Graham Linehan on the chapter about him in Jon Ronson's new book

[impossibletoday]

Graham Linehan on Jon Ronson's new book

My ex-friend Jon Ronson may be a case study in the corrupting toxicity of trans ideology. An interesting read.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/29278d258cf0921b

Blimey, Ronson really can’t take no for an answer can he? The constant chipping away at linehan’s ‘no’ is a bit creepy

and the way he loses his temper mid way through the conversation makes it seem quite unlikely that he’d be as impartial as he’s saying he’d be. GL made a very good decision to keep well out of it

I wonder if Ronson wrote his book chapter before or after this exchange? If after that’s pretty exploitative isn’t it? GL had been very clear about his wishes here

a ‘friend’ even an ex one exploiting the relationship like this is pretty icky

Ronson wrote the book long after their email exchange in 2021.

I imagine that 60 years ago Ronson would have been tilting his head with concern about how Martin Luther King had become "obsessive" about civil rights, and 50 years before that he'd have been terribly worried about Emmeline Pankhurst's single-mindedness about votes for women. Why couldn't these people stop being so obsessed about one thing and be as wise as Ronson, who is so admirably interested in lots of things yet never expresses an opinion about any of them?

Yeah, his complete lack of a moral stance on anything is a bit tiring. The only thing he seems to be against is caring about anything too much

Personally I think the bored ennui of privileged ppl like Ronson is one of the many reasons we are where we are with so mang thibgs . All this caring about things darling! So frightfully bourgeoise

My 13-year-old niece sometimes will say that someone has "NPC energy". She is neither a gamer nor, I assure you, a repilled incel.

I've seen this article posted on TwiX today by various accounts - I think it sits well here on this thread

https://www.gadflynotes.com/p/the-man-who-wouldnt-pretend

Many years ago I read Ronson’s column in The Graun. I used to think he was mildly interesting until he wrote about asking smiling people what they were smiling about (fodder for him nothing more). He sneered about one young mum who said she was thinking about her daughter’s portrait photos with angel wings. His response to her… "oh that’s so conventional and predictable". Just what right did he have to make her feel bad about something she’d just been happy thinking about? Ever since then I thought he was a petty shit.

When someone is an absolute shit like that, I tend to assume it comes from a deep well of insecurity

not that it makes it easier to take really, it just helps you anticipate further poor behaviour

I don't contribute much to Mumsnet. I don't bother with opinions. People can have any opinions they like. When somebody says something that is factually untrue then I think it's important to point it out. That's what a forum is for.

It's not a "gleeful gotcha". If you want to say than transwomen are evil murderers who seek out and destroy anyone who has a different opinion from them that's fine, but if you twist reality to fit your simplistic view then I'm going to call you out.

Graham Linehan used the deaths of two women and a man to stir up hatred against a group of people. That's despicable. Graham Linehan gets all his information from social media. That's pathetic. Jon Ronson talks to people, interviews people, checks his facts.

That's factual incorrect, just so you know.

Yeah he absolutely didn't do that though

🤪🤪🤪

Your protests that you don't use gotchas sounds a little hollow when you're suggesting that the brutal murder of three people has been used as anything other than asserting that the man who murdered them wasn't a lesbian.

And criticising Ronson for being quite unable to agree.

But hey, good to know that you're not twisting reality or anything.

Wow, the guardian have slated it as all over the place and possibly more about Ronson's own ego and settling a score with Linehan than any kind of logical exploration of anything.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/sep/08/the-castle-by-jon-ronson-review-bizarre-tales-of-modern-masculinity

Well that’s an interesting review

Yep. The part about the six hours of video interview content being skimmed over was interesting. Surely people will be wondering what Graham was actually saying, what points he was making during that time. If it was real research one could request a transcript, perhaps. But as it's possibly more just a vehicle to kick a bloke when he's down, no need.

Neither Linehan, nor anyone here has said that "transwomen are evil murderers who seek out and destroy anyone who has a different opinion from them"

But when reporting on a story, the omission of facts like that is relevant. Its used by people like Ronson to twist the story into a certain light. Factual reports of TW doing awful things shouldn't be buried so as not to damage the trans cause. Especially not in cases like this where the real story is about males who won't take no for an answer ruining something that was set up for women, by women.

Don't you even think those women's murders are worth a mention?

You sound just like Ronson: that the real problem isn't evil deeds, its the talking about them that's the really bad part.

ETA the worst thing about male violence against women is it makes men look bad.

I get why TRAs would come on these threads to slag everyone off. That’s understandable.

But my god it is beyond tedious how the virtuous can’t-you-just-be-nice women come here to post for the dopamine thrill of feeling outraged righteousness based on non existent comprehension skills. The constant misrepresentation by declaring that everyone on FWR hates trans people, that all trans are violent pedophiles, and that we want to deprive trans people of their rights.

And never once answering or engaging with the hard questions. It’s this last bit I don’t understand. If you feel secure in your position, then argue for it. Never happens. Almost never.

Actually - I think he just trying to protect his naice middle class job that has prestige and will get the kids along well in life.

In other words, the only moral or ethical concern Ronson had is ... Ronson.

That must have burned a bit.

They aren’t capable because they know it’s unarguable.

Fair comment

He's either reflecting the 4chan / edgelord culture he's become immersed in over the last 5 years or so, or has the judgment of a 13-year-old girl.

Seems to be enough teenage snit for everyone. 🥱

I bloody love this gif

For anyone interested C4 news did a short interview with Ronson who just looked inane, not helped by being interviewed by the bombastic Guru-Murthy who seemed strangely placatory.

Anyhow, they obviously both thought there were wonderful and were so entranced with themselves that there is a longer interview on Ways to Change the World podcast.