118. Jon Ronson on How We Lost Our Minds in 2020

Jon Ronson’s 2021 podcast Things Fell Apart was that rare example of journalism that explains our current divisions without getting dragged down by them. A journalist and storyteller, Ronson’s documentaries, books, and essays have taken him into strange worlds — porn, the paranormal, neo-Nazis — and he’s always kind enough to bring us along with him, though it often feels like he’s leading us back to each other. The second season of Things Fell Apart takes place during the pandemic, particularly the volcanic year of 2020, and it’s a humdinger.

Also discussed:

• Is Jon Ronson related to Mark Ronson?

• The astonishing true-life tale of Jon’s Aunt Mavis

• Alex Jones can’t help himself

• The problem with Naomi Klein’s Doppelganger

• The Great Reset?

• Is narcissism an epidemic? Is loneliness? What’s our epidemic?

• Speaking of: Plandemic!

• How to tell a new story about George Floyd?

• Nancy and her “excited delirium”

• The dangers of connecting the dots wrong

• The CNN anchor who got ticked off at Ronson

• Activist journalism vs. evidence-based journalism

• When the right lies, they go big (Pizzagate). Lies from the left are subtle (“bigot”).

• An update on Justine Sacco

• Living with our trolls and their addiction to trolling

• Sarah and Nancy pick the same hot box, and it’s an important one about cancel culture and, inshallah, its demise

Plus, Nancy and Sarah debate the hottest guy on Friday Night Lights, a brilliant podcast re-telling of a media shitshow, and more!

Actual footage of Jon Ronson avoiding cancellation: