Fruitless

This is the audio for a video essay on YouTube. If you choose to listen here, you will only get half the experience. For the full experience, check out Fruitless on YouTube.

The video essay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8ER82CgPZ0
The Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIZWDsDrQ0XvDQFWzE6s2gg

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/125236565

Josh and I discuss Plagues Upon Plagues by Sect and The Body, The Blood, The Machine by The Thermals. Also Josiah is sick.

Music by Sect, The Thermals, and SHADE08

On today's episode, Jacob Dallas-Main (The Socialist Shelf) joins Josiah to talk about Bong Joon Ho's masterpiece about how to wage class war on a big train, Snowpiercer (2013).

• Check out The Socialist Shelf: https://www.socialistshelf.com/
• Follow The Socialist Shelf on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/socialistshelf.bsky.social
• 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

• Sentimental - Dan Darmawan
• Yesterday – bloom.
• In My Dreams – bloom

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/124223975

Imagine the title of this episode being said in the most annoying voice possible. Like, imagine the nerd emoji saying it. On today's episode, Nate Thiessen asks Josiah about his recent conversion to Sports Guy over the past year. We talk soccer, NFL, college football, and a bit of baseball.

Music by SHADE08 

On today's episode, Alien (aka Stewie Griffin DJ), Josh, and Josiah discuss Iowa by Slipknot, the impact Slipknot had on the Des Moines music scene, and the whole phenomenon of nu metal. 

• Follow today's guest on Bluesky @stewiegriffindj.bsky.social
• Become a Fruitless Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=11922141
• Check out Fruitless on YouTube
• Find more of Josiah’s work here: https://linktr.ee/josiahwsutton
• Follow Josiah on Twitter & Bluesky @josiahwsutton(.bsky.social)

References

• Iowa by Slipknot
• Metal reference points, Spotify Playlist by Alien, https://open.spotify.com/playlist/51ZEXeFuBuRaNc5fxJZyNG?si=650f89044f644bf4
• Metal reference points (Expanded Edition), Spotify Playlist by Josh Christianson, https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1i6P8PhjDBgKRWYWz7YzvZ?pi=u-ndlJaf6qQneV

Audio credits

• The Heretic Anthem - Slipknot
• Yesterday – bloom.
• People = Shit - Slipknot

Jackal and Josiah catch up on some current events. We discuss recent anti-trans legislation in Iowa and the chaos of the first few weeks of the second Trump admin before catching back up with our good friend, Eric Adams.

• 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 from AP News, taken by Charlie Neibergal, https://apnews.com/article/iowa-civil-rights-code-gender-identity-cf68d2183210133b15a47e526ad2fb0d
• "Iowa City City Council candidate Oliver Weilein isn’t playing it safe," Emma Jane in The Daily Iowan, https://dailyiowan.com/2025/02/25/iowa-city-city-council-candidate-oliver-weilein-isnt-playing-it-safe/
• Rock Hard Caucus, https://rockhardcauc.us/
• "Iowans share concerns after masked members of extremist group Patriot Front march in Des Moines," KCCI, https://www.kcci.com/article/iowans-share-concerns-after-masked-members-of-extremist-group-patriot-front-march-in-des-moines/63883874
• "Iowa GOP fast-tracks bill ending trans civil rights protection as protesters flood Capitol," Stephen Gruber-Miller, Marissa Payne, and Sabine Martin in Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/24/transgender-iowans-would-lose-civil-rights-protections-under-house-bill-advances/80008999007/
• "Bill to remove gender identity from Iowa Civil Rights Act clears Senate subcommittee," Robin Opsahl in Iowa Capitol Dispatch, https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2025/02/25/bill-to-remove-gender-identity-from-iowa-civil-rights-act-clears-senate-subcommittee/
• "Iowa protestors rally at Statehouse for second day against bill threatening transgender rights," KCCI, https://www.kcci.com/article/iowa-politics-senate-bill-transgender-civil-rights-act-protests/63923646
• "Iowa lawmakers rushed through a day of pruning your rights. Here are some." Lucas Grundmeier in Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/02/25/iowa-gender-identity-bill-trans-erasure-restricting-rights/80267967007/
• "Iowa could be first state to revoke transgender rights," Jason Clayworth in Axios, https://www.axios.com/local/des-moines/2025/02/26/iowa-transgender-civil-rights-protections-revoke
• "CPAC Speaker Calls for Eradication of ‘Transgenderism’ — and Somehow Claims He’s Not Calling for Elimination of Transgender People,"  Peter Wade and Patrick Reis in Rolling Stone (from 2023), https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/cpac-speaker-transgender-people-eradicated-1234690924/
• "Key takeaways from Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting with Elon Musk," Al Jazeera, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/26/key-takeaways-from-donald-trumps-first-cabinet-meeting-with-elon-musk
• "CPI report: US inflation heats up to 3% for first time since June," Alicia Wallace in CNN, https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/02/12/business/us-cpi-consumer-inflation-january
• "A Timeline of Eric Adams's Indictment, and What Came Next," New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/article/eric-adams-indictment-timeline.html
• "New York Mayor Eric Adams seeks permanent dismissal of corruption case," Luc Cohen in Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/legal/new-york-mayor-eric-adams-seeks-permanent-dismissal-corruption-case-2025-02-26/
  
  

Music & audio credits

• Yesterday – bloom.
• "CPAC speaker Michael Knowles calls for trans people to be ‘eradicated’," https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74Q5kfikMsU
• Empire State of Mind - Jay-Z, Alicia Keys
• I Wanna Be at the RNC - Nick Lutsko

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/123027149

Josh and I discuss Take as Needed for Pain by Eyehategod and Blue Valentine by Tom Waits. Also Josiah is watching the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Music by Eyehategod, Tom Waits, and SHADE08

On today's episode, AJ (@normalmaxxedajc) joins Josiah to teach you all how to be normal about sex, politics, and the internet.

Check out Normalmaxxing here: https://normalmaxxing.substack.com/
Follow AJ on Twitter @normalmaxxedajc and Bluesky @normalmaxxedajc.bsky.social
Check out AJ's previous episode of Fruitless here: https://share.transistor.fm/s/297ea2a7

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

• Sentimental - Dan Darmawan
• Yesterday – bloom.
• In My Dreams – bloom.

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/121814985

Josh and I discuss Crack the Skye by Mastadon and Thank You Happy Birthday by Cage the Elephant. Also Josh is playing a lot of Doom.

Music by Mastodon, Cage the Elephant, 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/121046053

Josh and Josiah discuss American politics and the wonderful highs and lows of having a body. Also Josh keeps buying Doom.

Music by SHADE08