Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: “Look At Your Ass”
Date: October 16, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty deliver their signature blend of humor, observation, and thoughtful discussion. The show weaves together personal stories, news analysis, and a major feature on the realities of aging, from physical health to cognitive and emotional development. The hosts riff on everything from skin cancer to China’s industrial robot revolution, political cynicism, and the surprising age at which humans reach their “functional peak.” The tone is candid, sometimes silly, and, as always, peppered with their wry observations and memorable barbs.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Health and Medical Progress

Segment: 03:19–08:39

• Armstrong’s Skin Cancer Surgery:
  Jack shares a personal update about undergoing a minor skin cancer procedure ("basal cell carcinoma") and reflects on the advances in medical technology.

  • “I had to have some skin cancer cut off. It's the non scary kind, the most common, the easiest to cure—basal cell carcinoma right on the bridge of my nose.” (03:53, Armstrong)
  • They discuss how in earlier eras, small injuries or illnesses would have been fatal, and appreciate modern healthcare’s ability to address such issues swiftly.
  • “If you run those models for people a few times, they'd be like, yeah, I'm staying in the 21st century. Thank you.” (07:59, Armstrong)

• Sun Exposure and Aging:
  The guys joke about excessive tanning and how age eventually reveals the consequences ("looking like a catcher's mitt").

  • “You are trading your youth for, well, looking like a catcher’s mitt. I hate to be unkind.” (05:55, Armstrong)

• Advice for Listeners:
  Both hosts recommend regular checkups and up-to-date tetanus shots, sharing personal anecdotes about injuries and the benefits of vaccines.

  • “Get up to date on your tetanus shot.” (10:34, Armstrong)

2. China, Industrial Robots, and Economic Anxiety

Segment: 12:39–15:44

• China’s Robotic Factories:
  Armstrong reads from an article summarizing the overwhelming shift in Chinese manufacturing towards advanced automation. Contrary to the old narrative about cheap labor, the new advantage is state-of-the-art, robotized factories.

  • “CEO Ford Jim Farley said, it's the most humbling thing I’ve ever seen... no people, everything is robotic.” (13:01, Armstrong)
  • The scale difference is stark: China installed 295,000 industrial robots last year, compared to 34,000 in the US.
  • “34 grand [in the US], 295,000 in China. Wow.” (13:36, Armstrong)

• Tariffs and Policy Response:
  The utility of tariffs is debated, with one opinion being that policy responses like defensive tariffs may be too little, too late. There's a shared sense of urgency that the US must invest more in automation and industrial capacity.

  • “300,000 new industrial robots last freaking year.” (14:44, Armstrong)
  • Getty jokes, “Learn to speak Mandarin.” (14:57, Getty)

3. Political Commentary and Cynicism

Segment: 19:46–23:29

• Kamala Harris & Politician Hyperbole:
  The hosts skewer Vice President Kamala Harris for claiming she’s “the most qualified person to ever run for president,” mocking both the statement and the sycophantic applause it received.

  • “How do you get those words to come out of your mouth?” (19:58, Getty)
  • Armstrong points out crowd behavior: “All the folks in the crowd who just shrieked with delight... What sort of cultists are out there yelling and screaming in delight?” (20:15, Armstrong)

• Trump, Trials, & Democratic Strategy:
  They dissect comments by Democratic strategist Liz Smith admitting that the case against Trump in New York was a tactical move by Democrats, not a purely legal one.

  • "This was not a real case. This was a plot to upend the presidential campaign." (22:03, Armstrong)
  • Armstrong notes the deep cynicism of U.S. politics, referencing Mark Leibovich’s “This Town.”

4. When Do Humans Peak? Functional Age and Wisdom

Segment: 27:03–39:29

• The Myth of Youthful Peak:
  They examine a new multi-dimensional study which suggests humans actually reach their peak “overall functioning” (balancing cognitive, emotional, moral, and financial abilities) around age 55–60, much later than physical or cognitive speed peaks.

  • “Turns out that people reach their functional peak in their late 50s, early 60s—decades later than most people assume…” (27:57, Getty)

• Fluid vs. Crystallized Intelligence:
  Quick thinking and working memory peak in one’s 20s, but accumulated knowledge (“crystallized intelligence”), financial literacy, and moral reasoning increase into late middle age.

  • “Fluid intelligence... peaks at 20 and declines after that.” (29:43, Getty)
  • “Crystallized intelligence... keeps rising. Well, until your 60s...” (29:59, Getty)

• Emotional Intelligence & Stability:
  The most crucial traits for career and life satisfaction—conscientiousness and emotional stability—continue to grow through midlife.

  • “The two traits most strongly linked to career success and life satisfaction... both increase from early adulthood well into your 50s and 60s.” (33:38, Getty)

• Waning Moral Reasoning Late in Life:
  Research suggests moral reasoning can actually reverse in very late life (prompting some jokes on elderly shenanigans).

  • “Moral reasoning tends to rise through most of adulthood, and research indicates that it reverses very late in life.” (30:06, Getty)
  • “I’m really looking forward to getting older and older and losing my morals and saying whatever I can say.” (46:48, Michelangelo)

• Peak Earnings and Leadership:
  Highest salaries and occupational prestige are usually achieved between 50–55.

  • “People typically earn their highest salaries and reach peak occupational prestige between 50 and 55.” (37:25, Getty)

• Why Tech Companies Buck the Trend:
  They debate why tech’s wunderkinds succeed so young—possibly because the field is new and there’s less “accumulated wisdom” to be passed down.

5. Comedy, Antifa, and Media Narratives

Segment: 42:53–46:26

• Jimmy Kimmel & The Antifa Debate:
  The hosts play a Jimmy Kimmel clip mocking the existence of Antifa and the idea of chaos in cities, then rebut him with their own (and contrary) observations.
  • “Antifa is just short for anti fascist. It's not a club you can join. There’s no chaos in Portland… None.” (43:03, Kimmel)
  • “So we let the federal courthouse be burned down and all the agents beaten down by a mob. But we saw the chaos is chaos, Jimmy.” (44:03, Armstrong)
  • They lament comedians migrating into political commentary and note how facts sometimes become casualties of political belief.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Armstrong on Medical Advances:
  “Thank God we live in a time where they can find that stuff early, detect it, remove it with, you know, relative comfort, and it doesn't turn into something nastier.” (06:26, Armstrong)

• Getty on Youthful Stupidity:
  “Remember when I snagged myself on the barbed wire fence when I was drunk trying to climb over it?” (08:09, Getty)

• On China’s Robots:
  “You’re walking alongside this conveyor… a truck drives out. There are no people, everything is robotic.” (13:01, Armstrong)

• Getty on Wisdom and Age:
  “Conscientiousness and emotional stability are the two traits you need for life satisfaction.” (33:38, Getty)

• Final Thoughts—Generational Wisdom:
  “My 13 year old regularly says I can't wait till I'm old and can say whatever I want to people. It's just like his dream.” (47:23, Getty)

• Armstrong on Truth in Comedy:
  “Jimmy, you’re an idiot. You are funny, but you really are unqualified for what you are now doing.” (44:59, Armstrong)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Armstrong’s Medical Story, Aging, and Sun Exposure: 03:19–08:39
• China’s Robots & U.S. Industrial Lag: 12:39–15:44
• Kamala Harris, Politicians’ Hype, Trump Trials, and Political Strategy: 19:46–23:29
• When Do We Peak? Multi-Dimensional Ageing: 27:03–39:29
• Media Narrative, Comedy & Antifa: 42:53–46:26
• Final Thoughts & Takeaways: 46:41–48:13

Closing Tone

The episode manages to be both informative and irreverent, mixing data-driven discussion with relatable anecdotes, quick wit, and healthy skepticism of media narratives and political theatrics. Armstrong & Getty’s chemistry keeps the conversation brisk, perceptive, and always laced with a dose of self-deprecating humor.

For feedback or to submit black-eye anecdotes for Armstrong, listeners are encouraged to email mailbag@armstronggetty.com.