Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode: Would You Like Some High Heels With That?
Date: December 1, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of the Armstrong & Getty Show blends holiday retail mania with wry social commentary, jumping from Black Friday/Cyber Monday skepticism to bigger-picture economic anxieties, the state of political discourse, and the pitfalls of internet-driven rage culture. Hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty riff on everything from overstuffed restaurant portions and U.S. debt, to personal family stories and societal divisions—all in their trademark unscripted, irreverent style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Phony Retail Traditions

• Origin Stories & Skepticism

  • Jack and Joe ridicule the supposed origins of Black Friday and Cyber Monday as mostly marketing inventions (“We have long mocked Black Friday and Cyber Monday as completely made up things” — Jack, 03:17).
  • Joe breaks down how Cyber Monday started because “people used their office internet to shop” when home connections were slow, but now it’s obsolete (“It has been stupid ever since because people can shop wherever they want…” — Joe, 06:12).

• Consumer Spending & Economic Confidence

  • Despite reports of record online sales, both hosts are dubious:
    • “Most people are going to spend X amount…You got to wait till the total numbers come in” (Jack, 04:03).
    • Joe notices “much more caution in the air than extravagance” regarding consumer spending (07:57).
  • Rising prices are a recurring pain point (Jack: “I was constantly shocked when we would stop to eat or gas…” 07:29).

2. Political Tangents & Marjorie Taylor Greene Resignation

• Jack and Joe dissect Marjorie Taylor Greene’s resignation rumors, with tongue-in-cheek speculation about political burnout or chasing lucrative offers outside of office.

• “Most of these people when they’re run out of office…go off to a job that pays way better and their life is much easier,” — Jack, 11:38.

• Brief pivot to criticism of Jasmine Crockett, characterized by Joe as a “crock herself and a con woman…” (12:01).

3. World Affairs & Putin, Ukraine, Travel Woes

• Trump’s saber-rattling with Venezuela is flagged (“That whole story, that’s spicy,” — Joe, 13:02).
• Russia/Ukraine “peace talks” and ongoing conflict (“Bombed the hell out of Ukraine last night…you can do with your peace negotiations that, you know, middle finger to that.” — Jack, 13:04).
• Jack rants about dysfunctional airline tarmac delays, quipping about calling the police for being “held hostage” on the plane (13:19).

4. American Portion Sizes and Restaurant Culture

• Humorous reflections on why U.S. restaurants serve gargantuan portions.

  • “Why they bring you three times as much food as you need or want to eat?” (Jack, 17:56).
  • Joe supposes it's about perceived value for minimal cost: “You create the perception of value…” (Joe, 18:32).

• The hosts joke about leftover culture and failed intentions to eat take-home food (“Percentage of food you take home from a restaurant ever gets eaten. Fairly low.” — Jack, 20:17).

5. Economic Anxiety & the ‘Trilemma’

• Discussion of consumer pessimism leading into the holidays, referencing negative poll numbers and economic “trilemma”:

  • Bond market skepticism, national debt, and public unwillingness to face fiscal realities.
  • “The voters…want enormous welfare services and low taxes, which is absolutely idiotically unsustainable.” — Joe, 30:38.
  • Elon Musk is cited: “He said…he’s out of the whole trying to fix the country game…people just don’t want to deal with reality.” — Jack, 30:38.

• Warning: The next president may face a “political bloodbath” as Social Security funding runs dry (32:52).

6. The Rage-Bait Economy & Social Media Outrage

• Word of the Year: “Rage bait” (Oxford University Press).

• Dissection of outrage over Erin Andrews’ comments about missed holidays due to sports reporting.

  • The hosts lampoon social media personalities for creating faux controversy:
    • “Any journalism about internet arguments is not journalism. It's crap.” — Joe, 42:22.
    • “Those people should be drummed out of journalism.” — Jack, 42:22.
  • Joe’s rant about moral posturing: “You people are pathetic. Your need to be morally superior is so bad you actually go with a criticism that bad.” (45:03)

• The hosts advocate for living real, offline lives:

  • “Make your life your life. The people you actually see and talk to and deal with, interact with, do business with, play sports with. Not everybody online. That’s not your life.” — Joe, 45:19.

7. Lighter Moments & Family Anecdotes

• Ongoing family ribbing over Jack’s coffee habits (“Do you need some high heels with that also?” — Jack, 40:04).

• Joe shares a warm story of multi-generational golf at his father’s 85th birthday (“Evidently that continues till the end of your life. Golf is really annoying…” — Joe, 41:30).

• Soap shortage in the office bathroom is mocked as a symbol of bureaucratic incompetence (“Scratch a hash mark in the wall like it’s a prison.”— Joe, 27:52).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“We have long mocked Black Friday and Cyber Monday as completely made up things… The idea of contriving a day to try to boost commerce is not new.”
— Jack Armstrong (03:17)

“[Cyber Monday] has been stupid ever since because people can shop wherever they want, whenever they want with their little supercomputer, AKA cell phone.”
— Joe Getty (06:12)

“Most people are going to spend X amount… you got to wait till the total numbers come in to decide whether or not it’s been a good season.”
— Jack Armstrong (04:03)

“There’s much more caution in the air than extravagance. I mean, it’s not even close.”
— Joe Getty (07:57)

“Most of these people when they’re… run out of office…and embarrassed, they go off to a job that pays way better and their life is much easier.”
— Jack Armstrong (11:38)

“[On restaurant portions:] My niece… pancakes that were like, the size of a manhole cover, and there were two of them. Who’s that for? The whole table? …That cost literally 2 cents, right?”
— Jack Armstrong (19:31)

“The voters…want enormous welfare services and low taxes, which is absolutely idiotically unsustainable.”
— Joe Getty (30:38)

“People just don’t want to deal with reality. And [Elon’s] 100% right… wow, people are just going to pretend this isn’t a problem.”
— Jack Armstrong (30:38)

“[Social Security] trust fund will be broke in 2033… You want to talk about a political bloodbath and a reckoning with reality. If we still have it in us, that’s going to be it.”
— Joe Getty (32:52)

“Any journalism about internet arguments is not journalism. It’s crap.”
— Joe Getty (42:22)

“Your need to be morally superior to somebody is so bad… You people are pathetic.”
— Joe Getty (45:03)

“The internet did not like this person’s version of the national anthem. And they’ll pick two random quotes from people and build a story around it. We gotta stop doing that.”
— Jack Armstrong (46:40)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Black Friday/Cyber Monday Skepticism: 03:17 – 06:45
• Economic Anxiety & Holiday Spending: 07:38 – 08:22, 22:50 – 23:36
• Political Speculation/Marjorie Taylor Greene: 09:55 – 11:38
• Social Media Outrage/Rage Baiting: 36:16 – 47:55
• Restaurant Portions & Food Culture: 17:56 – 22:25
• Economic Trilemma & National Debt: 29:59 – 33:15
• Family Anecdotes/Coffee Riffing: 40:00 – 41:45
• Bureaucracy/Soap Shortage: 27:42 – 28:27

Tone and Language

The discussion is conversational, sardonic, and self-aware—mixing pop culture, politics, and personal confession in a way that both lampoons and empathizes with ordinary frustrations. Jack and Joe shift seamlessly between serious analysis and laugh-out-loud banter, challenging both the assumptions behind American consumerism and the absurdities of the outrage-driven media ecosystem.

Recurring Themes

• Skepticism of Media and Manufactured Traditions
• Disillusionment with Political and Social Trends
• Emphasis on Personal Responsibility and Real-Life Connections
• Mockery of Virtue Signaling in Social Media Outrage
• The Absurdity and Bloat of Modern American Life

For listeners or readers seeking an unfiltered, funny-yet-serious lens on the week’s big cultural and economic stories—with refreshing candor—this episode delivers classic Armstrong & Getty.