Armstrong & Getty On Demand — "It's Good To Have A Hobby!"

Date: March 31, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode tackles a range of hot-button topics with Armstrong & Getty’s trademark mix of irreverence, skepticism, and pointed commentary. Key themes include the uncertain outcome of U.S. military actions in Iran, the evolving nature of modern warfare (with a focus on drone and AI technology), cultural snobbery toward blue-collar work (with a humorous but pointed critique of Jimmy Kimmel's plumber joke), and the salacious news surrounding South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s husband. The episode’s tone swings between serious geopolitical analysis, cultural critique, and playful banter.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-Iran Military Escalation: The Uncertain Road Ahead

• Deconstruction of “Victory” Narratives

  • The hosts caution against the rush to claim clear wins or losses in emerging conflicts.
    • “Anybody who's proclaiming this a clear victory or a clear loss, at this point you're just cheerleading for one side or the other because it's too early to tell.” (B, 00:53)
  • They emphasize the complex calculus of major military decisions, highlighting Trump’s risky actions in the Middle East.
    • “…my belief is that Trump did something he and many people believe to be incredibly important, big and somewhat dangerous, because you're never sure how these things are going to go.” (A, 01:17)

• The Dangers & Unpredictability of Intervention

  • Hosts discuss “Pandora’s box” scenarios: potential wider conflicts involving China, Russia, or catastrophic responses from Iran.
    • “Is it possible that Pandora's box, having been opened, will unleash demons we can't deal with...?” (A, 02:29)

• Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Remarks

  • He’s quoted highlighting American military successes and need for allied participation.
    • “President Trump doesn't bluff and he does not back down… the United States War Department will continue with even more intensity.” (C quoting Hegseth, 03:21–03:55)
    • Calls out European allies: “Last time I checked, there was supposed to be a big, bad Royal Navy…” (C, 05:03)
  • The hosts mockingly comment on British military capability.
    • “The big bad Royal Navy, which at this point is a rainbow flag flying. Useless.” (A, 05:43)
  • No clear timetable for military action—deliberately ambiguous, to prevent media criticism and adversary planning.
    • “Announcing a timetable in warfare… just an excuse for the media to say you missed your timetable or to have your adversary prepare in a certain way.” (A, 07:08)

2. The Rapid Evolution of Modern Warfare

• Drones & AI: Changing the Battlefield
  • Discussion of Pentagon considering anti-drone lasers in DC due to increased drone sightings.
    • “Debating whether to deploy lasers… after recent reports of unusual drone activity.” (B, 07:19)
  • Ukraine’s prominence in developing and exporting drone/anti-drone tech to Gulf states.
    • “The Gulf states… just signed a 10 billion plus dollar deal with Ukraine for Ukraine to export their drone and anti drone technology.” (A, 08:34)
  • 60 Minutes report: both Ukraine and Russia close to deploying AI-controlled swarm drones, which would be a paradigm shift.
    • “It's just a matter of time. Like both sides… are close to having the ability to have AI command drone swarms.” (B, 09:24)
    • “As soon as that happens, we're definitely into a different world.” (B, 09:24)
  • Need for better language: “drones” is too broad.
    • “We need a better term than drones because it's too all encompassing… It's practically like saying the word weapon.” (B, 10:29)

3. Culture & Class: The Plumbing Controversy

• Jimmy Kimmel Mocks Markwayne Mullen, New DHS Secretary
  • Kimmel jokes about Mullen’s background, prompting Armstrong & Getty to fiercely defend blue-collar professions.
    • Kimmel: “That's right. We have a plumber protecting us from terrorism. Now, it worked for Super Mario. Why not Markwayne?” (B quoting Kimmel, 13:23)
    • “Markwayne Mullen took over his family plumbing business… turned it into a business from I think it was three employees to 200 or 300… Yeah, he's an idiot. Jimmy, you're way smarter.” (A, 13:56)
  • Broader critique of elite snobbery toward trades:
    • “Your bachelor's degree in something or other that nobody's ever heard of and you've done nothing with would be better somehow. Where does that come from?” (B, 14:35)
    • “The contempt for regular jobs and the adoration of getting a degree and not even having a job… as a cultural attitude, it's really bad for the country.” (B, 15:12)

4. Kristi Noem’s Husband: Scandal and “Having a Hobby”

• Leaked Photos & Private Kinks
  • Breaks down the bizarre news about Brian Noem’s “bimbofication” fetish and cross-dressing photos leaking online.
    • “Brian Gnome chatted up women from the so called bimbofication fetish scene… claiming he coveted huge, huge, ridiculous boobs… balloons in his shirt to mimic comically oversized lopsided breasts, complete with fake protruding nipples and his hot tight little pink boy shorts.” (A, 18:23)
    • “These pictures are unbelievable. We're looking at the pictures, they're incredible.” (B, 19:13)
  • The hosts blend shock, humor, and mock empathy:
    • “It's good to have a hobby, you know, relieve the stress of the day.” (A, 25:09)
    • “You birdwatch. He stuffs giant balloons in a crop top, puts on tiny little shorts and makes kissy faces for women online…” (B, 25:20)
  • Cultural reflection on secrets, kinks, and marriage.
    • “You never have any idea what's going on in somebody else's marriage… any conclusions you draw about who's right, wrong, good, bad… You have no idea.” (B, 20:11)
    • “Thank God. My life's so simple. Oh, my God.” (B, 27:32)

5. No Kings Protests: Size vs. Substance

• Massive, Yet Murky Demonstrations
  • Acknowledge the size (millions claimed by organizers), while noting the lack of a cohesive message.
    • “The biggest drawback to them… there wasn't a clear message. It was like a whole bunch of different causes…” (B, 29:17)
  • Jeff Blair (National Review) quoted for his scathing, witty analysis of the protestor demographics and the performative nature of the rallies.
    • “These people were overwhelmingly old, white, deeply elite progressives, and vastly fewer in number this second time around.” (A quoting Blair, 31:10)
    • “It is intensely boomer coded and is now done with grim duty to the commands of political organizers…” (A, 31:32)
  • The hosts see it more as group therapy than meaningful action.
    • “…let's all get together and think the same thing and feel good, bad group therapy.” (A, 32:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Predicting Outcomes in War:

  • “The number of important things done in history that were no brainers, that clearly would go well from beginning to end are… you could count them on the thumbs of one hand.” (A, 01:17)

• On Elite Snobbery Toward Trades:

  • “The contempt for regular jobs and the adoration of getting a degree and not even having a job… it's weird how not even having a job is held up above a lot of jobs.” (B, 14:52)

• On Fetish Exposure:

  • “Glad the dog never saw this.” (A, 24:07)

• On Protest Demographics:

  • “I haven't seen so many senior citizens and embarrassingly tight fitting union T shirts… since I attended the DNC in 2024.” (A quoting Blair, 31:12)

• On Personal Simplicity:

  • “Seriously, the modern world is too much. Retreat to nature with me to Uncle Joe's holiday camp for those worn out by the modern world.” (A, 34:13)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Content | |-------|-----------------------------------------------------| | 00:28 | U.S.-Iran situation, "cheerleading" media narratives| | 03:06 | Secretary Pete Hegseth's perspective | | 06:05 | U.S. adversaries: Russia & China | | 07:19 | Pentagon considers anti-drone lasers in DC | | 08:34 | Gulf states & Ukraine drone deal | | 09:24 | AI drone swarms: new rules of warfare | | 12:51 | Jimmy Kimmel mocks plumber DHS Secretary | | 13:56 | Defense of blue-collar work | | 17:18 | Kristi Noem’s husband “bimbofication” scandal | | 25:09 | “It’s good to have a hobby” – reframing the scandal | | 29:17 | No Kings protests: turnout vs. unclear message | | 31:10 | Jeff Blair's critique on protest demographics | | 32:11 | Therapy vs. advocacy in modern protest | | 34:13 | “Retreat to nature…”; closing banter |

Tone, Language, and Flow

Armstrong & Getty remain unsparing with sarcasm, quick to mock partisanship, and eager to highlight both the absurdity of modern headlines and the hypocrisies of political culture. Their defense of working-class professions is earnest but sarcastically delivered. Scandal segments are handled with gallows humor but also reflections on privacy and society’s shifting tolerance for personal quirks.

Summary for the Uninitiated

This episode is a rollercoaster of current affairs, from analyzing the fog of war in Iran to riffing on drone warfare’s future, lampooning cultural elitism, and dissecting internet sex scandals involving political figures—all framed with the blend of skepticism, irreverence, and everyman perspective that defines Armstrong & Getty. It’s as much about making sense of the news as mocking it, always returning to the core message: the world is complicated, weird, and often best handled with a mix of hardheaded realism and humor.