Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Upper Class Twits Promoting A Revolution
Date: January 8, 2026
Host: iHeartPodcasts
Main Hosts: Jack Armstrong, Joe Getty
Producer/Contributor: Michael

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty dives into several hot-button cultural and political issues, centered on themes of internet radicalization, elite hypocrisy in leftist political movements, property and housing in America, developments in the culture war (especially regarding gender ideology), geopolitical tensions in East Asia, and the dangers posed by advances in AI-powered deep fakes. Throughout, the hosts approach these topics with their characteristic blend of sarcasm, skepticism, and punchy commentary.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Internet Radicalization & Recent Minneapolis Shooting

Segment Begins: [02:12]

• The show opens with analysis of a recent police shooting in Minneapolis involving a protestor who allegedly blocked traffic with her vehicle.
• The role of "LARPing" (Live Action Role Play) in modern protests and radical activism is raised. The hosts read from the account "Mimetic Sisyphus," which critiques how online radicalization pushes people to enact fantasy roles in the real world, with deadly consequences.

"It's easy to LARP as a revolutionary, as someone who stands against oppression... Then you convince yourself to do something really dumb like pull your car in front of police officers. They draw their guns and the LARP crumbles."
— Michael, quoting Mimetic Sisyphus [03:25]

• Armstrong and Getty discuss how peer groups and viral online praise reinforce reckless real-world behavior, recalling examples of online threats they've received that evaporate when cops get involved.

"They always back off. 'Oh, no, I didn’t mean that at all. It’s a joke.'...They’re playing a character. They don’t realize when you cross the line into the real world..."
— Jack Armstrong [05:51]

2. The Left's Elite Hypocrisy: "Upper Class Twits Promoting Revolution"

Segment Begins: [06:45]

• The episode title is explained as the focus turns to "upper class twits"—privileged young elites now spearheading radical leftist movements, notably in New York City politics.
• The hosts detail the elite backgrounds of recently appointed officials: Anna Barr, Julian Gerson, and Morris Katz—all educated at extremely expensive private schools.
• Mamdani, New York’s new mayor, is quoted from his inaugural address:

"We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism."
— Quoted from Mayor Mamdani’s speech [07:47]

• The hosts sarcastically point out the disconnect between radical anti-capitalist rhetoric and the privileged upbringings of those most loudly advocating it.

"So going forward, there shouldn’t be these super expensive high schools because nobody would have the money to send their kid there?"
— Jack Armstrong [11:18]

• They criticize the lack of intellectual consistency and accuse these figures of being "overgrown children who are dangerous to themselves and others." [12:01]

3. Housing, Capitalism, and Foreign Ownership

Segment Begins: [17:03]

• Hosts discuss an article about Trump’s proposal to ban large investors from buying single-family homes, tying into larger anxieties about housing affordability.
• Debates arise about free market orthodoxy vs. the negative community impact of foreign or corporate mass-purchasing of homes.

"Land is different than like a shirt. It just is."
— Jack Armstrong [18:59]

4. Wealth, Media Collapse, and Ghost Cities

Segment Begins: [19:01]

• There’s a brief tangent on Elon Musk's net worth (claiming $700+ billion, with disbelief), the closure of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, and the phenomenon of China’s ghost cities (65 million empty homes).

5. Gender Ideology, Parental Rights, and Legal Battles

Segment Begins: [23:29]

• Michael brings news of two cases:
  • A Maine mother petitioning the Supreme Court after school staff supported her child’s gender transition without parental consent.
  • A pending Supreme Court case about transgender athletes in West Virginia sports.
• They feature Dr. Miriam Grossman, who argues that "gender-affirming care" is legal fraud:

"When I examine gender affirming care and the history that led up to it, I see fraud and deceptive practice everywhere."
— Dr. Miriam Grossman [27:21]

• The infamous "John Money" experiment is recounted, reinforcing the hosts’ view that current gender medicine is rooted in failed and harmful science.

"The idea that this sort of thing is being called settled science or that there's a medical consensus is actually fraud according to the definition in the penal codes and somebody ought to enforce it."
— Michael [30:49]

6. Deep Fakes and the Dangers of AI

Segment Begins: [34:13]

• News item: Elon Musk’s Grok AI is being used to generate non-consensual sexual deepfakes at alarming rates.

"More than 50% of images generated by Grok between December 25 and January 1 were non consensual sexual images. Wow."
— Michael [34:37]

• The hosts lament the inevitability of deep fake abuse, especially among teens, with no effective way to police it.

"I think the only cure for it is that there's a picture of every other girl floating around too naked... So we're. Everybody is. Yeah."
— Jack Armstrong (sarcasm) [35:38]

7. Rising Tensions: China vs. Japan, Geopolitics in East Asia

Segment Begins: [35:49]

• Japan announces that it will treat a Chinese attack on Taiwan as an existential threat, prompting sharp words from Chinese diplomats.
• The hosts discuss cultural and historical animosities between China and Japan, referencing atrocities and the absurdity of lumping "Asians" together as a concept.
• They warn of the gravity of the situation, calling it “the most underreported story” and speculating on the real possibility of WWIII if the US is drawn in.

"Would we say no to helping Japan fight China and that? No. That's full on World War 3, isn't it?"
— Jack Armstrong [38:15]

8. Historical Lessons & The "Failure of Imagination"

Segment Begins: [39:07]

• Drawing from WWII history, they discuss how people’s inability to imagine world war often precedes catastrophic conflict.

"I think that's the right term, failure of imagination... You can't imagine that it would ever happen. Just like they couldn't imagine... in June of 1914."
— Jack Armstrong [39:46]

9. Closing Thoughts & Offbeat Nuggets

Segment Begins: [40:43]

• The team delivers final thoughts, ranging from shoe sizing confessions to Denmark’s colonial acquisition of Greenland (“just kind of happened because it was big and frozen” [41:44]).
• Jack teases a future tale about quitting alcohol.
• The episode ends with a mix of banter and playful sarcasm.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On online radical LARPing and tragic real-world consequences:
  “No one in this woman’s life told her she’s on a retarded, destructive larp... She needed someone to tell her to grow up. Instead, she had no one and now she's dead.” — (quoted Twitter thread) [04:50]
• Elite hypocrisy in leftist politics:
  "Trust fund socialist...surrounding himself with like minded elite who hate capitalism." — Michael [06:45]
• Hammering the generational divide on war:
  “Most people, especially younger people, just have a failure of imagination that this could actually occur. It has occurred multiple times... In fact, it is the norm.” — Jack Armstrong [39:44]
• Biting sarcasm on AI deepfakes:
  “The only cure for it is that there's a picture of every other girl floating around too naked... Everybody is.” — Jack Armstrong [35:38]
• On “Settled Science” in gender care:
  "The idea that this sort of thing is being called settled science or that there's a medical consensus is actually fraud according to the definition in the penal codes and somebody ought to enforce it." — Michael [30:49]
• Withering summary of elite progressives:
  "Overgrown children who are dangerous to themselves and others." — Michael [12:01]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• "LARPing" & Modern Protest Radicalization: [02:12–06:45]
• Privileged Elites and Left Revolutionaries: [06:45–12:11]
• Housing Market & Foreign Ownership: [17:03–19:01]
• Gender Ideology Legal Wars: [23:29–31:09]
• AI Deepfakes & Grok: [34:13–35:47]
• China/Japan/Taiwan Tensions: [35:49–39:12]
• Final Thoughts – History & Miscellany: [40:43–42:14]

Conclusion

This episode knits together the dangers of online-driven activism, ongoing culture war flashpoints, and looming global conflicts, using biting humor and skepticism to highlight inconsistencies and alarming trends. Listeners are left with a sense of the cultural and political moment’s volatility, and the enduring Armstrong & Getty message: be wary of groupthink, take historical lessons seriously, and brace for the unexpected.