'People are exhausted of the culture wars' | Jon Ronson full interview

Podcaster, author and documentary maker Jon Ronson joins us to discuss the culture wars, why he is no longer on Twitter and how everything happening now has happened before.
---
Times Radio brings you the latest breaking news, expert analysis and well-informed discussion on the biggest stories of the day, delivered with warmth, expertise and balance.
Subscribe here: / @listentotimesradio
We are the UK's newest digital news radio station, bringing together the peerless journalistic expertise of The Times and The Sunday Times with the world-class speech radio and podcasting experience of Wireless.

[@Mattsnotyours]

A brilliant interview! I love Jon. He has (for the last 10 or so years of my life) been a consistent touchstone of morality and curiosity in this mad world. I don't know what I'd do without his books.

[@GiselleBel]

It feels to me like you might enjoy Mastodon. Much kinder and nicer than twitter. I am not keen to hear the terms culture wars and cancelled. I would much rather you explained what you mean when you use these shortcut expressions. I am particularly perplexed by what cancelled means. It's a horrible term and not helped by the fact that it's really difficult to understand what it is meant to mean. I suspect people use it in all kinds of different ways and that this leads to even more conflict. Can we all please be more specific in how we express ourselves so we have a chance of understanding each other better?

[@oldfan1963]

A culture war is a cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices. We used to call them "wedge issues."

[@Thomas...191]

Perhaps it's the inclination to dominate others that's problem and not the actual values, beliefs and practices?

[@wrightyy]

Whether trans-women are women? Define women.

[@baby_joe]

Alright jk Rowling

[@liamfisher4191]

Annoying

[@balthasardenner5216]

Well that's the disagreement isn't it?

[@chezceleste]

Define men. They are all the same you know.

[@sellingacoerwa8318]

Adult human female.

[@commonwunder]

Culture wars : You aren't being divided by them. You're being offered a choice. The only nefarious aspect, through this act of choosing... is once you've made it, then you're offered more of the same content. This is the only issue ...and is why individual groups are being polarised. KZbinrs 'for instance' don't offer debate on their channels... they offer 'preaching to the choir' content. That small twenty percent of any society, that are 'always deeply disgruntled' are being held in an echo chamber. Which exacerbates their feelings... that whatever ails them, or they feel ails their society is far more serious, than they would... if they were only caught in a series of 'open debates. To hear the their opponents objections and opinions... without ridicule or brandishing, that 'end of the discussion' use of the word : Fascist. This herding of people into ever more deepening rabbit-holes is deeply divisive. This is happening to such an extent... that it's nearly impossible to find content that isn't biased. No one wants to hear the other side. Because that isn't the content they desire. This forces 'content creators' to make more one sided content... in order to pull in viewers and revenue. For the viewers only want to hear a reinforcement of their already held beliefs. And the internet and it algorithms, not only make that possible... but the norm.

[@charlesnelson5187]

When you say 'people' are you referring to yourselves? From where I'm sitting it looks like there's a tsunami of revulsion an rejection coming your way.

[@kennethhymes9734]

Sorry that long overdue social change, and efforts to ensure the physical survival of targeted minorities, is so exhausting. Everyone will try to be more chipper and upbeat, by all means, if it helps safe privileged people feel more relaxed. Sigh.

[@bipolarminddroppings]

The culture war is being fought between a minority of people, most of whom are white and straight, on behalf of people who have more important things to deal with.

[@mygetawayart]

i think the culture wars are an inevitable byproduct of the socialization of the Internet. People's ideas who were kept apart long ago are now converging destructively. This created a higher polarization of morals and beliefs which in turn made social progressive needs be a more pressing matter for minorities who used to be more silently oppressed, in the span of two-three decades. This rapid change, in turn, also made those who took their morals as fact (because they were unchallenged) be more protective of those morals. You could argue that the social progressive change of the 60's and alt-right resurgence of the 80's and 90's have little or nothing to do with Internet and that the culture wars would've been inevitable even without its influence but finding the cause is not important. Society has changed and there's no going back. Sadly, i don't have a solution for all this, in large part because i am a progressive and i'm gay, so for me, change is needed, inevitable and irreversible. I'm sure someone from the other side would also say that their morals, ideas and beliefs are the priority but neither of us will look to stop fighting as long as the other continues.

[@aclark903]

@@mygetawayart Maybe you could give up f$&king for #Lent? Meet us halfway?

[@DJWESG1]

@@mygetawayart those things were not about the Internet that is true, but they were all being managed and montored with data in a larger battle for hearts and minds, and what was a clear attempt to make people think and act differently. As documented by many a scholar.

[@rohanharridge5579]

The old racists who started it are tired & want to duck out? Tough, we're here to replace you

[@Thomas...191]

I dont even know what that comment means.

[@grahamstrouse1165]

Sounds like you’re the other half of the problem.

[@charlesnelson5187]

@@grahamstrouse1165 Half?

[@alst4817]

Yeah it’s everyone else’s fault but yours