MetaFilter posts tagged with JonRonson

Speaking in tongue

mippy — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 03:07:38 -0800

The Alpha Course has been a widely popular - and controversial - initiative by the Church of England to get people more interested in the Church. In 2000, the Jewish journalist Jon Ronson attended a course to see what was going on.

Stanley Kubrick's Boxes

carsonb — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 14:40:02 -0800

Stanley Kubrick's Boxes: is it possible to get to understand such a man – and his extraordinary working methods – by looking through the hundreds of boxes he left behind? Documentarian and author Jon Ronson (previously) has spent the past few years sifting through Kubrick's house and the Stanley Kubrick Archive at the University of Arts London.

The name's Ronson, Jon Ronson.

beaucoupkevin — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:34:53 -0800

"I want to recreate a great Bond journey," I say. "I want to take a passage from one of the novels and assiduously match Bond car for car, road for road, meal for meal, drink for drink, hotel for hotel." "What a wonderful idea," she says. "But which journey do you want to recreate?" "I dunno," I shrug. "One in Moonraker?" "Moonraker is basically a drive from London to Margate," Zoe says. "Fleming's fans were disappointed by the absence of exotic locations." [Via.]

'I make it look like they died in their sleep'

tiny crocodile — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:00:08 -0800

Death's Midwife: Jon Ronson meets the Reverend George Exoo, controversial right-to-die activist. Exoo faced extradition to Ireland on charges of aiding and abetting or procuring the suicide of Rosemary Toole who died in Dublin in January 2002, but a West Virginia Judge blocked his extradition on the grounds that 25 of the 50 states do not criminalise the conduct with which Exoo was charged in Ireland. The full text of the judgment here (warning, pdf). Reverend Exoo continues with his work. Jon Ronson previously. Assisted suicide previously.

I’m Loving Aliens Instead

fearfulsymmetry — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 05:52:46 -0800

“He'd speak wistfully about some future day when he'd have less work on and could investigate the paranormal for real. And now that day has come.” Jon Ronson attends a UFO conspiracy conference with Robbie Williams. Compare and contrast, Dan Aykroyd.

Your child was sold into slavery in Japan

ClanvidHorse — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 01:25:25 -0800

Jon Ronson on a cruise with controversial psychic Sylvia Browne.

Boxing clever or a load of old bollox?

afx237vi — Sun, 22 Oct 2006 13:49:39 -0800

The weird world of Deal Or No Deal.

"My God," I thought, as I climbed off the treadmill, exhausted. "They're in a bubble. They've got no sense of reality. They have, in Noel Edmonds, a charismatic leader who believes in nutty things. It's like a religious cult! An incredibly nail-biting and entertaining cult, brilliantly presented by Noel, but a cult none the less."

Jon Ronson (previously discussed here, here, here and here) goes behind the scenes of the wildly successful British version of Deal Or No Deal.

Was That A Smile Citizen Smith?

Blue Stone — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 14:01:31 -0800

"I am standing at the traffic lights when the woman next to me, lost in her thoughts, suddenly bursts out laughing. Then she immediately covers her mouth with her hand and glances around, embarrassed. This gives me an idea. I phone the photographer Stephen Gill. 'Let's walk around looking for people who are laughing to themselves because of something they've just thought of,' I say. 'When we find them, you take their photograph and I'll ask them what they were thinking about that was so funny.'" Jon Ronson sets out to discover the secret source of joy.