Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Inexplicitly Squatting On Your Agents Desk
Date: March 5, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive deep into today’s rapidly evolving media landscape, from the explosion of influencer and creator economies to contemporary political oddities in Texas. They explore why traditional media feels outdated, how social media and young audiences are reshaping culture and commerce, the economics behind background music genres like "funk," and dissect the ascent of unconventional political figures. The tone is classic Armstrong & Getty: irreverent, skeptical, quick-witted—peppered with memorable quotes and back-and-forth banter that blends humor and insight.

The Disruption of Big Media and the Rise of Influencer Economy

[03:33–16:38]

Old Media vs. New Media

• Joe Getty laments how many over a certain age remain attached to the idea that network TV and newspapers “are a big deal. They aren’t. They just aren't.” [05:01]
• The hosts reflect on how the “lowest common denominator” model isn’t nearly as lucrative as it once was, especially as younger audiences flock to new forms of content.

The “Funk” Music Explosion

• The fastest-growing music on YouTube isn’t headlined by global superstars but by unknown artists making background tracks for social media.
  • Joe Getty: “The music artist with the largest audience across all YouTube platforms…was Slaughter…spelled S L X U G H T E R.” [05:52]
  • These “funk” (often stylized as “phonk” or similar) tracks serve as the pulsing audio behind YouTube Shorts, TikTok dances, gaming montages, and motivational clips.
• Creators can make millions with a single viral track:
  • “This one guy...has gotten $5 million already from a track he produced probably in two and a half hours in his basement.” [07:15]
  • Getty highlights companies who have paid “over $140 million to their creators on their roster over the past five years who make background music for videos.” [07:51]
• Memorable Line:
  • “Producing funk and hoping somebody likes your funky track and/or being a pixie haired 22 year old influencer inexplicably squatting on your agent's desk.” – Joe Getty [15:56]

The Scale of Influencer Power

• The creator economy is now a $250 billion market, easily rivaling and in some ways superseding “traditional” celebrity endorsement.
  • “Those at the top of their game are now up against actors and athletes for the biggest endorsement deals.” – Joe Getty [10:55]
• Influencers are now landing magazine gigs, Netflix shows, and running 9-figure businesses, as covered in a Wall Street Journal piece citing United Talent Agency’s growing Creator Division.
• Jack’s anecdote: Gen Z’s star power in retail advertising—his son instantly recognizes influencer faces on Target endcaps while Jack remains oblivious. [08:54]
• Key Insight: Today’s influencers are carving out lucrative living reviewing products, with thousands managing millions of followers and high income, a scale that baffles the hosts given the audience fragmentation and sheer volume of content. [15:06]

Microtargeted Advertising, Skepticism, and the Blurring of Authorship

• Discussion on micro-targeting in digital advertising, and the shift to individualized, niche content.
• Joe Getty: “If we did a show that was 100% about…the coolest auto accessories these days…that’s where you gotta advertise.” [13:40]
• Influencer Authenticity:
  • “A lot of them…they make it clear they're not [getting paid]. Those seem to be the people that have the most followers…But then the product people have more reason to let them use the stuff because there's so many eyeballs on the review. So it kind of works both ways.” – Jack Armstrong [14:10]
  • Joe: Many young audiences “see Kylie Jenner saying…'Oh my God, look at this, it's so amazing'…and they think, bingo gringo, I'm buying it.” [14:41]

Notable Quote:

• “The only constant is change Jack. Change and people being a holes. That seems to be a constant as well.” – Joe Getty [16:32]

U.S. Military Abroad, Global Conflicts, and Media Cynicism

[19:16–22:39]

U.S. Boots Everywhere

• Updates on U.S. military action in Ecuador and Africa, with satirical skepticism about global interventions and the lack of media coverage, especially with respect to atrocities in Africa.
  • “You can try to commit a genocide in Africa…and nobody says a word.” – Jack Armstrong [19:38]
• Banter about foreign policy, NATO, and the unpredictability of alliances.
  • Norman Schwarzkopf quote: “Going into a war without France is like going hunting without an accordion.” – Joe Getty [21:09]

America’s Shifting Military Ethos

• Joe Getty references Pete Hegseth’s criticism of the Biden administration:
  • “Our diversity is our strength. It's the single dumbest phrase in military history. Our strength is our unity.” [21:33]

Weird Political Races: Texas Edition

[25:31–37:28]

Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico: Woke vs. Woker

• Deep-dive into the Democratic primary for a Texas Senate seat, pitting established bomb-thrower Jasmine Crockett against the (even more) unconventional James Talarico.
  • Talarico background: PK's son, “decides he wants to be a preacher too…this is a little background on who he is and he is a nut.” – Jack Armstrong [26:53]
• Key Quotes from Talarico’s Various Public Statements:
  • “There should be a giant welcome mat out front [at the border].”
  • “There are many more than two biological sexes. In fact, there are six…God is non-binary.” [27:33]
  • “White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus that is being white…we spread it wherever we go…” [28:11]
  • “The only cure for the white virus is diagnosing the virus within ourselves…” [28:34]
• Getty’s Take: “Self-hating George Floyd woke apocalypse white guy.” [28:34]
• Talarico on abortion and the Bible:
  • “[He claims] before God comes over Mary…the angel comes down and asks Mary if this is something she wants to do… creation has to be done with consent.”
  • Getty: “That passage doesn’t exist in the Bible. He made it up.” [30:15]
• Trans sports and children’s bill debate:
  • “If one trans child dies to protect someone’s damn trophy, this bill is grotesque.” – James Talarico [31:13]
  • Armstrong and Getty are incredulous: There’s no empirical support for these dire claims.
• Unabashed utopianism:
  • “Prison is violence. We could live in a world without prisons. He’s one of those people. You don’t need jails.” – Jack Armstrong [35:57]
  • Getty: “So you’re saying he has a sub kindergartner understanding of human nature?” [36:50]

Polls, Immigration, and National Mood

[41:40–47:03]

Immigration Attitudes

• New Harvard Harris Poll:
  • On deporting all illegal immigrants: 57% support (including 35% Democrats, 56% Independents). [41:40]
  • Joe Getty: “This is an easy win. You got 60% of the country. Just don’t do crazy S—.” [42:56]
• Right Track / Wrong Track:
  • Still upside-down but improving: 52% wrong track, 38% right track.
  • Armstrong: “The wrong track, 52%. Half of those think we’re too conservative. Half, we think we’re not conservative enough.” [43:24]
• Personal Finances:
  • 36% improving, 40% getting worse, 24% unchanged. Joe: “Anybody with no opinion is so stupid, they shouldn’t get polled.” [46:39]

Pop Culture & Everyday Oddities

[03:31, 40:43–41:40]

• Milkshakes with ranch at Great Wolf Lodge – mockery about digestive consequences.
• Price shock at Wendy's ($8 for a single cheeseburger), and random new food offerings: “Seeing that little red headed girl up on a stripper pole or something selling burritos.” – Joe Getty [04:26]
• Trader Joe's product recall (glass in fried rice) [40:43], playful banter about store culture, and Armstrong’s dislike for “hippie” vibes at the chain.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Where’s the melody anyway?” – Joe Getty on ‘Funk' [05:52]
• "They’ve paid out over $140 million to their creators... for background music." – Joe Getty [07:51]
• "Would she be interested in getting a teaching certificate so she could lead a course on influencing?...practically no limit to what influencers can do and how much they can earn for it." – Joe Getty [09:31]
• "How could there be that many of them?... I can understand how there’d be one or two, but...hundreds of people that can make their living reviewing the latest iPhone or salad dressing or whatever the hell it is." – Jack Armstrong [15:06]
• “Try to imagine worlds without prisons. We don’t need jails. Are you nuts?” – Jack Armstrong [36:57]
• “So you’re saying he has a sub kindergartner understanding of human nature?” – Joe Getty [36:50]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:33–10:55] – Media landscape upheaval, YouTube “funk” music, influencer economy
• [10:55–16:38] – Creator/influencer marketing stats, authenticity, micro-niche advertising
• [19:16–21:33] – U.S. military abroad, NATO, unity vs. diversity in the armed forces
• [25:31–37:28] – Texas political race breakdown, James Talarico controversy, woke politics
• [41:40–47:03] – Harvard Harris Poll: immigration, right track/wrong track, financial mood

In Summary

Armstrong & Getty tackled the dizzying transformation in how media and influence work in 2026, painting a picture of a world where teens and young adults make and consume massive amounts of online content—as both audience and would-be creators. They skewered political extremism and naivety, especially in Texas’s Democratic primary, and parsed the latest opinion polls on immigration and America’s general sense of direction. The episode is fast-paced, funny, and shrewd—plenty to chew on for anyone who missed it.