Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Put A Video Of You Spanking Yourself On TikTok"

Date: January 30, 2026

Brief Overview

In this episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty engage in a refreshingly politics-light discussion, hitting cultural touchstones, media transformation, and generational shifts in media consumption. Themes include the evolution of legacy news (notably CBS under Barry Weiss), the impact of TikTok on new music, media trust, and skepticism toward institutional authority in politics and journalism. There’s also classic A&G banter about pop culture events like the Grammys and the influence of social media on youth priorities. The show maintains its signature irreverence, balancing wit and critique with relatable asides.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Kristi Noem and Political Drama

• The duo briefly dives into politics, discussing Kristi Noem’s treatment during a high-profile Trump cabinet meeting.
  • Jack: “Sitting at the end of the table with her collagen enhanced lips, trembling, trying to smile bravely through the tears…” (03:36)
  • Joe: “She had to have lots of emotions going through her sitting there.” (03:46)
    Tone: Mix of empathy, sarcasm, and mockery toward political theater.

2. Barry Weiss Revolutionizing CBS News

• Extended analysis of Barry Weiss’s appointment at CBS, her vision, and the challenge of rebuilding trust and relevancy in mainstream TV news.
  • Commitment to transparency:
    • Barry Weiss (paraphrased by Jack): “I’m not going to stand up here and ask you for your trust. I’m going to earn it.” (19:01)
  • Confronting harsh realities about media trust:
    • Jack quoting Weiss: “We are not producing a product that enough people want… Not enough people trust us.” (19:30)
  • Adapting to digital/streaming reality:
    • Weiss: “Our strategy until now has been to cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television. If we stick to that strategy, we’re toast.” (21:54)
  • Comparisons to past media icons (Walter Cronkite) and discussion of making individual journalists into “news brands.” (21:41-22:09)
  • Insights: The mainstream media must reinvent itself—possibly by embracing digital-first creators and focusing on investigative journalism and explanation, rather than superficial scoops.

3. The Changing Media Landscape

• The audience’s migration from legacy news to podcasts, YouTube, TikTok, and newsletters is discussed:
  • Jack: “Walter Cronkite had two competitors and we have two billion.” (21:53)
  • Joe: “Americans spend twice as much time consuming news as they did 50 years ago. They are going to the vast universe of podcasts and YouTube and Twitch and newsletters…” (20:21)

4. Priorities, Social Media, and “Shame-attude”

• Self-reflection on time management and how priorities are reflected by time spent—especially time spent on social media, echoing broader concerns about digital distraction:
  • Joe: “You can say the kids are the most important thing…but if you spend all your time working and watching sports, those are your priorities…” (12:25)
  • Jack: “Sometimes you just have to say...most or many, many societies have been centered around a king and a queen…because that's mom and dad. We have an innate desire to have mom and dad in charge of our home, maybe our country.” (11:53-12:25)
  • The shame of time wasted on Twitter/TikTok:
    • Joe: “Who would ever say my priorities are scrolling Twitter…? But I’ll bet a lot of days it’s what you spent second or third most time doing.” (12:25)
    • Jack: “You've brought us to our knees in shame and gratitude. Shame-attude.” (13:12)

5. TikTok's Dominance in Music & Culture

• The panel explores how TikTok shapes musical hits and artists’ careers, signaling a seismic shift in how new music is discovered:
  • Joe: “80% of the songs that ended up on The Billboard Top 100 chart started on TikTok. 80%!…It is amazing and it’s interesting.” (32:16)
  • Discussion includes the ephemeral nature of viral hits and a certain democratization of art:
    • Jack: “I do like the democratization of art that has happened this way. …The good stuff will bubble up and make a way through if everybody can be exposed to it.” (33:41)
• Concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership and continued influence, both culturally and through data:
  • Jack: “So the commies are, you know, perverting the minds of our children and gathering our data. We need it.” (34:39)

6. Epstein Files Media Frenzy

• Listeners get a recap of media coverage around the massive document dump from the Epstein investigation. The hosts are clearly weary of the ongoing speculation and conspiracy culture:
  • Joe: “Good God, I hope this is the end of it.” (18:30)
  • Jack: “The conspiracy theory people will find so much grist for their never ending mill of madness.” (30:21)

7. Pop Culture & The Grammys: Gatekeepers, Grudges, and TikTok

• The duo skewers the Grammys (famous A&G tradition), citing “Best New Artist” snubs for acts like Boston and The Cars, using it as a metaphor for flawed gatekeeping:
  • Jack: “The Starland Effing Vocal Band. The Grammys died that day, and they have not been revived like Lazarus or Frankenstein. They’re still dead.” (31:20)
  • Joe: “80% of the songs that ended up on The Billboard Top 100 chart started on TikTok.” (32:16)
• Extended riff on how the democratization of music discovery through TikTok challenges the old radio/record label gatekeeper model.

8. Social Commentary: “Critical Theory” and Progressive Curricula

• Jack discusses taxpayer funded climate change education that uses rap songs, climate emotion wheels, and land acknowledgments, tying it all to critical theory:
  • Jack: “It’s all part of the Marxist playbook. Critical theory, in short, to tear down Western civilization. Once you know what it is, it’s obvious how it’s working.” (42:28)
  • Joe gently pushes for nuance, fostering classic A&G dialogue.

9. Decline of Mass Market Paperbacks and Reading Culture

• Brief but poignant digression on how “nobody reads anymore,” lamenting the apparent end of an era for mass market paperbacks:
  • Joe: “Mass market paperbacks…It’s basically dead now…It’s damn depressing.” (44:41)
  • Jack: “There is a trend back toward reading allegedly…But, you know, I…have no desire to be right about this or not. I'm just observing.” (44:22)

10. Final Thoughts and Banter

• The episode closes with classic rapid-fire A&G final thoughts—worries about a new canine coronavirus, a meditation on technology’s isolating effects, and self-effacing humor about missed opportunities (like attending Super Bowl Media Day).
  • Jack: “On average, 70% of the time Americans spend online, they say feels them leaving disconnected and lonely rather than genuinely connected…” (46:29)
  • Joe: “Soon we’ll be getting heartworm.” (46:24)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Media and Trust

• Jack (quoting Barry Weiss):
  “I’m not going to stand up here and ask you for your trust. I’m going to earn it.” (19:01)
• Jack:
  “Walter Cronkite had two competitors, and we have two billion.” (21:53)
• Weiss via Jack:
  “Our strategy until now has been to cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television. If we stick to that strategy, we’re toast.” (21:54)

On Priorities and Social Media

• Joe:
  “Who would ever say my priorities are scrolling Twitter…? But I’ll bet a lot of days it’s what you spent second or third most time doing.” (12:25)
• Jack:
  “You've brought us to our knees in shame and gratitude. Shame-attude.” (13:12)

On the Grammys & TikTok's Influence

• Jack:
  “The Starland Effing Vocal Band. The Grammys died that day, and they have not been revived like Lazarus or Frankenstein. They’re still dead.” (31:20)
• Joe:
  “80% of the songs that ended up on The Billboard Top 100 chart started on TikTok. 80%!…It is amazing and it’s interesting.” (32:16)

On Institutional Change

• Joe:
  “You got no choice. You got to go this direction or you’re just…waiting to the inevitable death of what you’ve been doing.” (23:21)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Kristi Noem/Trump politics chat: 03:08–04:14
• Barry Weiss/CBS News vision: 18:34–23:35
• Discussion on shifting audience to digital news: 19:21–20:21
• Priorities & social media time-wasting/self-reflection: 11:13–13:19
• TikTok’s influence on music/Grammys critique: 31:20–34:03
• Epstein files media exhaustion & conspiracy commentary: 26:09–30:21
• Rap songs, critical theory, school curricula: 40:13–42:28
• Decline of reading & paperbacks: 43:14–44:50
• Final Thoughts – tech & loneliness, pandemic paranoia: 46:11–46:49
• Standout humorous moment (spanking on TikTok reference): 37:21–37:38

Conclusion

This episode wove together classic Armstrong & Getty cultural commentary with pointed observations about the news industry’s existential challenges, the messy democratization of art via new platforms, and the paradoxes of digital life. All wrapped in their signature style—a mix of sharp wit, curiosity, and self-deprecation. From the fate of CBS to the TikTokification of music and the “shame-attude” of wasted online hours, the episode drilled into what it means to be an informed—and distracted—American in 2026.