners comment on the relief of being away from the news, quality of “Best of” episodes, and re-airing of gross segments (e.g., “Brazilian butt lifts gone wrong”).
• Recognition of team’s work in putting the show together during the holiday break.

Notable Quotes & Moments

“Most of the stuff we talk about is a waste of time.”
— Jack Armstrong, [07:30]

“It’s ugly and corrosive and it scars your soul and is performative and idiotic. That’s all, I would add.”
— Joe Getty, [07:38]

“It is what is known as a pseudo event … You create an event and then report on it as if it’s something that happened out of the blue.”
— Jack Armstrong, [06:26]

“If it is true, no, it’s murder. No ifs, ands or buts.”
— Joe Getty, [27:13], regarding the alleged airstrike on survivors

“I took in so much AI information over the weekend ... I am more convinced than ever that this is very, very big. Maybe the biggest thing that’s ever happened on planet Earth.”
— Jack Armstrong, [13:01]

“I actually put it in a blender … It’s Thanksgiving. Put some mice in there.”
— Jack Armstrong, (joking about Thanksgiving leftovers) [05:39]

Important Segment Timestamps

| Topic | Speakers | Time | |:---------------------------------------- |:------------------- |:--------- | | Thanksgiving weight gain & eating tales | Jack, Joe, Michael | 03:02–06:00 | | Pseudo-events: Cyber Monday, Black Friday| Jack, Joe | 06:11–08:21 | | Media cynicism & what matters | Jack, Joe | 07:09–08:21 | | National Guard shooting politicization | Jack, Joe | 08:25–09:46 | | Venezuela/airstrike scandal intro | Jack, Joe | 09:47–10:21 | | Headline roundup with Katie Green | Katie, Jack, Joe | 17:43–21:39 | | Deep dive: Airstrike scandal & legality | Jack, Joe | 25:01–29:56 | | Listener mailbag & feedback | Jack, Joe | 41:33–45:16 |

Tone and Style

The episode balances gallows humor and straight talk, with plenty of sarcasm about media conventions, zinger-filled banter, and a throughline of irreverence only Armstrong & Getty can deliver. While critical of media and politics, they regularly pivot to lighter personal anecdotes. The style is conversational, quick-witted, and high on chemistry.

For New Listeners

If you missed the show:

• Expect equal parts news analysis and comic relief.
• The hosts tackle tough topics with skepticism (especially toward the media and political class), but always keep things moving with banter.
• Serious discussions (like the National Guard scandal) are explained clearly, with both the facts and the unanswered questions laid out for you.
• Cultural topics and “pseudo-events” are frequent targets for their wit.

End of summary.