Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Stupid Penguin... Waddling Around."

Date: September 23, 2025
Podcast: Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty

Overview

This episode delves into several major news topics, with particular focus on claims linking Tylenol (acetaminophen) with autism, a major disrupted plot involving an attempted cellular network attack in New York during the UN Assembly, and discussions on current affairs including sports (MLB playoffs), a New Mexico childcare policy, and global tensions involving Russia and China. The hosts' skeptical, irreverent tone prevails, blending humor, frustration, and genuine concern throughout.

Key Discussion Points

1. Tylenol, Pregnancy, and Autism Allegations

Timestamps: 04:05–14:14, 46:08–49:47

Background

• Former President Trump recently claimed in a press conference that Tylenol taken during pregnancy may be a cause of autism.
• The mainstream scientific consensus does not currently strongly support this claim.
• The claim ties into both ongoing lawsuits against Tylenol's parent company and broader distrust about pharmaceutical companies and public health communication, especially post-COVID.

Discussion & Insights

• Hosts express skepticism toward "rash pronouncements" and emphasize the weak scientific basis for the alleged link.
• Armstrong reminds listeners of hasty dismissals during COVID:

  “Go back to Covid and remember, anything Trump was on was laughed at and treated as a joke.” (04:33, Armstrong)

• Getty critiques Trump’s overstatements:

  “The science is very shaky and what you just heard Trump say is not what his advisors said. He went way over his skis, as he often does.” (05:30, Getty)

• Armstrong and Getty discuss the complex factors contributing to rising autism rates, emphasizing the need for rigorous science and careful consideration of multiple environmental factors.

Notable Quotes

• Getty:

  "It's not a question of toughing it out. Especially high fevers can damage the fetus and imperil the pregnancy. It has nothing to do with toughing." (07:12)

• Armstrong:

  “Joe Getty, fake doctor. Wow, pretending to be Dr. Trump.” (07:32)

• Getty:

  “Learn the names of the drugs. It's not Tylenol, it's acetaminophen...you'll OD and damage your liver. Get to know the names of the drugs. It's just a good idea.” (08:04)

• Armstrong:

  “That is not all of it. Not even close to.” (On increased autism recognition vs. real increase) (10:29)

Lawsuits & Mistrust

• Discussion about lawsuits against Tylenol’s parent company (Kenvue) over autism links, comparing it to lawsuits against Monsanto for Roundup and large legal settlements despite weak scientific evidence.
• Hosts highlight the dynamic whereby scientific uncertainty becomes fertile ground for both litigation and public paranoia.

Media, Misinformation, and Trust

• The hosts intensely question the integrity of government, scientific regulators, and the media—citing the long history of delayed or suppressed studies (e.g., PFOAs in nonstick cookware):

  “They hid studies or buried studies for decades around this stuff. Same thing.” (48:32, Armstrong)

• Getty points out:

  “There are such enormously powerful, moneyed forces who are working as hard as they possibly can to influence all of our minds about this stuff. I find myself confused and discouraged.” (49:08, Getty)

• The segment closes with the sentiment that it's no longer clear what to believe and that public trust is deeply eroded.

2. Massive Cell Network Attack Disrupted During UN Assembly

Timestamps: 18:41–38:04

The Plot Uncovered

• Authorities disrupted a sophisticated network of 300 servers and 100,000 SIM cards arranged in a ring around NYC, capable of making 300 million calls in minutes—essentially, a "denial of service" attack on cellular networks.

• The network had ties to foreign hostile powers (notably China), criminal enterprises, and swatters.

• Officials suspect the network was meant to disable communications during a possible major terrorism event, possibly aimed at the high-profile gathering of world leaders at the UN.

Notable Quotes

• John Miller (CNN Reporter):

  “This machinery was able to, on command, put out 300 million phone calls within 12 minutes...could have flooded the cellular systems with volume...A denial of service attack that would have made other calls not able to get through.” (29:41)

• Armstrong:

  “I'm looking at the pictures here...This is a pretty high level...There's a whole bunch of them ringing New York City.” (30:44)

• Getty:

  “Is the plot to knock out the cell service just to knock out cell service? Or much more likely to render the response to something else, something bigger, chaotic and ineffective.” (32:03)

Geopolitical Implications

• Discussion about likely state involvement, specifically China, and its possible motives to destabilize New York’s reputation as a global safe hub by undermining communications during the UN.
• Getty pessimistically reflects on global power cycles and the dangerous complacency of the U.S.:

  “I feel like the wolf is at our door. Except it's a screen door and we're just hoping it doesn't come in.” (35:28, Getty)

• Armstrong notes the fate of empires:

  “That is what has happened every single time to every single power on earth? Eventually, every single time.” (35:28, Armstrong)

Surveillance & Privacy

• Armstrong refers to a recent New York Times piece on NYC's pervasive surveillance, facial recognition, and AI-powered tracking, likening the atmosphere to China’s surveillance state. (36:31–37:37)

3. World News & Policy Quick Hits

Timestamps: 14:14–15:57, 19:59–23:04, 23:48–27:11, 45:38–46:08

UN Assembly & Its Role

• Skepticism about the efficacy of the UN:

  "The expense to achievement ratio is the greatest in the history of mankind." (28:51, Getty) “All they seem to do is write a strongly worded letter and then never follow that letter up.” (27:55, Armstrong)

Russia & NATO tensions

• Concerns about Russian provocations (aircraft entering NATO airspace), the West’s limited response, and the tactical probing strategy of Putin:

  "He constantly pushes to see what the reaction is, both strategically and tactically. That's just his style." (23:04, Getty)

4. Sports & Light-Hearted Segments

Timestamps: 18:38–21:36, 37:44–42:39

Baseball

• Aaron Judge’s standout season and the Yankees’ playoff push; light commentary on MLB team comebacks and playoff scenarios.
• Getty cracks jokes about the Cleveland Guardians’ new name:

  “Dumbest name ever.” (19:39, Getty)

New Mexico Free Childcare Policy

• Armstrong and Getty lampoon New Mexico’s universal free childcare initiative:

  “I think this is a horrible idea and I think it is going to show us why it's a horrible idea...it will change the entire incentive structure around quality and price.” (19:59, Armstrong)
  "Bringing all the care and love of your county zoning office to childcare." (21:36, Getty)

Buzz Balls and Drinking Humor

• The hosts joke about "buzz balls" (ready-to-drink cocktails), low-quality alcohol, and tales of drinking on the golf course—ultimately used to inject relatable humor and a bit of nostalgia:

  “They're premixed cocktails that taste like trash, but they mess you up.” (39:44, Getty) “For golfers, I was about a 9 or 10 handicap, sober and scratch drunk. But I decided I didn't want to be that anymore.” (41:37, Getty)

5. Notable Quotes & Humor

• Getty:

  “Stupid penguin waddling around.” (34:27, Getty)
  (riffing on comic-book villains during the cell phone plot analysis; this is the source of the episode’s title.)

• Armstrong:

  “A kiss is still a kiss, a rose is still a rose. Or whatever that song is.” (37:52, Armstrong)
  (as comic relief amidst talk of global fears and baseball.)

6. Meta-Discussion on Trust and Information

• Armstrong and Getty repeatedly return to a central theme:

  "We are to that point where nobody believes anything. And where you go from there, I don't know." (49:47, Armstrong)

Timestamps – Important Segments

• 04:05 – Tylenol/acetaminophen-autism controversy begins
• 05:30 – Critique of Trump’s statement on Tylenol
• 08:04 – Getty’s advice on drug names and overdosing danger
• 10:29 – Autism numbers and causes, discussion
• 13:03 – Lawsuit mechanics, comparison to Roundup
• 18:41 – Set-yourself-on-fire world record (quippy moment)
• 18:58–22:51 – New Mexico free childcare, UN Assembly, Russia/NATO
• 29:41 – Detailed report on NYC's disrupted phone network attack
• 31:17 – Foreign powers and criminal groups linked to plot
• 32:03 – Motives behind disrupting cell service
• 34:27 – “Stupid penguin waddling” remark
• 35:28–36:31 – National security, US decline, surveillance
• 37:44 – Baseball playoffs, sports banter
• 39:11 – Buzz balls and cheap liquor humor
• 46:08–49:47 – Returning to Tylenol claims, historical precedent for buried studies, trust crisis

Summary

This Armstrong & Getty episode delivers a dense, lively, often sardonic examination of current events:

• Health/Pregnancy: Analyzing the scientific and narrative chaos around Trump’s claims about Tylenol and autism, with reminders of history’s hidden public health hazards, the hosts stress skepticism but warn against denialism or lawsuits without strong evidence.
• Security: The hosts break down the implications of a foiled mass cell tower disruption in NYC, suggesting likely state actor involvement, and riff on the vulnerabilities of modern society.
• Institutions/Efficacy: Both the UN and U.S. public health authorities come under fire for lack of credibility, overreach, or inertia.
• Culture & Humor: The episode’s darker themes are leavened by smart-alecky asides about world records, drinking, baseball, and, of course, the titular “stupid penguin waddling around.”

The show’s running motif is a world spinning rapidly, full of half-truths, institutional failures, and bizarre headlines—but also ripe for mockery and the occasional ounce of hope for real answers.