Fruitless

On today’s episode, Chris and Josiah continue with the show’s recent focus on fascism by discussing Ur-Fascism by Umberto Eco. 

• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton

References

• "Ur-Fascism," Umberto Eco, https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/umberto-eco-ur-fascism

Music & Audio credits

• Typical - Mutemath
• Yesterday – bloom.
• Comfort Eagle - CAKE

THIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141

EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/153865974

On today's episode, Josh and Josiah talk about Claire Denis' 1999 arthouse drama about bored, shirtless French soldiers, Beau Travail (1999).

Music by SHADE08

This is the eighth 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 The Anatomy of Fascism by Robert O. Paxton.

• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton

Music & Audio credits

• Yesterday – bloom.
• And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - The Pogues (originally by Eric Bogle)
• Fascist - Minutemen
• "SCOTT JENNINGS Talks Bush Presidency, Debates, CNN," The Adam Friedland Show, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQd6k_PVYx8
• I Might Need You to Kill - The Thermals
• Green Shirt - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
• Goon Squad - Elvis Costello & The Attractions
• Rúdolf - Þeyr
• Tear the Fascists Down - Woodie Guthrie

THIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141

EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/152401378

It's the February music exchange! Shut up, no, it's not March. This episode is a February episode. In this installment, Josh and I discuss Ultimate Success Today by Protomartyr and Sabotage by Black Sabbath. Also we talk about Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie.

Music by Protomartyr, Black Sabbath, and SHADE08

On today's episode, Chris Barker and Josiah discuss Claude Chabrol's 1993 documentary, The Eye of Vichy, co-written by historian Robert O. Paxton. They talk about France under Nazi occupation, the regime of Philippe Pétain, and how the French national identity made sense of defeat and collaboration. 

• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton

References

• Eye of Vichy (1993, dir. Claude Chabrol)
• Tu appelles Renée by Ruth Kapp Hartz

Audio credits

• Audio from The Eye of Vichy (1993)
• Maréchal, nous voilà!, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmsdHnQ7RD8
• Yesterday – bloom.
• The Partisan - Leonard Cohen

THIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141

EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/151286472

Welcome to the Fruitless Sports Corner (FSC): a semi-reoccurring series where Josiah, Nathan Thiessen, Chris Barker, and Jake the Lawyer talk about sports. On today's episode we discuss a long tweet, Ilian Malinin falling, how the Winter Olympics could improve the TV watching experience, cheating at curling, speed skaters being fast, axe throwing, Jake's weeb shit, hockey being a form of soccer, libertarian sports, Nebraska being a terrible state, Nate meeting some annoying Nebraska fans, loud college stadiums, Runza, NIL, Ruben Amorim, Nate being mad at the Packers, the Super Bowl and halftime show.

Music by Viagra Boys and SHADE08

On today's episode, Leo Dickenson and Josh Christianson join Josiah to discuss Operation Metro Surge and the fraud crisis that the Trump regime has used to justify the occupation of the Twin Cities. 

• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton

References

• Thumbnail was taken by photojournalist Jeff Wheeler for the Minnesota Star Tribune
• "How Minnesota became a hub for Somali immigrants in the U.S.," Joe Hernandez, NPR, https://www.npr.org/2025/12/03/nx-s1-5631809/somali-immigrants-minnesota-twin-cities-trump-ilhan-omar
• "Key figures in the long-running controversy over alleged fraudulent safety net programs in Minnesota," Ray Sanchez and Cheri Mossburg, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/02/us/fraud-minnesota-programs-scandal-trump
• "Everything we know about Minnesota's massive fraud schemes," Jonah Kaplan and Joe Walsh, CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/minnesota-fraud-schemes-what-we-know/
• "Minnesota investigators say child care centers accused of fraud are operating normally as governor drops reelection bid," Zoe Sottile and Andy Rose, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/05/us/minnesota-child-care-fraud-investigation
• "Federal agents probe fraud allegations targeting Somali child care providers in Minnesota," Nick Schifrin and Jonah Anderson, PBS, https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/federal-agents-probe-fraud-allegations-targeting-somali-child-care-providers-in-minnesota
• "School districts could face funding gaps due to virtual learning, missing students during Operation Metro Surge," Gordon Severson, KARE 11, https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/ice-in-minnesota/school-districts-could-face-funding-gaps-due-to-virtual-learning-missing-students-during-operation-metro-surge/89-11755d76-3b77-4fed-a2d3-f766e332131b
• "Death raises new fraud allegations in Minnesota’s Medicaid-funded ICS program," A.J. Lagoe, Kelly Dietz, Steven Eckert, Gary Knox, KARE 11, https://www.kare11.com/article/news/investigations/kare-11-investigates-unattended-death-raises-new-fraud-allegations-minnesota-medicaid-funded-ics-program/89-61240443-b8c1-4a60-969b-0b601c5fbd5d
• “The Largest Funder of Al-Shabaab Is the Minnesota Taxpayer,” Ryan Thorpe and Christopher Rufo, City Journal, https://www.city-journal.org/article/minnesota-welfare-fraud-somalia-al-shabaab
• "Key source says story that prompted Trump tirade against Somalis is erroneous," Deena Winter, The Minnesota Star Tribune, https://www.startribune.com/city-journal-fraud-story-seattle-detective/601537870
• "Who is Nick Shirley, the 23-year-old MAGA journalist whose Minnesota fraud story went viral?," Hadas Gold, CNN, https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/30/media/nick-shirley-minnesota-somali-video
• "Fact check: What’s really happening with child care fraud in Minnesota," Chabeli Carrazana, The 19th, https://19thnews.org/2026/01/child-care-fraud-minnesota-fact-check/
• "ICE Reportedly Stole a 10th Grader’s Phone, Then Seemingly Sold It for Cash," Frank Landymore, https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ice-reportedly-stole-10th-grader-230138675.html
• "Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says," Rebecca Santana, Associated Press, https://apnews.com/article/ice-arrests-warrants-minneapolis-trump-00d0ab0338e82341fd91b160758aeb2d
• "ICE plans $100 million 'wartime recruitment' push targeting gun shows, military fans for hires," Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/12/31/ice-wartime-recruitment-push/
• NSPM-7, https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/
• Timeline on Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Metro_Surge#Timeline_of_operation
• "Minneapolis Pastor Says He Was Detained by ICE After Joining Protest, Told 'You're White' and 'Wouldn’t Be Any Fun Anyway' on Release," Ashley Vega, People, https://people.com/minneapolis-pastor-says-ice-detained-him-after-joining-protest-told-he-wouldnt-be-any-fun-because-youre-white-11884703
• "ICE entered Minneapolis hospital without warrant, handcuffed patient to bed, community organizers say," Jason Rantala, CBS News, https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/hcmc-hennepin-healthcare-ice-patient-handcuffed/
• "Ecuador says ICE tried to enter its Minneapolis consulate — here's what happened," BBC, https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/cvgpdx1yr15o
• "Walz: ICE may leave MN soon," Fox 9 KMSP, https://www.fox9.com/video/fmc-ch876hzml20j4brm

Audio credits

• Opening audio is from several videos of community members at the scene of Alex Pretti's murder a few hours later; videos shared by Left Voice on Bluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/leftvoice.bsky.social/post/3md6zzb4mzk2r
• Yesterday – bloom.
• Day Without End - Protomartyr
• "ICE operations u...

On today's episode, Bryan Cebulski joins Josiah to discuss François Truffaut's Antoine Dionel saga--a series of five semi-autobiographical films following Truffaut's life from troubled child, to horny young man, to horny married man, and finally to horny divorced man. Are these films self-critiques or self-justifications? Does Truffaut know what a real job is? Is Truffaut the more talented Kevin Smith? All this and more on today's episode.

• Follow Bryan on Letterboxd @bryanonion and Bluesky @bryanonion.bsky.social
• Buy Bryan's novel, It Helps With the Blues, here: https://traumbooks.com/ithelpswiththeblues/
• Check out Bryan's blog here: https://bryancebulski.wordpress.com/
• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter @josiahwsutton

Reference

• The 400 Blows (1959, dir. François Truffaut)
• Antoine and Colette (1962, dir. François Truffaut)
• Stolen Kisses (1968, dir. François Truffaut)
• Bed and Board (1970, dir. François Truffaut)
• Love on the Run (1979, dir. François Truffaut)

Music & Audio credits

• Générique/Les Quatre Cents Coups - Jean Constantin
• Yesterday – bloom.
• L'amour En Fuite - Alain Souchon

THIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141

EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/149171850

It's the first music exchange of 2026! In this installment, Josh and I discuss Bows + Arrows by The Walkmen and 1000 Hurts by Shellac. Also we talk about Guys.

Music by The Walkmen, Shellac, and SHADE08

THIS IS A PREVIEW. IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE, CHECK OUT FRUITLESS ON PATREON HERE: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141

EPISODE ON PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/posts/147927958/

Continuing the tradition of kicking off the year with some low effort episodes while I (Josiah) recover from working the holidays, Caleb, James C. Liker, and eventually Josh joined me to hang out and mostly talk about movies. We spoil Bugonia. We also touch briefly on the recent ICE murder in Minneapolis.

Music by SHADE08