Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "What Is An Uncontrolled Ass?"

Host: iHeartPodcasts
Episode Date: August 22, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode, titled "What Is An Uncontrolled Ass?," sees hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, joined by Katie Green, engaging in their trademark irreverent banter as they dissect media narratives, sensational news coverage, social trends, and day-to-day absurdities. The show’s main themes include a critique of both mainstream and cable news cycles, a discussion on political retribution and government investigations (notably, the FBI raid on John Bolton), cultural commentary on online advertising (with a humorous focus on shapewear), and the pitfalls of fleeting fame. They sprinkle in personal anecdotes, tease weekend plans, and keep their tone light and sarcastic, even when dealing with heavier news topics.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Media’s Sensationalism and Content Inflation

• News Cycle Critique:
  • The hosts question the constant need for media to fill time, arguing that truly important news could be covered in just minutes daily.
    • [03:16] Jack Armstrong: “James Lindsay...calculated that you only need about 10 minutes to take in everything you need to know every day.”
  • They lampoon the repetitive nature of cable news, where stories are endlessly recycled for the sake of content length, not substance.
  • Hyperbolic discourse (“Calling everyone Nazis”) is criticized for desensitizing audiences and inflaming tensions.
    • [05:19] Jack Armstrong: “The first thing I hear is a guy saying, it started with, and these are the kind of people who would put you in a cattle car and take you to the gas chamber...This is a little hot to start my Friday.”
    • [04:33] Joe Getty jokes about actual Nazis in hell thinking, “you’re really overplaying that hand.”

2. Political News: Lawfare & the John Bolton Raid

• FBI Raid on John Bolton's Home:
  • The segment opens with speculation about whether the raid on Bolton, ex-Trump national security advisor, is legitimate or political retribution (“lawfare”)—raising concerns about tit-for-tat politics.
    • [01:04] Joe Getty: “The FBI has raided his home, part of an investigation into handling of classified records...Is this law fair, Jack?”
  • The hosts debate whether this is retaliation for Bolton's criticism of Trump or a genuine security concern.
    • [13:01] Joe Getty: “That was honestly my initial reaction...I was intrigued to see that Matt Taibbi, whose jihad is exposing how the intelligence services have become perverse and politicized. He says he thinks it’s about the big Russiagate thing.”
    • [22:23] Joe Getty: “Question number one is, is it lawfare?...But the number one question is, is it lawfare or is it something more legitimate?”
    • [26:10] Joe Getty: “He seems to think that this is all part of the Trump administration’s being serious about calling out our intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies for, quote, unquote, weaponizing government during the Russiagate thing.”
  • They acknowledge the difficulty in discerning the real motives behind such government actions and express concern about the “race to the bottom” in politicized prosecutions.
    • [26:18] Jack Armstrong: “I couldn’t be more against it. And the whole...I’m not into the whole race to the bottom thing.”

3. Media Marketing Absurdities & "Ass Control Pants"

• Ad Choices Targeting and the Etymology of “Uncontrolled Ass”:**
  • Joe humorously laments being targeted by shapewear ads, leading to an extended riff about “ass control pants” versus “uncontrolled asses.”
    • [06:29] Jack Armstrong: “What is an uncontrolled ass? What are we controlling?”
    • [07:34] Joe Getty: “No, it’s not Depends. It’s like Spanx. It’s shapewear. Oh, that’s what you’re supposed to call it.”
  • The segment riffs on online privacy and the uncanny targeting of digital ads.
    • [06:53] Joe Getty: “I am the only homo sapien who ever uses this MacBook. And I can’t imagine why...they are trying to sell me control garments for women.”
  • Katie Green confirms that such products exist for men, prompting more self-deprecating jokes.
    • [08:34] Katie Green: “They do make them for men. Okay, well, I’ll be wearing those on Monday.”

4. The Villanova Hoax Shooting and Media’s Panic Induction

• Media Hysteria Around Hoaxes:
  • Katie Green reports on a hoax active shooter at Villanova University, which major networks led with dramatically, despite knowing it was a false alarm.
    • [09:15] Katie Green: “Reports of an active shooter at Villanova University outside Philadelphia...SWAT team moving in...the school warning students to shelter in place.”
    • [09:53] Jack Armstrong: “Yeah, I don’t think that ranks as a lead story, but...they’re stretching things beyond their interest level to try to fill the time they have to fill.”
  • Joe criticizes the prioritization of panic-inducing, “bloodbath” headlines to retain fleeting viewership.
    • [10:10] Joe Getty: “They’re willing to do whatever it takes to get you to stay tuned for another 30 seconds. But you can only prostitute your credibility so often before it goes away.”

5. Light-Hearted Interludes & Personal Updates

• The hosts discuss weekend plans—sailing lessons (in 104-degree heat), overseas vacations, and poking fun at themselves for forgetting show segments.
• Armstrong teases Joe about “getting swole” for London and the effects of steroids interfering with sleep.

6. Broader Cultural Trends in Headlines & Social Commentary

• Current Events Roundup with Katie Green:
  • Quick-fire headlines touch on topics like electric school buses failing, the federal workforce shrinking, young men moving rightward politically, doom-mongering about AI, and even the Babylon Bee’s satirical take on introverts.
    • [16:12] Joe Getty: Mocking over-politicized dating: “Enjoy being lonely.”
    • [16:30] Katie Green: Babylon Bee: “Introvert bites down on cyanide capsule as waiters start singing Happy Birthday to him.”

7. Fleeting Celebrity & the “One Hit Wonder” Crisis

• Lil Nas X Spotted in Underwear and Cowboy Boots:
  • The hosts riff on the dangers of sudden fame, suggesting there should be some fund or foundation to help viral stars transition back to normalcy.
    • [28:13] Jack Armstrong: “There should be a...fund of some sort...to help out people who are briefly famous.”
    • [28:46] Joe Getty: “More like an educational foundation...like FEMA. They’d rush in: ‘Look—your income stream is going to disappear in two to five weeks.’”

8. Listener Engagement & Mailbag

• The mailbag features listener questions on dating preferences, the naming of government programs, male cheerleaders, and even vestibule panic products—keeping the tone irreverent with quick jokes and recurring segments.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [03:16] Jack Armstrong: “James Lindsay...calculated that you only need about 10 minutes to take in everything you need to know every day.”
• [04:33] Joe Getty: “I wonder if in the deepest pits of hell the actual Nazis are thinking, ‘you’re really overplaying that hand.’”
• [06:29] Jack Armstrong: “What is an uncontrolled ass? What are we controlling?”
• [07:34] Joe Getty: “No, it’s not Depends. It’s like Spanx. It’s shapewear. Oh, that’s what you’re supposed to call it.”
• [09:15] Katie Green: “Reports of an active shooter at Villanova University outside Philadelphia...SWAT team moving in the school warning students to shelter in place.”
• [10:10] Joe Getty: “But you can only prostitute your credibility so often before it goes away.”
• [13:01] Joe Getty: “That was honestly my initial reaction...Matt Taibbi says he thinks it’s about the big Russiagate thing.”
• [26:10] Joe Getty: “He seems to think that this is all part of the Trump administration’s being serious about calling out our intelligence agencies and law enforcement agencies for, quote, unquote, weaponizing government during the Russiagate thing.”
• [28:13] Jack Armstrong: “There should be a...fund of some sort...to help out people who are briefly famous.”
• [30:04] Joe Getty: “People who are not capable of boarding by group number do not deserve the right to vote.”

Important Timestamps

• [03:16] — 10-minute news theory and media repetition critique.
• [04:33] — Overusing Nazi analogies in media.
• [06:29 - 08:37] — Extended riff on "ass control pants"/shapewear ads.
• [09:15 - 10:29] — Villanova hoax shooting story and media sensationalism.
• [12:42] — Katie Green’s headline rundown.
• [21:07 - 26:10] — Detailed debate about John Bolton, FBI raid, lawfare.
• [28:13] — The “fame fallout” fund bit (Lil Nas X example).
• [30:04] — Irreverent freedom-loving quote and airline boarding rant.
• [31:09] — Explaining “shreking” in dating culture.
• [34:14] — On male cheerleaders and culture wars.

Conclusion

With their trademark blend of cynicism, humor, and skepticism, Armstrong & Getty deconstruct the absurdities of modern media, politics, and culture while volleying jokes and offering candid takes on everything from government overreach to male shapewear ads. Episode "What Is An Uncontrolled Ass?" is a quintessential installment—equal parts media lampoon, culture commentary, and offbeat news roundup, delivered in a conversational, sharply satirical style accessible to both new and longtime listeners.