Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "The Conversation Pit!"

Date: August 19, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty | Producer: Michael
Podcast by: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty features the duo’s trademark freewheeling conversation on American political absurdities, current events, and pop culture. Key themes include gerrymandering and voting, dramatic turns in U.S. and international politics, critical media literacy, domestic habits (the “conversation pit”), and reflections on personal routines from health to guitar learning. The hosts approach every topic with a mix of humor, skepticism, and exasperation, often riffing off one another and producer Michael’s eclectic contributions.

Main Discussion and Key Insights

1. Redistricting, Gerrymandering, and Political Gamesmanship

[03:36–07:58]

• Texas Democrats & Redistricting:
  Jack Armstrong discusses how Texas House Democrats’ attempt to block new GOP-drawn congressional maps by leaving the state seems to be winding down, shifting the battle to upcoming lawsuits.

• Gerrymandering Across the States:
  Joe Getty and Michael highlight that both parties engage in gerrymandering, but current headlines focus on Republicans in Texas and Gavin Newsom’s suggestion to increase Democratic control in California.

  • Michael (on California's proposed map):
    "The analysis looked at his proposed map and it was hilarious...the city of Huntington Beach was divided, slivers of it, into three different districts...The comment was, 'Oh, look, an elephant,' because it was just this weird shaped district, like an elephant's head and then a trunk..." [05:45]
  • Joe laments the performative nature of this:
    "Congresspeople choosing their voters as opposed to voters choosing their congressperson." [05:38]

• Long-Term Consequences:
  They observe that extreme gerrymandering could backfire in a wave election, potentially destabilizing party control.

2. State Policies and the "Woke" Divide

[07:58–10:01]

• Illinois Aid Expansion:
  Michael critiques Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker for broadening student financial aid eligibility—including to illegal immigrants and some transgender students disqualified for not registering for Selective Service—calling such platforms unserious in the context of broader fiscal woes.

3. Mail-in Ballots, Voting and Election Integrity

[10:07–14:59]

• Trump’s Attack on Mail-in Ballots:
  Hosts play audio from Donald Trump vowing executive action to eliminate mail-in ballots, which he calls corrupt and unique to the U.S.

  • Trump (audio clip):
    "Mail in ballots are corrupt. Mail in ballots. You can never have a real democracy with mail in ballots..." [10:17]

• Fact Check & Legal Reality:
  Joe corrects misconceptions, reading from the Constitution that voting rules are largely set by states—not the President.

  • Joe Getty:
    "None of these changes can be commanded via executive order. As the Constitution spells it out quite clearly..." [11:44]

• Ballot Harvesting and Fraud Fears:
  Joe and Michael describe real risks with ballot harvesting (far more than with individuals voting multiple times), and lament lack of safeguards in certain states:

  • Joe: "The whole ballot harvesting thing I believe is a problem." [13:56]

4. Shifting Policies: Party Attitudes & Voting Habits

[14:30–15:05]

• Changing Mail-in Voting Demographics:
  Until recently, mail-in ballots were favored by older and rural Republicans, a dynamic that shifted when Trump began criticizing them.

5. News, Distracted Driving & Life’s Humorous Sidelights

[15:05–15:40]

• Bret Baer Ticketed:
  Brief mention of Fox news anchor Bret Baer getting a ticket for distracted driving, leading to a comedic riff about how common phone use is behind the wheel.

6. Design Trends & The "Conversation Pit"

[19:52–21:21]

• Interior Fashion Fads:
  A viral interior decorator rejects TVs, microwaves, and overhead lights in favor of lamps and lit candles—sparking the hosts’ mockery of impractical lifestyle advice and pivoting to the idea of the “conversation pit.”
  • Joe Getty:
    "If I'm a childless, pretentious person with lots of free time, that would be a one way to live." [20:31]
  • Michael:
    "You gotta combo it up so that it's also a conversation pit. Right? Normally a pit is not a good term, but for conversation it is for some reason." [21:09]

7. Sick Day Science: Zinc, Placebo, and Colds

[21:21–22:29]

• Colds & Remedies:
  The group debates the efficacy of cold remedies—zinc, Airborne, vitamin C—and the power of the placebo effect.
  • Joe Getty:
    "I feel like the zinc does help. If you can cut the length and severity of a cold by half like they claim, that's not nothing." [22:05]

8. Reading Ulysses & Finnegan’s Wake

[22:33–24:23]

• The Challenge of James Joyce:
  Joe recounts tackling Ulysses, using both an audiobook and text, enjoying the dual experience but noting the time commitment. Michael jokes about the impenetrability of Finnegan’s Wake.
  • Joe Getty:
    "I've been listening to it and reading it at the same time. It says it'll take 40 hours...could take me roughly till I'm 96." [23:02]

9. Ukraine, Russia, and International Machinations

[28:52–32:26]

• Trump as Peacemaker?:
  Discussion of whether Trump could broker anything between Putin and Zelensky, with colorful speculation on the risks of dealing with Putin.

  • Joe:
    "Zelensky would kill Putin if he could. Putin wouldn't want to walk out of there with bloody hands and be known as the guy who killed him. He's been trying to kill Zelensky for years." [29:13]

• Diplomatic Cynicism:
  The hosts use a "wedding" analogy:

  • Michael:
    "...one of the people who's party to it is like, I'm not getting married...and they're gonna have a meeting at some point between the bride and the utterly unwilling to be a groom groom." [31:40]

10. Israel, Gaza, and Media Critique

[32:26–41:36]

• War’s Realities & International Pressure:
  The hosts sharply criticize media framing of the Israel-Gaza conflict, particularly the pressure on Israel regarding civilian welfare in wartime conditions.

• Misleading “Starvation” Photos:
  They discuss a Free Press article finding that many viral photos of allegedly starving children were actually of children with preexisting health conditions.

  • Joe Getty:
    "Wait a second. They ran a correction saying that kid was not starving, he had other health conditions. They ran their correction on their PR Twitter feed that has like 80,000 followers." [39:30]
  • Michael:
    "You either in the propaganda business, you're either lazy, sloppy, or you did that all completely on purpose." [40:37]

11. From International Crises to Golf to Celebrity Guitar Moments

[41:08–47:02]

• Trump Golf Courses:
  Joe and Michael joke about Trump's claim of championship golf prowess and the opulence of his courses.

  • Michael on Trump’s golf acumen:
    "He cheats like crazy. He's quite good for a guy his age. He's not as good as he claims..." [41:53]

• Brad Paisley's Guitar Tradition:
  Hosts note country star Brad Paisley giving away a guitar to inspire kids at his concerts, which prompts personal stories about music lessons and the difficulties of teaching one’s own child an instrument.

12. On Motivation, Practice, and Grand Ambitions

[47:07–48:57]

• Practice vs. Wishful Thinking:
  Jack muses on how wanting to be skilled (in music, writing, sports or fitness) is not the same as doing the daily work.

  • Jack Armstrong:
    "Whether it be writing, guitar, golf, pretty much whatever you want to do...It's all about a little bit every day as opposed to one afternoon...then not again for another month. It's a little bit every day." [49:59]

• Plato’s Wisdom:
  Michael quotes:
  "It was the great Plato, I believe, who said, if you would play the flute. Play the flute." [48:52]

13. Final Thoughts & Recommendations

[49:22–50:28]

• Team Final Thoughts:
  • Michelangelo is intrigued by AI therapy.
  • Newswoman Katie Green is inspired to pick up guitar again.
  • Jack re-emphasizes daily practice over occasional bursts.
  • Michael recommends Netflix's "Quarterback" documentary:
    "It's unbelievably compelling and interesting. And like all documentaries, it's about human beings..." [50:12]

Notable Quotes

• "Congresspeople choosing their voters as opposed to voters choosing their congressperson."
  — Joe Getty on gerrymandering [05:38]

• "I feel like the zinc does help. If you can cut the length and severity of a cold by half like they claim, that's not nothing."
  — Joe Getty on cold remedies [22:05]

• "If I'm a childless, pretentious person with lots of free time, that would be a one way to live."
  — Joe Getty, mocking impractical home advice [20:31]

• "I'm not sure I would blame Trump for the [mail-in ballot] change. I just think the Democrats saw an opportunity."
  — Michael [14:59]

• "If you would play the flute. Play the flute."
  — Michael, citing Plato [48:52]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Time | |----------------------------------------|-------------| | Texas Redistricting & Gerrymandering | 03:36–07:58 | | Mail-in Ballots & Election Integrity | 10:07–14:59 | | Ballot Harvesting Concerns | 13:01–13:56 | | Ulysses, Finnegan’s Wake, Reading | 22:33–24:23 | | Putin, Zelensky, Trump & Diplomacy | 28:52–32:26 | | Israel-Gaza War & Media Accountability | 32:26–41:36 | | Practice & Ambition Discussion | 47:07–48:57 | | Team Final Thoughts | 49:22–50:28 |

Episode Highlights

• The hosts provide a running, skeptical critique of modern politics—whether it’s state-level gerrymandering, the manipulation of public aid, or the perennial posturing around elections.
• They blend this with lighter musings: lampooning design trends, reflecting on habits like music practice, and sharing pop culture miscellania (from Brad Paisley to Netflix docuseries).
• The dialogue is sprinkled with sarcasm, historical trivia, and the hosts’ signature dry wit—never straying too far from cynicism, common sense, or self-deprecation.

Tone

Irreverent, skeptical, brisk, and conversational. The hosts move seamlessly from deeper political critique to everyday observations, always foregrounding humor and the view that common sense is in short supply.

This summary provides a comprehensive breakdown for listeners who missed the episode—delivering both substance and style in keeping with Armstrong & Getty’s unmistakable voice.