Interesting Skeptic Zone podcast with Jon Ronson

[Gravy]

See the Jan. 23 show. http://www.skepticzone.tv/

Jon Ronson is best known for his documentaries and stories about belief on the fringe. Big news is that a movie is in the works based on his book "The Men Who Stare at Goats," starring George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and other notables. That should be a hoot.

In this interview with Kylie Sturgess he makes a few comments about the 9/11 conspiracy theorists. I don't know if they started hounding him before or after he wrote about them, but he certainly got his share of their bile.

Ronson is known for his equanimity and fairness when dealing with even the strangest characters (including Alex Jones), but he says the truthers really made him mad with the personal nature of their attacks. He agrees that the movement has appeared to die out, due to their inability to produce any evidence.

He says he reads the JREF forum often and gives us some credit for introducing him to the skeptical community!

 

[T.A.M.]

He has posted a couple of times here, IIRC. Will give it a listen.

TAM

 

[T.A.M.]

It is interesting how he is open to explore much of the "Woo" but how his self-reflection and rationalism seem to save him from most of it.

Great interview.

TAM

 

[Hourglassmemory]

I have absolutely no reason to "get the credit" to show Jon to the rational side of thinking because I'm not a prolific poster here.
However, of course it's great news to see that he's familiar with this website.

I wonder if he'll spread it around in his conversations with the actors, and make rationalists out of them as well .
Here's what I think is a picture from the set. It's Clooney with the look for this film.
http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/top-ten-movie-transformations.php?ssid=12

I wonder...will it promote skepticism, or woo?
Can't wait for the interviews when they start promoting it.

According to Wikipedia, this is the story.
The movie is set in Iraq (filmed in Comerío Street, Bayamon, Puerto Rico) and centers on Bob Wilton (McGregor), a desperate reporter who stumbles upon the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), who claims to be a former secret U.S. military psychic soldier re-activated post-9/11. Bridges will play Bill Django, the founder of the psychic soldier program and Lyn's mentor. Spacey will play Larry Hooper, a former psychic soldier who is running a prison camp in Iraq.

We'll have to wait and see!!

 

[Childlike Empress]

As Horst Tappert died recently, i hope Stubblebine will play himself.

 

[Gravy]

I have absolutely no reason to "get the credit" to show Jon to the rational side of thinking because I'm not a prolific poster here.
However, of course it's great news to see that he's familiar with this website.

I wonder if he'll spread it around in his conversations with the actors, and make rationalists out of them as well .
Here's what I think is a picture from the set. It's Clooney with the look for this film.
http://www.virginmedia.com/movies/movieextras/top10s/top-ten-movie-transformations.php?ssid=12

I wonder...will it promote skepticism, or woo?
Can't wait for the interviews when they start promoting it.

According to Wikipedia, this is the story.
The movie is set in Iraq (filmed in Comerío Street, Bayamon, Puerto Rico) and centers on Bob Wilton (McGregor), a desperate reporter who stumbles upon the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady (Clooney), who claims to be a former secret U.S. military psychic soldier re-activated post-9/11. Bridges will play Bill Django, the founder of the psychic soldier program and Lyn's mentor. Spacey will play Larry Hooper, a former psychic soldier who is running a prison camp in Iraq.

We'll have to wait and see!!

Oh, you misunderstand. Ronson's always been a skeptic. That's the whole basis of his work. He just didn't know there was a recent movement of like-minded people, including this forum, Skeptics in the Pub (which he's been attending in London), etc.

The Men Who Stare at Goats is a true story about psychic experiments in the U.S. Army.

 

[Hourglassmemory]

Yes. I realised that after listening to the whole interview.
then I forgot to edit the message...

I'm interested in perusing, and hopefully watching his work now. I'm not very familiar with him.

But all the power to him in the future. He seemed pretty cool.

 

[8den]

I'm going to a screening of his David Icke documentary on Tuesday, he's doing a Q&A afterwards.

 

[DaN K. StAnLeY]

Cool podcast. Thanks for the link.

 

[Tweeter]

He has posted a couple of times here, IIRC. Will give it a listen.

TAM

Got a link to one of his posts?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Brainster]

Got a link to one of his posts?
Thanks in advance.

Here you go.

 

[8den]

I'm going to a screening of his David Icke documentary on Tuesday, he's doing a Q&A afterwards.

Interesting saw both his Icke documentary, and his Alex Jones Bohemian Grove film with a Q&A inbetween. One vague nutter in the middle was expertly side stepped.

Both films were made in 2000. It was then Icke's show he was the big CT draw and Alex Jones was the young pretender, it's interesting how the worm has turned. Ronson said he would be incapable of making either film now, as he has become much of an entrenched skeptic and isn't so much into "keeping an open mind". In the Icke film he's very sympathetic to Icke, and how Icke is being tormented by a group of left wing anti globalists, anti facists as he tours Vancover.

The Jones one deals with Alex's infamous "infiltration" of Bohemian Grove, there is a sequence were Alex and his cameraman have made a trip to J crew to dress suitably "preppy" and then do this rehersal of "talking preppy" that is frankly hysterial, and had the cinema roaring with laughter.

When asked how he had become much more entrenched in his skepticism is the hostility and agressive behaviour of CTers over the past few years.

A really pleasant evening.

 

[Gravy]

Thanks for your account, 8den.

 

[Brainster]

Interesting saw both his Icke documentary, and his Alex Jones Bohemian Grove film with a Q&A inbetween. One vague nutter in the middle was expertly side stepped.

Both films were made in 2000. It was then Icke's show he was the big CT draw and Alex Jones was the young pretender, it's interesting how the worm has turned.

And Jones dismissed him as the turd in the punchbowl back then and loves to have him on his show now.

 

[Brainster]

Listened to the interview this evening and quite enjoyed it. Ronson had talked about the harassment he received from the 9-11 and 7-7 "Truthers" quite awhile ago; I think it was on the This American Life segment in 2007, and he asked Shayler to tell his buddies that he wasn't a "shill".

He also talks about civility. Most of the Troofers who have encountered me in person have found me civil. On the blog, I can be pretty fire-breathing, although I try to tone it down over here. I do get tired of the same freaking arguments coming up over and over again, because it simply strikes me as dishonest.

BTW, on the goats thing, I actually am glad that there's somebody in the US military trying that sort of stuff. I assume that eventually they conclude it's a dead end.

 

[CurtC]

He says he reads the JREF forum often and gives us some credit for introducing him to the skeptical community!

Dude, he specifically gave you credit. I thought I'd point that out since you wouldn't do it yourself.