Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Now I'm In A Rave! I'm Dancing!"

Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode dives into major current events and controversial cultural debates, putting a special focus on crime and accountability in Seattle politics, the effectiveness of drug rehabilitation, the phenomenon of "lavender marriages," a high-profile arson case in California, and an extended examination of gender ideology and related issues in mental health and public education. The tone is sharp, irreverent, and highly critical of progressive policies, especially around criminal justice and gender.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Seattle Politics, Crime, and Public Safety

• (00:27 – 12:29)
  • The hosts analyze comments from Seattle’s Mayor Bruce Harrell during a recent debate, scrutinizing his responses to questions on repeat offenders and their treatment in the criminal justice system.
  • Mayor Harrell is portrayed as evasive and emblematic of progressive politics that, in the hosts' view, prioritize ideology over public safety.
  • The effectiveness (or lack thereof) of drug rehabilitation programs is discussed, with both hosts arguing that mandated rehab is largely ineffective, especially for people not motivated to quit.

Notable Quotes:

• [02:56] Jack Armstrong:
  “He did the politician thing... if you don't like the question somebody asks you, you answer a different question. That's what that guy did.”
• [05:53] Joe Getty:
  (On Harrell’s response to repeat offenses)
  "Wow."
• [07:20] Jack Armstrong:
  “You're living in La La Land, right?”

2. Drug Rehab Scams & Skepticism

• (03:17 – 04:36)
  • Discussion of a Wall Street Journal expose on rehab centers scamming insurance, leaving people untreated.
  • The extremely low success rates of even credible drug rehab programs are highlighted.

Notable Quotes:

• [03:50] Jack Armstrong:
  "Oh, it's like low like 2%. ...It's low like almost nobody."
• [04:13] Joe Getty:
  "You've got all the scammers in the rehab business who couldn't give a crap whether they get anybody off drugs."

3. Lavender Marriages and Shifting Relationship Norms

• (14:44 – 17:58)
  • Hosts explore the concept of “lavender marriage”—platonic partnerships between gay men and straight women—as reported in the Washington Post.
  • They express bemusement at the idea and skepticism toward the claim that this is a significant trend, viewing it as part of a broader cultural push to challenge traditional norms.

Notable Quotes:

• [15:26] Jack Armstrong:
  “It sounds like you both would be unhappy. So what? What's the point? I'm with somebody who doesn't like me.”
• [17:31] Joe Getty:
  “It's part of the whole postmodern DEI neo Marxist thing where every single convention has to be challenged, right?”

4. California Arson Case

• (19:22 – 24:34)
  • A detailed look at the arrest and background of Jonathan Renderknecht, accused of causing the devastating fire in Pacific Palisades.
  • The discussion focuses on Renderknecht’s motives, mental health, and extensive digital footprint, raising questions about our ability to understand and prevent high-profile acts of violence.

Notable Quotes:

• [22:14] Joe Getty:
  “You’re short of suicide, cry for help, which this seems to be.”
• [23:16] Jack Armstrong:
  “He had literally burnt a Bible, boasting that he felt amazing and so liberated after he burnt the Bible.”

5. Gender Identity, Therapy, and Public Education Debates

• (27:20 – 38:37)
  • A significant segment is devoted to stories from therapists navigating gender identity cases—including cases of patients identifying as wounded male dogs.
  • They discuss the institutional pressure for “gender-affirming care,” concerns about treating children, and the professional risks of questioning prevailing gender ideologies.
  • The hosts view these developments as manifestations of extreme progressive or “neo-Marxist” ideologies infiltrating therapy and public education.

Extended Therapist Story [Top Segment: 27:37–33:44]:

• A therapist recounts (audio clip) being instructed to affirm a patient identifying as a “wounded male dog,” with her concerns about the mental health implications dismissed as “political.”
• She describes being pressured, reported to risk management, and eventually losing her job after resisting gender-affirming protocols for a mostly non-verbal 13-year-old patient.

Notable Quotes:

• [29:40] Jack Armstrong:
  "The fact that her coworkers and bosses and everybody said, well, you just say, you know, good for figuring out who you are—a wounded male dog... How crazy is that?"
• [30:37] Joe Getty:
  "They basically just said, there is no reason why a person's mental health would impact their identity."
• [33:46] Joe Getty:
  "Mutilating children and filling them with these chemicals. And if you say, you know, I'd really like to take a look at this research... they will run you out of the profession."

6. Public School Curriculum and Parental Rights

• (34:15 – 37:09)
  • Analysis of California’s Comprehensive Sex Ed curriculum, with a guest op-ed highlighting requirements around gender identity and the lack of parental opt-out.
  • The hosts voice outrage at the normalization of gender fluidity and polyamory in public schools, connecting it to broader ideological trends.

Notable Quotes:

• [35:37] Jack Armstrong:
  “When did gender become an ever-evolving thing? Like five minutes ago.”
• [37:04] Jack Armstrong:
  “I wonder why so many people [are] pulling their kids out of public schools.”

Memorable Moments

• Jack Armstrong’s satirical take on Amazon prescription drug vending machines:
  [00:44] Jack Armstrong: "Make it more fun and have prescription drug claw machines. Come on, Xanax..."
• Critique of Mayor Bruce Harrell's priorities:
  "How can you live in a city where a mayor thinks that I don't care if they commit seven or eight crimes?" — [05:54] Jack Armstrong
• Therapist story of affirming a ‘wounded male dog’ identity:
  A clinician tells her bosses about a client identifying as a wounded dog; their response:
  [28:21] Therapist: "They said, you just basically say, awesome, I'm glad you know who you are and you continue to be a therapist."
• Intense criticism of public institutions and progressive ideology:
  [38:09] Joe Getty: “This sickness, the neo-Marxist gender bending, radical gender theory, radical queer theory is right up there with critical race theory. It is so evil and so wrong and so sick. Get your kids out of public schools if you possibly can.”

Segment Timestamps

| Topic/Segment | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------------------|--------------------| | Amazon prescription vending machines (satire) | 00:27 – 01:04 | | Seattle Mayor Harrell on crime & accountability | 01:04 – 08:09 | | Effectiveness of rehab and rehab scams | 03:17 – 04:36 | | Public safety, repeat offenders, and political evasions | 04:51 – 12:29 | | Lavender marriages discussion | 14:44 – 17:58 | | California arsonist case | 19:22 – 24:34 | | Gender affirming care in therapy | 27:37 – 33:44 | | California public school curriculum controversy | 34:15 – 37:09 | | Hosts’ final remarks & podcast plug | 38:09 – 38:35 |

Episode Tone and Themes

• Blunt, irreverent, and highly skeptical of progressive policies
• Criticism centers on criminal justice leniency, skepticism of gender-affirming therapy—especially for kids, and disbelief at “non-traditional” marriage arrangements.
• The hosts aim to challenge conventional media narratives and voice frustration at what they perceive as widespread institutional dysfunction or ideological capture.

For listeners seeking a deep dive into crime policy, the effectiveness of health measures, trends in marriage and gender, and pointed criticism of current cultural and political trends—delivered with heavy sarcasm and strong opinions—this episode is a must-listen.