Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: It’s From Bangin’ That Green Girl
Date: February 20, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

This episode blends political analysis, cultural commentary, and classic Armstrong & Getty humor. The show kicks off with news about the Supreme Court ruling on Trump’s tariffs, explores economic shifts (such as changing alcohol consumption), dives deep into society’s evolving relationship with sex and AI—sparked by Senator Ben Sasse’s reflections—and closes with a debate on space aliens, government secrets, and the Fermi Paradox. As always, the tone is sharp, irreverent, and deeply curious.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Supreme Court Ruling on Tariffs and Small Businesses

• [00:29 - 01:45]
  • The Supreme Court ruled Trump cannot impose tariffs broadly or intermittently.
  • Discussion focuses on how this impacts small businesses particularly, rather than just big corporations.
    • Jack: “The little guy that is the most interesting part of this whole tariff ruling today. [...] Little businesses are just barely squeaking by most of the time.” (00:29)
    • Joe notes many small businesses were driven out or had to lay off workers thanks to unpredictable input costs from fluctuating tariffs.
    • Jack: “They don't have lobbyists, the little fellas, they don't have influence.” (01:25)
    • They discuss the difference between strategic tariffs (responding to genuine unfair trade from countries like China) versus broad, scattershot tariffs.

2. Cultural Shifts: Fewer People Drinking & The Role of Risk Aversion

• [05:04 - 09:50]
  • Gallo, a leading US wine maker, is shutting down production in Napa Valley, signaling major decline in wine consumption.
  • Speculation on why younger generations are drinking less:
    • Shift to THC (smoking, vaping) over alcohol.
    • Increasing risk aversion among young people—fear of losing control.
    • Rise of self-service kiosks in restaurants, attributed to Millennials/Gen Z avoiding human interaction.
      • Joe: “I’d rather walk up there and say, give me a double cheeseburger, no onions.” (07:27)
    • Arthur Brooks’ argument: “Why are young people choosing OnlyFans over love? The answer, I believe, is fear.” (08:10)
    • Jack: “We're not having babies, we're not having sex, we're not getting our drink on. Strange times.” (09:03)

3. The Digital Revolution, Sex Decline, & Ben Sasse’s Reflections

• [11:01 - 17:13]
  • Emotional segment discussing Ben Sasse—Nebraska senator facing terminal illness. Joe highlights Sasse’s unique, principled approach to politics and life.
  • Sasse discusses the collapse of sex in America and theorizes the “digital revolution” supercharges both positive and negative aspects of culture, leading to a “crap ton less sex everywhere.”
    • Notable Quote:
      • Ben Sasse: “But you would never think that the digital revolution would cause a collapse in sex…There's almost no sex in America...And it’s because a porn revolution has made it way easier for people to be satisfied—not really, but to be short term satisfied—without having to go through all the work of having communion and relationship with another human who’s annoying.” (13:51)
    • Jack and Joe extrapolate: the digital revolution saps not just sexual desire but all desire—for work, love, leaving the house, etc.
      • Jack jokes: “What's obviously next, you don't breathe anymore because you're on a website that shows people breathing...” (15:51)

4. Extraterrestrials, Obama vs. Trump & The Fermi Paradox

• [17:13 - 29:37]
  • Obama and Trump spar (indirectly) over alien revelations: Obama suggests on a podcast that “aliens are real,” leading Trump to accuse him of leaking classified info.
  • Clips played: Obama’s remarks, followed by Trump’s (with Peter Doocy) dismissal and mock seriousness about declassifying alien secrets. Humor and disbelief abound in their reactions.
    • Obama: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them…There’s no underground facility. Unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the President.” (19:01)
    • Trump: “He gave classified information, he’s not supposed to be doing that. I may get him out of trouble by declassifying.” (19:21, 19:47)
  • The hosts debate the possibility of life elsewhere, the Fermi Paradox, and how detection is complicated by the vastness of space and time.
    • Joe: “I’ve completely switched gears…I’m leaning way more toward there is no other life anywhere else out there in the universe. Just based on a lot of reading…” (21:27)
    • Jack evokes the “when are they?” argument—maybe life came and went elsewhere eons ago.

5. William Shatner, Sci-fi Humor, and Deep Space Reflections

• [25:53 - 28:34]
  • Celebratory ribbing about William Shatner’s agelessness, sex life (“banging that green girl”), and his observations about the cold, dead nature of space after his trip.
    • Shatner roast joke: “For those of you who don't know, Klingon is a language you speak when you want people to know you're a virgin.” (27:20)
    • Reflection: Life’s rarity makes our existence feel precious and a little weird. “It’s a terrifying notion [if Earth is alone],” Jack says. (26:42)

6. Religion, Science, and Why We Seek Aliens

• [28:51 - 29:47]
  • Is the drive to “find aliens” partly an effort to undercut religion? Hosts ponder whether anti-religion advocates wish for extraterrestrial confirmation.
    • Joe: “Does the anti-God, anti-religion crowd really, really want there to be life on other planets? Because it makes it so much more difficult.” (28:51)
    • They both conclude that their own ambivalence or belief/disbelief isn’t rooted in religion.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Small Business & Tariffs:
  • Jack: “They don’t have lobbyists, the little fellas, they don’t have influence.” (01:25)
• On Risk Aversion:
  • Joe: “There are new restaurants…kiosk only. My son said, it’s because the young people don’t want to have to talk to anybody.” (07:27)
• On Digital Revolution's Effects:
  • Ben Sasse: “There's a crap ton less sex everywhere in American life. And it's because a porn revolution has made it way easier for people to be satisfied—not really, but to be short term satisfied—without having to go through all the work of having communion and relationship with another human who's annoying.” (13:51)
  • Jack: “We're not having babies, we're not having sex, we're not getting our drink on. Strange times.” (09:03)
• On Aliens & Government Secrets:
  • Obama: “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them… There’s no underground facility.” (19:01)
  • Trump: “He gave classified information […] I may get him out of trouble by declassifying.” (19:21, 19:47)
• On the Fermi Paradox:
  • Joe: “If there ever has been, over the span of time, intelligent life come to be somewhere, how’s there never been a blip of noise or any sign whatsoever?” (22:27)
  • Jack (on Shatner): “He may be immortal. We need to stop looking for life on other planets and try to figure out why William Shatner’s holding on to youth so well.” (28:07)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------| | Supreme Court & Small Business Tariffs | 00:29–01:45 | | Decline in Wine/Alcohol – Cultural Analysis | 05:04–09:50 | | Ben Sasse Reflections on AI & Sex | 11:01–17:13 | | Aliens: Obama v. Trump + Fermi Paradox | 17:13–29:37 | | William Shatner & Sci-fi Reflections | 25:53–28:34 | | Religion vs. Science on Extraterrestrial Life | 28:51–29:47 | | Closing thoughts & Show Wrap-up | 33:17–34:33 |

Episode Tone & Takeaways

Armstrong & Getty toggle seamlessly between thoughtful cultural critique, political news, philosophical exploration, and their signature comic riffing. They approach big questions—about technology, meaning, and even the fate of civilization—with a blend of irreverence and underlying sincerity. The episode’s recurring motifs are uncertainty, rapid change, and the enduring weirdness of modern life.

For more Armstrong & Getty, visit armstrongandgetty.com or subscribe to the podcast for full episodes and bonus content.