Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: The 2 Headed Calf

Date: October 10, 2025
Host: iHeartPodcasts (Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty, with Mike Hansen and Katie Greener)

Episode Overview

This brisk, wide-ranging episode of Armstrong & Getty covers the top stories of the week—war updates from Ukraine to the Middle East, surges in urban crime, and the psychology behind America's obsession with true crime. The hosts also serve up their trademark blend of sharp commentary, irreverent humor, and biting social critique. They dissect both international crises and local politics, vent about the pressures of high-risk professions, and deliver memorable rants about crime, justice, and media narratives. Pop culture and a dash of personal anecdotes round out a lively, rapid-fire conversation.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Ukrainian War Fatigue & Global Oil Politics

[00:27–01:40]

• The hosts note Russia's ongoing assaults against Ukrainian civilian targets and discuss rumors of Russia running out of oil and troops.

• Jack Armstrong: “If something can't go on forever, it will end. It's just a question of when.” [00:41]

• China’s dependence on Iranian oil and mounting pressure on all fronts are highlighted.

• The tone is grim but realistic about the ugly, grinding nature of the conflict.

2. Clips of the Week – Satirical Soundbites

[01:40–04:15]

• A quick-fire segment recapping memorable and absurd moments in news and politics.
• Riffs on Super Bowl halftime rumors, LeBron James’ “announcement” (which is just an ad), and chaos at the border.
• Quirky moments:
  • “I love it that we need at least 50% of the Palestinian government to be trans women.” – Mike Hansen [02:41]
  • “Antifa is real.” – Jack Armstrong [02:49]

3. Racial Politics and Electoral Manipulation

[04:42–06:34]

• Armstrong critiques racial gerrymandering and the inevitable bad leadership it produces:

  • “The losers in that sort of ethnic or racial politics are always the citizens… It's a scam, it's not representative government. And nobody ever has the balls to say that. But I just did.” — Jack Armstrong [06:23]

• They cite infamous LA County leaks and single-party rule in urban politics, with references to Maxine Waters and Jasmine Crockett.

4. Mistakes in Medicine and Occupational Pressure

[06:39–12:04]

• The team discusses the enormous pressures medical professionals face and how innocent errors can ruin careers:

  • “It's like 40,000 people die every year from medical mistakes or something like that.” – Mike Hansen [07:10]
  • Followed by a Johns Hopkins estimate as high as 440,000 (Katie Greener) [08:33]

• Jack Armstrong: “Water doesn’t care how hard you tried. It’s either gonna come out or it ain’t.” [11:49]

• The analogy between life-or-death jobs and their own lower-stakes radio mistakes is played for laughs.

5. Middle East: IDF Pullback, Trump’s Role, Fragile Peace

[13:11–18:20]

• Seinfeld bit on dropped calls lightens tone before a serious discussion of news from Israel/Gaza:

  • “They're not sending accountants in suits, they're sending troops because if something troopy has to happen, you want troops.” – Mike Hansen [14:59]

• The IDF’s strategic withdrawal, hopes for peace, and Trump’s impending visit to Israel are evaluated with cautious optimism:

  • “I'm sure you'll get a standing ovation as long as any have ever happened.” – Jack Armstrong on Trump’s visit [16:12]

• They discuss skepticism about whether Hamas splinter groups will sabotage peace and the tension between optimism and hard reality.

6. Criminal Justice: Urban Crime, Policing, and "Woke" Policies

[20:02–29:47]

• Using the “two headed calf” as a metaphor, Armstrong & Getty rail against “Woke” criminal justice reforms they believe have failed in cities.

• National Crime Victimization Survey cited:

  • “The rate of violent crime in urban areas increased 61% from 2019 to 2024.” – Jack Armstrong [24:44]
  • “It’s the cities that are going to hell—the blue cities mostly, where they've embraced woke policing policies.” [24:54]

• A nuanced discussion follows on crime demographics:

  • “White residents make up 60% of the population, yet were offenders in only 7% of incidents involving black victims.” [26:41]

• Armstrong endorses "tough on crime" moves in Baltimore, citing falling violent crime with stricter prosecution.

7. True Crime Obsession – Gendered Appeal

[30:59–36:43]

• The crew marvels at women’s fascination with true crime content, postulating on evolutionary psychology:

  • “Mostly guys watch sports because it's a simulation for war. Women watch these true crimes things because it's a simulation for how do I keep the village safe and spot the bad person.” – Mike Hansen [35:30]

• Katie Greener and Armstrong discuss using such stories to process fear and self-protect.

• “Why am I so depressed? Asks wife who listens to eight hours of murder podcasts a day.” – Jack Armstrong (Babylon Bee) [35:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On politics and race:
  “If you vote for somebody because of their race or don't vote for somebody because of their race, you're a bad person, a bad American, and a dope.” – Jack Armstrong [06:27]

• On medicine:
  “People make mistakes. It'd be almost impossible to have a mistake-free system, I think.” – Mike Hansen [07:58]

• Plumbing metaphor:
  “Water doesn’t care how hard you tried. It’s either gonna come out or it ain’t.” – Jack Armstrong [11:49]

• On urban crime:
  “It’s the cities that are going to hell—the blue cities mostly, where they've embraced woke policing policies.” – Jack Armstrong [24:54]

• On tough prosecutors:
  “If you lock up violent repeat offenders…every cop in America will tell you, I spend 90% of my time babysitting the 2% of the population that commits 90% of the crimes…and again, Baltimore is turning around.” – Jack Armstrong [29:29]

• On women and true crime:
  “I fall asleep to murder documentaries.” – Katie Greener [33:35]

  “It’s a way to deal with your fears once removed…Part of it is figuring out how to avoid that.” – Jack Armstrong [34:16]

Pop Culture and Miscellaneous

• Jerry Seinfeld on dropped calls
  [13:11–14:33] Seinfeld lampoons the social ritual after a dropped cell call: “No one was hoping or expecting that maybe you could explain a random micro-glitch in infinitely complex global telecommunications network.” [13:55]

• Ken Burns’ upcoming documentary
  Anticipation for Burns’ 250th anniversary “Founding of America” project (“not a bunch of woke nonsense”) [28:00]

• True Crime, Murder Weapon Stereotypes
  “Poison is the woman's murder weapon.” – Jack Armstrong [31:56]
  Real-life antifreeze poisoning case used to segue into the gender and psychology of true crime fascination.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ukraine/Russia & Oil: 00:27–01:40
• Clips of the Week: 01:40–04:15
• Racial Politics Critique: 04:42–06:34
• Medical Mistakes & Pressure: 06:39–12:04
• Middle East/Trump/IDF Withdrawal: 13:11–18:20
• Urban Crime/Policing/Woke Reform: 20:02–29:47
• True Crime & Gender Psychology: 30:59–36:43

Overall Tone

The episode maintains Armstrong & Getty’s characteristic blend: brash, skeptical, darkly comic, and at times sincerely concerned. They tackle controversial topics head-on, peppering the show with offbeat humor and anecdotal tangents, while making sharp points on public policy and social trends.

Summary prepared for listeners and fans who want a comprehensive, timestamped overview before diving in, or a refresher on the most important and entertaining takeaways.