A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein

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 [https://bsky.app/profile/kattenbarge.bsky.social] 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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein]! Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity [http://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity].  Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity [http://www.blueland.com/fruity]. Me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/]. A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein]! Listen to Taylor’s podcast, Power User [https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz].  Subscribe to Taylor’s newsletter, User Mag [https://www.usermag.co/]. Subscribe to Ken Klippenstein’s Substack [https://www.kenklippenstein.com/]. Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at www.factormeals.com/fruity50 [http://www.factormeals.com/fruity50].  Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity [http://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity].  Me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/]. A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

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 [https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:emhyi4kljodgqlusdsopgfgd] and Kate Conger [https://bsky.app/profile/kateconger.com], authors of Character Limit: How Elon Musk Destroyed Twitter [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/737290/character-limit-by-kate-conger-and-ryan-mac/], 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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein] Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes: www.factormeals.com/fruity50 [http://www.factormeals.com/fruity50]  Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity [http://www.blueland.com/fruity]. Me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/]. A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein]! Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes: www.factormeals.com/fruity50 [http://www.factormeals.com/fruity50]. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at www.blueland.com/fruity [http://www.blueland.com/fruity]. Me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/]. A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

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 [https://www.usermag.co/] 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 [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein]! Listen to Taylor’s podcast, Power User [https://www.youtube.com/@TaylorLorenz].  Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at www.nordvpn.com/fruity [http://www.nordvpn.com/fruity].  Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at www.rocketmoney.com/fruity [http://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity].  Me on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mattxiv/]. A Bit Fruity on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/abitfruitypod/]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]