Armstrong & Getty On Demand — “My Food Stance Is Shoulder Width & Bent Over At The Waist”
Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Overview
This episode features Armstrong & Getty’s signature blend of sharp social commentary, dry humor, and stream-of-consciousness banter, covering a range of topics from a recent attack on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, weight loss drug controversies, labor and automation, food stamp complexities, deflation in China, and the pitfalls of clickbait culture. Notable both for its serious conversations and irreverent asides, the episode explores how modern politics, economics, and society intersect (and sometimes implode).
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Ilhan Omar Attack & Political Violence
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Incident Recap: The hosts discuss news of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar being sprayed with a substance during a public appearance.
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Personal Reactions:
- Jack marvels at Omar’s calm reaction and connects it to other global attacks involving acid or nerve agents ([01:34]).
- Joe notes the dangerous normalization of violence at public political events, referencing other attacks (e.g., on Trump, Kavanaugh) ([02:27], [04:44]).
Jack Armstrong (01:34): “She’s taking steps toward him…with her fist cocked. Not backing away—she’s going toward the guy, ready to punch him.”
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Speculation & Scepticism:
- Jack and Joe debate conspiracy theories suggesting the attack was staged for political gain, emphasizing such accusations are harmful ([02:32], [04:01]).
Jack Armstrong (04:12): “If people had said [Trump] staged a second assassination [attempt] just to get more sympathy, I’d have thought that was abhorrent for people to say that.”
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Wider Context:
- Discussion about increased disruptions at town halls and press conferences, leading many congresspeople to stop holding these events due to safety risks ([05:24]).
2. Security and Simplisafe Ad-Lib
- The conversation transitions humorously from public safety to residential security, with Jack and Joe giving a personal and comical endorsement for SimpliSafe’s AI-powered home security. The segment is woven seamlessly with banter ([08:23]–[09:38]).
3. Sports & Public Meltdowns
- Coco Gauff Incident:
- Jack brings up seeing tennis star Coco Gauff smashing her racket at the Australian Open, highlighting the emotional pressure faced by athletes ([09:49]).
- Joe offers a tongue-in-cheek headline:
Joe Getty (10:18): “My headline is Overheated Coco. How do you like that?”
4. Weight Loss Drugs Lawsuits & Side Effects
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Scale of Use: 12% of U.S. adults (~31 million people) are on GLP-1 weight loss drugs ([11:48]).
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Side Effects: The hosts recount high-profile adverse effects, including blindness, weeks of vomiting, and one case where a woman’s colon ruptured while driving ([12:02]).
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Plaintiffs' Lawsuits:
- Allegations center on inadequate warning of rare but significant side effects (gastroparesis, ileus).
- Jack is skeptical about overreaction to rare incidents, arguing our society is quick to yank products over one tragedy ([14:30]).
Jack Armstrong (14:30): “If they’re seriously a problem, we need to know that. But…we find one crib death…and the crib gets pulled from the market.”
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Lifelong Treatment: The drugs are meant as ongoing treatments for a “disease,” not quick weight-loss fixes ([16:00]).
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Set Point Theory: The ever-present struggle with body weight’s natural set point is discussed—Joe and Jack both note how quickly their bodies revert if they let up ([16:49]).
5. Foreign Affairs: Iran, Venezuela, and China
- Middle East Tensions:
- Concerns about Iran’s more aggressive posturing, with Trump and Rubio’s commentary referenced ([17:18]–[18:15]).
- Job Cuts at UPS and Amazon:
- UPS announces more layoffs due to automation and the winding down of their Amazon partnership. Joe blames high Teamster contracts for hastening automation, while Jack recalls enjoying extravagant Teamsters benefits at UPS ([18:52]–[20:28]).
- Amazon’s own failure with their “Fresh” grocery experiment and subsequent workforce reduction is also discussed ([21:03]–[22:31]).
- Automation Trend: Both hosts agree: technology would have replaced these jobs eventually; economic pressures just accelerated the shift ([22:47]–[23:07]).
6. Food Stamps, SNAP, and Defining “Candy” vs. Necessity
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What Should Assistance Buy?:
- A new debate: Should gourmet coffee or high-end items be allowed via SNAP/EBT?
- Jack’s take ([24:49]):
“If somebody says ‘would you like some candy’…and they hand you a cookie, you'd say what the hell.”
- Some states are now moving to restrict sodas and junk food, but the laws are inconsistent, producing bizarre distinctions (e.g., Gatorade restricted but not tubs of ice cream) ([26:01]).
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Personal Stance:
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The title of the episode comes from Joe’s joking non-answer when Jack asks for his “food stance”:
Joe Getty (25:06): “My stance is shoulder width, bent forward at the waist.”
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Jack admits, only half-joking, that he doesn’t think food assistance should cover luxury or sugary items:
Jack Armstrong (25:23): “I don’t think you should be buying gourmet coffee or pop or candy with your ‘here’s some help from the taxpayers because you’re starving’.”
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7. China’s Deflation & Population Collapse
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Deflation Explained:
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Jack asks for a layman’s description; Joe explains how falling prices create a negative feedback loop: people delay buying, layoffs increase, and spending contracts further ([28:47]–[29:39]).
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Jack Armstrong (29:39): “It’s the mirror image of the inflation spiral…”
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Gordon Chang’s Analysis:
- Gordon Chang (played clip, [30:10]):
“China will lose probably two thirds to three quarters of its population by the end of the century…no country has ever undergone a demographic collapse like this. Not even Europe during the Black Death.”
- Jack and Joe ponder what Xi Jinping’s legacy will be as China struggles with these tectonic long-term challenges ([31:02]–[32:57]).
- Gordon Chang (played clip, [30:10]):
8. Clickbait Culture, Sydney Sweeney & “News”
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Jack is exasperated by how clickbait (e.g., headlines about actress Sydney Sweeney) is seeping into legitimate news coverage, pleading with listeners not to reward it ([35:27]–[36:27]).
Jack Armstrong (35:39): “If you see a headline ‘Sydney Sweeney Arrested in Hot Fit Too Hot for Blush’—don’t click on it. Please, please don’t click on it. You’re making things worse.”
Joe Getty (36:27): “You want a Sydney Sweeney filter.”
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California Post vs. New York Post:
- Jack applauds the rise of the California Post to cover West Coast news seriously, as he feels LA is badly underreported compared to New York ([36:29]).
9. Therapy, AI & the Future of Self-Help
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Jokes about the prevalence of people using ChatGPT as a therapist lead to a deeper question: can AI offer the kind of perspective that traditional therapy does? Both see value in AI as a research tool and perspective aggregator ([33:33]–[34:44]).
Jack Armstrong (34:31): “If you went to the bookstore…found the top five publications on your particular thing and did some research, nobody would think that was weak…But if it’s compiled by a chatbot, it’s kind of weird.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Political Violence:
Jack Armstrong (02:32): “To immediately jump to the ‘this is fake’ card is probably not good. Well, I know it’s not good.”
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On SNAP Restrictions:
Jack Armstrong (24:49): “If somebody says would you like some candy and you say yes and they hand you a cookie, you’d say what the hell.”
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On Clickbait:
Jack Armstrong (35:27): “Please don’t fall for Sydney Sweeney clickbait…Don’t use your algorithm…It ruins news.”
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On Automation & Labor:
Joe Getty (20:28): “Wait a minute, I can replace monkey boy here with a machine. Will never complain and always shows up.”
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Joe on Food Stance:
Joe Getty (25:06): “My stance is shoulder width, bent forward at the waist.”
Key Timestamps
- 00:55 — Gordon Chang and the Ilhan Omar incident
- 02:32 — Trump’s comments and the danger of conspiracy speculation
- 05:24 — Congress abandoning public events due to safety
- 12:02 — Weight loss drug lawsuits and side effects
- 16:00 — Weight loss drugs as lifelong treatments
- 17:18 — Middle East military tensions and Marco Rubio
- 18:52 — UPS and Amazon mass layoffs/automation
- 23:14 — SNAP debate: is a cookie “candy”?
- 25:06 — Joe’s “food stance”
- 26:01 — State-by-state restrictions on specific foods
- 28:47 — Deflation in China explained
- 30:10 — Gordon Chang: China’s population collapse
- 35:27 — Clickbait and Sydney Sweeney
- 36:29 — Launch of the California Post
Tone & Style
The tone throughout is fast, sardonic, and conversational with liberal use of dry (sometimes dark) humor. Joe and Jack blend pop culture, political cynicism, and economic skepticism, making even technical topics like deflation accessible and fun.
For New Listeners
If you missed the episode:
- The conversation bounced briskly from political violence to AI therapy to food stamps and global economics, always returning to the hosts’ core themes of common sense, skepticism, and comedic commentary on cultural absurdities.
- The “food stance” of “shoulder width, bent forward at the waist” is a punchline, emblematic of the show’s playful irreverence.
Skip the Sydney Sweeney clickbait, but don’t skip this episode if you want a fast-moving, unvarnished take on the week’s headlines!