Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: "Trying To Trade In Some Shiny Shells"

Date: November 11, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty dives into headlines ranging from the absurd—arguments over chickens and gold found in a backyard—to substantial societal debates such as evolving credit card fees, the permanence of change, trans issues in sports and prisons, the ongoing American education crisis, and the complicated collapses inside academia. Featuring their usual mix of sharp sarcasm and cultural critique, Armstrong & Getty offer a whirlwind tour through the news, with digressions into sandwiches and the difficulties of finding classic British comedy. The show also marks Veterans Day, remembering America's service members, and pays tribute to James Watson, co-discoverer of DNA.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. [Bizarre News: Chickens, Drunken Disputes & Gold in the Backyard (03:34 - 10:27)]

• Chicken Argument Gone Wrong

  • Hosts discuss a news story where a drunken argument about "how many eggs a chicken can lay" escalated to gunfire.
  • Armstrong, dryly:
    “I think if I’m sober and arguing bitterly over the capacity of chickens to lay eggs, I’m probably going to keep it cool.” (04:09)
  • Joe Getty points out, “Arming yourself with a handgun when you’re under the influence is not a good idea ... never going to be a good outcome with that.” (03:34)
  • They joke about bringing AI like Grok into such arguments to settle debates with data (average hen: 250-300 eggs/year).

• Gold Discovery in France

  • A man discovers $800,000 in gold while installing a swimming pool; legal questions of "abandoned property law" are explored.
  • Armstrong describes the legal system as “complicated and convoluted,” noting his daughter’s interest as a law student.
  • Practical upshot: if gold isn’t archaeologically significant or stolen, you keep it.

2. [Money Matters: Credit Card Fees, Cash vs. Cards, and The Death of Change (05:20 - 10:55)]

• Visa/Mastercard Settlement: Impact On Pricing

  • The hosts analyze a decades-long antitrust lawsuit settlement that could allow merchants to set tiered credit card surcharges based on the card you use.
  • Armstrong highlights potential confusion:
    “You really wouldn’t know what you’re paying until you’re paying it.” (08:28)
  • Getty complains about checkout line slowdowns, joking about people “trying to trade in some shiny shells, little barter, little wampum.” (06:50)

• Should Change Be Abolished?

  • Getty floats the idea of stores rounding off prices, eliminating loose change.
  • Armstrong counters with social reality:
    “Poor people frequently don’t have credit cards and need to do transactions in cash and therefore we must have change.” (11:04)
  • Getty retorts, “At the convenience store, [people] usually have some sort of government card for the scratchers, vaping, and energy drink.” (11:13)

3. [Cultural & Gender Controversies: Trans Issues in Sports, Restrooms, and Prisons (11:55 - 24:53)]

• Olympics and Gender Restrictions

  • Discussion of the IOC planning to issue a ban on biological men in women’s sports, based on scientific studies showing permanent advantages.
  • Joe Getty, incredulous:
    “A new study...shows men have a permanent advantage even if they undergo the transitioning. I’ll be darned.” (18:51)
  • Armstrong mockingly:
    “It says here they’re bigger and stronger than women. I’ll be damned. Good thing they did that new study.” (18:51)

• Trans Rights in Public Spaces and Prisons

  • Story out of Georgia: police confront a trans woman in a women’s restroom, prompting debate about policies and terminology.
  • Armstrong points to absurdities and safety concerns—especially relating to women’s prisons, where biological men identifying as women have assaulted female inmates.
  • Quotes:
    • “She is a force of evil on earth.” – Armstrong, on Randy Weingarten’s new book (12:24)
    • “I thought this aspect of [abuses in prisons] would get taken care of with a lawsuit... But it hasn’t yet.” – Getty (22:15)
  • Notable moment:
    Discussion of lawsuits and policy delays, and the emotional toll on detransitioners, with Armstrong predicting “those lawsuits will come.” (22:30)

• High-Profile Criminal Cases

  • Judge requires Bureau of Prisons to provide sex change procedures to a convicted molester who transitioned after sentencing.
  • Discussion of a trans lawmaker in New Hampshire pleading guilty to child sex crimes.

4. [Society in Decline? Education, Standardized Testing, and Grade Inflation (32:05 - 40:50)]

• UC San Diego Study: Academic Preparedness Crisis

  • Startling statistics: entering freshmen’s ability to do basic math has plummeted—from just 1% needing remedial math in the early 2000s to 1 in 8 now.
  • Getty:
    “Shouldn’t it be higher than that? First grade?” (34:11)
  • Armstrong:
    “I knew high school diplomas were worthless and perfunctory... but I had not realized it was that bad.” (34:21)
  • Only 19% of incoming UCSD students proficient at 8th-grade math.
  • Blame assigned to pandemic disruptions, elimination of standardized testing, grade inflation, and DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) focus.

• Indictment of Higher Ed

  • Armstrong references a new book arguing that higher education needs not reform, but “receivership,” due to ideological capture and lack of genuine academic standards.
  • “The radical who hollowed out America’s universities can’t be trusted to restore their proper purpose.” (38:45)
  • The suggestion: the system is so broken only radical restructuring can fix it.

5. [Culture, Food, and Personal Stories (30:38 - 31:56; 48:19 - 49:50)]

• Sandwich Epiphanies

  • Lighthearted digression into regional sandwich names and the hosts’ aspirations to “branch out” from Subway to artisanal sandwiches.
  • Armstrong:
    “There are sandwich shops that are way more adventurous... and just interesting flavor combinations.” (31:19)

• Finding Classic TV vs. Cancel Culture

  • Armstrong discusses the difficulty in finding "Fawlty Towers" for streaming due to “politically inconsistent” content.
  • “You can’t find it... partly because it used some politically inconsistent incorrect terms.” (49:18)
  • Asks listeners for advice on finding the show.

6. [Veterans Day Reflections and In Memoriam (29:11; 45:32 - 48:12)]

• Tributes to Veterans

  • Multiple hosts express gratitude to those who have served.
    • “We love our veterans. We say the words too often left unsaid. Thank you for your service.” – Getty (29:11; 49:04)

• James Watson's Legacy

  • The death of the Nobel Prize co-discoverer of DNA’s double helix structure is highlighted.
  • Discussion includes his career-defining achievement at age 25 and the later tarnishing of his reputation due to racist remarks.
  • Getty remarks:
    “The lesson is, you might have had a really good life... but you could say something, write something really awful when you’re almost dead and that’s what people remember you for.” (49:04)

Notable Quotes

• “If I’m sober and arguing bitterly over the capacity of chickens to lay eggs, I’m probably going to keep it cool.”
  – Jack Armstrong, 04:09

• “You really wouldn’t know what you’re paying until you’re paying it.”
  – Jack Armstrong, on tiered credit card pricing, 08:28

• “Poor people frequently don’t have credit cards and need to do transactions in cash and therefore we must have change.”
  – Jack Armstrong, 11:04

• "A new study...shows men have a permanent advantage even if they undergo the transitioning. I’ll be darned."
  – Joe Getty, IOC and trans athletes, 18:51

• “I knew high school diplomas were worthless and perfunctory... but I had not realized it was that bad.”
  – Jack Armstrong, 34:21

• “The radicals who hollowed out America’s universities can’t be trusted to restore their proper purpose.”
  – Jack Armstrong, 38:45

• “We love our veterans. We say the words too often left unsaid. Thank you for your service.”
  – Joe Getty, 29:11

Key Timestamps

• 03:34 Bizarre news: chicken argument turns violent
• 05:20 Visa/Mastercard settlement & new card fees
• 08:08 Potential for tiered surcharges, confusion for consumers
• 10:27 Gold bars and law of abandoned property
• 11:55 Trans issues: sports, prisons, restrooms
• 18:51 IOC, scientific review on trans women in sports
• 22:15 Legal fallout for trans inmates in women’s prisons
• 24:05 Rulings on sex change procedures in prison
• 29:11 Veterans Day reflections
• 32:05 Decline in academic preparedness at University of California
• 34:11 Only 87% of UCSD frosh can do first-grade math
• 38:45 Higher ed needs ‘receivership, not reform’
• 45:32 James Watson’s death and legacy
• 48:19 “Final Thoughts” segment
• 49:04 Cancel culture and finding “Fawlty Towers”

Tone

Sarcastic, irreverent, and skeptical with moments of seriousness—typical of Armstrong & Getty's style. They blend biting critiques of institutions and politics with humor and personal anecdotes.

For New Listeners

This episode covers a sweeping range of news and cultural trends, anchored by the hosts' running commentary on how absurd or dysfunctional modern systems (finance, law, education, gender debates) have become. Their style is conversational, fast-moving, and punctuated by dark humor. Recurring themes include skepticism of social and academic trends, concern for declining standards, and a fondness for sandwiches and classic TV.

Further Listening

• Armstrong & Getty On Demand podcast archive for deep-dives into Education, Cultural Controversies, and Technology
• Related episode: “Campus Madness Update” for further education analysis