About UNFTR
From our original podcast introduction:
“We’ll traverse this audio journey together to upend conventional wisdom, blow up narratives on both the left and the right and use magical devices like facts, logic and reason to explain how we arrived in Bizarro America, the funhouse mirror version of what was originally intended.”
This still holds true. The overarching goal of UNFTR is to provide modern day clarity through historical analysis. Since launching the podcast in 2020, UNFTR has evolved to include a YouTube channel and a twice-weekly newsletter. We have also expanded our news coverage on this website through a partnership with News Beat, a social justice podcast and journalism outlet.
Our topics range from climate change and socio-economic policy to U.S. political history and current events. Every topic is thoroughly researched and meticulously sourced and presented from a decidedly progressive perspective.
Meeting people where they are
This really is a trite statement. But it’s been a powerful element of UNFTR that allows us to speak to everyone, even when we’re tearing them apart. Because the podcast is sprinkled with profanity, our bark is worse than our bite. In practice, we mostly take an open-minded and empathetic approach to the issues we cover.
Any writer/journalist/broadcast/pundit who assumes their audience is at the same point in their intellectual or emotional journey means they aren’t interested in learning and evolving by definition. Furthermore, by exploring topics with an open-mind and level of empathy that “meets people where they are,” we have cultivated an authentic relationship with our audience. Unf*ckers are extremely well informed and sometimes more informed on certain topics that we are. And they feel comfortable letting us know without tearing us down or demeaning us.
This is the unspoken contract we have cultivated with Unf*ckers. While we are sometimes passionately outraged by an issue and prepared to vociferously defend our point of view, we’re always open to dialogue and to understanding alternative perspectives.
About the Podcast Team
The primary host and head writer of UNFTR is a former alternative weekly publisher and columnist who publishes under the pseudonym “Max.”
Max is a basic, middle-aged white guy who developed his cultural tastes in the 80s (Miami Vice, NY Mets), became politically aware in the 90s (as a Republican), started actually thinking and writing in the 2000s (shifting left), became completely jaded in the 2010s (moving further left) and eventually decided to launch UNFTR in the 2020s (completely left).
The co-host of UNFTR is “99,” a whip-smart, animal loving vegan Millennial. She provides the grounding for the show, calls Max out on his bullshit and is responsible for the website, show art, essay editing, coffee distribution, digital and audio accessibility, listener feedback, Show Notes preparation, the UNFTR Bookshop, show art and booking “Phone a Friend” guests. After reading all of this, you’re probably beginning to wonder why she even needs Max. We are too.
The engineer/editor/sound designer of Unf*cking the Republic® is Manny Faces, an award-winning company based in Atlanta. Manny is a multiple award-winning Hip-Hop journalist and speaker, as well as a podcast producer for shows such News Beat and Hip-Hop Can Save America.
Our theme songs are composed and recorded by the inimitable Tom McGovern. Visit TomMcGovern.com to learn more about Tom and his talents.
OFFICIAL STUFF
Band. We have an official band. It’s a Celtic Punk band named Hold Fast based in Pennsylvania. It never occurred to us that we would have an official band but then we met Cole, Dave, Buzz, Zach and Jon. They gather to play music, drink whiskey and cause trouble. During rehearsals they discuss and debate the finer points of capitalist and Marxist theories. And so we fell in love.
Bookstore. One of the earliest listeners to hop aboard the UNFTR train was “Bookstore Kim”. Kim owns Green Mountain Books in rural Lyndonville, Vermont. Kim is a buddy. She’s on team mustard, is quick with solid book recommendations and once hosted a book reading with Bernie Sanders.
County. Newbies might hear us talk about “the memory of Nettie McGee” during Show Notes or in the sponsor section. Like Bookstore Kim, Nettie was an early Unf*cker. A lifelong activist who was often found protesting the powers that be on the streets of Outagamie County, Wisconsin. Nettie was an avid listener and critic of the show who always let us know when we went too far, or not far enough. She introduced us to great Wisco friends like Bob K and Alex who continue to uplift UNFTR to this day. That’s why our show is based in NY, but our spirit lives in Outagamie.
About the Name
The crassness of the show title is unfortunate. But how else were we going to get your attention? Plus, as we know, things are indeed pretty f*cked. So we leaned into the profanity in order to draw attention to some really important shit. When we’re in polite company or trying to evade censorship on YouTube we generally refer to the show as UNFTR.
Interact with the Show
Want to praise us?
Leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser.
Want to advertise with us?
UNFTR is primarily supported by memberships, merchandise and our partnership with Native Coffee Traders. If you’re interested in sponsoring the show please refer to the sponsorship guideline page for more details.
Ways to Support the Show
- Become a member of the show. Visit our membership page to learn about the tiers and benefits we offer and join the growing community of UNFTR supporters.
- Coffee drinkers can support the show by purchasing our incredible line of Unf*cking Coffee® made in partnership with the indigenous coffee roasters of the great Unkechaug Nation. You can help support UNFTR and economic development on a Native reservation in New York.
- Instead of putting more money in Jeff Bezos’ pocket, consider purchasing a book from our store on Bookshop.org, which helps support local bookstores.
Want to access alternate, accessible versions of our content?
For a text version of the episode, sign up for our newsletter to receive the essays the episodes are framed around.
For those with auditory processing issues or for anyone who prefers episodes without background music, we offer a musicless version of the show using a separate RSS feed.
To add an RSS feed to your app follow these instructions:
- Copy this RSS URL to your clipboard: https://www.omnycontent.com/d/playlist/ed1c4567-4a2a-4d8b-862f-ab600003d530/e8f9d9b7-b747-4bb4-bc50-ac4f010d726b/7284a3af-86c1-4f6d-95e8-acf60013d632/podcast.rss
- Open your preferred podcasts app on your device.
- Select file, then “Add a Show by URL...”
- Enter your RSS feed URL.
- Select Subscribe.
Note: As of now, certain apps such as Podbean and Spotify do not allow you to add RSS feeds directly to the app.
Want to yell at us?
Email us at unftrpod@gmail.com or light us up on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Want to suggest a topic or leave a message for listener shoutouts on Show Notes?
Email us at unftrpod@gmail.com, send us your message and let us know if it’s okay to use your full name or if you would prefer we use first name only.
UNFTR FAQS
What are the membership benefits?
There are currently four levels of membership that help support this website, the podcast, newsletter and YouTube channel. All of the membership benefits for the following tiers can be found on our membership page.
- Curious - $5 | Month
- Comrade - $10 | Month
- Professional - $20 | Month
- Overcaffeinated - $50 | Month
What can I expect to hear on the UNFTR podcast?
Full Unf*ckings
Typically released each Saturday, our “Full Unf*ckings” are deep dives into a specific topic. These episodes run anywhere from 40 to 80 minutes and are heavily sourced. The range of topics we cover in our Full Unf*ckings is fairly broad but primarily viewed through a socioeconomic lens.
Quickies
Quickies are shorter takes on three distinct but related topics. We use these to dip into more current events though they are still thoroughly researched and sourced. However, the narrative thread between the three topics gives more a commentary than journalistic feel to these shows. Quickies range in length from 20 to 40 minutes depending upon how agitated we are over a particular topic.
Topical Cream
These episodes are the closest UNFTR comes to true commentary. These are constructed in more of a traditional op-ed fashion. That’s not to suggest that the material isn’t rooted in research. But we certainly take more liberties with these short takes that typically clock in around 15 minutes.
Show Notes
When the pod was in its infancy, Max and 99 would have a brief discussion at the conclusion of the recording and address some listener feedback. After a while it became clear that this segment was better left as a standalone episode because the listener feedback was both voluminous and incredibly informative. Now, Max and 99 will gather a few days after an episode is released to review listener comments and questions, do some housekeeping for the show, read reviews and banter with Manny.
Phone A Friend
As much as Max likes to act like he knows everything, he’s keenly aware that he does not. Far from it. So periodically we reach out to other podcasters, intellectuals and authors to seek their guidance and input on a certain topic.
Unf*cking Flashbacks
When something newsworthy happens that echoes a take we’ve already had on a subject, we’ll release a flashback episode as a courtesy so Unf*ckers don’t have to scroll too far to find it. If the team feels as though the original material holds up and is relevant enough to inform listeners about the topic, we’ll go ahead and release a flashback. Sometimes it comes with updated commentary.
Bonus Episodes
Bonus episodes are typically unstructured conversations with the UNFTR team. Examples of this are 99 and Manny’s takeover while Max was on vacation, election reaction episodes or Max’s interview with our musical collaborator Tom McGovern.
Post Show Musings
Since breaking out Show Notes into its own weekly feature, we now end each Full Unf*cking with reflections on the show and pose questions to listeners to prompt ideas for Show Notes.
What can I expect from the UNFTR Newsletter?
The UNFTR Newsletter has quickly become one of our more popular resources. Our newsletter is published weekly for subscribers, twice weekly for members.
As a free subscriber, you’ll receive our weekly newsletter written by UNFTR host Max. Every week he writes original content, curates and comments on important headlines and includes features like “Chart of the Week”, the “Progressive Spotlight” to highlight progressive champions, book and podcast recommendations and some listener feedback.
Every membership tier includes access to the bonus email crafted in partnership with our friends at News Beat. The bonus newsletter includes a message from Max, the “Tuesday Top Five” headlines every progressive needs to read, a social justice essay from News Beat and a fun feature called “Not for Nothing.”
What is PITOTWIU?
An acronym that stands for “pissing in the ocean to warm it up.”
When I first wrote “PITOTWIU” I thought it was so clever. It’s actually pretty stupid and, as I learned in the studio, more difficult to say than the phrase it stands for. At the same time, its stupidity and “try hard” nature made me giggle every time I tried to get through it so I decided to stay with it. It’s kind of like trying to make “fetch” happen.
What does #FMF stand for?
“Fuck Milton Friedman”
This is the official/unofficial slogan of the show. It’s even on our first edition t-shirt. Why do we despise a deceased economist so very much? For a lot of reasons, most of which we covered in THIS EPISODE titled “Fuck Milton Friedman.” Clever, no?
Milton Friedman wasn’t a bad person. And we’ve said that many times. But his ideology was built on false and impossible assumptions and he remained steadfastly and dogmatically behind his economic ideology even after it should have been evident that he was wrong. It’s this last point that we have a problem with. Many people who become known for a particular view are proven wrong over time because the world changes, circumstances change and people change. What might have been true at one moment in time can often be false at another.
In Friedman’s case, our contention is that he held on to his assertions because of his massive ego and failed to take into consideration any facts or issues that so clearly belied his belief system. As an economist, he was brilliant. As a polemicist, he was peerless in his field. But Friedman became bigger than his ideas and in doing so he put his ego, legacy and self interest ahead of the observable facts.
The greater issue for us is that his belief system was further warped and perverted by the ruling class to defend horrific economic and even military policy in the name of free markets, the thing that Friedman believed would set us free. So, yeah. Fuck that guy.