A Bit Fruity with Matt Bernstein

Who Trolled Chappell Roan?

On March 21, 2026, as violent tensions escalated in Trump’s illegal war on Iran, the second most-discussed event in the United States was Chappell Roan’s hotel breakfast. What began as a forgettable “controversy” involving celebrities, a security guard, and a fancy hotel in Brazil soon transformed into a political proxy war that feels deeply emblematic of what the Internet has become. Today, Caroline Kwan, Kat Tenbarge and I dive deep into the episode I was sure I wouldn’t make. But here we are. In tears. 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].  Watch Caroline on Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/carolinekwan%E2%81%A0]. Follow Caroline on Twitter [https://x.com/carolinekwan%E2%81%A0]. Read Kat’s work at Spitfire News [https://spitfirenews.com/%E2%81%A0]. Follow Kat on Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/kattenbarge.bsky.social%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 I Learned From 12 Hours of DOGE Bro Depositions (with Krystal Ball)

Last year at the behest of Elon Musk, a group of young men in their 20s with no political experience set out to reduce federal spending by terminating lifesaving public health programs, slashing thousands of science and culture grants, and gutting entire federal agencies. The “DOGE Bros” wreaked havoc on American life — and somehow, reduced federal spending by nothing. Recently, two former DOGE employees were deposed amidst a lawsuit by organizations that want their money back. After spending days watching videos of their lengthy testimonies (that the government is actively trying to wipe from the internet), I’ve concluded that nobody benefits from identity politics quite like a mediocre white man. 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].  Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity [https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity].  Watch Krystal on Breaking Points [https://www.youtube.com/@breakingpoints%E2%81%A0]. Follow Krystal on Twitter [https://x.com/krystalball?lang=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]

We All Deserve Better Than Gavin Newsom (with Emma Vigeland and Kat Blaque)

Gavin Newsom, the California governor who’s been seemingly anointed to the throne of the Democratic Party, thinks Democrats should be more “culturally normal.” He thinks we should spend less time talking about pronouns. He won’t tax billionaires, and he’s had approximately four different positions on Israel in the last six weeks. Yet two and half years out from the 2028 election, some inside the party are already demanding allegiance to the newest spineless, corporate candidate in a long line of spineless, corporate candidates. This week, Emma Vigeland, Kat Blaque and I air our grievances with a man who believes in nothing, and a party that touts democracy while practicing nothing of the sort. We all deserve better. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein] Thanks to today’s sponsors! Support a fairer future free from religious overreach at https://humanist.org/fruity [https://humanist.org/fruity] Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off [https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off] Follow Emma on Instagram. [https://www.instagram.com/emmavigeland/?hl=en%E2%81%A0] Watch Emma on The Majority Report [https://www.youtube.com/@TheMajorityReport/videos%E2%81%A0]. Follow Kat on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kat_blaque/%E2%81%A0]. Watch Kat on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxFWzKZa74SyAqpJyVlG5Ew%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 Epidemic of Celebrity Cowardice (with Gianmarco Soresi and Caroline Kwan)

Neil Patrick Harris would like to make art that is “apolitical.” Sydney Sweeney “is not a political person.” Jelly Roll is a “dumb redneck” who we shouldn’t want to hear from, but we will be hearing his thoughts on global events “soon.” Ethan Hawke says we shouldn’t seek moral guidance from “a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists,” and perhaps he’s right. But at a time when celebrities who were once known for their political outspokenness have gotten strangely coy (Taylor Swift and Beyoncé come to mind), one naturally begins to wonder if something is amiss. And when LeBron James, who cites civil rights hero Muhammad Ali as an inspiration, says he’s heard “only great things” about Israel — now we’re just being, well, played. Today, Gianmarco Soresi, Caroline Kwan and I examine the marked shift pop culture has taken towards spinelessness and attempt to remedy it. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Start managing your money better and cancel unwanted expenses at https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity [https://www.rocketmoney.com/fruity]. Get 15% off a cuter, more sustainable way to clean at https://www.blueland.com/fruity [https://www.blueland.com/fruity]. Follow Gianmarco on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/gianmarcosoresi/?hl=en%E2%81%A0]. Watch Gianmarco’s podcast, The Downside [https://www.youtube.com/gianmarcosoresi%E2%81%A0]. Watch Caroline on Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/carolinekwan%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 Incel to ICE Pipeline (with F.D Signifier and Caroline Kwan)

ICE is many things — chief among them, an outgrowth of a seemingly neverending masculinity crisis. The U.S. government has devised a billion dollar strategy to recruit aggrieved young men into ICE with the promise of giving them a purpose: to “restore the homeland.” And their masculinity. The results have been devastating. A parallel crisis of manhood is unfolding in the form of looksmaxxers, a booming online community of men injecting meth and breaking their bones to enhance their perceived physical beauty. Today, YouTube essay legend F.D Signifier, Twitch culture streamer Caroline Kwan and I explore the evermore bizarre ways patriarchy is setting men up to fail while everyone else pays the price. Listen to bonus episodes on Patreon [https://www.patreon.com/mattbernstein%E2%81%A0]! Thanks to today’s sponsors! Protect yourself online, wherever you go. Get a discount on NordVPN at https://www.nordvpn.com/fruity [https://www.nordvpn.com/fruity] Work smarter, not harder, with Factor meals ready in two minutes at https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off [https://www.factormeals.com/fruity50off] Watch F.D Signifier on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@FDSignifire%E2%81%A0]. Watch Caroline on Twitch [https://www.twitch.tv/carolinekwan%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]