Armstrong & Getty On Demand — "NIMBY'S & YIMBY'S Appeal to Mayor Quimby's" (March 26, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosted by Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, takes on a variety of trending news and cultural topics with their signature irreverence and wit. The main themes include the contradiction between progressive policies and local resistance (NIMBYs vs. YIMBYs), the impact of a major legal ruling against tech giants over social media “addiction,” developments regarding Iran’s influence in the Middle East, and lively discussions about baseball and the creeping presence of technology in sports. The hosts weave listener correspondence and cultural observations throughout, delivering plenty of quotable moments.

Key Discussion Points

1. Progressive Contradictions: The Battle of NIMBYs vs. YIMBYs

• Theme: How forward-looking, left-leaning communities resist the very progressive initiatives they often advocate for when such initiatives arrive in their own backyards.
• Jack introduces the topic: “In some of the most progressive and forward thinking parts of Cal, Unicornia and other parts of the country, the very programs that the leftists promote most avidly are coming to their neighborhoods and they're screaming, wait a minute, not here. We didn't mean here.” (04:03)
• Tone: Sarcastic, bemused criticism regarding hypocrisy among activists.

2. The Social Media Addiction Lawsuit Verdict: Legal, Cultural, and Parental Implications

• Main Story: Meta (Facebook) and YouTube lost a landmark jury trial, with the companies accused of “malice, oppression, and fraud” in addicting users, especially young ones, to their platforms.
• Discussion Highlights:
  • Absurdity of the lawsuit: They debate whether non-chemical addiction is a meaningful concept in the legal context. “There's no actual usable definition of addictive when you're talking about a non chemical specifically.” — Jack (05:36)
  • Parental responsibility: Joe questions, “How do you let your six year old spend six hours a day on Instagram?” (07:33)
  • Lawsuits as a cash grab: Jack compares plaintiff attorneys to gun-slinging bounty hunters manufacturing grievances to get at deep corporate pockets. “This is the plaintiff's bar getting rich. That's what this is.” (09:04)
  • Soft-headed juries and billionaires: “Oh, yeah, with... people resent the successful and the big and the rich. And again, I despise all these companies. Well, we've got... It's easy to find a jury.” — Jack (10:24)
  • Are podcasts addictive?: Joe jokes about their own listeners: “The hours for this podcast, are they addicted? … Is that endless scrolling or doing something, whatever. That was a malicious and oppressive?” (10:40)
  • Addiction as a societal problem, not a legal one: Both encourage education and self-control over lawsuits. “It's a social issue, not a legal issue.” — Jack (11:09)
  • The Social Dilemma documentary: Jack recommends it and points out, “the greatest minds of our generation are dedicated to wasting your time and profiting from it.” (11:35)

3. Iran, the Middle East, and the “Key to the Next Century”

• Why Iran matters: Jack outlines his thesis that "defeating Iran is the key to the next century" due to its role as a promoter of political Islam and Sharia law. (03:29, 13:06)
• Changing tides in the Muslim world: Jack cites a UAE minister’s views—more Gulf states are rejecting theocratic rule in favor of modernity and prosperity. (13:06–14:17)
• Assassination of Iranian commander: The hosts cover Israel’s elimination of a key IRGC Navy leader and what it signals about US and Israeli capabilities. (20:19–20:51)
• Trump’s stance on Iran: The hosts analyze Trump’s recent Truth Social post, highlighting his tendency to treat adversaries as rational businessmen, misunderstanding “religious nut jobs.” (21:44–22:05)
• Iran’s repression: The execution of an Iranian protester demonstrates the regime’s ruthlessness; the hosts express frustration at the lack of US protest or celebrity comment. (23:59)
• Quote: “Iran is an incredibly important engine of promoting that worldwide, the notion that political Islam, Sharia law should rule.” – Jack (22:48, 23:46)

4. Baseball, Technology, and the Pursuit of Perfection

• Netflix’s MLB Broadcast: The hosts react to Netflix’s debut baseball broadcast and audience complaints about excessive interview segments during the game. (28:07–30:43)
• Baseball labor disputes and salary cap debate: Extensive discussion about major league salary disparities and the likely upcoming labor problems, especially relating to the Dodgers’ spending. (30:43–32:59)
• Robot umpires and the human element: Drawing from Jason Gay’s Wall Street Journal article, Armstrong & Getty explore the implications of automated officiating.
  • Loss of “soul” in sports: “The pursuit of perfection flies in the face of a critical lesson sports should teach, which is … stuff happens.” — Jason Gay, quoted by Jack (36:53)
  • Softness in youth sports: Review culture encourages the belief that every call can and should be perfect, eroding acceptance of imperfection and luck. (36:53–37:16)
  • Philosophical insights: “Perfection is overrated. That's not sports, that's philosophy.” (41:02)
  • The hosts’ view: While faster reviews are good, too much tech risks stripping the character, fun, and rhythm from the game. (41:56–42:08)

5. Listener Mailbag & Cultural Oddities

• Addiction to Armstrong & Getty?: A listener jokes about being addicted to the podcast and playfully suggests suing for potholders. “I’m pretty much addicted to the show … Did I win an iPad? … Maybe I'll sue you.” — Listener Ryan (47:28)
• Robot design & the uncanny valley: Listener Mike offers detailed insight into why humanoid robots are designed as such—for maximum compatibility with human environments and to seem less threatening. (48:39)
• Everyday human quirks: The mailbag includes fun discussions about habits like sock-putting, urinating in front of spouses, and towel usage. “Which one of us is aberrant here?” — Joe (50:56)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jack Armstrong on legal definition of addiction: “Let's not skip over the fact that there's no actual usable definition of addictive when you're talking about a non chemical specifically.” (05:36)
• Joe Getty on parental responsibility: “How do you let your six year old spend six hours a day on Instagram?” (07:33)
• Jack Armstrong on attorney cash grab: “This is plaintiffs attorneys realizing, oh, my God, we have a cash gusher here. A gusher.” (08:08)
• Jack Armstrong on tech companies’ goals: “The greatest minds of our generation are dedicated to wasting your time and profiting from it.” (11:35)
• Joe Getty on the new baseball tech: “You've stated that the computer's better than the human. That's what you're stating.” (35:29)
• Jason Gay (as read by Jack): “The pursuit of perfection flies in the face of a critical lesson sports should teach … sometimes people get it right, sometimes people get it wrong, but it usually evens out. Learning to accept this rhythm is … a critical part of being an adult.” (36:53–37:16)
• Jack Armstrong on the value of imperfection: “In our endless chase of machine refinement, I think we're missing the value of human irregularity.” (40:30)
• Listener Ryan on podcast 'addiction': “Did I win an iPad? Listening. How about some potholders? Or maybe I'll sue you.” (47:28)
• On bathroom habits & towels (Mailbag): “Which one of us is aberrant here?” — Joe (50:56)

Segment Timestamps

• Opening theme & sponsor spots: 00:00–03:29 (skipped for summary)
• Intro & NIMBY v YIMBY hypocrisy: 03:29–04:43
• Tech lawsuit verdict, social media “addiction,” legal analysis: 04:43–12:46
• Iran, UAE, Gulf states, Trump’s stance: 13:06–14:41, revisit at 20:19–24:41
• Baseball: Netflix broadcast, labor unrest, salary cap: 28:07–32:59
• Robot umpires, perfection vs human element (Jason Gay essay): 32:59–42:08
• Listener Mailbag — Podcast “addiction”, robot design, cultural habits: 47:28–51:00

Conclusion

Armstrong & Getty’s "NIMBY'S & YIMBY'S Appeal to Mayor Quimby's" is classic A&G: sharp, funny, and wide-ranging. The hosts blend cultural commentary, legal skepticism, sports philosophy, and playful listener engagement, anchoring the show in their quick-witted, skeptical personalities. The episode is a mix of serious discussion about the contradictions in progressive advocacy, concerns over the legal system's approach to modern addictions, deep dives into international policy, and irreverent observations about tech's impact on sports and everyday life. For listeners, it’s both informative and entertaining—a must-listen for fans and a rich recap for anyone who missed the episode.