The A&G Replay Friday Hour One

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand
Episode: The A&G Replay Friday Hour One
Release Date: January 7, 2025

In this episode of the official Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty engage in a lively and multifaceted discussion, delving into diverse topics ranging from film critiques to societal issues and reflections on celebrity culture. Joined by contributors Katie, Michael, and Tim, the conversation offers a blend of humor, critical analysis, and personal anecdotes, making it both engaging and insightful for listeners.

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1. In-Depth Review of "Godzilla Minus One"

The episode kicks off with a passionate discussion about the Japanese film "Godzilla Minus One." Katie shares her experience of watching the movie, highlighting its departure from typical blockbuster conventions.

Katie [00:45]: "Godzilla -1 is a Japanese movie, subtitles, black and white. And it's a hardcore art film. It's like the sort of thing they would make you watch in a college class and then you'd have to write a paper about it."

Key Highlights:

• Artistic Approach: Unlike traditional Godzilla films, "Godzilla Minus One" adopts a minimalist and artistic style, emphasizing silence and solitude in post-World War II Tokyo.
• Emotional Depth: The film transcends the usual monster movie tropes, focusing on humanity, wartime struggles, and resilience.

Katie [03:08]: "The director managed to make it... it's all about humanity and wartime and sticking together and overcoming adversity."

• Cinematic Impact: The movie's quiet intensity leaves a lasting emotional impression, akin to war dramas like "Saving Private Ryan."

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2. Parenting and Overcoddling in Schools

Transitioning from film, the hosts delve into the challenges of modern parenting and educational policies, particularly focusing on overcoddling and restrictive school rules.

Katie [11:16]: "Do not call me because some soft ass kid's feelings got hurt because some kid is better than him at sports... Stop raising pansy ass kids."

Key Points:

• Strict School Policies: Katie discusses her son's experience of being cited for running on a wet playground, attributing such actions to schools prioritizing liability over children's physical activity.

  Joe Getty [07:13]: "But the school would tell you, look, I think it's freaking stupid too. But we were just told we're going to lose our insurance policy."

• Limited Recreational Activities: The prohibition of games like kickball due to conflicts and the restriction on bringing personal sporting equipment stifles children's ability to engage in physical play and resolve disputes organically.

  Katie [16:12]: "They have a limited number. They have a limited number of balls and there's like three and whoever gets to them first gets to play during recess with him and nobody else gets to."

• Impact on Child Development: The hosts express concern that such restrictive environments hinder the development of confidence, resilience, and problem-solving skills in children.

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3. Controversial Views on Gender Policies

The conversation takes a critical turn as Joe Getty addresses gender policies in schools, predicting forthcoming lawsuits against what he terms "gender bending cruel experiments on kids."

Joe Getty [16:47]: "...there are some fairly high profile lawsuits that are going to go the right way against the gender bending cruel experiments on kids crowd."

Discussion Points:

• Legal Battles: Anticipation of significant legal challenges aimed at reversing gender identity policies implemented in educational institutions.

• Long-Term Consequences: Joe emphasizes that adults who underwent these policies as minors are now opposing them, highlighting the perceived negative outcomes.

  Joe Getty [17:23]: "It's, it's. I don't mean to seem like I'm gloating because it's tragedy, but some of the victims... are not happy about it."

• Social Implications: The hosts argue that such policies are detrimental, advocating for more conservative approaches to gender education and expression.

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4. Reflections on the Passing of Tony Bennett

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing the recent passing of music legend Tony Bennett. The hosts share their perspectives on his legacy and personal impacts.

Katie [20:17]: "Here's why I don't like Tony Bennett... I need to point it out."

Insights:

• Mixed Emotions: While acknowledging Tony Bennett's talent and contributions to music, Katie expresses her frustration with his repeated themes and lack of artistic evolution.

  Joe Getty [20:22]: "He's a good singer, but that's all he is."

• Celebrity Mortality: The hosts contemplate the emotional effects of celebrity deaths, with Katie questioning the widespread mourning exhibited by fans.

  Joe Getty [23:22]: "He was a guest of mine on the very first show we did, Oct. 1, 1962..."

• Personal Connections: Tim shares a deep personal connection to Robin Williams, underscoring how certain celebrity deaths resonate more profoundly based on individual experiences.

  Tim [26:28]: "I was sad about Robin Williams... That one hit."

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5. Social Media Critique: The Overabundance of American Flags

The hosts turn their attention to a TikTok clip featuring an Australian individual's complaint about the excessive presence of American flags, eliciting strong reactions from Armstrong and Getty.

Katie [29:34]: "There are too many American flags. Like, they're on houses, they're on cars..."

Analysis:

• Cultural Commentary: Joe Getty criticizes the incessant display of American flags, interpreting it as a reflection of national pride and cultural dominance.

  Joe Getty [30:21]: "The United States is the first country ever formed... founded on a set of ideas and it succeeded wildly."

• Humorous Rebuttals: Tim humorously suggests that the speaker's repetitive use of filler words detracts from her message, while Joe expands on the ideological underpinnings of American symbolism.

  Tim [32:42]: "Don't use, like, every third word... That's ear blood."

• Cultural Superiority: The discussion evolves into a broader commentary on American exceptionalism versus other national identities, particularly Australian, with Joe asserting the unique founding principles of the United States.

  Joe Getty [31:16]: "We're super duper proud of not only our success, but our ideas."

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6. Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

As the episode wraps up, the hosts offer final reflections on societal trends and personal anecdotes, maintaining their characteristic blend of humor and critical analysis.

Joe Getty [28:40]: "Compassion without order is chaos, and order without compassion is brutality."

Key Takeaways:

• Balance of Rationality and Emotion: Emphasizing the importance of maintaining a balance between rational governance and compassionate leadership to prevent societal dysfunction.
• Media Evolution: Acknowledgment of the changing media landscape, where platforms like TikTok democratize content creation, leading to both entertaining and frustrating content.

Joe Getty [33:08]: "But what you need to understand... we're super duper proud of not only our success, but our ideas."

The episode concludes with a teaser for future discussions, ensuring listeners are left contemplating the intricate balance between cultural identity, societal policies, and personal freedoms.

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Notable Quotes:

• Katie on "Godzilla Minus One":
  "It's a hardcore art film... we don't hear as much about it." [00:53]

• Joe Getty on School Policies:
  "We're doomed. We're doomed as a society." [16:12]

• Joe Getty on Gender Lawsuits:
  "Some of the victims... are not happy about it." [17:23]

• Katie on Tony Bennett:
  "The day they die... just do something else." [20:28]

• Joe Getty on American Flags:
  "The United States is the first country ever formed... founded on a set of ideas." [31:16]

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This episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand offers a comprehensive exploration of contemporary issues, blending entertainment with critical discourse. Whether discussing the nuanced layers of a Japanese art film or scrutinizing modern educational practices, the hosts provide a platform for thoughtful conversation, enriched by personal experiences and diverse viewpoints.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Katie]

Not live from Studio C. Armstrong and Getty. We're on for a couple of weeks. We're taking a break. Come on. You get a break, we get a break. We'll be back live for 25.

[Joe Getty]

And as long as we're off, perhaps you'd like to catch up on podcasts. Subscribe to Armstrong and Getty on Demand or one more thing. We think you'll enjoy it thorough.

[Katie]

I went to Godzilla minus one over the weekend. Had you all heard of that? Katie, Joe, Michael, anybody? Had you ever even heard of that?

[Michael]

Never heard of it.

[Tim]

I missed that one.

[Katie]

Yeah. It's not getting the publicity that normally a blockbuster movie like a Godzilla or King Kong would get because it's not that kind of a movie at all. I just heard that there actually is our friend Tim Sandifer, who is a man of letters, 26 of them had tweeted out that this is the. This is finally a great monster movie. Godzilla minus one thought, oh, okay, cool. And I was still just picturing like a regular, like, we've seen all the Godzilla movies, the modern ones, all the King Kong movies. We've seen Godzilla versus King Kong. We've seen the Megalodon 1 and 2, which are the stupidest movies ever made. They're basically Sharknado with a giant shark.

[Joe Getty]

More expensive cast.

[Katie]

Yeah, more expensive actors. But that's. I was kind of picturing that, but like, maybe better, but. No, it's not at all. Godzilla -1 is a Japanese movie, subtitles, black and white. And it's a hardcore art film. It's like the sort of thing they would make you watch in a college class and then you'd have to write a paper about it. It's way closer to that than a. Than a blockbuster movie. And so you don't hear as much about it. And it was huge in Japan. It's doing pretty well in the United States. It has had some Oscar nominations. I don't know how to explain it. Minus one. I guess it's a translation thing. It means Japan was so far beaten down at the end of World War II that they were like below world something. That's what the minus one means. And this movie is featured at the very end of World War II and the aftermath when we had just reduced it to rubble. Even before we dropped to the atomic bombs, it was rubble. And it's featured in Tokyo mostly And they're just people living like cavemen, the people that are still alive, scrounging for food, trying to push some boards and rocks together to have something to keep you out of the rain. You know, you're by yourself because your whole family's dead, and you team up with some old lady who. The rest of her family's dead, and you try to make a go of it.

[Joe Getty]

Is this a comedy?

[Katie]

It's a comedy. Sort of in line with, like, sort of a Three Stooges meets Jim Carrey.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. Wedding Crashers.

[Katie]

No, it is not a comedy, obviously.

[Tim]

And starring Will Ferrell.

[Katie]

Will Ferrell makes a cameo. Jack Black plays a prominent role.

[Joe Getty]

Nice.

[Katie]

Now, it's a very heavy movie, and long parts of it are silent. There's not a sound, no music, nobody talking, no nothing. And it's so quiet in the theater. It's just, like, weird. I don't think I've ever been to a movie they got silent for that long before.

[Joe Getty]

Wow. Wow, that's. That's interesting, but.

[Katie]

And I'm not going to try to describe it, because I couldn't, but just making the point that by the climactic scene where, like, with all Godzilla, King Kong movies, you know, it's time to finally, like, really confront the monster with your best plan to bring him down and save humanity, you know, that is featured in all of those Megalodon or Jaws or whatever. When it gets to that final scene, you feel way more like you're watching Saving Private Ryan or Band of Brothers or something than you do a monster movie. I mean, like, the director managed to make it. Like, you don't even think about it being Godzilla and a giant radioactive creature that can stomp on people and crush buildings. It somehow, like, that doesn't even matter anymore. It's all about humanity and wartime and sticking together and overcoming adversity and just, you know, it's just. It's hard to explain. I thought it was phenomenal. It no longer even seems. It doesn't even seem weird that you're, like, tugging at my heartstrings in a Godzilla movie. I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Wow. That's such an interesting, like, union of being invested in characters and how that affects your willingness to suspend disbelief.

[Katie]

Right, yeah. Yes, that is exactly it.

[Joe Getty]

I think that was, like, the Harry Potter formula, although that's obviously fantasy and everybody knows it. Well, this was as gritty realistic as.

[Katie]

Any movie I've ever seen. And it featured a giant monster that can crush buildings under its feet, which doesn't seem like it'd be possible in terms of the theater going experience. And there's hardly anybody at that. This Saturday night, 7:00, I think there were a total of 10 people in there.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Katie]

Because nobody's heard of it. And it's an art film. And my youngest kid didn't like it much. He didn't like the reading. There's a lot of reading really fast. And his reading is not quite up to. In a lot of really hard words. So he just couldn't quite keep up with it and. But my. My eighth grader loved it. Thought it was really, really good. It was. It was powerful movie. But the whole movie going experience in the modern world, everybody's got such a great TV with a cool sound system. You got that whole thing. Although I've noticed this before, I have walked out of many movie theaters in my life, like, rattled in some way. Either like, you know, down emotionally or inspired emotionally or fired up emotionally or something like that. I don't know if that ever happens when I watch on tv.

[Joe Getty]

I think it probably does. I think being at home, you get back to your set point a lot.

[Katie]

More quick, think that's it. Well.

[Tim]

And you have control to turn it off and change it. But I always feel like leaving.

[Katie]

I always feel like I walk out of movie theaters and everybody's quiet because they're just like so affected by what you saw in one way or another. And I never feel that way at home.

[Joe Getty]

Really.

[Katie]

I don't think.

[Joe Getty]

Anyway, maybe there's. I think there's something about. And I think I was right the first time. When you leave a movie, other than like zipping up your jacket, all you're doing is walking to your.

[Katie]

Putting on my shoes. Putting on my shoes. Because I take off my shoes and socks. Oh, God. And put them on the seat in front of me.

[Tim]

That guy.

[Katie]

No, I do not. But that's funny.

[Joe Getty]

So even if you're checking your phone or whatever, you have three to five minutes where you're doing nothing but thinking about what you've just.

[Katie]

Maybe that's it.

[Joe Getty]

Whereas, you know, you turn off the TV at home and then you go.

[Katie]

Do something, get the kids to bed or whatever, Right?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah.

[Katie]

But the dude did. When your kids were younger, did you buy them treats to go to the movie occasionally? See, I grew up in a family where we never did. It wasn't even a consideration. It's like, we're.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Katie]

We're not getting that stuff because it's too expensive. That's fine. Yep. Already ate. I'M not thirsty. If I'm thirsty, I'll go get a drink of water at the drinking van.

[Michael]

I knew a family that would hide the treats in mom's purse, but, yeah.

[Katie]

You know, I used to.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, yeah. We'd smuggle in popcorn in our pockets sometimes.

[Katie]

I used to bring beer to the movies all the time. You got to wait for a loud part. You got to wait for Godzilla to scream before you open your beer. If you open your beer during the silent is the baby gonna die or not? Scene.

[Tim]

Your girl has mastered opening a bottle of champagne in a movie theater.

[Joe Getty]

Nice style points.

[Katie]

I remember one time when I kicked over my empty bottle of beer and it rolled all the way down. Clickety clinkity, clinkity, clinkity, clinkity.

[Tim]

Oh, yeah. And then what you do is you start looking around like, what is that? Like, you're just confused.

[Joe Getty]

Who is doing that?

[Katie]

Somebody brought in some unauthorized food or drink, and I can't believe somebody would.

[Joe Getty]

Do that in a theater.

[Katie]

I think we should pause the movie and go through everybody's pockets until we can find out who this miscreant is. But I think I am gonna tell my kids, mostly for the noise reason, partly for the money reason. No, we're not doing this. Next time, let's eat before we go. We can even stop and get a treat. But we're not gonna buy stuff at the theater one. I don't want to listen to you eating and drinking.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, right.

[Katie]

I actually took the drink away from one of my kids, like, enough. Because he kept doing the. At the bottom, you know, trying to get the last two sips of through the ice thing. And like, no, you quit. I took it out of his hand and put it in my cup holder.

[Tim]

You blessed every other person with the same sound issue in that. In that theater, though, right? So.

[Katie]

But between the noise, the cost, we spent 50 bucks at the concession stand. That's nuts with modern inflation. Yeah, two kids. I got smalls, but I got in the largest. I don't know, I had to get a loan. I had to apply for a loan and somebody who had to be there to fill out my paperwork and look at my credit score.

[Joe Getty]

And so if this movie is successful, they've got to, you know, continue the theme. And I, you know, on the radio show, I just threw out the idea. King Kong at Antietam. Then, I don't know, maybe Sasquatch in a house fire where a family loses their house and he takes them in or eats them or.

[Katie]

I don't know if Frankenstein. Frankenstein's List. If Frankenstein had done Schindler's List.

[Joe Getty]

Oh gee, there you go. Now you're thinking.

[Tim]

Yeah, I'd watch it.

[Katie]

Yeah. I told people when I got up theater, I said it's way closer to Das Boot than it is to King Kong.

[Joe Getty]

Right. Count Dracula is a gifted cancer doctor, but he has a blood addiction.

[Katie]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

He's noble, but he just can't. He's a junkie.

[Katie]

Yeah, exactly. Something like that.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that'd be a hit.

[Katie]

The Mummy in Philadelphia. So you got the dying AIDS guy.

[Tim]

And the mummy hanging out together?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, they're hanging out together.

[Tim]

Yeah. Plot twist.

[Katie]

Solving crimes or something.

[Joe Getty]

They're actually lovers who solve crimes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Katie]

The tease was too many pansy ass kids. Kids. This is referring to this particular mom who went on the screed in her kitchen with a glass of wine in her hand.

[Unknown]

I got a call from my kids assistant principal today because he and his other friend were playing soccer with this other kid at recess. The other kid happened to want to be the goalie and apparently he sucked. And so he got really upset because the other boys kept scoring goals on him and there was no teasing involved. I verified. It was just. He was so upset that the kids kept scoring goals that he went to the teacher and cried about it. And my kid and the other kid got brought to the principal's office. Do not call me because some soft ass kid's feelings got hurt because some kid is better than him at sports. Stop coddling your kids, especially your sons. Because let me tell you right now, what no woman wants someday is to have to coddle their husband. Stop raising pansy ass kids. Teach your kids how to be confident in themselves and how to emotionally freaking figure their out. And stop with the BS Now.

[Katie]

We got this text in response to playing that earlier. Oh my God. I love that recording you just played. This is so true. Mike's kids school has a no running on the playground rule. Wow. Always.

[Joe Getty]

What my kids buy is that I could. I could throw on the black bandana and slit throats. To quote H.L. mencken over that.

[Katie]

What?

[Tim]

No, I'm just missing something.

[Joe Getty]

What are you dangerous?

[Michael]

No, you're not fall.

[Katie]

My. My kids school, they don't have it all the time. But if it is rained anytime in the last week, you're not allowed to run because the grass could be too wet.

[Joe Getty]

I think I'm a fascist for even talking about this. According to something I read. But when we conduct the Great experiment of conservatives get half the country and progressives get the other half and we see how it goes. There's going to be all the run and you. I almost dropped an F bomb, which I can, I suppose, but I'd prefer not to. You can run all the effing much you want in conservative America. Kids go out there, play soccer, skin your knees, get sweaty, get to blow off steam. Then we'll get back to school and learn and we'll. We'll compare test scores at the end of it, huh?

[Michael]

We used to love to play soccer on wet fields. And we would slide in the. Yeah, that was part of the fun.

[Tim]

Even after it would rain on the. On the cement outside, we used to run and pretend we were skateboarding and try to see who could slide the farthest. Oh, I got my. I hurt myself so many times doing that, but it was a blast.

[Joe Getty]

None of that. None of that anymore. Good Lord, think of the liability. Katie, you maniac.

[Katie]

God. We played Kill the Man with the ball in the pouring rain all the time. And I mean, that was a violent game in the range.

[Joe Getty]

You know, I realize people are self selecting and to some extent anyway.

[Katie]

And I'm not exactly a Navy seal.

[Joe Getty]

Nor I please. But people are self selecting to some extent anyway. But I so want to figure out a way to do this because they're like schools, charter schools like the John Adams Academy, and there are other examples that like, do school the way school ought to be done. And you can run all you want at recess and you learn and you learn the important stuff and you behave in class and the kids come out all smart and educated. It works. It works. And the fact that government union schools now don't work is a, you know, indictment on them. But I would love to start some sort of, I don't know, colony or outpost, I guess it's called Idaho Conservatania.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

And there would be no ugliness, no racism. No, you know, it would not be some sort of, you know, Mika Brzezinski's fever dream of what a conservative place would be. Everybody would get their constitutional rights, and by God, we would enforce that. If you. You break anybody's rights, we break your neck. But anyway, I was so loved to conduct that experiment.

[Katie]

Yeah. I would like to see it play out also. So she finishes up. My son got sent to the office and received a citation for running on the playground. So there's that issue that's mostly to do with lawyers and the way our court system works and juries. So I don't even know what to do about that because the school would tell you, look, I think it's freaking stupid too. But we were just told we're going to lose our insurance policy if we let kids run in the school in school and get to anybody gets hurt. So what are you going to do? So I hate that for that's own thing. Then you have this different topic. The school also told the kids are no longer allowed to play kickball because the kids spent so much time arguing about the kids cheating. Way to teach the kids how not how to work through conflict. That's not the lawyers or the insurance company. That's the. We think conflict is always bad and so we're going to solve the conflict by not letting them play. They do this at my kids school too. Like when I was a kid a lot of us would bring our own Nerf football or own glove or ball or bat or whatever. You're not allowed to bring any sporting equipment because one kids might fight over it or you might have a nicer football than the other kid does and that make them feel bad and all that sort of stuff.

[Joe Getty]

I know we're doomed, Katie. We're doomed. As a society.

[Katie]

They have a limited number. They have a limited number of balls and there's like three and whoever gets to them first gets to play during recess with him and nobody else gets to.

[Tim]

Okay, I apologize for taking it back to this place but. So all of this is going on but these kids can decide to identify as something else or right?

[Katie]

Yeah, exactly. You can, you can change into a different sex and keep that a secret, but you can't run in the yard.

[Tim]

Yeah, you can make moves to mess them up hormonally for the rest of their lives, but don't you run on that wet grass.

[Katie]

Yeah, that's pretty amazing that those two things are happening at the same time.

[Joe Getty]

You know, speaking of which. And here's a preview of a screed you'll hear on the air in the next day or two. There are some fairly high profile lawsuits that are going to go the right way against the gender bending cruel experiments on kids crowd. They're going to bring them to their knees and we need more and more and more of that. These and it's, it's. I don't mean to seem like I'm gloating because it's tragedy, but some of the victims of these ideological lunatics are starting to move into adulthood and realize what's been done to them and are not happy about it. It can't happen fast enough.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. The Armstrong and Getty Show.

[Joe Getty]

Before we get to the great Tony Bennett, national treasure, I'm told this is Roger Waters of the Pink Floyd, as they were known in London with a new version of his classic from Dark side of the Moon. Money, Michael Money. Wow, you're right. It's this kind of Leonard Cohen esque.

[Katie]

Get a good job with more paying. You okay?

[Joe Getty]

That's a great song. It's kind of a weird version of it. You know, Roger Waters is ancient and nuts. Now can we just acknowledge that?

[Katie]

He sounds like he's gonna kill me in my sleep. Is that. What is he going for?

[Joe Getty]

If he knew your politics, you probably would. Okay, I suppose that's enough of that. That's weirdly appealing. Honestly. Look, he's a brilliant artist. He's always been all kind of quirky. Now he's ancient and nuts. Doesn't diminish what he's done. I don't hate him for it. He's wrong about a lot of stuff. But, you know, if you're a conservative and Jack, I'm sure you'd agree. Katie, anybody? If you eliminated all of your favorite creative artists because their politics were wacky, it would leave you with a fairly narrow range of things to listen to.

[Tim]

Right.

[Katie]

Sure. We should shut up about it though.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, he could do that. Well, except for, I guess, country music is the bastion of at least some conservatism. I don't listen to much modern country. If you were to like, take a wild guess, Jack, at its political orientation, like percentage wise or however you want to put it.

[Katie]

Know a lot of musicians. I still would bet it's overwhelming left. Overwhelmingly left leaning, I would guess.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well.

[Tim]

Or do they just act like that so that they don't get canceled?

[Katie]

Yeah, they probably know you got to keep it to yourself as the guitar player with Miranda Lambert who voted for Bernie Sanders. I'm sure I don't know that, but I mean, I'm sure you'd have to keep it to yourself. I'm sure you pick up on that pretty quickly.

[Joe Getty]

But a lot of those, like pickup truck, my best girl by the lake drinking beer. That. That strikes me as kind of maga.

[Katie]

Ish. No, I don't. I don't have any idea.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, which is fine. When I was there in my pickup truck. I never had a pickup truck with my best girl by the lake. It may have been by a lake. Yeah, it's by Lake Michigan drinking beer. Check and make it out. Etc. It's Funny, our politics didn't come up, so who cares? Anyway, speaking of ancient singers, the great Tony Bennett has passed. Perhaps you heard that 500 times.

[Katie]

Overrated.

[Joe Getty]

I thought he was fine.

[Katie]

That's exactly.

[Joe Getty]

And he had a really, really long career. It's like Tina Turner, who is amazingly talented, especially in her younger days. But it became one of those things where the longer she lived, oh, she had a great story of courage and overcoming abuse and the rest of it. I'm not demeaning her as a person or a performer at all, but if you're around long enough, you get, like, this sainthood thing put on.

[Katie]

Here's why I don't like Tony Bennett. And, Katie, you're. You're new enough to the show. You don't know. It's kind of my thing to say negative things about people who just passed, which really makes people angry.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Tim]

I was going to say, wow, Jack, too soon.

[Joe Getty]

I just beg him, let a day go by. But no, he's got a stick in the knife.

[Katie]

I don't know why. I just. I need to point it out. The day they die. I just thought. I just thought it was so weak. Tony Bennett, you. We know you left your heart in San Francisco. We've known that quirk quite a few decades. Just do something. Do something else. Just quit. Quit with that all the time. A lot of my favorite artists, you have a big hit when you're younger, and then you move on to completely different things. Maybe like, reinvent yourself completely, not just do the same freaking thing over and over and over every show you're ever on until you're too old to walk.

[Joe Getty]

Whatever. He became a painter. He was pretty good painter, but good for him. Again, if you want to hear him warble the old songs or team up with Lady Gaga, go ahead. It's just a whole. Oh, my God, Tony Bennett. Oh, my God. He's such a. Such a legend. It's like he's a singer. It's fine. He's a good singer, but that's all he is. Was he a nice fella? Tell me about it.

[Katie]

What do you do?

[Tim]

All these people that when there's a celebrity death, their day gets ruined.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Tim]

Like they personally knew them.

[Katie]

Yeah. Yeah. That's pretty hard for me. That doesn't happen very often with me. What was I going to say? What? He died from time?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Katie]

Okay.

[Joe Getty]

Being ancient.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Michael tells us that. Let's see. This is a. He was on the first Tonight show episode. Let's hear that clip.

[Unknown]

Number five is one of the Great singers in the world. I think Frank Sinatra once said about Tony, he is the greatest singer in the world. And he's. He was a guest of mine on the very first Show we did, Oct. 1, 1962, out of New York.

[Joe Getty]

From New York, the Tonight show starring Johnny Carson. Johnny's guest tonight are Joan Crawford, Rudy Valley, Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks.

[Unknown]

You remember the very first show?

[Michael]

Yes, very well. It was great, exciting night like tonight.

[Unknown]

It was, you know, you were on the show with the late Joan Crawford, Rudy Valley and Mel Brooks.

[Michael]

Mel Brooks.

[Unknown]

Seems like a long time ago. It was a long time ago.

[Joe Getty]

And is six just part of that Michael, or is that different?

[Michael]

I know it's different. It's just Larry King.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, I'm sorry, it has. I've gained four notes on the bottom. Gained four on the bottom. Thank God I'm 66. But the top, no losses on the top.

[Michael]

None, none.

[Joe Getty]

The great Tony Bennett. We're going to pause Mr. Bennett, the singer. Singer Sinatra called him the best. May he live forever.

[Katie]

That's interesting. So he got older and he got the ability to sing lower notes, but didn't lose any of his high end. I didn't know that was a thing. Good for.

[Joe Getty]

Good for him. He's a good singer. I've conceded that.

[Katie]

You're on Johnny Carson in 1962.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Wow. The only defense I can make of being like, sad when a. When a celebrity passes, if you're especially, I mean, if you really, really admired them and thought they had more to do and. Or that it's just sometimes it's a slap in the face that reminds you of mortality.

[Katie]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

Or in third. Although I tend not to like wallow around in nostalgia. It's just not the way I'm made. Although, you know, I have no right to, I guess criticize people who do. But sometimes it reminds you of what I was discussing with my daughter over the weekend. We had a bit of a family reunion. I talked on the air about my brother's retirement ceremony from the Navy. And my daughter was talking about going back to the town she grew up in and seeing that the park they used to hang up with, hang out in rather, is now surrounded by apartment buildings and it didn't used to be. And that beautiful hillside is now a parking lot and the past isn't there anymore. And sometimes you're reminded of that and because you have this weird feeling that all you have to do is go back and visit it. Anybody who's ever gone to a class reunion knows that the past ain't there anymore, it's gone. And sometimes when one of your beloved, you know, artists or creative artists or whatever from your youth goes, you realize, that's right, my youth is gone. And Nate coming back ever.

[Katie]

Can you come up with a. A celebrity whose death would affect you? Like really affect would or has either.

[Joe Getty]

When Neil. When Neil Peart, the drummer from Rush and lyricist died, I knew that band was dead forever and one of the great musicians ever on earth was gone. And I thought, oh, crap. I mean, it's not like I was devastated. It was just sad.

[Katie]

Oh, crap. It's not the same as like. Like our old news person. She once said, if. If Madonna dies, I will have to take the next day off of work. Right.

[Tim]

That's the reaction that I. I was kind of going with like the people that go straight to the Internet and post. Oh, God, you know, I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

No, I'm not big on making a show of my grief either, but. No, I don't think so. I mean, I'm thinking about my musical heroes because I don't particularly give a damn about actors. I mean, they're really good at their jobs, but I don't think they're saints either. No. My greatest musical heroes, if they pass, I'll just be sad and think, you know, that's too bad.

[Katie]

Who's. What's the name of the. You know what I mean, Vern guy?

[Michael]

Yeah, that was the one that hit me. Jim Varney.

[Joe Getty]

Ernest.

[Michael]

Remember?

[Katie]

The great.

[Joe Getty]

Right, Jim Ernest Vernast. What? Ernest. Was that his character?

[Michael]

That's his character. Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right. The great. Let me try this again. We can edit this in post. The great Jim Ernest Varney. His passing was devastating.

[Katie]

Can you come up with one Katie celebrity that would affect you?

[Tim]

I think. Well, the one that. The one that I really. I was sad about was Robin Williams. That one was brutal because, I mean, I grew up. My mom and I still do the hello from Mrs. Doubtfire and stuff like that. So, I mean, I grew up with those mov. So that one. That one hit.

[Joe Getty]

Well. And he was young and his death was. Was terrible.

[Tim]

Yeah.

[Joe Getty]

So on a human level. Yeah. Okay. I'm trying to think. Anybody else. I mean, Jack. I mean, if. But that would be more.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Tim]

I mean, if you guys died, that.

[Joe Getty]

Would be a bummer on a number of levels.

[Katie]

More of a practical difficulty.

[Joe Getty]

Gavin Newsom has prayed for that, but so far, unfulfilled. Nope. No, I would be sad. Like if. Speaking of Rush, if Geddy Lee died, who's one of my Greatest Musical Heroes. That would be very sad. But I'll go on. I'll still show up for work.

[Katie]

I wonder if that does coincide with views of the world.

[Joe Getty]

I'll bet it does.

[Katie]

I'll bet it does too. I mean it. The other. The flip side of it sure sounds right. The, the. The lefty worship of, well, musicians and writers and actors. And you don't tend to. If you're more conservative in your politics, you don't tend to worship these people in the first place. So you kind of have to worship in the first place to have to get super busted up when they die.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Well, are you a rationalist or an emotionalist? And emotions are good and healthy and obviously you need to be rational, but I think some people are one or the other. I've always said that. One of the reasons I'm so adamant about not letting emotionalists take over government and the Constitution and the courts and the rest of it is I'm enough of one to know how crazy that would be. If the rationalist part of us loses control, we're doomed. Like I always say, compassion without order is chaos, and order without compassion is brutality. We don't want either one of those.

[Jack Armstrong]

Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. The Armstrong and Getty show.

[Joe Getty]

Used to be that the moron nobodies of the world didn't have a TV studio, didn't have a broadcast tower, didn't have a distribution deal, but now everybody does, which is actually kind of entertaining at times. And some fabulous talent has, you know, come to people's attention. On the other hand, you got your TikTok, where jackasses and freaks and weirdos of every description are sharing their freakazoid weirdo ness with you. And often it's annoying, sometimes it's amusing, sometimes it's educational. I haven't heard this one yet. Michael has described it to us. Does it need any introduction? Really, Michael?

[Michael]

Actually, I'm not familiar with this clip.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, you're not?

[Katie]

No.

[Joe Getty]

Did you find this one, Katie?

[Tim]

Yeah, this is one of mine. Not really. She's just walking through a neighborhood running her mouth.

[Joe Getty]

And she's from Australia, apparently. All right, let's listen to it.

[H]

I'm just gonna say it. There are too many American flags. Like, they're on houses, they're on cars. Saw them on couch cushions. Like, I don't know who's making these American flags, but they'd be making a bloody fortune. And like, you're the only country that I know that does this. Like, the only time I think I've ever seen an Australian flag is like on the Harbor Bridge. Could not tell you what it looks like. Like, I know it's like blue and it's got some stars on it. But I, I think I could draw the American flag from memory. Like I think I can make a bloody sculpture out of it. That's how many times I've seen it. It's enough. Let's pull back on it. Okay? Let's stay humble.

[Joe Getty]

So I'm torn by twin impulses. Number one, you're an ignoramus. You're the young twit with a TikTok account. Why would I dignify your stupidity with any sort of response?

[Michael]

She got kicked in the head. Back kangaroo.

[Joe Getty]

Well played, Michael. So that's one of my responses and that's about running 5050 with explaining to her, sweetheart, you're a Commonwealth of the Crown and Australia has some reasonably enlightened 20th century Western ideas in it. And that's a nice enough country. There are problems with your governance, but I don't want to get into Australian politics partly because I don't give a. But what you need to understand, my Aussie darling, is that the United States is the first country ever formed not on a nationality like an actual, you know, a community of people of the same origin or faith or whatever. It was founded on a set of ideas and it succeeded wildly and became the most important country maybe in the history of the world, the Roman Empire notwithstanding. They lasted for quite a while, but certainly in the modern era. And we're super duper proud of not only our success, but our ideas. We feel like we've carved out a big giant area where the worst of humanity can't do its worst. We're oppressors and kings and torturers and despots. We don't let them in here. We have a set of principles and we live by them. And everybody's got the opportunity to be happy and successful. Australia's great. But it's nothing close to what we're talking about. And I would suggest if people aren't like super proud of Australia, they're kind of just eh. Well that, that kind of. That's the answer that makes the question irrelevant. Y'all don't care. We do. Why don't you spend a couple minutes figuring out why we all care so much? Why a lot of us care so much.

[Tim]

Right. And if you think about her mentality behind making that video, she obviously thought that she had a point. Right. That she wanted to get out there.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Tim]

My advice to her don't use, like, every third word. Why does, like, America have, like, so many, like, bloody flags? Like, like, like, like, like, like, like. I don't know. That's ear blood.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I don't. I don't want to call for the silencing of people in their teens and early twenties. Certainly. Speaking of the principles by which we live here, First Amendment, etc.

[Tim]

Oof. On the other hand, High Horse Joe.

[Joe Getty]

On the other hand, as I've said before, perhaps even in my own offspring. Okay, you just walked into the giant, vast shopping mall of ideas. You're literally in the lobby and you're explaining to me what all the best ideas are. How about you walk around the mall for a few years, try some of those ideas, kick them around, see how they work out. Maybe even walk to the other end of the mall and back before you start lecturing people who've lived in the mall for a long time.

[Tim]

I like that a lot. I like that a lot.

[Joe Getty]

Of course, the mall of ideas is shut down because everybody's shopping for their ideas on the Internet.

[Tim]

Got Amazon.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So many bloody flags. Like Marxist shrimp on the Barbie eaten. I'm sorry, I should. I apologize. Yeah.

[Tim]

Look at Australia. What do you guys have a lot of bloody spiders and bugs that make people not even want to visit?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, like, literally, like, the most animals like, that can kill you, like, of any country on, like, Earth. Seriously, look at the Crocodile Hunter RIP.

[Michael]

Oh, gee, I always hated it. Yeah, and I always hated those Crocodile Dundee movies as well.

[Tim]

By the way, have you seen his son? His son is a miniature version of him doing the exact same thing that his dad was doing. Total nature conservation and whatnot. But a twin. It's amazing.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, they ran the daughter up the flagpole for a while, and I don't know if she didn't catch on or didn't like it much or whatever, but, yeah, the son is the spitting image of. Of the late dad.

[Tim]

Yeah, the daughter went off. She had. She got married and had a family and whatnot, so she kind of went out of the limelight. But the. The son, Robert is his name. Oh, bloody amazing.

[Joe Getty]

Like, right with his face right up next to some sort of pit viper and all.

[Katie]

Yeah.

[Tim]

Then it bites him, like, oh, that's fun.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, no. I wonder why that happened. Typical Aussie. I'm back to being bitter.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Armstrong and Getty Show. Get more Jack, more Joe podcasts and our hot links at armstrongandgetty.

[Katie]

Com.