Armstrong & Getty On Demand — “It Requires Getting Your Lips Back In Shape”

Date: December 5, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives into a range of topics including the recent arrest in the infamous pipe bomb case from January 6th, media misrepresentations around the suspect, FBI investigative mishaps, a heated spat between Kamala Harris and Governor Josh Shapiro, Netflix’s aggressive expansion, the blizzard of modern digital scams, and a bit of holiday levity. Armstrong & Getty mix current affairs, cultural commentary, and personal anecdotes with their trademark irreverence and skepticism.

Key Discussion Points & Segments

1. Pipe Bomb Suspect Arrest — Media, Motive, and Missteps

[03:07–11:23]

• Breaking the suspect’s profile: Jack Armstrong recaps that the alleged DNC/RNC pipe bomber, named Brian Cole Jr., has finally been arrested five years after the incident. The conversation revolves around inaccurate early reporting and racial assumptions by major outlets (notably Jake Tapper).

  • “Jake Tapper went with, he was a white guy. Now, I got to admit, I was expecting a white guy. The whole pipe kind of felt like a white dude to me.” — Armstrong (03:17)

• On suspect’s background: The hosts note Cole was 25 at the time of the crime, now a 30-year-old living at home, described as isolated, with minimal community involvement.

  • “Doesn't really have any friends. Walks around with headphones a lot… takes a dog, goats on his Chihuahua Jack, according to one report.” — Armstrong (05:12)

• Motivation speculation: Armstrong wonders aloud whether the suspect was motivated by neo-Marxist ideology or personal disaffection, and if his actions were intended to hurt people.

  • “They latch on to an ideology quite late... almost immediately. They don't spend years... they just think, 'I want to hurt somebody. Here’s a cause. Yeah, I'm into that. Let's hurt somebody.'” — Armstrong (06:02)

• Motive vs. Coincidence: They quell ideas that the pipe bombs were connected to Jan 6th "Stop the Steal," instead suggesting the date was a convenient occasion for visibility.

  • “I think it’s not a coincidence it was the January 6th because there was a big rally that day, but it had nothing to do with Stop the Steal or the rally itself, I suspect.” — Armstrong (07:22)

• FBI investigation critique: The hosts play audio from Cash Patel, who accuses the previous administration and the FBI of “incompetence or complete intentional negligence,” particularly for not thoroughly analyzing cell phone data.

  • “That is either sheer incompetence or complete intentional negligence, and neither of which is acceptable for this FBI.” — Cash Patel clip (08:16)

• Possible political cover-up? Armstrong doubts suggestions of an intentional cover-up, noting most FBI agents are “serious patriotic Americans,” while also admitting, “It’s troubling. There's got to be an explanation to that question. What happened in the last five years?” (10:42)

Memorable Quote

“Sometimes a new detective can come along and look at the same evidence, figure out something. Doesn't mean the people before them were incompetent or corrupt. They just didn't see it for whatever reason.” — Armstrong (09:53)

2. Music, Kids, and Practice — Life’s Little Joys

[12:53–14:46]

• Joe Getty reminisces about participating in his son’s winter band concert and jokes about the difference in abilities by age group, before Armstrong considers picking up the trumpet again.

• Discussion about playing brass instruments as adults and the challenge of rebuilding “embouchure” (mouth and lip muscles).

  • “Would it be pretty hard to do your embouchure is… Your lips back in shape and your muscles of your mouth and face, that’s… it’s a challenge.” — Armstrong (14:24)
  • “I don’t play it with my lips, I gotta admit.” — Armstrong (14:41)
  • Episode title nod: “It hurts my lips.” / “It requires getting your lips back in shape.” — Armstrong (14:12, 14:24)

3. "K-Pop Demon Hunters," Netflix, and Media Bundling

[17:39–22:51]

• Brief rundown on the new cultural juggernaut, “K-Pop Demon Hunters,” and Netflix’s reported plans to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max.

  • “I did not realize that K Pop Demon Hunters was the most streamed movie in Netflix history.” — Armstrong (18:07)

• The hosts grumble about the quality and length of movie reviews, advocating for shorter, genre-based guidance:

  • “Movie reviews should not be more than say 50 words long. And they shouldn’t be about the reviewer… showing how smart they are.” — Armstrong (19:18)

• On streaming platform monopolization:

  • “It’s funny. Although media is changing so fast, the idea that this is a monopoly or that it’s just–no, it'll change so quickly. What’s true today won’t be true tomorrow.” — Armstrong (22:13)

• Armstrong shares his own struggle trying to cut streaming services yet being unable to escape:

  • “I've canceled like them all six months, nine months ago. And I've slowly added them back in... Next thing you know, I got them all again.” — Armstrong (22:29)

4. Kamala Harris vs. Josh Shapiro — Book Drama

[26:15–33:47]

• Discussion around coverage in The Atlantic about Vice President Kamala Harris’s new book, which reportedly takes shots at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro for “measuring the drapes” and trying to be an overbearing VP candidate.

• Shapiro calls Harris’s account “complete and utter bull spit” and “blatant lies.” (30:09, 30:22)

• Armstrong & Getty break down the behind-the-scenes political maneuvering and Harris’s “political climbing” skills, while noting Shapiro’s disdain:

  • “He has so little respect for her. That's what makes him so mad. It's like this dunder pate is coming at me.” — Armstrong (29:02)
  • “This intellectual lightweight... slept her way to the top. Half wit is coming at me.” — Armstrong (29:15)
  • “Ouch.” — Joe Getty (29:23)
  • “Accuracy. Truth is an absolute defense against misogyny.” — Armstrong (29:32)

• Armstrong speculates on whether Harris is more competent at political maneuvering than governance: “She is incompetent in all kinds of different ways, and she clearly is, but not in the ways of fighting dirty in politics.” (33:59)

5. Digital Scams & Web Security

[35:38–38:10]

• Armstrong talks about the daily onslaught of scam emails: fake PayPal, UPS messages, etc., warning these, and discussing the value of effective anti-phishing and identity protection services.

  • Relates a humorous personal experiment in stringing along a scam “lover” from Ukraine/Russia:
  • “I'd played along for quite some time… I said, I’ve been playing along with this just to see when you were going to finally ask for money. And I said, doesn’t it bother you, to play upon people’s emotions and like lonely desperate people... That did you sleep okay at night with that act? And then I just never heard anything back from her, of course.” — Armstrong (37:42)

• Getty deadpans about how the scammer could reply: “Look, I'm an Indonesian fisherman, I was snatched up by the Chinese, I'm being held against my will. They make me do this all day long. How do you feel about that?” — Getty (37:57)

6. Climate Change Politics & Information Overload

[38:14–47:40]

• Commentary on declining faith in mainstream climate activism, citing public weariness and confusion:

  • “But the climate activists seem to have no concept of why that is—it’s not that people have woken up to the giant scam... it’s misinformation and disinformation by evildoers has swayed the minds of people.” — Armstrong (38:36)

• On information overload and the impact of AI:

  • “Everything is just going to become so confusing. We're just going to be so inundated with crap all the time... you don't know what's true and what's not.” — Armstrong (45:14)
  • Getty: “I have two completely contradictory thoughts… One is a lot more people are going to check out from the information economy. My completely oppositional thought… The evildoers will have enormous powers and we all need to be on our guard.” (46:13–46:36)
  • Armstrong: “I would concentrate on the world close to you. That’s what I do… there’s not much I can do about this stuff, so I don’t worry about it.” (47:01)
  • Getty jokes about the futility of regulations: “Could we get regulations in place to slow down this train? Or is it just impossible? No. No.” (47:33)

7. Holiday Humor, LeBron James, and a Zelensky Attempted Assassination?

[41:22–45:14]

• Getty offers a light-hearted list of “Highs and Lows of the Holiday Season,” blending classic Armstrong & Getty humor with appreciation for office parties’ lost glory.

  • “The high when your child enjoys a candy cane and a low when they suck it down to a shiv…” — Getty (41:22)
  • “Nothing says festivities more than lunch. It's in the building, too.” — Armstrong (42:21)

• LeBron James's scoring streak ends, causing musings on athletic longevity:

  • “1297 consecutive games. Second place by Michael Jordan is 866, 400 games shorter. I mean, that’s stunning.” — Armstrong (43:40)

• Discussion of an underreported assassination attempt on Zelensky:

  • “...there was an effort, it looks like, to assassinate President Zelensky on his trip to Dublin—the other day, as four drones converged in his flight path.” — Armstrong (44:17)
  • “It’s just got to kind of catch on... Now all of a sudden...it’s the biggest thing in politics. Partly because Trump latched onto it and is talking about it.” — Armstrong (45:14)

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Media Racial Assumptions:
  “Jake Tapper went with, he was a white guy. Now, I got to admit, I was expecting a white guy. The whole pipe kind of felt like a white dude to me.” — Armstrong (03:17)

• On FBI Competency:
  “That is either sheer incompetence or complete intentional negligence, and neither is acceptable for this FBI.” — Cash Patel (08:16)

• On the nature of political ambition:
  “This intellectual lightweight single party state slept her way to the top. Half wit is coming at me.” — Armstrong (29:15)

• On movie reviewers:
  “Movie reviews should not be more than say 50 words long. And they shouldn't be about the reviewer… showing how smart they are.” — Armstrong (19:18)

• On Kamala Harris's political skill:
  “She is incompetent in all kinds of ways and she clearly is, but not in the ways of fighting dirty in politics.” — Armstrong (33:59)

• About the future with AI:
  “Everything is just going to become so confusing. We're just going to be so inundated with crap all the time...you don't know what's true and what's not.” — Armstrong (45:14)

Armstrong & Getty's Signature Tone

The tone throughout is irreverent, skeptical, sarcastic, and conversational. The duo regularly interrupt and challenge each other, layer cultural references and personal anecdotes over the news, and end with self-deprecating humour about the world's confusion and their age.

Summary: Why Listen?

This installment of Armstrong & Getty covers the headlines and hidden stories of the week through a blend of forensic cynicism, pop-culture asides, and holiday cheer. It’ll entertain those who love opinionated, unscripted takes on major news—especially if you prefer a mix of satire and sincere critique.

For further details, listen to specific timestamps for deep dives on:

• FBI and the pipe bomber case: 03:07–11:23
• Kamala Harris vs. Josh Shapiro: 26:15–33:47
• AI confusion & overload: 45:14–47:40
• Holiday highs & lows: 41:22–42:40