Friedland’s friend Brace Belden, a host of the leftist podcast TrueAnon, whose previous claims to fame include a voluntary tour of duty with a Kurdish militia during the Syrian civil war, tells me over the phone that Friedland does indeed have political convictions. While some might call him “the rudest person on Earth,” Belden says warmly, he’s actually “a great role model for people who have grown up in a pretty tough society, with either genetic or intellectual disabilities, that see somebody who resembles them on TV.” Belden doesn’t think Friedland would travel overseas to join a revolutionary socialist militia the way he did, but that that’s mostly because Friedland is smarter. “Despite his demeanor and general attitude, he does believe in things.”

Belden met Friedland five or six years ago; he says they both dated Nekrasova at points. They now hang out a couple of times a week, sometimes at the Russian & Turkish Baths on Men’s Only night, which is known to be tactile and welcoming. Belden says he (and sometimes 20 other friends) receive constant unsolicited calls from Friedland, who loves talking on the phone. “It’s sort of one long, slow, humiliating experience as opposed to a sudden acute one,” Belden says of their friendship. “Every time we’ve hung out it’s basically been the equivalent of a guy shitting his pants a little bit. It’s getting full. He’s gotta wear those giant officer pants they wore in the 1910s now.” The last time they hung out, Belden went over to Friedland’s home in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood, where Friedland bragged about his Bob Dylan bootleg collection.

Belden speaks about the show like it provides a borderline therapeutic or rehabilitative service for celebrities gone “spiritually or career-wise” awry. “It could be,” he suggests, “that Adam is so empty that your soul has to not only fill the vessel that contains it but part of his as well.”

[–] LeninWeave@hexbear.net 41 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Belden says warmly, he’s actually “a great role model for people who have grown up in a pretty tough society, with either genetic or intellectual disabilities, that see somebody who resembles them on TV.”

lmao, it's amazing how Brace is never NOT doing a bit and he just keeps getting interviews anyway.

[–] BigBoyKarlLiebknecht@hexbear.net 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I haven’t listened to TrueAnon in years, and yet it feels like every time I see a quote from them it involves casual ableism sadness

[–] LeninWeave@hexbear.net 21 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I simply do not expect better from the podcast clique, because I know I would be disappointed if I did. yea

[–] Ram_The_Manparts@hexbear.net 15 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

This is the guy who keeps telling you to "be normal" lmfao

[–] CredibleBattery@hexbear.net 12 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

very glad to hear that someone else stepped up after nick left

[–] SorosFootSoldier@hexbear.net 18 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Brace too?! My god these podcasting scenes are all inceestious.

[–] LeninWeave@hexbear.net 28 points 3 days ago

Brooklyn cocaine enthusiast community.

[–] CloutAtlas@hexbear.net 11 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Not sure if the photo was legit or not, but a couple years ago a photo surfaced of Dasha and Brace at the same house party in the early/mid 2010's in California.

If that's the case, that fling was before any of these podcasts formed, and even Brace going to fight in the Syrian Civil War.

[–] spectre@hexbear.net 6 points 3 days ago

👁️

[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 19 points 3 days ago

yeah... long time ago. 8 years ago? fuck its been a long time. the joke has always been that dating adam was so bad it turned her into an antisemite

[–] varmint@hexbear.net 21 points 3 days ago

Everybody has to have an ex who turned alt right

[–] gay_king_prince_charles@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago

The TA, CT, and RS hosts were super close at one point. I think they are still somewhat close, but nobody knows for sure.