Shows
FruitlessHolding Out for a !Hero (feat. Brian Alford)Christian Rock Summer 2025 continues! On today's episode, Brian Alford (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, @spocksbrian) joined Josiah and Josh to discuss !Hero: The Rock Opera: a 2003 musical attempting to be "Jesus Christ Superstar for the MTV generation," featuring a CCM star-studded cast including Michael Tait, Rebecca St. James, Mark Stuart, and more. Content warning: Today's episode contains a lengthy discussion about the sexual assault allegations that have come out regarding Michael Tait.Follow today's guest on Twitter @spocksbrian and Bluesky @spocksbrian.worstpossible.worldListen to The Worst of All Possible WorldsBecome a Fruitless Patron here: https://w...2025-07-232h 41
FruitlessAmused to Death (feat. Phil Christman)On today's episode, Phil Christman joins Josiah to discuss Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman. They explore Postman's intellectual trajectory and legacy, as well as the broader media ecology movement. Did Postman predict Donald Trump? Is Postman a conservative? Would Postman have liked podcasts? All this and more on today's episode.Phil Christman's previous appearance on Fruitless: https://share.transistor.fm/s/e49b23bcPre-order Why Christians Should Be Leftists here: https://www.eerdmans.com/9780802884053/why-christians-should-be-leftists/Check out Phil Christman's Substack The Tourist: https://philipchristman.substack.com/Follow Phil on Bluesky @philipchristman.bsky.socialBecome a...2025-04-012h 01
Fruitless...And Forgive Them Their Debts (Bookclub #6)This is the sixth installment of the Fruitless Bookclub, a show-within-a-show, featuring Chris Barker and Jake the Lawyer, where we read all those nonfiction books we've been meaning to read. Today's episode is about ...And Forgive Them Their Debts: Lending, Foreclosure, and Redemption From Bronze Age Finance to the Jubilee Year by Michael Hudson. We're talking debt forgiveness! We're talking bronze age names that we can't pronounce! And we're talking about how a lot of modern political and religious concepts originate in bronze age practices that are now uniformly rejected by our institutions and their weird Austrian economists. Come...2024-10-042h 36
FruitlessGreatest City in the World, BabyJackal and Josiah catch up on some current events before we launch into Horror Month in October. We discuss an article about the LAPD conducting a pot raid, Mark Robinson's "black Nazi" scandal, Israel's attack on Lebanon, and the fearmonger over Haitian immigrants before zooming in on the indictment of Eric Adams and why being the Mayor of New York is a curse.Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsuttonReferences"LAPD raid goes fr...2024-09-301h 59
FruitlessIf We Burn (Bookclub #5)Taking a brief* intermission from Christian Rock Summer, this is the fifth installment of the Fruitless Bookclub, a show-within-a-show, featuring Chris Barker and Jake the Lawyer, where we read all those nonfiction books we've been meaning to read. Today's episode is about If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution by Vincent Bevins. We talk about Occupy, the Arab Spring, Euromaidan, and so many other massive, spontaneous political movements during the 2010s that, ultimately, ended in defeat. Why did this happen? And what can we learn from the decade of mass protest? *the longest e...2024-07-153h 23
Fruitless[Preview] Veggies, Derechos, & SteelTHIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/veggies-derechos-103210759Chris Barker and Josiah talk about "environmental history." We talk a bit about Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond, the ecology of the Midwest, and how vegetables are a technology. This is a pretty casual episode, mostly just to introduce a few themes to the show going forward. Music by SHADE08
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2024-04-2908 min
FruitlessRamp Hollow (Bookclub #4)This is the fourth installment of the Fruitless Bookclub, a show-within-a-show, featuring Chris Barker and Jake the Lawyer, where we read all those nonfiction books we've been meaning to read. Today's episode is about Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven Stoll. We talk peasants. We talk agrarians. We talk about peasants and agrarians getting destroyed by industry. We take a closer look at rural class dynamics and the history of the Appalachians. This is probably the longest episode of Fruitless yet. Sorry.Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check...2024-04-092h 44
Fruitless[Preview] Ukraine RevisitedTHIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/101034575Chris Barker returns to talk to Josiah about the war in Ukraine, reflect on the episode they did about the conflict in 2022, see what ways their views have changed in the following two years, and discuss the other global conflicts that have been impacted by the war in Ukraine. Music by SHADE08
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2024-03-2508 min
FruitlessChildren of Men, or The Fruitless Christmas SpecialIt's the Fruitless Christmas special. Chris Barker and Alien (aka Stewie Griffin DJ) join Josiah to discuss Children of Men (2006), the incredible craft behind the film, and the politics of hope and futurity. Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah’s work here: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter & Bluesky @josiahwsuttonReferencesChildren of Men (2006), directed by Alfonso Cuarón.Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? by Mark FisherThe Possibility of Hope, an archival doc...2023-12-302h 00
FruitlessHow Europe Underdeveloped Africa (Bookclub #3)This is the third installment of the Fruitless Bookclub, a show-within-a-show, featuring Chris Barker and Jake the Lawyer, where we read all those nonfiction books we've been meaning to read. Today's episode is about How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter RodneyNext month: Ramp Hollow: The Ordeal of Appalachia by Steven StollBecome a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah’s work here: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsuttonOther references"Reconsidering a Cl...2023-12-202h 05
FruitlessLate Victorian Holocausts (Bookclub #2)This is the second installment of the Fruitless Bookclub (Chris didn't like it being called the Barker Bookclub), a show-within-a-show where we read all those nonfiction books we've been meaning to read. Today's episode is about Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike Davis.Next month: How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter RodneyBecome a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah’s work here: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsuttonMusicYesterday – bloom.2023-10-231h 38
FruitlessThe Basque History of the World (Bookclub #1)Today's episode is the first installation of the Barker Bookclub (Maybe. Name pending.), a show-within-a-show where Chris Barker and Josiah read nonfiction books they've been meaning to read. In today's episode, Chris and Josiah are also joined by Chimera to discuss The Basque History of the World by Mark Kurlansky. Next book: Late Victorian Holocausts by Mike DavisBecome a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141Check out Fruitless on YouTubeFind more of Josiah’s work here: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsuttonFollow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton...2023-08-221h 24
MammonburgCranks (6/6/2023)In today's episode, the fellas discuss the Republican presidential bids and all the fun, scary cranks we have for 2024.Note: Josiah briefly mentioned a case from the 1990s regarding assisted suicide that he didn't remember the details of well. He was referring to the Terri Schiavo case for those interested.Follow us on Twitter @Mammonburgpod...or on YouTube @Mammonburg...or on Truth Social @MammonburgpodJoin the Mammonburg DiscordFollow the hosts on Twitter: Jackal, Finch, Josiah, and Phil.Audio CreditsNoah - The JubalairesNomad - Liadiii2023-06-071h 58
FruitlessThe Springtime of the Peoples (feat. Chris Barker)Josiah is joined by his first return guest, Chris Barker, to discuss the revolutions of 1848. While the string of revolutions that rocked Europe over the year were ultimately a failure, their legacy lived on and shaped the way modern politics developed. This is the year nationalism became a real political force. This is the year Marx wrote the Communist Manifesto. The ripple effects from this event would stretch everywhere and the conversation goes all over the place because of that, from abolitionists in the U.S. to the Hungarian revolt against the soviets in 1956. Beyond that though, this is...2022-11-291h 28
The Very Legal, Very Cool Archivea troublesome episodeIn today's episode, Chris Barker (@barker_cm) teaches the gang about The Troubles and explains why he thinks it might be an interesting allegory for what's coming soon in U.S. politics. After that somber conversation, Jared reads us the rule book for a masturbation contest. Also a surprise guest pops in for a few minutes. Special thanks to our sponsor today: The American Monarchists.PUBLISHED 2/1/2021U2 Live, Rattle and Hum Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello & the Attractions Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 When It Kicks In - Iain Archer2022-06-262h 16MammonburgVillain Monologuing About Juneteenth and Pride w/ Chris Barker (6/18/2022)In today's episode, your tour guides are joined by Chris Barker (@barker_cm) to talk about Juneteenth being a recognized holiday, the monopolization of film, Christopher Rufo, the continued rise of anti-queer rhetoric, and the right's attacks on family.Follow us on Twitter @MammonburgpodFollow Chris on Twitter.Follow the hosts on Twitter: Jackal, Finch, Josiah, and Phil.2022-06-201h 47FruitlessUkraine is a Rorschach Test (feat. Chris Barker)Josiah is joined by Chris Barker to discuss the Russo-Ukrainian War. The invasion of Ukraine has lead to a lot of scrambling to make sense of the conflict. Chris and Josiah walk through some of the history of Ukraine before offering their thoughts on the future and where they think the left is gets lost.Referenced WorksNeonazis & Euromaidan - Aleksey Kochetkov and Stanislav Byshok (Russian propaganda book)Music creditYesterday – bloom.Мы идём в тишине - Чёрный ЛукичДалеко бежит дорога (Впереди веселья много) - Гражданская ОборонаFollow today’s guest on TwitterFind more of Josiah’s work hereFollow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton
★ Support this podcast on Patreo2022-03-131h 52MammonburgButter Governor at the Pig Roast (4/21/2021)We're getting caught up again. Your tour guides invite you to a very special Mammonburg-style pig roast. We discuss Derek Chauvin's conviction and all the pathetic, coping right-wingers online. After that, we discuss Chris Christie's possible run for presidency.Special thanks to Alien, our editor. Although Josiah edited this one.Follow us on Twitter @MammonburgpodFollow the hosts on Twitter: Jackal, Finch, Josiah, and Phil.2021-05-211h 26