Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Trick or Treat, Smell My Feet!"

Date: October 31, 2025
Podcast Host: iHeartPodcasts

Overview

This Halloween-themed episode finds Armstrong, Getty, and their crew reminiscing about past costumes, discussing the evolution of the holiday, and poking fun at Halloween traditions—both nostalgic and current. The conversation is an informal, comedic stroll through the hosts' childhood memories, adult misadventures, neighborhood trick-or-treat customs, and debates about the best (and worst) Halloween candy. The hosts’ signature banter is on full display, mixing gentle mockery, warm nostalgia, and dry humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Halloween’s Popularity and Adult Traditions

• Halloween Overtakes New Year’s Eve as Top Party Night:

  • Joe notes the transformation of Halloween from a children’s door-knocking event to the year's biggest adult party night.
  • [04:56] “It is now officially the biggest party night of the year is Halloween, surpassing New Year’s Eve, obviously…” – Joe
  • The crew chuckles about how, as people age out of trick-or-treating, they transition into more "grown-up" Halloween festivities.

• Costume Memories—Childhood and Adult:

  • The hosts and crew share embarrassing, funny, or memorable costumes from their youth and adulthood.
  • Self-deprecating stories include Michael’s accidental KKK robe while trying to be a ghost, Armstrong's “Pocahonty” costume, and adult years spent in “slutty” or cross-dressing costumes.

2. Reflections on Childhood Halloween

• The Joy (and Perils) of Costumes:

  • Classic cheap plastic costumes from Sears, the trauma of stuffy masks, and the dangers inherent in impractical costume designs.
  • [14:18] “Every costume was exactly the same…with your plastic mask that were all the same with the tiny little mouth hole and the tiny Little eye holes to make it easier to get hit by a car.” – Joe
  • Katie and Armstrong reminisce about the sensory memories of masks, especially the odd smell.

• Homemade Treats and Neighborhood Rituals:

  • Joe recalls grandmas’ homemade popcorn balls and caramel apples as classic, now rare, trick-or-treat offerings.
  • Armstrong recounts a dentist who gave out toothbrushes—unwelcome in a sea of sugar.

• Favorite Candy:

  • When asked what candy they would want in their pumpkin, the hosts mostly agree:
    • Katie: “Back in the day, Snickers was a big win. I mean, that’s good candy.” [15:53]
    • Armstrong: “Mine’s tied between a Reese’s peanut butter cup and a Snickers…” [16:03]
    • Joe: “Snickers is pretty good. I like a peanut butter cup.” [16:00]
    • Michael (later): “Well back in the day I'd eat a whole bag of Kit Kat bars but these days it cost me a toe or two.” [20:16]
  • Armstrong roasts the dentist:
    • [16:15] “Dude, there was a dentist down the street for me [who gave] out toothbrushes. I hated going to that guy's house.”
    • Joe retorts: “Screw you, dick.” [16:21]

3. Social Commentary & Modern Observations

• Changing Trick-or-Treat Norms:

  • Traditions like parents trick-or-treating for themselves, kids coming in from other neighborhoods, and the “candy mines.”
    • "[13:25] ...adults getting free candy for themselves, putting their kids to work in the candy mines. That’s what it felt like."

• Horror vs. Humor in Halloween:

  • Joe mulls over the pervasiveness of gory décor and horror entertainment, noting the sometimes too-real undertones in today’s world.
    • [15:10] "It's interesting, the whole macabre. ...but gosh, all kinds of like, here's a guy who's gonna come up behind you and stab you to death. ...Why is that entertaining?" – Joe
  • Katie: "A little close to home." [15:32]
  • Joe: "Yeah, no kidding." [15:33]

• Best Scary Movie for Teens:

  • Joe considers introducing his 13-year-old to Poltergeist:
    • [12:18] “I'm thinking Poltergeist. He hasn't seen that. That's a pretty scary movie. I love Poltergeist.”

4. Personal Anecdotes and Notable Stories

• Michael’s Costume Disaster:

  • “[07:01] …I decided I was going to be a ghost. So I took a white sheet and cut out eyes. And it didn’t look like I was a ghost. It looked like I was a klan member.”
  • The crew riffs, “Wow, Michael. True colors, huh?” with good-natured teasing.

• Armstrong as ‘Pocahonty’:

  • “[07:56] …I dressed up as Pocahontas, and my mom proceeded to tell everyone that year that I was Pocahonty.”
  • Katie: “My God, you are not going to admit to cultural appropriation right now.” [07:47]
  • Armstrong responds with the story's punchline involving his mom.

• Joe in a French Maid Costume:

  • “[10:44] But one year, for some reason, I don’t know how I got convinced into this, because it's not me. I was a French maid. I wore a French maid costume.”
  • Armstrong: “What?”
  • Katie links it to other infamous adult costumes and gets everyone laughing with personal details.

• Trick-or-Treating with Booze:

  • “[13:12] As when I still drank and I didn’t have kids and we would just sit on the porch and drink for hours. Kids come up, ding dong, here's some candy. We’re going to have another.”
  • Katie: “Evil spirits. Just spirits.” [13:19]

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• [06:29] Joe: "You're a curmudgeon." (On Armstrong’s lack of enthusiasm for costumes)
• [12:29] Joe: "They're back. Yeah, the tv. …I'm not really a slasher sneaks into your house and kills you in your sleep. I don't really dig that."
• [14:55] Armstrong: "And if none of that happened, you’d suffocate."
• [16:21] Armstrong: "Screw you, dick." (About the trick-or-treat dentist)
• [20:24] Michael: “Well back in the day I'd eat a whole bag of Kit Kat bars but these days it cost me a toe or two.”
  • Joe: “Good diabetes joke there to end with.” [20:24]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:17] – Episode proper begins; opening Halloween banter, White House Halloween party jokes
• [04:56] – Discussion: Halloween surpasses New Year's Eve in adult partying
• [05:18] – Crew shares childhood costume stories
• [07:01] – Michael’s accidental Klan costume story
• [07:56] – Armstrong’s “Pocahonty” anecdote
• [08:41] – Joe’s early memory: marching as a hobo at age four
• [10:43] – Adult costume confessions, cross-dressing, and “slutty” costumes
• [12:18] – Parenting: Joe's plan for his son and Halloween scary movies
• [14:18] – Reminiscence: old-school plastic costumes, safety failures
• [15:10] – The macabre side of modern Halloween
• [15:53] – Best and worst Halloween candy memories
• [16:21] – Dentist toothbrush anecdote
• [20:16] – Michael’s closing diabetes joke (Kit Kats “cost me a toe or two”)

Tone and Style

The episode is light-hearted, playful, and filled with personal anecdotes and gentle ribbing among the crew. They frequently dip into self-deprecating humor and observational comedy, drawing on shared generational memories of “dangerous” old costumes and waxing nostalgic about a Halloween that, while changing, still brings joy to adults and kids alike—albeit in different forms.

In sum:
This episode captures the spirit of Halloween as both a celebration of nostalgia and a modern rite-of-passage for adults and kids. Listeners get a taste of each host’s personality, an affectionate look at changing traditions, and plenty of laughs along the way. Perfect for fans who enjoy the hosts' dynamic and want to reminisce about the joys—and oddities—of “the candy mines.”