Grifty Pod Bonus Episode "Beating a Dead Horse"

We're back because the group chat got out of control.

This week we break down the Eric Swalwell allegations, Azi's firsthand experience as a whistleblower in the Eric Bauman scandal, and the bigger issue of power, patriarchy, and why "believe women" suddenly comes with exceptions.

We also get into cult of personality politics and what happens when the left gets its own Joe Rogan with Hassan Piker.

Messy, honest, and very online but with a real point. Stop worshipping individuals and start holding systems accountable.

Listen, then log off and go do something useful.

Welcome back to Grifty Pod. If you are listening to this episode without a helmet or a seatbelt, you are far braver than we are.

This week felt like the entire nation had a stroke while standing upright. The Epstein documents dropped and inside that cursed file dump we discovered the soul bending phrase Trump and Bubba which was not on any of our bingo cards. Marjorie Taylor Greene tried to pick a political fistfight with Trump and it looked like two malfunctioning Roombas colliding in a hallway. Every headline seemed to be written by a bored demon trapped in a newsroom.

So today we are taking you on a tour of American unreality. First we slide back into the nineties to revisit the DARE program which gave entire generations a deeply misplaced sense of safety. Then we blast forward to the current moment where right wing influencers are turning on their own in something called transvestigation which is exactly as deranged as it sounds.

The circus is in town. Let us begin.

• The DARE Program and the Comforting Lie That Posters Fix Everything

• Charlie and Erika Kirk and the Digital Fever Dream of Transvestigations

• Is it A Grift? Real News or Fake Grift Fever Dream?

The DARE Program and the Comforting Lie That Posters Fix Everything

What DARE Was Selling

The DARE program arrived in Los Angeles in 1983 and quickly metastasized into a national tradition. A smiling uniformed officer would walk into an elementary school classroom and deliver a series of highly scripted moral lectures about resisting drugs, alcohol and peer pressure. Children signed pledges. Children received neon yellow T shirts that glowed like irradiated dandelions. Children were assured that they were now fortified against the evils of the world.

By the mid nineties DARE had infected more than seventy percent of school districts across the United States. It was not a curriculum so much as a branding operation. Parents adored it. Politicians bragged about it. The police treated it like a goodwill tour.

The problem is that the entire thing did not work. Multiple meta analyses found that DARE had either no measurable effect on future drug use or effects so small they barely registered. A few studies found that students who completed DARE even experimented more possibly because children are curious, confused and easily entertained by forbidden concepts.

The program was built on slogans rather than science. It substituted good intentions for meaningful intervention. It made addiction look like a moral failure instead of the complex social crisis it is. DARE was America in miniature. A shiny T-shirt pretending to be a solution.

Why This Matters Today

DARE is a perfect case study in institutional showmanship. It demonstrates our national desire for easy answers. It teaches us that if something feels helpful enough people will stop asking whether it is actually helpful. This is how grifts survive. This is how nostalgic myth becomes public memory.

⸻

Charlie and Erika Kirk and the Digital Fever Dream of Transvestigations

What Transvestigation Actually Is

Transvestigation is a conspiracy subculture devoted to claiming that public figures are secretly transgender. The reasoning is not medical, psychological or scientific. It is forensic fan fiction. These groups analyze photos of celebrities and politicians and apply invented rules about jaw shape collarbone angle shoulder width rib cage length wrist thickness and something they ominously call skull markers.

There is no science behind it. There is no method behind it. There is only paranoia amplified by people who believe they are citizen detectives protecting the world from a conspiracy that does not exist.

For years this fringe movement targeted women on the left. Michelle Obama was their white whale. They also went after celebrities like Taylor Swift, Meghan Markle, Serena Williams and Adele. Any woman with a strong jawline or athletic build was declared part of a secret gender agenda. The harassment has been relentless.

But now the movement has turned inward. They have run out of enemies and begun pointing their microscopes at their own heroes.

What They Are Saying About Erika Kirk

According to the THEM article and recent digital surveillance here are the claims:

• They say her jawline fits what they insist is a male coded shape. They circulate side by side photos comparing her face to older images of male celebrities and trans women in transition even though none of the comparisons are coherent.

• They insist her collarbones sit too high and too straight. They point to photos where her shoulders look square in certain angles and treat this as biological evidence.

• They claim her wrists appear too thick in one photo where she is holding a water bottle. They argue that the way her thumb rests on a plastic bottle is masculine. This is considered a smoking gun in transvestigation circles.

• They point to her rib cage and claim it is too long for a woman which is a concept that has no scientific foundation but is treated as gospel by these content creators.

• Some go further. They say Erika Kirk is part of a hidden elite trans infiltration network. They call it the trans deception agenda. They never define it. They just insist it exists.

What They Are Saying About Charlie Kirk

The conspiracists accuse Charlie of similar fabricated markers.

• They say his shoulder to hip ratio aligns with what they consider feminized skeletal patterns.

• They claim his skull structure shows traits they have decided indicate a trans woman who transitioned early in life.

• They circulate old photos of him and create imaginary transition timelines like they are solving a case on CSI That Makes No Sense.

• They say his face changed shape over time and they treat normal aging as a covert biological anomaly.

Why They Are Doing This

The THEM article explains that this is what happens when you cultivate distrust as a political currency. The right wing has spent years fueling suspicion of trans people. They turned gender into a battlefield where everything is a clue and everyone is a suspect. Now the machine they built has turned back toward them. This is not about Charlie or Erika. This is about a conspiracy algorithm that can never be satisfied.

When you reward content creators for uncovering hidden enemies eventually they will manufacture enemies from your own supporters.

The Broader Crisis

Transvestigation is not just ridiculous. It is dangerous. It treats gender identity like scandal material. It promotes body shaming disguised as detective work. It turns the public into unpaid inquisitors. And now the movement is eating itself alive. This is the logical endpoint of conspiracy thinking. When truth stops mattering the accusation becomes a spectacle.

⸻

GRIFTY GAME - Real News or Fake Grift Fever Dream?

Three stories. One true. The other two were born from the national imagination which is not exactly a safe place to be.

⸻

That concludes our weekly descent into the archives of American absurdity. We covered nostalgia that never worked and conspiracy thinking that never will. The past is clownish. The present is unhinged. The future is unclear. Thank you for staying with us through the fog. Kendrick Lamar take us out.

1. Public Books - "DARE Is More Than Just Antidrug Education It Is Police Propaganda" https://www.publicbooks.org/dare-is-more-than-just-anti-drug-education-it-is-police-propaganda/

2. Teen Vogue - "The DARE Program Tried To Reshape the Image of Police Officers for Children" https://www.teenvogue.com/story/dare-program-reshape-image-police-officers

3. Reason Magazine - "DARE Did Not Make Kids Say No To Drugs" https://reason.com/2024/04/02/dare-to-fail/

4. Bureau of Justice Assistance - Research and evaluation on DARE outcomes https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/media/document/cci_dare.pdf

5. WOSU Public Media - Coverage of Ohio districts ending the program https://www.wosu.org/news/2014-02-26/many-ohio-schools-dropping-drug-resistance-program

6. Wikipedia overview- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drug_Abuse_Resistance_Education

Second Segment:

1. THEM Magazine - "The Right Is Now Transvestigating Charlie Kirk and His Wife Erika" https://www.them.us/story/charlie-erika-kirk-transvestigator-trans-transvestigation

2. Yahoo News - "MAGA Has Lost the Plot and Is Now Transvestigating Charlie Kirk" https://uk.news.yahoo.com/maga-lost-plot-now-transvestigating-181426105.html

3. Tyla - "Transvestigating Explained as Conspiracy Theorists Target Erika and Charlie Kirk" https://www.tyla.com/news/transvestigating-explained-erika-charlie-kirk-conspiracy-theory-843901-20251114

• [00:00] Introduction

• [05:15] It's DARE

• [25:00] the Fever Dream of Transvestigations

• [40:00] Grifty Game

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Thanks for reading! Grifty runs on real people like you. Not corporations, not billionaires, not the faux-rebels funding their "truth telling" with hedge-fund money. We're here because the world is loud and full of grifters who think a ring light makes them philosophers. Our job is to cut through the noise, call out the scams, and make sense of the mess.

If you want analysis that isn't bought, polished, or PR-approved, subscribe free or paid. Every sign-up keeps this work alive.

And while you're here, listen to our new episodes wherever you get your podcasts, follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky @griftypod, and show us some love by subscribing, commenting, and sharing. For anything else Grifty, visit our website.

Thanks for being here with us in the chaos.

🚨 New Grifty episode just dropped with our new co-host @mrneuropolitan! 

We're diving into the most chaotic month in American politics, when the Supreme Court drops their worst rulings like they're hot. This week:

⚖️ SCOTUS June doom is upon us. Will we survive it?

👹 Senator Joni Ernst outdoes herself & casually shrugs off deadly Medicaid cuts

🥛 RFK Jr. teams up with a raw meat influencer to rewrite public health

Plus: @theycallme_ms_j & @the.wellness.therapist tell us their goose stories and @saribethrose tells us one about turtles 🐢 Oh, and we play Real Grift or Fake News and yes, "Spiritual Ozempic" might be real.

Tap the link in bio to listen or find us wherever you hear your fave podcasts (iTunes, Spotify, etc). Stay sharp. Stay suspicious. Stay Grifty. 🧠🎙️

A conversation with Federal Advocacy Coordinator Aaron McCall. 

This week on Grifty, we are heading north… way north. where climate change, government chaos, and corporate greed have collided at once.

Alaska is in free fall. A typhoon has slammed the western coast, wiping out villages and food stores that took generations to build. The federal government is shut down, freezing aid and cutting off SNAP benefits for tens of thousands. While people are trying to keep their families fed, the Trump administration is approving new oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

This is not about the weather. It is about what happens when a government built on extraction leaves its people to fend for themselves. It is about sovereignty, survival, and the politics of pretending the climate crisis is still up for debate.

We are joined by Dr. Brian Heaslet, a lifelong Alaskan who knows what it takes to keep food and supplies moving across the most isolated parts of the state. Also joining is our own Sierra Montoya, bringing her sharp Alaskan insight and humor to unpack what life in the Last Frontier really looks like when disaster meets politics.

It's a new year!  Anything could happen 🤗… Anything could happen 🤔… Anything could happen 😨

We kick off our third season discussing post-election coping strategies, the New Right Tech Bro Overlords who are thrashing democracy to make their Optimized new world order happen, and the items got us through the liminal period before Inauguration. 

The Grifty crew was joined by Dr. Nini Munoz to talk about all things grifty.

Dr. Nini is an electrical engineer and data scientist specializing in sensor design and integration. Her expertise ranges from inertial navigation systems to biosensors, and she integrates AI for pattern recognition and systems risk analysis. She completed her doctorate at Cornell University, where her research at the intersection of electrical engineering and microbiology focused on designing neural interfaces.

Nini is passionate about teaching and science communication. She has built a social media platform, @niniandthebrain, to make complex topics more accessible and understandable for a broad audience. Nini offers a data-driven approach. She teaches people how to critically appraise data by examining flawed studies, providing datasets, and demonstrating how data can be analyzed and manipulated to fit a predetermined conclusion, often going as far as replicating study findings.

Given the amount of health misinformation out there, Nini also hones on tackling some aspects of pseudoscience in the wellness world, particularly those pertaining to the use of technology to add legitimacy and credibility to their claims.

You can find her on social platforms by visiting @niniandthebrain or by visiting https://www.niniandthebrain.com

GENERAL ELECTION–STATE OF PLAY

1. The 2024 presidential debates have been unveiled 

   1. "The Commission on Presidential Debates announced Monday that the three 2024 presidential debates will be held next year on Sept. 16, Oct. 1 and Oct. 9. "(https://www.axios.com/2023/11/20/2024-election-debates-biden-trump-republicans )

2. Swing states that are expected to decide the 2024 presidential election

   1. "The titanic Biden-Trump election likely will be decided by roughly 6% of voters in just six states, top strategists in both parties tell us." (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/biden-trump-election-swing-states )

POTUS CANDIDATE: BIDEN

1. Biden's historic marijuana shift is his latest election year move for young voters

   1. PHOENIX (AP) — President Joe Biden may eventually ban TikTok, but he's moving to give something back to the young people who dominate the popular social media app — a looser federal grip on marijuana." (https://apnews.com/article/biden-young-voters-marijuana-reclassification-dea-193e97fc2dd7b32b7d7ad50b4ea80aa0 )

2. Biden touts new $3.3 billion Microsoft data center at failed Foxconn site Trump backed

   1. "U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday unveiled plans by Microsoft Corp to build a $3.3 billion data center in southeastern Wisconsin, drawing a sharp contrast to his Republican predecessor who had backed a previous $10 billion project at the same site that was significantly scaled back." (https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-unveil-33-billion-microsoft-ai-investment-battleground-wisconsin-2024-05-08/ )

3. Axios Poll of College Voters - Next Gen America  (https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.axios.com/2024/05/07/poll-students-israel-hamas-protests&sa=D&source=docs&ust=1715304228880446&usg=AOvVaw2gVrmRZ0q-sgs2JekbcTPA )

POTUS CANDIDATE: TRUMP 

1. Trump reportedly solicited $1 billion from oil executives to support his campaign, offering them concessions related to climate policies in return. This development underscores the high stakes of the upcoming 2024 election, particularly in the realm of climate policy. While President Biden has implemented numerous regulations aimed at addressing climate change, Trump, who has a history of rolling back such regulations and dismissing climate change as a hoax, presents a starkly different approach. The intersection of Trump's skepticism towards climate science and penchant for corruption poses a significant challenge and opportunity for the Biden campaign. This recent revelation highlights the critical importance of the election in shaping the future direction of environmental policy.

2. Recent polls indicate that a significant portion of voters lack awareness of President Biden's major domestic accomplishments, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, which featured substantial climate investments and green incentives for both businesses and individuals. Furthermore, there is a lack of understanding among voters regarding Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, with some mistakenly attributing similar achievements to former President Trump, despite his failure to deliver on infrastructure promises during his tenure. This highlights the urgent need for the Biden campaign to educate the public on how his policies positively impact their communities. In contrast, Trump's apparent willingness to prioritize personal gain by making promises to oil companies further underscores the contrasting approaches of the two leaders on critical issues like climate and infrastructure.

3. How Far Trump Would Go

   1. "Donald Trump thinks he's identified a crucial mistake of his first term: He was too nice." (https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/ )

4. Every Awful Thing Trump Has Promised to Do in a Second Term
   1. The former president has pushed a slew of terrifying proposals, both publicly and privately, that he plans to unleash on America should he take down Biden" (https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-second-term-plans-wildest-proposals-1234947327/))
5. R.F.K. Jr. Says Doctors Found a Dead Worm in His Brain

   1. "The presidential candidate has faced previously undisclosed health issues, including a parasite that he said ate part of his brain." (https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.html )

6. Here's Who's On Trump's Most Likely VP Shortlist—And What He's Saying About The Contenders

   1. "Former President Donald Trump spoke highly of nearly a dozen potential running mate picks over the weekend as they gathered at donor event at Mar-a-Lago for what was widely viewed as a pseudo-tryout, as Trump has reportedly begun to narrow down his list." (https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/05/06/heres-whos-on-trumps-most-likely-vp-shortlist-and-what-hes-saying-about-the-contenders/?sh=60cf1d11c3a8 )

7. Barron Trump makes political debut as Florida delegate for GOP convention

   1. "Donald Trump's son Barron, 18 and about to graduate high school, was named as a delegate at large for the GOP national convention in Milwaukee. " (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/barron-trump-florida-delegate-gop-convention/ )

TRUMP'S TRIALS

1. Trump threatened with jail after violating hush money gag order again
   1. "A New York judge on Monday threatened to jail former President Trump after his latest violation of the gag order in his hush money criminal case." (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/trump-fined-gag-order-hush-money-trial )
2. Trump's N.Y. criminal trial: Who has testified and who hasn't

   1. "Former President Trump's first criminal trial in New York has so far featured witness testimony from a former top White House aide, a veteran tabloid publisher, a former longtime Trump assistant and a former director at a bank." (https://www.axios.com/2024/04/30/trump-trial-hush-money-witnesses-testimony-updates) 

CONGRESS

1. Mike Johnson signals House power play in 2025

   1. "Ahead of a potential motion to vacate vote this week, Speaker Mike Johnson is tipping his hand for how he or a successor should rebuild the power of the House speakership." (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/mike-johnson-house-rules-republicans-congress-2025 )

2. Bernie Sanders will run for re-election

   1. "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the 82-year-old progressive icon, announced on Monday that he will run for re-election." (https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/bernie-sanders-re-election-us-senator-vermont )

3. Money isn't enough to smooth the path for Republican candidates hoping to retake the Senate

   1. WASHINGTON (AP) — Frustrated by the seemingly endless cash flowing to Democrats, Republicans aiming to retake the Senate have rallied around candidates with plenty of their own money. (https://apnews.com/article/gop-campaign-rich-candidates-senate-majority-68a8eb884c96ec53f13e1472d225cb21 )
      

MISCELLANEOUS executive about agencies view soq

1. Recent data from the Association of American Medical Colleges indicates that medical school graduates are increasingly opting to avoid states with abortion bans or newly imposed restrictions following the Dobbs case when selecting their residency programs. In states with near-total abortion bans, the number of new residencies has declined by 4.2%, a significant contrast to the overall decrease of 0.6% across all states. This trend is even more pronounced among graduates entering OB/GYN residencies, suggesting a notable impact on specialty choices as a result of these restrictive regulations.

2. Section 241 of Title 18 is MAGA Law's New Shiny Object 

"The Project 2025 plan for the Department of Justice recommends using 18 U.S.C. § 241, an 1870 civil rights law, to prosecute state officials (maybe even judges) if DOJ disagrees with how they apply state election law." (https://randomlysecured.substack.com/p/section-241-of-title-18-is-maga-laws?utm_medium=ios )

On this episode, the gang is joined by the one and only Dr. Inna Kanevsky to discuss all types of grifty misinformation floating around online about pop psychology and science.

Dr. Inna Kanevsky has over 1.1m followers on TikTok (@dr_inna) and her videos have garnered over 36 million views, which according to some estimates places her in the 99.75% percentile of U.S. Tiktokers. When she's not being a social media influencer, Dr. Inna is a Psychology Professor at San Diego Mesa College with her doctorate in experimental psychology. 

Be sure to follow Dr. Inna on TikTok @dr_inna and on Instagram @_dr_inna.

GENERAL ELECTION–STATE OF PLAY

1. States where abortion is on the ballot in the 2024 election

   1. "Voters in about a dozen states could decide the fate of abortion rights in November with constitutional amendments on the ballot in a pivotal election year — including in several battleground states that will be key to deciding the presidential race and which party controls Congress."

(https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/abortion-ballot-measures/ )

1. RFK Jr. rules out Libertarian presidential run

   1. "Independent presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Saturday ruled out running as a Libertarian." (https://apple.news/AOtthZk48RtOWffIxyUgfLg )

2. THE RFK JR. STRATEGY CLICKS INTO FOCUS
   1. As the race between Trump and Biden gets uglier, Kennedy is focusing on ballot access. (https://apple.news/A0Fa-JwuMSnKaKTtMZ8_qPA )

SCOTUS

1. The Supreme Court effectively abolishes the right to mass protest in three US states
   1. "It is no longer safe to organize a protest in Louisiana, Mississippi, or Texas." (https://apple.news/AgbB_Hz0_SZSvZeRPJdMzOw )
2. Supreme Court Takes Up Jan. 6 Case That Could Affect Hundreds of Prosecutions
   1. "Justices to decide whether Enron-era obstruction law applies to rioters' disruption of Congress" (https://apple.news/APSrlh_7GSJ-Z5fQigCaUXQ )

CONGRESS

1. 'I am not resigning': Johnson at risk as he forges ahead on Ukraine, Israel aid

   1. Another GOP lawmaker said Tuesday they'd join a motion to remove Johnson. (https://apple.news/A_qwNqRUCQcS5BWEL_vyXTw )

2. House Republicans Ridiculed into Dropping "Appliance Week"
   1. "Republican representatives hastily scrapped plans for bills opposing regulations on household appliances." (https://newrepublic.com/post/180697/republicans-woke-appliances-israel-iran )

POTUS CANDIDATE: BIDEN

POTUS CANDIDATE: TRUMP 

1. TRUMP'S PRESIDENTIAL-IMMUNITY THEORY IS A THREAT TO THE CHAIN OF COMMAND

   1. "Subordinates need to know that the commander in chief is bound by the same laws as everyone else." (https://apple.news/AT8wtGOezQySmUvJqdCe3fA )

2. Trump Media shares tank after company reveals plan to sell more stock

   1. "Shares of Truth Social parent company have fallen 60% since March market debut as ex-president under financial pressure." (https://apple.news/A450bN4_3QHOAgrxmAWZtuw )

TRUMP'S TRIALS

1. Defendant is not above the law": N.Y. prosecutors urge judge to hold Trump in contempt
   1. "Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg filed a motion Tuesday seeking to hold former President Trump in contempt for alleged violations of his partial gag order in the New York criminal case" (https://apple.news/A6i4MtqOJQB2v8BBw5QCCVg )

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MISCELLANEOUS

1. What Liberals Get Wrong About 'White Rural Rage' — Almost Everything

   1. "The 'White Rural Rage' narrative gets the research wrong. I know, because some of it is mine." https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/04/05/white-rural-rage-myth-00150395 )

2. An Honest Assessment of Rural White Resentment Is Long Overdue 
   1. "We say very clearly that rural America is hurting. But we refuse to justify attitudes that some scholars try to underplay." (https://newrepublic.com/article/180570/trump-rural-white-resentment-honest-assessment )

She's just a girl, a girl in the world. Join Azi as she has a fun two part chat with Caroline Calloway about everything and nothing. Tune in for the second part of this interview next week. 

Find us on all social media platforms @griftypod or visit www.grifty.org for more 

KING CAUCUS - On this episode of the Grifty Tribune, Azi, Sari and Taryn discuss the outcome of the Iowa Caucus where Trump won (with a lower turnout than previous years), reviewed the tick tock of Trump's busy 2024 trial schedule, and discussed how they'd characterize the 2024 electorate.and what exactly will motivate them to vote and save our democracy from the man who wants to be King.

History behind Caucus System 

History Behind the Iowa Caucus

The Caucus System in the U.S. Presidential Nominating Process

Trump's big Iowa win included some signs of trouble with moderates, younger voters

Polling of Republicans at Iowa Caucus

Trump also continued his pattern of racist dog whistles against Nikki Haley (who is slightly gaining on him in the polls), referring to her by her first name, Nimarata, in a Truth Social post. 

A judge in Maine decided to hold off on ruling on the case of Trump's ballot eligibility until the Supreme Court issues a decision on the Colorado case. 

DeSantis's super PAC, Never Back Down, began laying off staff and it looks like he's going to drop out. 

TRUMP LEGAL ISSUES

Rundown: The Trump legal cases to watch in 2024

Trump's lawyer argues that a president can order SEAL Team Six to assassinate his political rival if Congress is cool with it: 

https://www.threads.net/@esqueer_/post/C17WNW0uSoc/

Episode 1 of Season 2 features Taylor Lorenz discussing influencers and 

This week's episode dives straight into the No Kings protest, where nearly eight million people took to the streets to push back against Trump and the creeping rot of authoritarianism. It was the largest protest in American history, a moment that felt like the country briefly remembered what collective power looks like before the morning hangover set in.

And on the other side, we had the tankies those chronically online, do-nothing leftists who spent the weekend insisting that protest is pointless. The same self sabotaging geniuses who told people not to vote in 2024 because "it wouldn't matter," which sure helped Trump slide right back into power. They call it radical theory and praxis. We call it performative nihilism and contrarianism with WiFi.

Episode 9 Grifty Tribune: The Grifty Old Party

On this episode of Grifty,  we are kicking off our new ongoing series- The Grifty Tribune. In ancient Rome, the Tribune was a person who upheld or defended the rights of the people. And we plan to do the same with this ongoing series. 

In this edition of the Grifty Tribune, Azi and Sari break down the latest in American politics with a focus on how the GOP got so darn grifty - from Sarah Palins's $150,000 wardrobe back in 2008 to the Obama Birther Conspiracy to the Trump Mug Shot of 2023. Azi and Sari even go back to the Roman Empire - yes, the Roman Empire - and try to figure out how we got to this place in America, once founded on lofty principles of republican virtue, to one where Trump is able to galvanize and grift off of an anti-intellectual, conspiracy theory obsessed,  and bigoted voting bloc. 

 IN THIS EPISODE

1. Bidens impressive record
2. $150,000 Wardrobe for Palin May Alter Tailor-Made Image
3. Who the hell is Orly Taitz
4. The Mug Shot Is a Warning
5. How Conspiracy Theorists Have Tapped Into Race and Racism to Further Their Message

That didn't stop the smear from gaining traction, in an effort fueled by people including hard-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of InfoWars — and by future president Donald Trump himself, who fanned the "birther" flames in 2011 as he advanced in the political arena.

According to Trump's longtime associate Roger Stone, it was an effective strategy: "Trump understands among Republicans there's a very substantial majority who have questions about Obama's origins and how he just pops up out of nowhere to become a national figure and whether he was, in fact, eligible to serve as president," Stone told FRONTLINE in 2016.

1. The Genesis of the Birther Rumor: Partisanship, Racial Attitudes, and Political Knowledge
2.  There's actually only one conspiracy theory: Democrats are evil
3.  How the Republican Party came to embrace conspiracy theories and denialism
4. Tucker Carlson, who is scrounging for attention in an increasingly fractured and competitive right-wing media ecosystem while seeking funders for his new media venture
5. The Weaponization of Loneliness: To defend America against those who would exploit our social disconnection, we need to rebuild our communities By Hillary Rodham Clinton
6. The History of Antisemitic Conspiracy Theories, from the Rothschilds to George Soros

Grifty Pod Episode 8: Boys Don't Cry

Boy's don't cry, and that is precisely the problem. On this episode of Grifty, all the gang is back in town for our back-to-school episode of exploring the Manosphere – an interconnected echo chamber of men and boys where the themes of toxic masculinity, misogyny, and homophobia are platformed and normalized in online forums, podcasts, and articles all over the web. A large part of the appeal of the manosphere is that it acknowledge the increasing rates of depression, suicide, and incarceration among men. However,  they take this sliver of truth and leverage it into a fear-mongering grift where they make the false link that these issues plaguing our boys and men are the result of some global conspiracy.

Find us on all social media platforms @griftypod

Learn more www.grifty.org

IN THIS EPISODE 

On the History of the Manosphere:

The Evolution of the Manosphere across the Web

"To Learn About the Far Right, Start With the 'Manosphere'." The Atlantic

On the Ideology and Content of the Manosphere:

"Glitz, Glam & Violent Misogyny: The Toxic Ideology of the Manosphere," International Socialist Alternative

"Jordan Peterson and the Return of the Men's Rights Movement," The Washington Post

 "The Liver King and the Problematic rise of Primal Manhood," Huck Magazine

On the Radicalization of men and boys caused by the Manosphere:

"The "Manosphere" Is Getting More Toxic As Angry Men Join the Incels," MIT Technology Review 

"The Misogynist Incel Movement is Spreading. Should it be Classified as a Terror Threat?," The Guardian

"Mass Violence and Terrorism since Santa Barbara," New America

"Elliot Rodger: How misogynist killer became 'incel hero'," BBC.com

"Plymouth Shooter Fascinated By Serial Killers and 'Incel' Culture, Inquest Hears," The Guardian 

On the grifts, scams, and charlatans of the Manosphere:

"Andrew Tate Wants Everyone To Get In On the Grift," Jacobin

"Generation Tate: How can we stop losing vulnerable men to the 'manosphere'?," The Independent

Gather 'round as we delve into the world of life coaching. Apparently in these modern times, for the average person, craving a new life implies seeking the assistance of a so-called life coach. These self-proclaimed saviors promise to guide you towards a life of success, wealth, and popularity. But let's not be fooled for beneath their veneer of expertise there may be nothing more than a shameless grift.

In the tumultuous landscape of late-stage capitalism, where the weight of societal pressures and economic inequalities bears down on individuals, the quest for a new and improved life has taken on a peculiar form. Enter life coaching, the beacon of hope for those yearning to optimize themselves and strive towards the elusive next level.

Join us on this episode as we navigate through the treacherous terrain of personal transformation in an unforgiving system. We dissect the woven web at the intersection of life coaching, new age spirituality, and the so-called wellness industry. As people grapple with the challenges imposed by late-stage capitalism, life coaching has emerged as a glimmer of possibility—a path to reinvention and advancement. How does this ethereal landscape intersect with the quest for personal transformation? And what happens when individuals willingly part with their hard-earned money, entrusting their hopes and aspirations to unlicensed professionals promising to guide them towards higher levels of optimization?

As we delve deeper, we confront the pressing question of legitimacy. Does it truly matter that these life coaches lack professional licenses? Are they equipped with the necessary skills and expertise to navigate the intricate complexities of personal growth and transformation? Or are they merely capitalizing on the vulnerability of individuals, all while society at large remains blissfully unaware?

During this episode, Thomas and Azi are joined by new friends of the pod, Ash Riley, a journalist and business consultant well-versed in ethical and trauma-informed approaches, and Marguerite Dautan, a visionary social change innovator and digital creator, we delve deep into the motivations and repercussions of this transformative pursuit.

As we navigate the intricacies of personal growth and societal pressures, we'll explore the intricate dance between ambition and exploitation, as individuals invest their hopes, dreams, and hard-earned dollars into the promise of a better tomorrow. 

Prepare to challenge the prevailing narratives as we shine a light on the profound impact of new age inpsired life coaching. What repercussions does it have on our collective well-being? Does it empower individuals to break free from the chains of socioeconomic capitalism, or does it inadvertently perpetuate the very system it claims to transcend?

So, fellow skeptics and seekers of progress, prepare to have your illusions shattered and your wallets guarded as we unravel the tangled web of life coaching within the context of late-stage capitalism. Together, we'll confront the challenges, celebrate the triumphs, seek a deeper understanding, analyze, and question whether this pursuit of optimization truly offers liberation or merely perpetuates the status quo.

Find us on on all social media platforms including Threads @griftypod and at griftypod.org

Find this weeks friends of the pod by visiting their social media

Margarit Davtian: @Seekwithser

Ash Riley: @ashrising

Indictment Day: Part Deux

Donald John Trump has been indicted and arraigned for a second time in three months, with at least two possible ones to come. (Insert clip of Kimberly Guilfoyle bellowing out "The Best is Yet To Come!"). Although Trump invited all of his fans to the Miami Federal Courthouse on his Arraignment Day aka Flag Day aka his 77th Birthday, there was reportedly more press than MAGAs in attendance. Where's the QAnon Shaman when you need him? Oh, right, freshly out of prison. Azi and Sari speak with a very special guest, Little Miss Marxist to discuss Indictment Day Part Deux as well as the current state of the GOP. Only time will tell who will be the Republican candidate up against incumbent Joe Biden, but we know that every Trump indictment - and arraignment - is the gift that keeps giving for the Grand Old Party.

Don't forget to follow @Littlemissmarxist, @saribethrose, @the.wellness.therapist, and @griftypod on all social media platforms. 

Do you believe in magic? On this episode of Grifty, friends of the pod explore America's mass shooting problem thru the lens of the magical thinking that fuels both gun and wellness cultures, as well as discuss the latest news about GOP grifters Donald Trump and George Santos.

The market for Toxic forms of wellness exists because people are feeling disempowered with their health and lack trust in the medical community in the same way that the consumer market for military-grade weapons exists because people are feeling disempowered with their safety and lack trust in the government. Gun and wellness cultures center YOU in the discussion, as both the main contributor and detractor of your safety and well-being.  It's giving main character energy in the worst way possible.

These dogmatic views and binary solutions towards self-sufficiency and empowerment have led to extremism not just by predatory grifters but also by other well-meaning but misinformed individuals, especially in this chronically online era where anyone can become a platform for spreading false information as they can work the algorithm.

Azadeh "Azi" Ghafari, Sari Beth Rosenberg, Dr. Thomas Oden MD, Baktaash "BT" Sorkhabi 

On Trump's Sexual Assault Case

Politico – A stunning Result in Trump's Sexual Assault Trial

PBS - Breaking down the verdict as jury finds Trump liable for sexual assault and defamation

On George Santos' Fraud charges

United States Department of Justice: Congressman George Santos Charged with Fraud, Money Laundering, Theft of Public Funds, and False Statements

Fortune - Serial liar George Santos' lesser-known fraud may have been collecting $24,000 in COVID unemployment benefits while working a $120,000 job

On America's mass shooting problem

Huff Post - Texas Mall Shooting Victims Include Young Child And His Parents

Huff Post - The Texas Shooter Reportedly Wore A Patch Popular With Far-Right Groups

Daily Beast - Why Young Men of Color Are Joining White-Supremacist Groups

Harvard School of Public Health - Do guns make us safer? Science suggests no

Harvard School of Public Health – Scientists Agree: Guns don't make society safer

Newsweek – Republicans are blaming Mental Health School Shootings After Refusing to Fund It

Washington Post – Why Haven't GOP Politicians Matched  Funding to their Rhetoric?

Pew Research Center – What the Data says about gun deaths in the U.S.

On The Wellness to Alt Right Pipeline

Huff Post - Gun Culture And Wellness Culture Come From the Same Place

Conspirtuality – Guns, Germs, & Fears

PBS - Disinformation abounds in the wellness community. How one anti-vax influencer broke free

McGill Office for Science and Society – Granola and Guns: The Rise of Conspirtuality

Mother Jones - Wellness Influencers Are Spreading QAnon Conspiracies About the Coronavirus

Food Psych – Rethinking Wellness: The Problems with "Natural" Wellness with Alan Levinovitz

The 2024 Presidential election is officially underway. Joe Biden Part 2 is in full effect. Dude is old, get over it. Ron DeSantis went and got himself sued by Disney and is running 30 points behind Trump. Tucker Carlson got himself fired from Fox News and now has to report from his basement bunker. RFK Jr. and Marianne Williamson bringing old-school wellness grifts back into politics. Azi and Sari share their own conspiracy theories about the REAL reason why RFK Jr. is running, and Larry David is to blame. 

On this episode, Friends of the Pod discuss the pseudoscience that can be chiropracty wacky backy quacky, which is the perfect place to trap gullible people looking for some relief. 

Of course, like many wellness practices chiropractice care lives in the in-between of therapeutic health modalities that can be effective and can also become iffy when mixed with pseudoscience. At times the field has been about ignoring evidence-based medicine. 

Various systematic reviews of controlled clinical studies of treatments used by some chiropractors has also found no evidence that all of the work that they do is effective, with the possible exception of treatment for specific kinds of back pain. Very little reproducible evidence exists to indicate that maintenance chiropractic care adequately prevents anything. While some chiropractors limit their practice to short-term treatment of muscle conditions, many falsely claim that they ARE able to treat a myriad of other conditions, including mental and spiritual health.

Final nugget: D. D. Palmer founded chiropractic in the 1890s, after saying he received knowledge about it from "the other world" and connected with the father of Scientology, L. Ron Hubbard. 

In this Episode, We are joined by our first guest, Sari Beth Rosenberg.

Sari teaches U.S. History and A.P. U.S. history at a New York City Public high school, named The High School of Environmental Studies, with over 20 years of experience. In this episode, we talk about the historical aspect of how history and ideas are presented to us and where being biased plays a role in how it's told. We discuss Howard Zinn, an American historian, playwright, and social activist. Zinn is best known for his book "A People's History of the United States", which offers a different perspective on American history, focusing on the struggles of ordinary people such as enslaved peoples, workers, women, and Native Americans. We share how this book contributes to the school system of teaching history. Listen, Share, and Subscribe 

Useful Resources: Howard Zinn's book - A People's History of the United States

Sari Beth Rosenberg's website - https://saribeth.com

Listen to our previous episodes at www.grifty.org

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter @griftypod

Take off them fabricated streams and them microwave memes, it's a real world outside. Welcome to the first episode of Grifty: a late-stage capitalism audio newsletter by and about false idols. Our conversations will be a little snarky, a little intellectual, a bit historical, a lot political, and ultimately  about how to survive late stage capitalism, take care of one's mental health, and engage in community building. 

With Azadeh Ghafari, Baktaash Sorkhabi, Amanda Motell, and Dr. Thomas Oden.

www.grifty.org

August 31, 2025

Welcome back to Grifty, the podcast where cult wellness, corporate greed, and authoritarian politics meet at a potluck dinner nobody wanted. Tonight's theme is Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again plan, better known as MAHA. The Trump team is branding it as a health revolution. But peel back the organic avocado sticker and it looks more like the same old MAGA project: pretend to fight for wellness while quietly dismantling the science and institutions that actually keep people alive.

Let's dig in.

⸻

Segment 1: The Food Fight Nobody Ordered
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as Trump's Health Secretary, launched MAHA to target ultra-processed foods, artificial dyes, and chemical additives. Big food corporations such as Kraft Heinz, Mars, and Kellogg have already pledged to remove synthetic dyes by 2027 under mounting pressure (Axios (https://www.axios.com/2025/08/31/rfk-robert-kennedy-maha-food-plan)).

Supporters frame MAHA as consumer protection. Critics see Kennedy using it to market himself as America's wellness crusader while sidelining medical professionals and spreading distrust in vaccines and science.

Questions:
    1.    Is this food reform real progress or just wellness-washed authoritarianism
    2.    Should we be celebrating slightly cleaner Pop Tarts while the CDC is gutted behind the scenes

⸻

Segment 2: Polls Love Food Reform, Hate Science
According to an Axios Ipsos survey, 87 percent of Americans support stronger food safety rules, with bipartisan backing (Axios (https://www.axios.com/2025/08/31/rfk-republicans-gop-business-make-america-healthy-again-maha)). Nobody is begging for more Red Dye No. 40.

But vaccines remain a dividing line. Gallup found that Republicans are significantly less supportive of childhood vaccinations than Democrats, leaving MAHA as a unifying food crusade that simultaneously deepens America's science divide (Axios (https://www.axios.com/2025/08/31/rfk-republicans-gop-business-make-america-healthy-again-maha)).

Food For Thought:
    1.    Does this prove people only support science when it is about snacks
    2.    What does it mean when food safety unites but basic vaccines divide

⸻

Segment 3: GOP Breaks Up With Big Food
The Republican Party has suddenly distanced itself from Big Food. Instead of defending corporations, GOP leaders are aligning with suburban parents worried about chemical exposure and warning labels on junk food (Axios (https://www.axios.com/2025/08/31/rfk-republicans-gop-business-make-america-healthy-again-maha)).

But corporate donors are not walking away quietly. Agricultural giants like Mountaire and Reyes Holdings are resisting regulation, and their financial influence means the fight is just beginning.

Questions:
    1.    What happens when Republicans break up with Big Food, and who is their rebound
    2.    How long before Fox News says Biden wants to ban Oreos

⸻

Segment 4: MAHA's War on Science
The Trump administration is using MAHA to undermine public health. The CDC is being overhauled and senior scientists are resigning in protest of political interference and Kennedy's rejection of mRNA technologies (The Hill (https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5475599-trump-administration-overhauls-cdc/amp/)).

Experts warn this is not temporary. Cutting research programs and pushing conspiracy rhetoric risks decades of progress in medicine and public health

Questions:
    1.    What does America look like when essential oils replace vaccines
    2.    How do we measure the long term cost of this brain drain from the CDC

⸻

Segment 5: Killing Cancer Research While Posing As Wellness Saviors
While Trump and Kennedy promote MAHA as a children's health movement, they are simultaneously dismantling federal programs designed to find cures for cancer, Alzheimer's, and ALS (House Appropriations Committee (https://democrats-appropriations.house.gov/news/press-releases/trump-team-dismantles-efforts-find-cure-cancer-and-other-deadly-disorders-and)).

The cruelty is in the timing. The New York Times reported promising breakthroughs from a new pediatric brain cancer trial group just this week (New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/28/well/pediatric-brain-cancer-trial-group.html)). While researchers bring hope to families, Washington is choking off the funding that sustains them.

Questions:
    1.    How do you square calling yourself pro child health while cutting cancer research
    2.    Is this just political theater that uses kids as props

⸻

Segment 6: MAHA 2026 Political Weaponized Wellness
Kennedy and Trump are positioning MAHA as a key wedge issue for the 2026 midterms. The strategy is to woo suburban women, independents, and younger voters with promises of food safety and wellness transparency (Axios (https://www.axios.com/2025/08/24/rfk-jr-maha-strategy-2026-midterms)).

The contradiction is glaring. They say they care about your family's health, yet they are dismantling the very systems that could save your family from disease. It is not Make America Healthy Again. It is Make America Hypocritical Always.

Questions:
    1.    Is this wellness movement just MAGA wrapped in Whole30 branding
    2.    How do Democrats fight back against a political cleanse disguised as health reform

⸻

OUTRO
That is MAHA in all its kale washed glory. A movement pretending to save you from Lucky Charms while cutting off cancer research and gutting public health. This is violence with branding. Trump and Kennedy are not protecting families, they are using wellness as a mask for authoritarian power.

Kendrick Lamar. Please take us out.