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Grifty — Government
Grifty

Grifty is a late-stage capitalism podcast by and about false idols. Hosted by Azadeh Ghafari, Aaron McCall, Dr. Inna Kanevsky, and Julian Walker, Grifty dives into the strange, seductive overlap of politics, media, pop psychology, conspiracy culture, technology, celebrity, branding, and disinformation.

We unpack how charismatic personalities, political movements, corporations, influencers, and institutions hijack the language of truth, freedom, justice, identity, and community to build audiences, sell certainty, and gain power. What starts as culture becomes content. What starts as belonging becomes a business model. And eventually, everything becomes something to monetize.

Welcome to Grifty: a little snarky, a little scholarly, deeply historical, definitely political, and always asking the bigger questions.

Follow us on all socials @Griftypod
Join us on Substack for exclusive content & show notes: https://griftypodcast.substack.com/
For more info: www.grifty.org
Email us: griftypod@gmail.com

HOSTS
Azadeh Ghafari @the.wellness.therapist
Julian Walker @realityandmeaning
Aaron McCall @mrneuropolitan
Dr. Inna Kanevsky @_dr_inna

Copyright: © 2023

Latest Episodes:

Episode 9: The Grifty Old Party Sep 22, 2023

Show notes

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

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.

Episode 8: Boys Don't Cry Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

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

Episode 7: And I will try to Fix you: The life coaching Industry | Part One Jul 27, 2023

Show notes

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

Episode 6: Indictment Day | Part Deux Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

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.

Episode 5: Holistic Ballistics May 24, 2023

Show notes

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.

FRIENDS ON THIS EPISODE

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

IN THIS EPISODE

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

Episode 4: Veni, Vedi, Grifty: They Came, They Saw, They Grifted May 05, 2023

Show notes

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.

Episode 3: Wacky Backy Quacky Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

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.

Episode 2: Bias Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

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

Episode 1: Take Off Feb 22, 2023

Show notes

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

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