Armstrong & Getty On Demand — "We Need Some Slappin’"

Episode Date: August 18, 2025
Hosts: Jack Armstrong & Joe Getty
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of Armstrong & Getty centers on cultural and social changes in America—especially the evolving behaviors around college conformity, economic shifts due to tariffs, and decreasing American mobility. The hosts blend political and social commentary with their signature humor, moving from economic analysis to a deep dive on "preference falsification" on college campuses, finishing with discussion of a major political summit at the White House regarding the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

Major Discussion Points & Insights

1. Changing Back-to-School Supplies & Cultural Commentary

• Concerned Parents and Campus Dangers:
  • Opening with news that parents are now adding Narcan (overdose antidote) to college packing lists alongside condoms and Plan B.
  • Quote:

    "Condoms, Narcan, and Plan B. What Hunter Biden calls a value meal."
    — Jack Armstrong (03:23)

  • Commentary: Emphasizes concerns about drug safety in college, using dark humor to highlight a shifting culture.

2. Political Updates: Rubio & the White House Summit

• Marco Rubio’s Media Gauntlet:

  • Rubio appeared on several talk shows to address events from "Friday" (likely political or international developments).
  • Hosts remain skeptical about the optimistic interpretations of such political spin.
  • Quote:

    "I’d say I’ve been talked down from complete disaster to maybe 50/50."
    — Joe Getty (05:06)

• Historic European Leaders’ Summit at the White House:

  • An unprecedented gathering of European leaders (Macron, Starmer, Mertz, Italy’s Prime Minister) with Trump and Zelensky.

  • Importance: Never before in history have so many European leaders gathered at the White House simultaneously.

  • Key point: The private Trump–Zelensky meeting excludes European leaders, raising questions about diplomatic impact.

  • Quote:

    "All these different European leaders are going to arrive at the White House at noon today... This has just never ever happened before."
    — Joe Getty (47:10)

  • Hosts speculate whether the meeting results in progress on Ukraine or devolves into chaos, given the mix of personalities and unsolved issues.

3. Economic Shifts: Tariffs and “Stuck” America

• Tariffs & Inflation:

  • The hosts explain the mechanics of tariffs: while U.S. consumers haven’t yet seen major price hikes, producer prices are rising.
  • Companies are absorbing costs—for now—but this may not last, especially as inventories run out.
  • Quote:

    "Anybody tells you what the effect is going to be on consumers, doesn’t know what they’re talking about."
    — Jack Armstrong (07:38)

• Declining American Mobility:

  • Americans are moving, switching jobs, and chasing opportunity less than ever.
  • Anecdotes: Remembering when the U.S. was "world famous for mobility"—with moving day traditions and the idea that Americans go wherever opportunity is.
  • Stats:
    • 1950s–60s: ~20% of Americans moved each year
    • 2019: 9.8%
    • 2023: 7.8%—lowest since census records began in 1948
    • COVID-19 led to only a temporary surge in moving
  • Quote:

    "You got to go back to the 1910s and 20s to have those mass movings... In 2023, only 7.8% of Americans moved, the lowest rate logged since the U.S. census started records in 1948."
    — Jack Armstrong (10:05)

• Reasons for Staying Put:

  • Older population, dual-income households, unaffordable housing, and low locked-in mortgages.
  • Reflection on benefits of rootedness (family support networks) versus opportunity missed by staying put.

4. European Heat Wave and Climate “Energy Sobriety”

• France’s Heat Policy:
  • French government campaigns for “energy sobriety”—avoiding AC, using fans and limiting oven use, and setting AC no lower than 78°F, only in one room.
  • Armstrong and Getty contrast this with American attitudes, sharing stories about “thermostat shaming.”
  • Memorable Anecdote:
    Joe Getty recalls someone in his home raising his thermostat during a California energy crisis to “save the grid”—an act he found presumptuous and invasive.

    "Changing your thermostat—guy who reaches over and changes your radio in the car thinks that’s ballsy."
    — Jack Armstrong (13:58)

5. Main Segment: College Conformity, Preference Falsification, and Preference Cascades

Background:
A major share of the episode is devoted to discussing "preference falsification," referencing Glenn Harlan Reynolds’s column and a new study (Forrest Rom & Kevin Waldman, 2023-25) on ideological conformity in universities.

What Is Preference Falsification?

• Definition: People conceal their true views and pretend to adhere to dominant ideas due to fear of social/legal repercussions.
• Links to authoritarian practices, but now happening in democracies and especially on American campuses.

Key Findings from the Study

• 88% of students admitted pretending to hold more progressive views than they believed for social/academic success.
• 78% self-censor on gender identity topics; 72% on politics; 68% on family values.

• "88% said they pretended to hold more progressive views than they truly endorse to succeed socially or academically."
  — Jack Armstrong, quoting study (29:45)

• "Our college students are so much more conservative and sane than you think they are, partly because who gets amplified and applauded and publicized is the radical lefty lunatic front."
  — Jack Armstrong (34:40)

The Psychological Cost

• Students are becoming compartmentalized, emotionally fragile, and mistrustful—even with friends (73% report mistrust in value conversations).
• Authenticity is now a social liability; conformity is the safest path.
• Professors and administrations enforce orthodoxy via academic and social incentives/punishments.

Potential for a Preference Cascade

• If enough individuals realize they are not alone in their views, the culture could dramatically and suddenly shift—people become emboldened when they see others sharing their “secret” beliefs.

Standout Statistic

• 87% of students actually believe in binary gender, though only a tiny minority (7%) embrace the idea of “58 genders”—contrary to public campus perceptions.
• 77% disagree with biological sex being overridden by gender identity in sports/healthcare but are afraid to say so aloud.

Notable Quotes

• "It is identity regulation at scale. Inclusion that demands dishonesty is not ensuring psychological safety—it's sanctioning self-abandonment."
  — Jack Armstrong, summarizing study (36:10)

• "These monsters in their ivory towers... It's got to stop. End of screed."
  — Jack Armstrong (41:55)

6. Miscellaneous Topical Humor

• Gutfeld jab:

  "12% of Americans find Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad offensive. The other 88% are able to fit in jeans. Wow."
  — Jack Armstrong (28:45)

• Joking about moving and American “tough love”:

  "It’s better than your mom’s basement."
  — Jack Armstrong (09:21)

7. Foreign Policy Wrap-Up

• Ukraine/Russia Peace Prospects:
  • Armstrong lays out the cold reality of peace negotiations: both sides must compromise, even if unpalatable.
  • Quote:

    "In order for there to be an end of the war, there are things Russia wants that it cannot get and there are things Ukraine wants that it’s not going to get. Both sides are going to have to give up something."
    — Jack Armstrong (46:06)

Notable Quotes (By Timestamp)

• "Condoms, Narcan and Plan B. What Hunter Biden calls a value meal." — Jack Armstrong (03:23)
• "I’d say I’ve been talked down from complete disaster to maybe 50/50." — Joe Getty (05:06)
• "Anybody tells you what the effect is going to be on consumers, doesn’t know what they’re talking about." — Jack Armstrong (07:38)
• "88% said they pretended to hold more progressive views than they truly endorse to succeed socially or academically." — Jack Armstrong (29:45, quoting study)
• "Our college students are so much more conservative and sane than you think they are, partly because who gets amplified... is the radical lefty lunatic front." — Jack Armstrong (34:40)
• "It is identity regulation at scale. Inclusion that demands dishonesty is not ensuring psychological safety—it’s sanctioning self-abandonment." — Jack Armstrong (36:10)
• "These monsters in their ivory towers... It’s got to stop. End of screed." — Jack Armstrong (41:55)
• "All these different European leaders are going to arrive at the White House at noon today... This has just never ever happened before." — Joe Getty (47:10)
• "In order for there to be an end of the war... Both sides are going to have to give up something." — Jack Armstrong (46:06)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------| | 03:23 | Back-to-school safety concerns & satirical jab | | 04:27 | Political preview: Rubio, White House meetings| | 05:14 | Economic: Who pays tariffs & rising prices | | 06:12 | Economic: Corporate strategies & consumer impact| | 07:38 | Commentary: Tariffs — uncertainty for consumers| | 08:43 | American mobility is in decline | | 10:05 | Historical stats on declining moves | | 12:42 | French heatwave and climate "sobriety" | | 13:58 | Thermostat anecdote and "energy shaming" | | 19:46 | Bill Maher: party politics and guest shyness | | 21:24 | Midwestern moderate Democrat in Iowa | | 29:45 | “Preference falsification” — key study findings| | 34:40 | Conservative views hidden on campus | | 36:10 | Institutional “identity regulation” explained | | 41:55 | Armstrong’s final anti-conformity screed | | 46:06 | Ukraine/Russia: The hard reality of compromise | | 47:10 | White House summit logistics and significance |

Episode Tone and Format

• Tone: Conversational, irreverent, sometimes satirical but deeply engaged with current events and cultural shifts.
• Style: Back-and-forth, with quick transitions between news, anecdote, and commentary; willingness to rant and editorialize.

Quick Summary

• Cultural Shifts: Decline in American mobility, rising economic uncertainty, and concerns about safety and conformity in modern college life.
• Campus Conformity: New research shows most college students hide true beliefs, echoing the psychological costs of conformity—repressed authenticity, identity confusion, and societal self-censorship.
• Political Developments: Discussion about a never-before-seen European leaders' summit at the White House, and the limits of both Ukraine and Russia in forging peace.
• Memorable Moments: Humor about “value meal” college supply lists, Pennsylvania Dutch-style moving statistics, and a dramatic narrative on “preference falsification” backed by data.

For listeners who missed this episode:
The show blends serious societal analysis with laughs—including lessons on institutional psychological dynamics, American values past and present, and a heads-up on a crucial international meeting. A must-listen for those concerned about cultural shifts, higher education, and the intersection of politics and daily life.