Armstrong & Getty On Demand – "The A&G Replay Hour Monday Hour Three"

iHeartPodcasts | December 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode features Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty in their signature replay format, highlighting notable segments addressing conspiracy theorists in media, the psychological state of young men in America, and a brief foray into American history and government waste. The tone is irreverent but thoughtful, as the hosts weave personal anecdotes with cultural observation, often punctuated by satire and dry humor.

Main Topics and Key Discussion Points

1. Media Figures and the Descent into Conspiracy (03:58 – 14:45)

• Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens Critique

  • Joe Getty discusses his former admiration for Tucker Carlson’s intellect, lamenting what he sees as a turn "toward this groipery anti-Semitism that I find very, very troubling" (04:21).
  • The hosts briefly recall meeting Candace Owens, describing her as “extremely articulate and confident” but “incredibly standoffish” in person (05:25–05:43).

• Candace Owens’ Conspiratorial Rhetoric

  • Jack and Joe examine recent conspiratorial and inflammatory statements by Owens regarding the assassination of Charlie Kirk, referencing her technique of “just asking questions” to distance herself from direct accusations while insinuating wrongdoing (06:00–09:05).
    • Owens audio (07:05): “What sort of widow wouldn't want people to investigate the assassination of their husband? Every day that goes on, it feels to me like Turning Point is engaged in a cover up. So criticisms pertaining to anything at Turning Point USA that are being directed at Erica are fair. Obviously they are fair.”
  • Discussion of her "fake historian" tactics and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, comparing her to Alex Jones but noting, “Owens is more alluring and sinister... to gain influence and turn MAGA in a direction hostile to Israel, Jews, and Judaism” (09:27–10:38).
  • Notable moment: Satirical summary of Owens' conspiracies, e.g., “Harvard is a Mossad base... The Jews killed JFK and for some reason also Michael Jackson. Stalin was a secret Jew, and so was Atatürk.” (10:38)

• Conspiracy Theories and Their Allure

  • The hosts reflect on the mechanics of modern conspiracies, likening their persistence and structure to narratives from the Middle Ages (13:15–14:45).
  • Jack: “If my conscience would allow me, it’d be pretty fun to do the Candace thing where you just make stuff up and kind of ride this wave of nonsense and keep people pulling up, pulling people along and come up with new wacky ideas.” (13:56)

2. American Slavery, History, and Educational Narratives (21:00 – 22:32)

• Isaac Newton and Alchemy

  • Jack explains Newton’s hidden fascination with alchemy, noting, “He wrote more about this than he did about anything about gravity or anything else” (20:59–21:17).
  • The story of how economist John Maynard Keynes bought Newton’s papers, revealing his religious and alchemical writings.

• Critique of the 1619 Project

  • Joe critiques historical oversimplification and the “self-hatred” narrative in American education, claiming, “We've got a couple generations of people with really perverse beliefs about this country and they're 100% certain that they're right.” (22:17)
  • Notable quote: "It's horse s. It comes out of the south side of a northbound horse." – Jack Armstrong (22:28).

3. Young Men, Tech Addiction, and Societal Shifts (27:46 – 37:31)

• Statistics on Young Men in America

  • Following a Bill Maher segment featuring NYU professor Scott Galloway, the hosts dissect statistics about young men:
    • “30% of men under the age of 25 are still at home. One in five are still at home by the age of 30.” (28:06)
    • “45% of men 18 to 24 have never asked a woman out in person. 63% of men under the age of 30 are not even pursuing a relationship.” (30:39)
  • Causes attributed to Big Tech’s manipulation, increasing screen addiction, and the easy dopamine hits from gaming, social media, and porn.

• Consequences and Cultural Commentary

  • Joe Getty: “The greatest minds of our time are trying to addict us to screens for their own nefarious purposes.” (29:00)
  • Jack: “Completely unheard of…absolutely impossible that there would have been one person I would have ever run into a guy my age who wasn't pursuing a relationship” (32:04).

• Reflections on Societal Change

  • Joe: “This is an astonishing change in the natural, most deeply embedded behaviors in a species. Happens to be humans.” (33:12)
  • The hosts explore whether anything other than primal drives (“needing a little”) had ever motivated young men to leave home—humorously, but pointedly.

4. Government Waste, Reform, & Musk’s Regrets (41:30 – 45:52)

• Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency

  • Jack shares Musk’s regrets about his “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) initiative: “He’s no longer convinced his crusade to clean up government waste…was worth the chaos it unleashed” (41:30).
  • Musk’s realization: “If you stop money going to political corruption, they will lash out big time. They really want to keep the money flowing.” (44:04)
  • Satirical moment about being targeted for reform: “If I hadn’t done that, people wouldn’t be setting my cars on fire.” (44:38)

• Tribalism in Politics

  • The hosts critique bipartisan support for government waste, even “zombie” social programs. Joe: “You cannot, with a straight face, be in favor of government waste.” (46:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Candace Owens’ Conspiracies:
  “She believes her saying something must make it true. And then her riff about the moon landings being faked is characteristic…Or her contention that dinosaurs are fake and gay.” – Joe Getty (09:27–10:38)

• On Young Men and Tech:
  “We’ve literally built an economy which is dependent upon our ability to evolve a new species of asocial, asexual males.” – Scott Galloway via Bill Maher (28:21)

  “The anxiety and depression you will eventually feel in your basement sequestered from other mammals is far greater than the fear of anything that lays outside of that room for you.” – Scott Galloway (31:41)

• Historical Simplification:
  “All of history is grossly oversimplified, partly because you almost have to.” – Joe Getty (21:26)

Key Segment Timestamps

• Media Conspiracies & Candace Owens: 03:58 – 14:45
• Isaac Newton & Alchemy, 1619 Project: 21:00 – 22:32
• Young Men, Tech, and Society: 27:46 – 37:31
• Elon Musk, Government Waste: 41:30 – 45:52

Tone & Style

The hosts maintain an irreverent, conversational tone, frequently poking fun at themselves, their subjects, and even the structure of their own show. They pivot from deep concern about societal trends to comedic asides, making complex issues approachable and engaging for listeners. The show balances skepticism of media and government alike with constructive, often self-deprecating humor.

Summary

This replay hour finds Armstrong & Getty at their sharpest, taking aim at the proliferation of conspiracy thinking in American media, the crisis among young men seduced by technology, the perils of historical revisionism, and the futility of reforming government waste. Supported by pointed quotes, memorable sarcasm, and a willingness to question cultural orthodoxy, the episode offers both laughs and food for thought for the curious listener.