Jon Ronson On (Unofficial)

Jon Ronson On... Aiming Low

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 24 May 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson talks to Stewart Lee about why we are all so caught up in competitive lives. They discuss how choosing to aim low in a conscious way is the way forward.

Producer: Laura Parfitt and Simon Jacobs
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Jon Ronson On... Witch Hunts

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 17 May 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson considers the moment when we follow the herd and make accusations. Jon talks to Meredith Maran who at one time believed she was abused by her father. Her beliefs wrecked her family's relationships. Years later she was to question her memory, and ask whether she had been caught up in a wave of accusations that swept America at the same time which was based on false memory syndrome. But what were the consequences of her doubts on her family and her father?

Music writer David Quantick brings a lighter note to the programme with his stories of his time as entertainment officer at the student union where he took part in an evening of humiliation towards the rock society. He is still left with feelings of guilt around his actions.

Producers: Laura Parfitt and Simon Jacobs
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Jon Ronson On... The Fine Line Between Good and Bad

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 10 May 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Writer and documentary maker Jon Ronson returns for another series of fascinating stories shedding light on the human condition.

Recorded on location in Fremont, New Hampshire, Jon meets the sisters who were part of the girl group from the 1960s 'The Shaggs'. Created by their father, the sisters were home schooled and made to practice every day. Their album, Philosophy of the World was ridiculed and a flop, but remarkably many years later they were re-discovered and hailed as way ahead of their time and a major contribution to music. The other story in this programme is told by Simon Hollis who recalls the time he worked as a designer in Calvin Klein's New York flag ship store and made a major mistake with too many red candles.

Producers: Laura Parfitt and Simon Jacobs
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Jon Ronson On... Spying

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 03 May 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Writer and documentary maker Jon Ronson returns for another series of fascinating stories shedding light on the human condition.

Jon Ronson talks to comedian Josie Long who found herself in a situation where she had to make a choice on whether to spy on someone's life... did morality step in? Writer Danny Wallace recalls the days when a spy was sent to his home to spy on his father, a leading expert on East German literature.

Johnny Howorth, rookie documentary maker, was also in a situation where he was asked by US Marshals to spy on the couple Ed and Elaine Brown who were convicted of tax crimes. As he naively got more deeply involved, he feared another Wako and had to make a difficult decision... John Symonds, a so-called 'romeo spy' also tells his sometimes shocking story.

Producers: Laura Parfitt and Simon Jacobs
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Jon Ronson On... Voices in the Head

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 22:00:00 +0000

Writer and documentary maker Jon Ronson returns for another 5 part series of fascinating stories shedding light on the human condition.

Eleanor Longden started to hear voices in her head when she was at university and was diagnosed as a schizophrenic - a label she totally rejects. Now she is a high achieving academic. What started the voices and how did she get to a point where she not only lives happily with the voices that still exist but also works with others who have the same experience? With contributions from writer Graham Linehan and comedian Josie Long.

Producer: Laura Parfitt and Simon Jacobs
An Unique production for BBC Radio 4.

Jon Ronson On... Ambition

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:00:00 +0000

The writer Jon Ronson asks how our driving ambitions shape us.

By interviewing several people at different points in their lives, he sees how ambition can make and break people. He talks to an 11-year-old-boy who has plans to be a world-class architect, a young woman who has set her sights on being prime minister, and an ambitious stockbroker whose success led him down a dangerous path towards a high security prison in the US.

Jon Ronson On... Being Alone

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 23:00:00 +0000

The writer Jon Ronson asks if we are more ourselves or less ourselves when we are alone.
He confronts David Quantick, who Jon noticed avoiding him in the street one day. Father Ted writer Graham Linehan reveals the moment he was ignored. Yoshiro Nakamatsu, the world's most prolific inventor, talks about the moment he invents - alone and under water. Finally Jon hears from the British man who was jailed in Japan and wasn't allowed to speak to anyone in his daily life for nearly three years.

Jon Ronson On... Living in a Movie

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:00:00 +0000

This week he asks why he can't seem to leave a particular incident in the past behind when he was thrown into a lake by school friends. Jon confronts his bullies at his school reunion as Father Ted writer Graham Linehan remembers his own bully. Comedians Dan Tetsell and Robert Popper also discover they have parallel stories one has a Nazi as a grandfather, the other a Jewish evacuee as a grandmother.

Jon Ronson On... When Small Talk Goes Wrong

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillion, who was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes.

Denis used to post threads and make small talk on a technical forum called Anandtech. Irritated by the misogyny he found on the site, he invented a female character to join in the chat. Soon he found himself flirting with his own character and weaving a tale so believable that the character took on an air of reality, even for him. As the relationship deepened, Denis was forced to take drastic action to get out of his own hoax.

With additional contributions from comedian Josie Long and Charlie Brooker.

Music

Philip Glass
"Vessel"
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance

Philip Glass
"Prophecies"
Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance

Kraftwerk
"The Robots"
The Mix

Kraftwerk
"Pocket Calculator"
The Mix

Kraftwerk"
Computer Love"
The Mix

A Man Called Adam
"Estelle"
Café Del Mar

Florence and The Machine
"Cosmic Love"
Lungs

Jon Ronson On... Fear of Flying

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 23:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson looks at one of our deepest fears.

When Vicky Coren realised her fear of flying was stopping her travelling, she sought help from a specialist councillor. He cured her - only to die a year later in an air crash. Mike Thexton tells Jon of his ordeal on board a hijacked plane, waiting for 12 hours to be shot. Comedian Danny Robins is terrified of death - so terrified that Jon decides to send him to a near death experience festival in Spain to try to cure his phobia. Finally, Jon finds a scientist who is working on finding an answer to eternal life.

Music

Chris O’Shaughnessy
"Altitude Strings"
specially composed

Philip Glass
"Sheba & Steven"
Notes on a Scandal, film score

Frank Sinatra
"Come Fly With Me"
Come Fly With Me

Frank Sinatra
"Theme from New York, New York"
Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years

Chris O’Shaughnessy

"Building Violas"
specially composed

Pepe Romero / Academy of St Martin In The Fields / Sir Neville Marriner
"Trois Petites Pieces: 1. Ya Se Van Los Pastores” by Joaquin Rodrigo"
Concierto De Aranjuez (Phillips)

Penguin Café Orchestra
"Nothing Really Blue"
Preludes Airs and Yodels

Jon Ronson On... Anything for Love

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Jon explores the silly things we sometimes do to prove our devotion to loved ones.

He visits the perimeter fence at Stonehenge, which he once almost jumped over in an attempt to curry favour with his girlfriend. He talks to comic writer Jane Bussman about the time she decided to drop her well-paid job in the media to seek out a man who worked in Africa for a charity. Her story has some remarkable twists, not least that he never materialised.

Jon Ronson On... How to Stop Time

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson wonders how we slow down or even stop time in a world which seems to be constantly accelerating. He talks to the scientist who claims to be developing a method of time travel and eventually hopes to visit the father who died in his childhood. He also talks to a man who holds the world record for staying awake the longest, thereby doubling his time. Guests include comedian Danny Robins.

Jon Ronson On... The Right Kind of Mental Illness (States of Mind)

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson looks at how we view mental illness in society, the media and politics. He talks to former Labour spin doctor and psychoanalyst Derek Draper about sociopathic behaviour in parliament. He interviews a former Norwegian Prime Minister who resigned publicly, announcing that he was depressed, and later went on to be re-elected.

Plus an update on a story from the last series. Former MI5 officer David Shayler has announced that he is the Messiah.

Jon Ronson On... Being Fancy

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson talks to Elliot Castro, who spent 5 years as a conman, living a 5-star life before his eventual capture. Castro talks about his early school years when he would try to convince his school friends that he had magic powers.

Other contributors include writer Charlie Brooker, who offers his thoughts on travelling first class, and wealth counsellor Theyer Willis, who advises rich people on how to cope with their huge wealth.

Jon Ronson On... Bad News

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson looks at how we take bad tidings. He talks to a man who was told that he had terminal cancer and spent the last six months of his life living it up, only to find out that the doctors got it wrong. He also hears the story of William Lobdell, the LA Times religious correspondent who became an atheist.

Robbie Williams and Jon Ronson Journey to the Other Side

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:30:00 +0000

Robbie Williams is taking time out from being a pop star and wants to get out and have adventures in the world of the paranormal.

He has a genuine interest in UFOs and has been researching sightings, abductees and the possibility of extra terrestrial life.

During the course of the day, Robbie and Jon meet a doctor who claims to have 15 metallic objects which are not earthly, as well as a British woman, Ann Andrews, who believes that her youngest son Jason is an 'indigo child' - a child abducted by extra terrestrials while in the womb and sent back to Earth to save the planet.

The documentary was recorded on location over 3 days in LA and Nevada. The programme is a radical departure from the usual pop star interview and Jon Ronson brings his own incisive take on proceedings with Robbie at the UFO conference.

Jon Ronson On... Good v Evil at Glastonbury

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson concludes his series with the second of two special programmes recorded at Glastonbury, taking a different look at the festival and the many human dramas being played out over four intense days.

Jon searches for good and for evil at the festival, looking for acts of kindness, bad deeds of hedonistic excess and emotional moments rarely captured. With Danny Robins and Pete Paphides.

Jon Ronson On... Getting Lost at Glastonbury

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson continues his series with the first of two special programmes recorded at Glastonbury, taking a different look at the festival and the many human dramas being played out over four intense days.

Jon observes how performers, audience and organisers get lost and found at Glastonbury, both literally and figuratively. With Danny Robins and Pete Paphides.

Jon Ronson On... Crushed Egos

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson continues his sideways look at the world.

This edition features an Italian waiter who offered up his action film script to comedy writer Graham Linehan over the pasta, an American real estate entrepreneur who owns unsaleable houses all over America and owes millions, and the architects of a new town which proved a spectacular failure.

Jon Ronson On... Uncontrollable Responses

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson continues his look at human behaviour by finding the moments where we respond in an uncontrollable way.

Comedian Robert Popper couldn't stop his drunken friend from putting their lives at risk while at a wedding in Israel. Another interviewee who survived the 7/7 terrorist attacks found herself uncontrollably joining in with message boards accusing her of being a government plant on one of the bombed trains.

Jon Ronson On... Waking up from a Dream

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 22:00:00 +0000

Jon talks to John Downes, director of the Centre of Fortean Zoology who spent his life searching for mythical creatures. When he woke up and realised they didn't exist, he turned his attention to something much more real, a giant eel spotted in Lake Windermere. Jon follows him on his underwater adventure.

Jon Ronson On... The Internet Date from Hell

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 29 May 2007 22:00:00 +0000

The extraordinary story of Mary Turner Thompson, who met and married a man who told her he was a CIA agent. He carried a gun and often had to go away at a moment's notice. Mary was left holding the baby, unable to contact him and never knowing when he would come back. She even feared a targeted terrorist attack on her home. But the most bizarre twist was still to come.

Jon Ronson On... Building Bridges

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 23:00:00 +0000

Jon asks why and how we learn to build bridges. He talks to Tom Hart Dyke who was kidnapped by Colombian rebels when out orchid hunting. He spent nine months trying to build bridges with his captors.
Jon also hears how writer Jesse Armstrong remembers failing to build bridges while working in politics.

Jon Ronson On... Waiting

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 23:00:00 +0000

Jon asks what happens in the space while we wait. He talks to Richard Thomas who has spent his professional career waiting to record events such as his stomach on Christmas Day and eggs frying.
He also talks to comedian Janey Godley on why she pretended to be ill in order to avoid waiting in queues at a theme park, and he meets the world's leading 'waiting' scientist.

Jon Ronson On... Friendship

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 07 Feb 2006 23:00:00 +0000

Jon asks whether friendship is over if the power balance becomes skewed. Lawrence Howarth recounts how a relationship ended because his girlfriend wouldn't reveal her date of birth for two years, Caitlin Moran discusses a moment when friendship was challenged over the bird flu vaccine, and Jon visits a party held by a woman who has 25,000 'friends' in her contacts book.

Jon Ronson On... Lying

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 23:00:00 +0000

This week Jon confronts his compulsive lying disorder with the help of Danny Wallace who tries to get him out of his funk by teaching how to say yes more. Danny Robbins visits a town in the US Midwest where lying has got so bad that the mayor has banned it and James Rawlings recounts how his whole life turned into one great lie.

Jon Ronson On... Irrational Thoughts

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 23:00:00 +0000

Jon asks why his inner conversations spiral into irrationality and discovers he isn't alone. Actress Jessica Stevenson created a whole imaginary world for her boyfriend, while comedian Danny Robbins can't stop himself singing 'hopefully not' after the chorus of American Pie.

Jon Ronson On... Living in the Past

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 23:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson On... Magical Moments

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 18 Jan 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson hears a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition from people who have decided to provide magical moments to others.

Jon talks to Jeremy Dyson who's father changed his life by providing a trip to a Blackpool joke shop and Danny Wallace who takes it upon himself to perform random acts of kindness.

Jon Ronson On... The Comfort of Strangers

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 11 Jan 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson hears a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition from people who have taken comfort in strangers.

Jon talks to Abdullah Redpath who found, then lost, the love of his life in a remarkable 12 hour period. And Miranda Sawyer interviews Mark Pilkington who hitch-hiked and found himself in the company of helpful strangers who turned out to be criminals.

Jon Ronson On... Going West

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 04 Jan 2005 23:00:00 +0000

Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson hears a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition from people who have all decided to 'go west'. This week he hears from Tom Fremantle who followed in his ancestors' footsteps across America, and writer Chris Ettridge who battled with the bureaucracy of US customs.

Jon Ronson On... Positive Thinking

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 28 Dec 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Jon Ronson explores ideas surrounding positive thinking with extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition. Ian Haworth talks about his experience of making a break from a cult.

Jon Ronson On... How to Be Invisible

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 21 Dec 2004 23:00:00 +0000

This week he talks to Michael Foot, a World War II Veteran who was fooled by a French resistance spy who could turn his personality off and Frank Ahearn whose job it is to make people vanish. He also meets comedian Jon Holmes, whose parents are 'invisible' to him as he is adopted, and Maggie O'Farrell who recalls her time as a chamber maid, cleaning hotel rooms while guests carried on extremely personal activities.

Jon Ronson On... Amateur Sleuths

jonronson.com (Jon Ronson) — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 23:00:00 +0000

Journalist and broadcaster Jon Ronson explores the world of amateur sleuthing with a collection of extra-ordinary stories illuminating the human condition.
This week he talks to Jeremy Dyson, of the League of Gentlemen, who recalls his search for a missing childhood maze, philosophizes with a man who spent his life looking for the Loch Ness Monster, and meets Tony Frewin, Stanley Kubrick's live-in amateur sleuth who tracked down Kubrick's impersonator.