Episodes

4d ago

When Samantha Fulnecky filed a religious discrimination complaint against her university after failing an essay assignment in which she only referenced the Bible, she was on a path to victory. Sure, the essay was a grammatical disaster and completely incoherent — not to mention offensive towards both her classmates and professors. Sure, the failing grade was deserved. But in the age of right-wing culture war domination, Samantha was poised to become a star. Her January 6th-loving mother, Turning Point USA (and their recent influx of cash), and the Oklahoma House of Representatives all threw their full weight behind her. Despite all this, Samantha Fulnecky became the last great joke of 2025. Today, Kat Tenbarge, Parker Molloy and I examine why she failed the grift (and the essay). Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get smarter about yours (and others!) news media consumption with Ground News at https://www.ground.news/fruity Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Subscribe to Kat Tenbarge’s work at Spitfire News . Follow Kat Tenbarge on Bluesky . Subscribe to Parker Molloy’s newsletter . Follow Parker Molloy on Bluesky . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 28

On the afternoon Charlie Kirk died, Jeffree Star livestreamed a four-minute-long rant about how nonbinary people aren’t real. Star, with his pink hair, diamond nails, and prior openness to using “any pronouns,” doesn’t necessarily fit in with Turning Point USA’s target demographic. Or does he? In this long-awaited and much-requested episode, veteran YouTuber Kat Blaque and former full-time Jeffree Star reporter Kat Tenbarge guide us through the tragic, racist, celebrity-filled history of the Internet’s most prolific makeup mogul. Despite many changes in circumstance — just like Gwen Stefani, he’ll always be an Orange County girl. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get smarter about yours (and others!) news media consumption with Ground News at https://www.ground.news/fruity Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off Subscribe to Kat Blaque on YouTube . Follow Kat Blaque on Instagram . Subscribe to Kat Tenbarge’s work . Follow Kat Tenbarge on Bluesky . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 15

There is no bigger danger to Jews, apparently, than New York City’s Mayor-Elect, Zohran Mamdani. The morning after he was elected, the ADL announced the launch of the “Mamdani Monitor” to track antisemitism within Zohran’s administration. Debra Messing posted 91 Instagram stories in a single day about how she fears for her life as a Jew — not because of the rise of antisemitism within the MAGA movement or the mainstreaming of neo-nazi Nick Fuentes, but because of Zohran Mamdani, a man who is not antisemitic. This week, Matt Lieb (of Bad Hasbara) and Simone Zimmerman (of Israelism) help me navigate a literal industry — and ethnostate — propped up not only by fearmongering about antisemitism, but also by intentionally creating it. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity Listen to Matt Lieb on Bad Hasbara . Follow Matt Lieb on Twitter . Listen to Simone on Beyond Israelism . Follow Simone on Instagram . Read the Jewish Currents audit of the ADL’s 2023 antisemitism statistics . Read the Jewish Currents audit of the ADL’s 2024 antisemitism statistics . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 31

Jennifer Welch, a 51-year-old Texan turned Oklahoman, is radicalizing America one wine mom at a time. The southern podcaster (who might finally be our “Joe Rogan of the Left”) has become an unlikely, fierce critic of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the corrupt Democratic establishment, and unregulated capitalism, which she says “brought us Trump” (I agree). This week, Jennifer and I cross a generational divide to discuss Israel’s erosion of the Democratic Party, Ezra Klein’s idiotic centrist plea for more anti-abortion Democrats, and how to sell democratic socialism to the masses. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off . Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Listen to Jennifer on I’ve Had It . Follow Jennifer on Instagram . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 17

Bill Maher is, allegedly, the last sane voice on the left. But he doesn’t believe in the rights of transgender people, or of Palestinians. He thinks college campuses are hotbeds of liberal indoctrinarian that have gotten “out of control.” Come to think of it, he hasn’t really advocated for any left-wing position in recent memory. An advocate for breaking out of echo chambers, Bill speaks almost exclusively to right-wing activists, and never to the minorities he bashes. He claims to know what Democrats should do if they want to win, but hates the ones who are actually winning. Three decades into his TV career and lost in the delusions that often come with a nine-digit net worth, Bill Maher has never been so useless. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get smarter about yours (and others!) news media consumption with Ground News at https://www.ground.news/fruity Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity Listen to Francesca on The Bituation Room . Follow Francesca on Twitter . Listen to Will on I Hate Bill Maher . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3

For the last two decades, Debra Messing — the star of early 2000’s hit Will & Grace — has been something of a liberal Hollywood icon, courting an adoring gay audience and getting into public feuds with Donald Trump. More recently, she’s become the face of Liberal Zionism, an ideology which believes in human rights in the US while supporting Israel’s flagrant violation of them in Gaza. Sound confusing? The contradictions inherent to Liberal Zionism are too big for anyone to hold onto — even, it turns out, the winner of a GLAAD award. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Join the fight to get religion OUT of public schools at www.ffrf.us/school or text FREEDOM to 511511. Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Listen to Emma on The Majority Report. Follow Emma on Twitter . Listen to Matt Lieb on Bad Hasbara . Follow Matt Lieb on Twitter. Find me on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/ Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 19

The day after Charlie Kirk was murdered, Ezra Klein published an essay in the New York Times: “Charlie Kirk Practiced Politics The Right Way.” Klein’s piece was one of countless teary-eyed eulogies from across the spectrum of political media, and this first draft of Charlie Kirk’s legacy is now being used by the U.S. government to crack down on free speech in unprecedented ways. But let’s be clear: the way Charlie Kirk died does not change the way he lived. He did not “practice politics the right way,” and his “debates” were nothing more than manufactured social media bait to radicalize young people into becoming foot soldiers for an authoritarian regime. The people most affected by Charlie Kirk’s politics do not work at the New York Times, but they deserve a say in his legacy, too. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off Subscribe to Kat’s work at Spitfire News . Subscribe to Taylor on YouTube . Subscribe to Karen Attiah, the journalist fired from the Washington Post because she quoted Charlie Kirk’s own words, on Substack . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 5

Dr. Phil has a new hobby: ICE raids. The daytime television fixture bewildered fans when he began touring with the Trump campaign last year, ending his decades-long streak as a seemingly apolitical celebrity. Like so many 2000s stars, Dr. Phil has found a career revival in right-wing media, advocating for everything from deportations to zionism. But what could explain such a radical shift from the man who spent decades trying to bring families together? In this episode, the inimitable Aubrey Gordon and I take a journey through the 2000s, encountering a motley crew including Oprah, Bhad Bhabie, and Benjamin Netanyahu along the way. Come to find out, the Dr. Phil we know now is the Dr. Phil we knew all along. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Sleep and dream well! Visit https://helixsleep.com/fruity to take advantage of their Extended Labor Day Sale exclusive partner offer — that’s 27% off sitewide. Get smarter about yours (and others!) news media consumption with Ground News at https://www.ground.news/fruity Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Listen to Aubrey’s podcast, Maintenance Phase . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 23

Sydney Sweeney is Hollywood’s most-discussed starlet, often for confusing reasons. Her existence as a visible woman with a human body made her the target of widespread male adoration, ridicule, and political projection. How she navigates being the new Miss American Dream is yielding increasingly bizarre results — what’s the deal with her eugenics, I mean genetics? And the bathwater? In this much-requested episode, Taylor, Kat and I examine the 27-year-old’s relationship to wokeness (just kill me already), the line between sex work and whatever’s happening in her brand endorsements, and the right-wing media’s penchant for manufacturing hysteria. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Join the fight to get religion OUT of public schools at ffrf.us/school or text FREEDOM to 511511. Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off Read more of Kat’s work at her newsletter, Spitfire News . Listen to Taylor’s podcast, Power User . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 6

Yona Roseman is 19. In two weeks, the Israeli government is imprisoning her for refusing to join Israel's military, for which service is required by all Israeli Jewish teenagers. Because she is transgender, Yona anticipates she’ll be kept in solitary confinement for 22 hours per day. She’s been brutalized by cops who hurl slurs at her despite Israel’s alleged status as a safe haven for LGBTQ people. Ahead of her imprisonment, Yona joins us to talk about the reality of Israel’s treatment of queer people, the way Israel intentionally endangers LGBTQ Palestinians, and why prison and expulsion from mainstream society are prices she’s willing to pay. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Send letters to imprisoned refusers: https://linktr.ee/Meaarvot Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 25

Jojo Siwa has been a lot of things: an eleven-year-old abused on television for public entertainment, a tween merchandising mogul with a billion dollar brand, Nickelodeon’s first out gay child star, and most recently, a dollar store trad wife. Behind the facade of endlessly shapeshifting court jester, though, Jojo Siwa is a 22-year-old human who has not known life without cameras and a momager since she was nine. Today, Kat Tenbarge and I do some good ole (queer) child star anthropology — and make the case that we, the viewers, are not morally neutral for tuning in. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Read Kat’s work at Spitfire News . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 12

On the twilight of Pride Month, the New York Times published (and sent out a push notification for) a guest essay titled “How the Gay Rights Movement Radicalized and Lost Its Way” by a gay journalist named Andrew Sullivan. If you thought I could resist this A Bit Fruity bait, you’d be wrong. Today, Chase Strangio — who recently made history as the first trans lawyer to argue in front of the Supreme Court in US v. Skrmetti — helps us parse out some genuinely difficult questions. What is the right way to ask people in power for your rights? Has the gay movement gone too far? What is the point of the New York Times? Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get smarter about your (and your dad’s!) news media consumption with Ground News at https://www.ground.news/fruity Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at https://www.nordvpn.com/fruity Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 27

From granola fascism to the manosphere, much gets said of the various right-wing pipelines people have gone down in the years since lockdown. One such pipeline remains more mysterious. When you think of conversion therapy, do you imagine a doctor administering shocks to a gay man strapped to a chair? A queer child sent to conversion camp against their will? What if a queer adult goes to ex-gay camp of their own volition? What if someone's conversion therapy is simply a playlist of ex-gay testimonial videos on YouTube — what can laws do to prevent kids and adults from watching them? Today, Kat Tenbarge and I examine ex-queer case studies, from beloved YouTuber Lohanthony to detransitioners, and try to understand what “conversion therapy” means in 2025. It’s understood that more people will come out as a society becomes friendlier to queerness — but can that pattern also work in reverse? Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Subscribe to Kat’s work at Spitfire News . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 13

Last week, world-class athlete Simone Biles stood up to failed-athlete-turned-crybully Riley Gaines when Riley antagonized a transgender child to her 1.5 million Twitter followers. A harassment campaign, which has become a standard (and winning!) online strategy for online right, ensued against Simone. The comments flooded in, eviscerating the gymnast (and her sponsors) — “So you want my daughter to compete against boys?” “How many medals would YOU have if you competed against MEN?” And perhaps most jarring, “I guess you want other little girls to get abused the way you did.” Things flew off the handle and became severely detached from reality, as they so often do in these campaigns. Facing endless harassment, Simone apologized, and Riley has been taking a Fox News victory lap ever since. Today, Natalie Wynn (a.k.a. Contrapoints) returns to the show as we explore the anatomy of a moral panic, the harassment campaigns which fuel them, and why you cannot compromise with a fascist. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Subscribe to Natalie on YouTube . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 30

“From the river to the sea” is antisemitic. “Free Palestine” is antisemitic. Children’s YouTuber Ms. Rachel raising money for child amputees is antisemitic. ICE is kidnapping college students for antisemitism. Trump is dismantling higher education because of antisemitism. As a Jew, I’m… confused. And uncomfortable. Today, we examine the validity of The Antisemitism Panic, the dark underbelly of it, and the people pulling the strings to make it happen. Hint: they aren’t Jewish. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni: https://incogni.com/fruity Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Listen to Matt Lieb’s podcat, Bad Hasbara . Follow Matt Lieb on Twitter . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 16

In today’s special episode, we’re taking a break from political and cultural analysis to chat with someone who’s been at the center of today’s culture wars but rarely in her own voice: Vivian Jenna Wilson, Elon Musk’s 21-year-old estranged trans daughter. She tells us about her decision to take back her voice after years of being spoken for by an unsupportive father, dealing with lunatics online, and putting Jordan Peterson in his place. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Find Vivian Wilson on Instagram . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 3

Last week, the New York Times reported: “White House Assesses Ways to Persuade Women to Have More Children”. But who exactly is behind this push, and why, and what does it have to do with Elon Musk’s breeding compulsion? The answer is that “pronatalism”, a far-right movement that looks and smells a lot like a eugenics cult (despite what its leaders say), has entered the White House. Today, Emma Vigeland of The Majority Report and Moira Donegan of In Bed With the Right help explain how a particularly creepy strain of doomsday misogyny found itself at the center of the Republican party. COME SEE A BIT FRUITY LIVE! Tickets are on sale here . Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at https://www.nordvpn.com/fruity . Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Find me on Instagram . Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 18

When fitness influencer Ashton Hall’s absurd morning routine went viral a few weeks ago, I was… moved. The hours-long skincare, gym, and journaling ritual felt like an American Psycho-inspired metrosexual fever dream — one peppered with shocking misogyny and profound loneliness. Hall’s viral moment felt like a tipping in point in “alpha male” influencer culture, or the content ecosystem of men teaching boys what it means to be men. The further down the rabbit hole I went, the weirder it got — and between scammy financial incentives and an authoritarian take on gender, I began to understand why so many of these influencers are Trump supporters, and how they’re teaching their viewers to follow suit. Most disturbing is the message that underpins almost all alpha male content: a life well-lived is one lived alone. COME SEE A BIT FRUITY LIVE! Tickets are on sale here . Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Subscribe to Ryan Broderick’s newsletter, Garbage Day . Follow Ryan on Bluesky . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 4

What does “gender ideology” have in common with ISIS? Well, they are both… things, arguably. As more people become aware of opportunities to commodify their trauma into anti-trans right-wing media bait, the race for those opportunities is getting more competitive, and the results are… fascinating. Today, veteran trans YouTuber Kat Blaque and I interrogate the right’s shiniest new detransitioner, Maia Poet — an ex-trans October 7th survivor, kind of. In doing so, we take a closer look at what detransition means and looks like, and the right’s ultimate goal in selling “stories” like Maia’s. COME SEE A BIT FRUITY LIVE! Tickets are on sale here . Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni ! Subscribe to Kat Blaque on YouTube . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 21

When Gwen Stefani made a tacit endorsement of Tucker Carlson earlier this month, I felt like somebody had knocked the wind out of me. Had the iconic 90’s ain’t-no-hollaback girl made a not-so-sweet escape to the dark side? Dizzy and disturbed, I set out to journey Gwen’s path from early aughts punk rock princess to… spokeswoman for a conservative billionaire’s anti-abortion prayer app. I learned a lot about how she’s changed — and perhaps more importantly, how she hasn’t. COME SEE A BIT FRUITY LIVE! Tickets are on sale here . Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/factorpodcast . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Subscribe to Kat's journalism at Spitfire News . Subscribe to Taylor's journalism at User Mag . Listen to Taylor’s podcast on YouTube . Essays mentioned: The New Gwen Stefani Is A Lot Like The Old One by Anne Helen Petersen Gwenihana by Mihi Ahn Harajuku Girls by Margaret Cho Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 7

To the mainstream news, she’s the mother of three of Elon Musk’s children. To a certain type of extremely online Tumblr user in the year 2012, she once approximated God. Today, we take a challenging look at the strange tapestry of Grimes’s life and unearth stories about the Internet era that shaped millennials, pipelines to right-wing radicalization, and domestic abuse as a public spectacle. COME SEE A BIT FRUITY LIVE! Tickets are on sale here . :-) Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off . Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Subscribe to Taylor's journalism at User Mag . Subscribe to Kat's journalism at Spitfire News . Subscribe to Taylor's YouTube channel ! Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 21

Elon Musk just (allegedly) had his thirteenth child with a fourth woman — a 26-year-old “conservative” influencer named Ashley St. Clair. In a past version of the “traditional family values” party, this might’ve been a career-ending event. Today, it hardly generates coverage. In this episode, Moira Donegan and Adrian Daub (of In Bed With The Right ) help me make sense of the right’s impossibly contradictory code of sexuality: is MAGA the movement of the hot, virile new youth, or is it the movement attempting to ban contraception and abortion? Are women supposed to spit on that thang or dress modestly? And what does Elon’s public humiliation of Ashley St. Clair reveal about a woman’s place in the New Right? Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to today's sponsors! Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at https://www.nordvpn.com/fruity . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 7

Quiet luxury. Clean girl. Old money. Trad living. Kylie Jenner’s pivot from Black culture vulture to glass skin pilates princess. College youth dressed like polyester Shein replicas of Reagan-era prepsters. Something’s happened, and I’m uncomfortable. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off . Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . SUBSCRIBE TO KAT'S NEWSLETTER ! SUBSCRIBE TO TAYLOR'S NEWSLETTER ! Listen to Taylor's podcast, Power User . Follow me on Instagram . Follow A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 24

Our country is now run by a bunch of spineless billionaires who were cast out as nerds in college so they launched a vendetta against humanity. Today, Edward Ongweso Jr. of This Machine Kills helps us understand the tech bro-ligarchy’s key overlords, why they are so far up the president’s rectum, their deranged philosophy on life, and their apocalypse escape plans. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50 . Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 10

The first episode of this podcast ever recorded was about Amber Heard and the online public’s inability — or unwillingness — to distinguish between their organic feelings about celebrity abuse allegations and their participation in a strategic, well-funded smear campaign against a woman coming forward. Since that episode, journalist Kat Tenbarge and I have become best friends. She’s also reported on this exact news cycle over and over again with different women. Today, we break down the new yet familiar legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni and attempt to sharpen our critical thinking skills, because the decisions we make online matter — and the success of these misogynistic campaigns can end with us. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 19, 2024

The remarkable dissonance between the public’s embrace of UnitedHealthcare CEO assassin Luigi Mangione and the mainstream media’s outward disdain for both Luigi and the public’s martyrization of him has been… bizarre. In a rare moment where the culture war has been traded in for the class war, billionaire-owned media corporations and politicians alike seem to be panicking. That panic should be a moment of clarity for everyday Americans. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Listen to Taylor’s podcast, Power User . Subscribe to Taylor’s newsletter, User Mag . Subscribe to Ken Klippenstein’s Substack . Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at www.factormeals.com/fruity50 . Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 13, 2024

There was a time before Elon Musk was tweeting 60 times a day about trans people and the woke mind virus — and it wasn’t that long ago. As recently as 2018, Elon was boasting about Tesla scoring a 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s corporate equality index and telling anyone who was bothered by that to “not buy our car.” So what happened? Today, Ryan Mac and Kate Conger , authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter , unpack Elon’s personal and political midlife crisis — and the price we pay for it. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes: www.factormeals.com/fruity50 Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 28, 2024

A Bit Fruity was due for a good old-fashioned film analysis. Wicked is a kids movie that is actually for adults, holding up a mirror to our increasingly fascistic reality and asking us to question our struggle against it — or place within it. Glinda the Good Witch, thoughtfully delivered by Ariana Grande, is both easy to love and easy to hate. But while some characters’ politics are obvious (a fascist Wizard, a radical Elphaba), Glinda’s are harder to pinpoint. Today, we attempt just that. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes: www.factormeals.com/fruity50 . Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 15, 2024

This was the first election where the online far-right radicalization of young boys and men revealed itself in exit polls. After years of being fed diet-incel podcasts, one thing is clear: Gen Z will not, by some inherent virtue of youth, save us. Today, Taylor Lorenz and I break down the “epidemic of male loneliness”, the influencers exploiting it, the conservative media machine that funds them, and why we can’t just make a “leftist Joe Rogan.” Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Listen to Taylor’s podcast, Power User . Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at www.nordvpn.com/fruity . Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2024

In America, the only thing standing between you and wealth beyond your wildest dreams is tying for fifth with a trans person. Today, media critic Ari Drennen takes us into the bizarre world of the 24-year-old whispering policy into Donald Trump’s ear. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Follow Ari's Substack . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 10, 2024

The slogan of YouTube’s most popular debate channel, Jubilee, is “provoke understanding & create human connection.” So why is all of its content a cesspool of bigotry, rage-bait, and pseudoscientific slop? Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Huge thanks to the show's sponsors: Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity. Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity Subscribe to Big Joel’s YouTube channel ! Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 26, 2024

Well, I got Swiftied. As I sat there, sifting through ever more creative and graphic death threats, I wondered: is it time for a podcast episode? Today, Amanda Montell (of Sounds Like a Cult ) takes us on an exploration of how online music fan culture co-opted the harassment tactics of the far right, which co-opted the social justice tactics of Black Twitter. Let’s go, girls. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Huge thanks to the show's sponsors: Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at www.nordvpn.com/fruity. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity. Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 12, 2024

H-O-T-T-O-G-O, Chappell Roan is someone we do not actually know. But what do we do with the (very real) feelings and relationships we form with the people on our screens? Today, Eliza of Binchtopia and I discuss fame — global fame and niche micro “fame” — to understand where we parasocially flew off the rails, and what the future of celebrity might look like with boundaries in place. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Listen to Eliza's music . Huge thanks to the show's sponsors: Stay connected to the Internet wherever you're going (at a discount!) with Saily . To uncover and cancel the unwanted expenses you’ve forgotten about, try Rockey Money . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 28, 2024

How does a harmless interest in yoga turn into a crusade against homosexuals in public schools? Specific though it seems, we’ve all seen it happen: a friend with a seemingly innocuous interest in wellness starts “doing their research”, and one year later, bam: QAnon. Sparked by some recent beauty influencer drama, Derek Beres of Conspirituality helps us identify the far right’s Goop-iest seduction tactic. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity. Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring today’s show. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity. Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 14, 2024

Your gender is not determined by your anatomy, your chromosomes, your hormones, or even your internal sense of self. It is determined by J.K. Rowling. Today, Natalie Wynn (aka Contrapoints ) and I unpack the harassment campaign against Algerian boxer Imane Khelif and what it reveals about people who can “always tell.” Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Get an exclusive discount on NordVPN (that I wish I had when I first signed up for it, but hey): https://NordVPN.com/fruity. Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring today’s show! Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity. Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 1, 2024

Is Kamala bumpin’ that? Is BRAT summer over? Who killed it? Today, Maia of Rehash and I attempt a cynical but fair analysis of meme culture, Gen Z nihilism, and political standom. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Rocket Money is a real one for sponsoring the show. Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity. Register to vote here . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 2024

I stay away from heterosexual mess, but this time it came to me. Today, Taylor Lorenz and I work backwards to understand how a 21-year-old bed spring factory worker from Tennessee became a culture war symbol because of a drunken joke about fellatio. None of these words are in the bible. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Listen to Taylor’s podcast, Power User . Rocket Money is a real one for sponsoring the show. Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity. Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 3, 2024

A special episode where we hear from listeners of the show who were lovers, nurses, relatives, students, and friends of people who died from AIDS. Support me + listen to bonus episodes on Patreon ! Thanks to Blueland for supporting the show. For 15% off a better way to clean, head to https://www.blueland.com/fruity . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 20, 2024

A drug that needs no introduction and a culture of fatphobia that lives on. Today, we are ALL beating the Ozempic allegations. Use code "fruity" at https://incogni.com/fruity to get an exclusive 60% off an annual Incogni plan! Support me on Patreon ! To uncover and cancel the unwanted expenses you’ve forgotten about, try Rocket Money . Listen to Aubrey’s incredible show, Maintenance Phase . Me on Instagram . A Bit Fruity on Instagram . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 5, 2024

How does a white gay guy from England go from “trans-Korean” troll to a member of the conservative media establishment? It’s easier than you think! Today, Taylor Lorenz helps us unpack the anatomy of the right wing grift — because if all else fails, just become a Fox News star. Support me on Patreon ! Huge thanks to the sponsors of today’s show! For a more sustainable, chicer clean, try Blueland . To uncover and cancel the unwanted expenses you’ve forgotten about, try Rocket Money . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 21, 2024

Girlbossing too close to the sun can cause a real trainwreck. Today, we examine the unstable foundation of Amy Schumer's feminist brand of comedy and how it all fell apart. Support me on Patreon ! Thanks to Rocket Money for sponsoring the show. Uncover and cancel your unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Here’s Maia’s YouTube channel , and here’s her fantastic podcast Rehash . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9, 2024

Until a month ago, college students in America were dweeby snowflake liberals, too socially anxious to notify the waiter of an incorrect order. Now, they’re (allegedly) well-connected, well-funded terrorists. Who are the students protesting for Palestine, what do they want, and why is the media obsessed with misrepresenting them? Support me on Patreon ! Thanks to Blueland for sponsoring the show. For 15% off a better way to clean, head to www.blueland.com/fruity . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 24, 2024

Autistic nonbinary TikTokers. Loud, flamboyant gay men. The twink who filmed himself having sex in the Senate hearing room. Are gay rights being eroded across the country because some of us are… annoying? It’s tempting to think so, but it isn’t true. Sadly, we can never Blaire White-ify or Pete Buttigieg-ify ourselves to freedom. Support me on Patreon ! Find more of Devon’s work . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 9, 2024

The new docu-series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” is shedding light on the abuse that early-2000s child stars faced behind the scenes of our favorite Nickelodeon shows. The doc focuses especially on Drake Bell (of “Drake & Josh” fame), but leaves out half the story. Is a program that claims to be raising awareness about abuse ultimately just perpetuating it? Support me on Patreon ! Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring today’s show. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity Find more of Kat . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 26, 2024

From “sex is real” to Holocaust denial — if it happened to the wizard lady, it can happen to you. Support me on Patreon ! Watch more from the brilliant Natalie Wynn a.k.a. ContraPoints . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 12, 2024

In 2018, I called “Love, Simon” a “gay movie made by a straight woman for straight people.” Today, I tell you why I was wrong. Support me on Patreon ! Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring today’s show. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity Find more of Becky . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 27, 2024

A rant. Support me on Patreon ! Learn more about Trans Lifeline . Big thanks to Rocket Money for sponsoring today’s show. Save more and get your life together at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 13, 2024

I get called a “groomer” on Twitter every day — which is weird, because I want nothing to do with your kids. What is it with queers and kids that gets conservatives so livid? Today, we explore The Gay Agenda’s exhausting past — beginning with the present. First, UK drag queen Crystal tells us how she successfully sued a right-wing activist who defamed her as a “paed*phile.” Then, Chelsey Weber-Smith (of American Hysteria) takes us through the last century of American history, where myths about the Scary Queer Predator pop up again and again, and again. Support me on Patreon ! Listen to Chelsey’s podcast, American Hysteria . Find more of Crystal . Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring this episode! Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 30, 2024

Peter Staley was a 24-year-old, closeted finance guy when he was diagnosed with HIV. Having been handed a death sentence, he quit his job and devoted what life he had left to fighting the homophobic governments that were letting him and his friends die. Peter tells us about living through the darkest years of gay history, the pivotal role of lesbians in the AIDS movement, and the silent mental health and drug battles he grappled with after realizing he was going to survive. Support me on Patreon ! Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Try Rocket Money and start cutting your unwanted expenses! Try HelloFresh for a timesaving, budget-friendly approach to home cooking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 16, 2024

Taylor Swift has the power to swing the presidential election. What if nothing else matters? Support me on Patreon ! Find Angela on Twitter, not X . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring this episode. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 2, 2024

How the manufactured hysteria over a single can of beer brought an end to the golden age of rainbow Doritos and “Homo Estás” Chipotle ads — at least until we’re profitable again. Support me on Patreon ! (www.patreon.com/mattbernstein in case the hyperlink is being weird!) Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 20, 2023

Is there valor in scamming your way through a system that failed you, even if you hurt people along the way? What is the value of the lies we tell ourselves about ourselves? Can you be morally bankrupt and a camp icon? The questions of America, explored with friend of the show Kat Tenbarge . Find Kat on Twitter and Instagram . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dec 5, 2023

99% of people who transition continue identifying as transgender for the rest of their lives. The very small amount of people who stop or reverse their transitions — known as “detransitioners” — have become the center of a moral panic about children, gender, and medicine. Lucy, a detransgender woman, joins us to unpack what’s real and what’s hysteria. Find Lucy on TikTok , Twitter & Instagram Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Watch the video of this episode on YouTube . Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring this episode. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.Blueland.com/fruity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 21, 2023

Are “Queers for Palestine” really like “Chickens for KFC”? No, but understanding intersectional justice can be hard, and sharing memes is easy. Joined by Moe Dabbagh, a gay Palestinian American with family currently in Gaza, we Venn diagram gay liberation and Palestinian liberation. They’re less at odds with each other than you’d think. Gal Gadot makes a cameo. Read Sarah Schulman’s op-ed on pinkwashing here . Thank you to Moe Dabbagh for joining me. Find Moe here . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Watch the video of this episode on YouTube . Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring this episode. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.Blueland.com/fruity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 7, 2023

The number of kids being homeschooled today is more than double of what it was four years ago, and nobody is making the rules. While the religious right is convinced that political indoctrination is rampant in public schools, we take a look at where teaching is actually flying off the rails. Huge thanks to Blueland for sponsoring this episode. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.Blueland.com/fruity Read Christina’s and Aaron’s Washington Post story here . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Watch the video of this episode on YouTube . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 24, 2023

At the forefront of today’s anti-LGBTQ movement is one shockingly uncharismatic woman. Journalist Taylor Lorenz helps us understand the rise of Chaya Raichik, a former real estate agent who now makes a handsome living terrorizing queer students and teachers across the country using her Twitter account, @libsoftiktok. We also hear directly from some of her former targets. Buy Taylor’s new book here . Watch the video of this episode on YouTube . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 10, 2023

In 2008, Jenna Karvunidis was looking for ways to involve her distant mother in the life of her soon-to-be child. Fifteen years, thousands of acres of wildfires, and a few plane crashes later, she wishes she could put the genie back in its bottle. Find Jenna here . Watch the video of this episode on Youtube . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 3, 2023

Like many people, sitting still and staring at the wall during the early days of the pandemic brought up new feelings for Miss Benny. Notably, that she was transgender. From viral closeted teenager to out Netflix star, she walks us through the personal and political trials of her first few years living as a woman. Find Miss Benny here . Watch the video of this episode on Youtube . Find more A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 26, 2023

One year later, we revisit the trial that metastasized through society, leaving a culture of brutal misogyny in its wake. NBC journalist Kat Tenbarge helps us navigate a story not just about Amber Heard, but about our misunderstanding of abuse, tabloid spectacles, influencers, and money. It is also a story about Amber Heard. Find Kat’s work here . Watch the video of this episode on YouTube . Find more of A Bit Fruity . Find more of Matt . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 19, 2023

LGBT conservatives: Why? How? Where did they come from? What can we learn from them, and how can we dismantle the LGBT conservative that lives within all of us? Natalie Wynn (aka Contrapoints ) helps us psychoanalyze one of the more confusing political positions of our time. Jeffree Star makes an appearance, for better or for worse. Indulge in Natalie’s work Find more of A Bit Fruity Find more of Matt Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 22, 2023

A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein is coming soon! I'm so happy you're here. Subscribe everywhere podcasts are available, and watch full episodes at https://www.youtube.com/MattBernstein1 Follow Matt: @mattxiv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices