A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein

The Jewish Fear Industrial Complex

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity [https://www.blueland.com/fruity].  Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity [https://incogni.com/fruity] Listen to Matt Lieb on Bad Hasbara [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RDvo87OzNLA78UH82MI55?si=WYz_v3RNToaJhj9xXuKt4w%E2%81%A0]. Follow Matt Lieb on Twitter [https://x.com/mattlieb%E2%81%A0]. Listen to Simone on Beyond Israelism [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-eLWZLs8Q8&list=PLhHpnycGpC8QqFRT75Z4ijWScsYoup7mL%E2%81%A0]. Follow Simone on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/simonerzim/?hl=en%E2%81%A0]. Read the Jewish Currents audit of the ADL’s 2023 antisemitism statistics [https://jewishcurrents.org/the-adls-antisemitism-findings-explained%E2%81%A0]. Read the Jewish Currents audit of the ADL’s 2024 antisemitism statistics [https://jewishcurrents.org/examining-the-adls-antisemitism-audit%E2%81%A0]. Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/%E2%81%A0]. Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/%E2%81%A0]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Liberal Wine Moms are Radicalizing (with Jennifer Welch)

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off [https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off]. Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity [https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity].  Listen to Jennifer on I’ve Had It [https://open.spotify.com/show/5HYmraLuzUrzy7yX5mzMLB?si=09ead761176343cc%E2%81%A0]. Follow Jennifer on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mizzwelch/?hl=en%E2%81%A0]. Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/%E2%81%A0]. Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/%E2%81%A0]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

What Is the Point Of Bill Maher?

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get smarter about yours (and others!) news media consumption with Ground News at https://www.ground.news/fruity [https://www.ground.news/fruity] Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity [https://www.blueland.com/fruity] Get an exclusive 60% on Incogni! https://incogni.com/fruity [https://incogni.com/fruity] Listen to Francesca on The Bituation Room [https://www.youtube.com/franifio%E2%81%A0]. Follow Francesca on Twitter [https://x.com/franifio%E2%81%A0]. Listen to Will on I Hate Bill Maher [https://open.spotify.com/show/5Agu3HMAQAwIf5V3EhDXwN?si=1f4f2b07376c433d%E2%81%A0]. Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/%E2%81%A0]. Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/%E2%81%A0]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The Unraveling of Debra Messing and “Liberal Zionism”

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! 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 [https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity].  Listen to Emma on The Majority Report. [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMajorityReport%E2%81%A0] Follow Emma on Twitter [https://x.com/emmavigeland%E2%81%A0]. Listen to Matt Lieb on Bad Hasbara [https://open.spotify.com/show/5RDvo87OzNLA78UH82MI55?si=7d4b8a59e7064eb4%E2%81%A0]. Follow Matt Lieb on Twitter. [https://x.com/mattlieb%E2%81%A0] Find me on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/ [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/] Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/ [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Charlie Kirk’s Legacy Deserves No Revisions

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity [https://www.blueland.com/fruity].  Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off [https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off] Subscribe to Kat’s work at Spitfire News [https://spitfirenews.com/%E2%81%A0]. Subscribe to Taylor on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz%E2%81%A0]. Subscribe to Karen Attiah, the journalist fired from the Washington Post because she quoted Charlie Kirk’s own words, on Substack [https://karenattiah.substack.com/%E2%81%A0]. Find me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/%E2%81%A0]. Find A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/%E2%81%A0]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]