Armstrong & Getty On Demand – Replay Monday Hour One (September 1, 2025)

Episode Overview

In this replayed episode, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty jump between cultural commentary, historical literary analysis, and current political events, all while maintaining their trademark conversational and irreverent tone. Main topics include a deep-dive into George Orwell’s Animal Farm and its modern-day relevance, a primer on basic economics triggered by the Oasis reunion tour ticket pricing, the political battle over gerrymandering and congressional redistricting with Rep. Kevin Kiley, and a lively segment on emerging issues with artificial intelligence impacting jobs and society.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Enduring Relevance of Orwell’s Animal Farm

Timestamp: 01:44–12:25

• Orwell’s Struggle & Perseverance:
  Jack notes that Animal Farm came after several failed works by Orwell, serving as a “testament to hanging in there and working hard.” (01:44)

• Ten Truths from Animal Farm:
  A summary and discussion of ten enduring lessons, including:

  • Revolution inevitably breeds its own corruption—“Power corrupts incrementally through small compromises.” (03:01)
  • Language as a weapon: “When they tell you what words to use and start changing those words...they're trying to pervert meaning and...demanding an act of submission from you.” – Jack (04:15)
  • Historical memory manipulation: deliberate rewriting of history is a dangerous tool of control; direct comparisons are made to projects like the 1619 Project. (07:44)
  • Propaganda over physical force: “Propaganda is more powerful than physical force.” (07:42)
  • Engineered conformity and “preference falsification” in society (08:44)
  • Loyalty and exploitation of working classes

• Memorable Quote:
  “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” – Jack quoting Orwell, discussing language and propaganda as control mechanisms (05:45)

• Humor & Satire:
  Jack and Joe joke about reading Animal Farm to children, calling it “practically a Disney film,” then noting the book’s actual brutality (02:49–03:01).

• Echoes Today:
  “There are echoes of that today.” – Commenter under the discussed thread, emphasizing the book’s continued relevance (12:06)

2. Economics 101 – Oasis Reunion Tour, Ticket Prices, and Market Realities

Timestamp: 12:39–18:34

• Dynamic Pricing Explained:
  Using the Oasis reunion tour as an example, they explain basic supply and demand:

  • Limited supply + high demand = high prices.
  • Scalpers and Ticketmaster's perceived price gouging—“The fees that creep up onto your bill at the end...that's a different topic.” – Joe (14:48)

• Economic Literacy:
  “A concert ticket is no different from a book, a bottle of wine, or a house. It has no inherent value, only the price a buyer is willing to pay and a seller is willing to accept.” – Jack (15:44)

• Notable Quote:
  “No buyer has a right to a low price, just as no seller has a right to a high price.” (15:44)

• Industry Insight:
  “Ticketmaster does nothing that the band does not agree to. The acts hide behind Ticketmaster; they want them to take the flack.” – Jack (17:16)

• Rock Band Anecdotes:
  Joe shares a personal story about missing an Oasis concert due to the brothers’ famous backstage fight, highlighting the volatility that fuels both demand and price (17:44).

3. Trump, National Guard, and Redistricting – Interview with Rep. Kevin Kiley

Timestamp: 21:03–31:57

• Trump’s Statement:
  A brief clip of Trump discussing sending National Guard troops to cities, his critics calling him a dictator, and his own response: “I’m not a dictator. I’m a man with great common sense and a smart person...” (21:04)

• Rep. Kevin Kiley Interview:

  • On National Guard Deployments:
    • Kiley sees a case for National Guard in certain high-crime cities, referencing successful outcomes in D.C. and prior use in San Francisco (22:27)
    • Discussion of legal/constitutional constraints in different cities
  • On Gerrymandering and Redistricting:
    • Kiley condemns mid-decade redistricting efforts as anti-democratic: “It is an explicit attempt to overturn the will of voters, blow up our state constitution, and deprive many people of their representatives.” (24:11)
    • Proposes outlawing mid-decade redistricting and establishing national standards for fair districts and voter ID
    • Argues for proportional representation: “Everyone should have the chance to get a representative of their choice. The party should be represented about an equal measure of the support they have in the population.” (27:06)
    • Warns against the “race to the bottom” in partisan gerrymandering: “You fight fire with fire, the whole world burns.” (28:36)
  • On Newsom’s Presidential Prospects:
    • “Under the microscope of a presidential campaign, [Gavin Newsom’s] image will quickly fall apart once people start asking questions like why is it that California has the highest homelessness in the country?” (30:22)
    • “[Voters] simply will not be able to answer [for] the sort of outcomes that Gavin Newsom’s politics do.” (30:38)

4. AI: Oh No – Automation, Deepfakes, and Future Job Losses

Timestamp: 33:12–40:10

• Societal Shift Toward Socialism / Disillusionment:
  Jack laments the growing popularity of socialism among young people, linking it to generations exposed to anti-capitalist, “woke” ideology and the looming specter of white-collar job loss due to AI:
  “You combine that with a future in which...the very first jobs...that are going to disappear because of AI are white-collar...office type jobs, those are going to be disappearing in droves.” (34:44)

• Peggy Noonan & John Ellis’ Prognosis:

  • John Ellis predicts companies will employ “10 to 25% fewer” workers in various office roles within 2–3 years. (36:05)
  • Microsoft’s list of “AI-proof” jobs: roofers, pile driver operators, rodeo clowns.

• AI Cheating and Interview Fraud:
  Companies returning to in-person interviews to combat applicants using AI tools and deepfakes to cheat virtual interviews. Gartner predicts that by 2028, “one in four job candidate profiles worldwide will be fake.” (38:42)

• Humorous Take on AI Relationships:
  Joe shares a tabloid story of a woman getting “engaged” to her AI bot after five months, debating whether it’s attention-seeking or delusion:
  “What I couldn't tell...is if it was just somebody trying to get attention online or just absolutely completely nutty.” – Joe (39:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Pro choice is going to persuade more people than pro abortion.” — Joe (05:06), on language used in political persuasion
• “[The sheep in Animal Farm] easily switch from ‘four legs good, two legs bad’ to ‘four legs good, two legs better’...That’s what they’re trying to do to the kids too—teach them to mindlessly bleat.” — Jack (08:44)
• “[Supply and demand]: If it’s not George Clooney or Shohei Ohtani or the Gallagher brothers getting the money, it's the company, the network, or the scalpers. But somebody’s getting the money. It’s just the way it works.” — Joe (16:35)
• “You fight fire with fire, the whole world burns.” — Jack (28:36), refuting political tit-for-tat
• “Gartner predicted that by 2028, one in four job candidate profiles worldwide will be fake. One in four!” — Jack (38:42)
• “[AI bots as partners:] Is this person an attention whore or a crazy person?” — Jack (40:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Orwell’s Animal Farm analysis: 01:44–12:25
• Economics 101 & Ticket Pricing: 12:39–18:34
• Interview with Rep. Kevin Kiley (National Guard/redistricting): 21:03–31:57
• AI & Disruption, Deepfake Hiring, Societal Impacts: 33:12–40:10

Episode Tone and Language

Throughout, Armstrong & Getty balance satirical wit, directness, and occasional sarcasm, particularly when discussing political manipulation, media narratives, and societal trends. The style is educational yet intentionally conversational ("infotainment") and peppered with irreverence and pop-cultural asides.

For more, visit ArmstrongandGetty.com for podcasts and hot links!