Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Roof Over Head-a-mus

Date: September 25, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Episode Overview

In "Roof Over Head-a-mus," Armstrong and Getty dig into generational differences in workplace values, the rise of anxiety among young people, and startling trends in crime and social behavior. The episode also features a humorous Trump impersonation and commentary on new technology being used to catch criminals. The conversation moves between data-driven insights, personal anecdotes, and pressing societal questions, maintaining the show’s trademark combination of sharp wit and skepticism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rental Scams & Smash-and-Grab Crimes

[03:31–05:00]

• The hosts introduce the dangers of rental scams on social media (Instagram, TikTok), referencing a rise in fraud where scammers impersonate real agents and lure renters with below-market deals (03:31).
  • "Many of these videos we found are posted by scammers impersonating real agents and manipulating real listings..." – Joe Getty [03:31]
• They reflect on how easy it is to fall victim: the urgency of modern real estate makes people susceptible to small but widespread fees ("just luck that I didn't do that" – Jack, 04:08).
• Transition to smash-and-grab jewelry robberies, with anticipation of new developments as video surveillance leads to arrests (04:40–05:00).

2. Are Gen Z ‘Unemployable’? Workplace Values Mismatch

[05:00–16:53]

• Jack provocatively asks, "Is Gen Z unemployable?" and quickly points out the dangers of broad generational clichés but dives into new research by Susie Welch, a business professor.
• The study compared Gen Z’s top values with those desired by hiring managers.
  • Gen Z’s Top Values:
    • Eudaimonia (self-care & pleasure)
    • Voice (authentic individuality)
    • Non sibi (helping others)
    • Affluence (wealth)
    • Beholderism (beauty, surroundings)
  • Hiring Managers’ Top Values:
    • Achievement (accomplishment, success)
    • Scope (learning & stimulation)
    • Work centrism (work for work’s sake)
• The mismatch: Only 2% of Gen Z put “achievement, scope, and work centrism” in their top five values, compared to managers (11th, 10th, and 9th place for Gen Z respectively).
  • “Statistically speaking, my MBA students have a higher incidence of achievement than the general population. But the reception was one of definite unease... Values, after all, are choices. Like all choices, they have consequences.” — Jack quoting Susie Welch [15:45]
• The hosts reflect on their own “monkey jobs” (menial work) from youth, noting that the focus was “roof overheada-mus” (having basic security and income), contrasting sharply with current values.
  • "The Latin term roof overheademus was really my highest priority." – Jack Armstrong [10:53]
• Discussion about how broad workplace expectations, work-life balance, and anxiety have shifted.

3. Generational Anxiety: Screens, Parenting, and Expectations

[22:44–24:29]

• The hosts draw links between rising anxiety and today's “screen-oriented" culture.
  • “We're not built for it.” – Jack Armstrong [23:44]
• Comparing past and present, they note that previous generations had independence, free-range childhoods, and faced adversity earlier, making adulthood less daunting.
  • “Gen X kids... had so much freedom... We came into adulthood like, ‘I can handle this.’” – Jack Armstrong [23:52]

4. The Psychology of High-Profile Violence

[27:34–38:13]

• The show pivots to discuss a recent shooting linked to anti-ICE sentiment, expanding into broader observations of mass shooters’ motives.
• Many are primarily suicidal, with violence serving to make their death “spectacular” or notable; the ideology is often a recent or shallow attachment.
  • “The suicide is the point for a lot of these people...” – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [28:04]
• They discuss attention-seeking in the age of social media (“if I don’t post this, it doesn’t matter”) and society’s inadvertent reward system for notoriety.
  • “I want to kill myself and I want to get lots and lots of likes for it, in essence.” – Jack Armstrong [29:52]
• Relate this to the digital “edgelord” subculture, nihilism online, and the dark effect of the Internet in connecting isolated individuals to reinforce destructive behavior.
  • “If you go online, you can find 750 of them by this afternoon.” – Jack Armstrong [36:21]
• The risk of the Internet making it easier for disturbed individuals to bond and radicalize, with concern for how humanity adapts to this change.
  • "Can humanity deal with the Internet? I'm saying the answer is no. If humanity is my favorite football team, we're down 45-nothing." — Jack Armstrong [36:41]

5. Humor Palate Cleanser: Trump Impersonation

[38:26–39:39]

• The show provides comedic relief with Sean Farage’s Trump impression, parodying endorsements with hilarious effect.
  • "It is my complete honor and privilege to make this endorsement... We love to breathe. It's a tremendous practice in and out... Now's a beautiful day to endorse oxygen. We love breathing, right?" — Sean Farage as Trump [38:41]

6. Drones, Surveillance, and the Fight Against Organized Crime

[43:20–47:35]

• Discussion of new police tactics: drones used to track and arrest suspects in a massive Bay Area jewelry store heist.
  • "Cops were able to get footage of the suspects in their vehicles using a drone funded by an organized retail theft grant." – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [44:51]
• The hosts debate the pros and cons of a surveillance state, noting how emergencies justify new security measures that rarely get rolled back.
  • "Emergencies lead to crackdowns of various kinds, and they stay in place forever..." – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [46:51]
  • "Control your soul’s desire for freedom." – Joe Getty (wryly, referencing Chinese surveillance culture) [47:35]
• Worry is voiced that surveillance powers will be abused for political reasons in the future.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Generational Values:

  • “My experience is people who use the term self care spend way too much time with self care.” – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [09:11]
  • "Nothing you could do that anyone would pay you to do. Not a single thing anyone can think of. You are deemed unemployable." – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [05:23]

• On Anxiety and Modern Work:

  • "There was much less anxiety in a world where... your boss doesn’t give a crap about you. They just need somebody that’s going to do the job... and there was lower anxiety back then." – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [16:53]

• On Crime and Surveillance:

  • "This is exactly what we were talking about the other day, the upside of a surveillance state." – Jack Armstrong [45:37]
  • "Emergencies lead to crackdowns of various kinds, and they stay in place forever, long past the emergency." – Jack Armstrong (co-host) [46:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rental Scams & Smash-and-Grab Preview: [03:31–05:00]
• Gen Z Workplace Values: [05:00–16:53]
• “Monkey Jobs”/Personal Anecdotes: [12:41–14:20]
• Anxiety & Screens: [22:44–24:29]
• Mass Shootings & Suicide: [27:34–38:13]
• Trump Impression: [38:26–39:39]
• Surveillance & Crime-Fighting Drones: [43:20–47:35]

Episode Tone & Flow

• Clever and conversational, loaded with tangents and jokes (“roof overheademus,” “monkey job”).
• Candid analysis of social trends, with skepticism about both youth culture and technological intrusion.
• Values data and serious topics are balanced with humorous relief.

Summary for Listeners Who Missed the Show

This episode offers a deep—and often humorous—exploration of how generational philosophies are clashing in the workplace, why modern anxiety is soaring, and how innovations in law enforcement are shifting the front lines of crime. Armstrong and Getty’s blend of statistics, personal history, and cultural commentary makes for both an engaging and thought-provoking listen.

For more like this, catch up with Armstrong & Getty On Demand wherever you get your podcasts.