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The Last Days of August
In December 2017 the famous porn star August Ames committed suicide in a park in the Conejo Valley. It happened a day after she’d been the victim of a pile-on, via Twitter, by fellow porn professionals - punishment for her tweeting something deemed homophobic.
A month later, August’s husband, Kevin, connected with Jon Ronson to tell the story of how Twitter bullying killed his wife. What neither Kevin nor Ronson realized was that Ronson would soon hear rumors and secrets hinting at a very different story - something mysterious and unexpected and terrible.
In The Last Days of August, Ronson unravels the never-before-told story of what caused this beloved 23-year-old actress’ untimely death.
A month later, August’s husband, Kevin, connected with Jon Ronson to tell the story of how Twitter bullying killed his wife. What neither Kevin nor Ronson realized was that Ronson would soon hear rumors and secrets hinting at a very different story - something mysterious and unexpected and terrible.
In The Last Days of August, Ronson unravels the never-before-told story of what caused this beloved 23-year-old actress’ untimely death.
223 pages, Audiobook
First published January 3, 2019
26 people are currently reading
1763 people want to read
About the author
Jon Ronson
30 books5,740 followersJon Ronson is a British-American journalist, author, and filmmaker. He is known for works such as Them: Adventures with Extremists (2001), The Men Who Stare at Goats (2004), and The Psychopath Test (2011).
He has been described as a gonzo journalist, becoming a faux-naïf character in his stories. He produces informal but sceptical investigations of controversial fringe politics and science. He has published nine books and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, City Life and Time Out. He has made several BBC Television documentary films and two documentary series for Channel 4.
He has been described as a gonzo journalist, becoming a faux-naïf character in his stories. He produces informal but sceptical investigations of controversial fringe politics and science. He has published nine books and his work has appeared in publications such as The Guardian, City Life and Time Out. He has made several BBC Television documentary films and two documentary series for Channel 4.
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March 1, 2019
In December 2017, pornstar August Ames (real name Mercedes Grabowski) found out that she was scheduled to shoot a scene with a male performer who had previously done gay porn and not been subsequently tested. As a result, she refused to perform in the scene and tweeted out this refusal and explanation to her followers on Twitter. This immediately led to a series of intense tweets from people calling her homophobic, demanding her to apologise and, in one case, telling her to swallow a cyanide pill! On 5 December 2017, she was found hanged from a tree in a park in Camarillo, California – she was 23 years old. But did she kill herself over online bullying – or was there more going on in the shadows that led her to take her own life…?
Jon Ronson, whose recent book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, about social media bullying, and his podcast on the porn industry, The Butterfly Effect, is probably the best person to look into the death of a pornstar from online bullying. Except, as he digs beneath the narrative of suicide and social media, he uncovers a great deal of hidden information on Mercedes’ life, her husband Kevin Moore, and certain events that happened in the days leading up to her death.
Like Netflix producing their own exclusive content, The Last Days of August is an Audible-only audiobook and, if this is any indication, Audible have definitely made the right choice in choosing this direction for their business – this is a thoroughly gripping piece of investigative journalism. Ronson, along with his producer Lina Misitzis, carefully unravel the tangled ball of Mercedes’ life, from her troubled childhood in Canada where she was molested by a family member and abandoned by her father, to her rocky relationship with her much older husband Kevin and her battle with depression.
Ronson and Misitzis produce a compelling and informative picture of an industry largely made of damaged, psychologically unstable people being exploited and too emotionally immature and ill-equipped to deal with the trauma and mental illness that drives them to, and is exacerbated by, porn work. Ronson astutely notes that Mercedes’ story reminds him of JB Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls, which this nonfiction story inadvertently turns out to be a modern-day version of, with numerous people contributing in some way to a young woman’s demise.
The story is perfectly paced with one jarring piece of the puzzle skilfully segueing into the next so that I had to keep listening to the next chapter, then the next until it was over – it really is that fascinating. It’s remarkably thoughtful too, explaining why so many young women in porn date older men and why these relationships inevitably fail, as well as touching on the larger picture of the damaging effects of modern day loneliness and its connection to social media. And it’s shocking to find out just how many pornstars die – one performer, Lisa Ann, says that she thinks as many as 75% are ready to step off the edge at any one time!
It’s a very dark and sensitive subject but Ronson and Misitzis handle it expertly and respectfully – The Last Days of August is a remarkable, sad and utterly engrossing story of a modern day tragedy. If you’ve not already got an Audible membership, I’d say it’s worth starting a free trial for this audiobook alone.
Jon Ronson, whose recent book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, about social media bullying, and his podcast on the porn industry, The Butterfly Effect, is probably the best person to look into the death of a pornstar from online bullying. Except, as he digs beneath the narrative of suicide and social media, he uncovers a great deal of hidden information on Mercedes’ life, her husband Kevin Moore, and certain events that happened in the days leading up to her death.
Like Netflix producing their own exclusive content, The Last Days of August is an Audible-only audiobook and, if this is any indication, Audible have definitely made the right choice in choosing this direction for their business – this is a thoroughly gripping piece of investigative journalism. Ronson, along with his producer Lina Misitzis, carefully unravel the tangled ball of Mercedes’ life, from her troubled childhood in Canada where she was molested by a family member and abandoned by her father, to her rocky relationship with her much older husband Kevin and her battle with depression.
Ronson and Misitzis produce a compelling and informative picture of an industry largely made of damaged, psychologically unstable people being exploited and too emotionally immature and ill-equipped to deal with the trauma and mental illness that drives them to, and is exacerbated by, porn work. Ronson astutely notes that Mercedes’ story reminds him of JB Priestley’s play An Inspector Calls, which this nonfiction story inadvertently turns out to be a modern-day version of, with numerous people contributing in some way to a young woman’s demise.
The story is perfectly paced with one jarring piece of the puzzle skilfully segueing into the next so that I had to keep listening to the next chapter, then the next until it was over – it really is that fascinating. It’s remarkably thoughtful too, explaining why so many young women in porn date older men and why these relationships inevitably fail, as well as touching on the larger picture of the damaging effects of modern day loneliness and its connection to social media. And it’s shocking to find out just how many pornstars die – one performer, Lisa Ann, says that she thinks as many as 75% are ready to step off the edge at any one time!
It’s a very dark and sensitive subject but Ronson and Misitzis handle it expertly and respectfully – The Last Days of August is a remarkable, sad and utterly engrossing story of a modern day tragedy. If you’ve not already got an Audible membership, I’d say it’s worth starting a free trial for this audiobook alone.
January 16, 2019
The truth is, it's impossible to tell a story about sex industry that is not utterly devastating. As one of the interviewees of The Last Days of August says, the industry is built on the backs of mentally ill. I wouldn't put it so narrowly, but yeah, even those who find themselves empowered by working in porn or prostitution, if you (I mean the people who do the actual research) dig deep enough, turn out to have come from some kind of trauma.
Jon Ronson hasn't uncovered anything new, even though I have to commend him for his approach of compassion.
Jon Ronson hasn't uncovered anything new, even though I have to commend him for his approach of compassion.
January 9, 2019
Audiobook narrated by Jon Ronson 3hrs 43mins 10 secs
My second Audible original selection for January reunited me with Jon Ronson (The Butterfly Effect) who once again takes listeners to the backstage of the porn industry. As Jon and his producer delve into the death of the young porn star, August Ames( real name Mercedes Grabowski), my head was spinning from all the secrets, lies, and dare I say half-truths?
What I think is very important about Ronson's work in both this and The Butterfly Effect is that it allows an industry that is often misrepresented and misunderstood the ability to tell their stories and point of views even if sometimes I wasn't totally sure I believed everything they said.
My second Audible original selection for January reunited me with Jon Ronson (The Butterfly Effect) who once again takes listeners to the backstage of the porn industry. As Jon and his producer delve into the death of the young porn star, August Ames( real name Mercedes Grabowski), my head was spinning from all the secrets, lies, and dare I say half-truths?
What I think is very important about Ronson's work in both this and The Butterfly Effect is that it allows an industry that is often misrepresented and misunderstood the ability to tell their stories and point of views even if sometimes I wasn't totally sure I believed everything they said.
January 31, 2019
DNF. This has no point. It's not sufficiently about anything it reports to be - not enough about cyber bullying, or suicide, or mental health, or abuse, or porn, or anything. If it's one thing it's about 3 hours of gossip.
January 4, 2019
I can’t say enough about Ronson. Interesting, well-written, compassionate, thought-provoking. I’m not even going to dock any stars for this being audio only. Just bring me more of his stuff.
January 15, 2019
2.5 stars
This was one of the free Audible Original picks for January and is an audio documentary / podcast from the author of The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry.
To be honest I think I was expecting an in-depth look at online/social media bullying when in reality it was an investigation into the porn industry and the sad death of a young woman who clearly had big issues to deal with.
I have never found the porn industry disgusting or titillating, I find it deeply sad. All of these people are scarred and maladjusted in some way, no matter how willing the participants are.
The investigation also looked at spousal abuse, the smoke and mirrors of the porn industry and yes, a little bit of online bullying.
So, although the book delivered what it set out to do it was not what I was expecting.
This was one of the free Audible Original picks for January and is an audio documentary / podcast from the author of The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry.
To be honest I think I was expecting an in-depth look at online/social media bullying when in reality it was an investigation into the porn industry and the sad death of a young woman who clearly had big issues to deal with.
I have never found the porn industry disgusting or titillating, I find it deeply sad. All of these people are scarred and maladjusted in some way, no matter how willing the participants are.
The investigation also looked at spousal abuse, the smoke and mirrors of the porn industry and yes, a little bit of online bullying.
So, although the book delivered what it set out to do it was not what I was expecting.
January 8, 2019
This is a 7-part free series on Audible and I picked this up after listening to the Butterfly Effect by Jon Ronson. It's actually super quick to get through as each part is only about 30mins, but it's a look at the life of an A-list pornstar after she is found to have committed suicide on the day she was bullied online about some seemingly homophobic comments she made on social media.
This is a story I hadn't heard of before Ronson investigated it, and it was one I immediately wanted to uncover the answers for, but as these series are so short I feel like there once again was a feeling of only just scratching the surface. Ronson interviews a lot of people who were close to August, but many of these people we only hear for a minute or so and then he's onto the next one. I felt as if this was a bit too surface-level and I wanted more from some of the interviewees.
The story does get a resolution, though maybe not the one you expect, and it's well researched overall, but I am not sure it satisfies the curiosity about the industry itself. If you want to know more about that I would say Butterfly Effect is a better series, but for a 'true crime' feeling (although there is not necessarily a crime here) this would suit more. 3*s from me.
This is a story I hadn't heard of before Ronson investigated it, and it was one I immediately wanted to uncover the answers for, but as these series are so short I feel like there once again was a feeling of only just scratching the surface. Ronson interviews a lot of people who were close to August, but many of these people we only hear for a minute or so and then he's onto the next one. I felt as if this was a bit too surface-level and I wanted more from some of the interviewees.
The story does get a resolution, though maybe not the one you expect, and it's well researched overall, but I am not sure it satisfies the curiosity about the industry itself. If you want to know more about that I would say Butterfly Effect is a better series, but for a 'true crime' feeling (although there is not necessarily a crime here) this would suit more. 3*s from me.
January 14, 2019
Jon Ronson and Neil Gaiman are 100% the reasons I listen to audiobooks. Those Welsh (actually maybe Gaiman is just straight English?) wonders have the most delicious whispery voices and i will listen to either of them read anything. Even, apparently, a weird long-form podcast about the porn industry.
April 6, 2019
There's an easy way to tell if you're going to enjoy a Jon Ronson book: just figure out if you like Jon Ronson. His style and approach are so consistent across subjects that he could probably write about just about anything and I'd find it fascinating.
In this particular case, the subject is the death by suicide of a young woman in the adult film industry and the varying places where those who knew her seek to lay blame, both to make sense of something that feels so needlessly tragic and to justify their own roles in her life.
One of the things that distinguishes Ronson as a raconteur is that he so profoundly shapes the narrative to suit the story he wants to tell. This is different from a lot of writers who approach things from a more documentarian standpoint in which the details and interviews are largely meant to speak for themselves.
Ronson is very much a character in his books – a somewhat shy, kind-hearted, yet still dogged journalist seeking out the truth. If you happen to like this possibly real, possibly fictional version of Ronson, then you'll like what he creates. Fortunately for me, I do. I find the intentional imbuing of his almost Columbo-esque (a famed TV bumbling detective who nonetheless always got to the truth in the end) innocence and empathy into the stories of people we alternately want to sympathize with and revile to be reassuring; it reminds us that everyone is a mixture of good and bad, that there are no clear heroes or villains, and that all things human are worthy of being examined with sympathy.
All that said, if one were to approach The Last Days of August as a kind of in-depth investigation of the adult film industry, there would be any number of valid criticisms to make. Ronson touches on, but never really probes, the insidiousness of porn and – more problematically – how it fits within the broader context of a patriarchal society. You don't have to be a feminist to find this troubling –you just have to look at the numbers of young women who end up seriously harmed or dead within years of joining the business. While this might seem like Ronson is ignoring – or worse, eliding over – such a fundamental issue, I think it's worth recognizing what he's clearly trying to do: treat August Ames as a whole person whose life and death matter for their own sake, rather than simply a statistical victim from a larger societal problem.
Again, whether you find this approach illuminating or obscuring comes down to how you feel about Ronson himself as a character within the stories he tells. For me, both he and his books are always compelling, evoking curiosity as much as discomfort from whatever subject he turns to.
Listened to this on Audible.
In this particular case, the subject is the death by suicide of a young woman in the adult film industry and the varying places where those who knew her seek to lay blame, both to make sense of something that feels so needlessly tragic and to justify their own roles in her life.
One of the things that distinguishes Ronson as a raconteur is that he so profoundly shapes the narrative to suit the story he wants to tell. This is different from a lot of writers who approach things from a more documentarian standpoint in which the details and interviews are largely meant to speak for themselves.
Ronson is very much a character in his books – a somewhat shy, kind-hearted, yet still dogged journalist seeking out the truth. If you happen to like this possibly real, possibly fictional version of Ronson, then you'll like what he creates. Fortunately for me, I do. I find the intentional imbuing of his almost Columbo-esque (a famed TV bumbling detective who nonetheless always got to the truth in the end) innocence and empathy into the stories of people we alternately want to sympathize with and revile to be reassuring; it reminds us that everyone is a mixture of good and bad, that there are no clear heroes or villains, and that all things human are worthy of being examined with sympathy.
All that said, if one were to approach The Last Days of August as a kind of in-depth investigation of the adult film industry, there would be any number of valid criticisms to make. Ronson touches on, but never really probes, the insidiousness of porn and – more problematically – how it fits within the broader context of a patriarchal society. You don't have to be a feminist to find this troubling –you just have to look at the numbers of young women who end up seriously harmed or dead within years of joining the business. While this might seem like Ronson is ignoring – or worse, eliding over – such a fundamental issue, I think it's worth recognizing what he's clearly trying to do: treat August Ames as a whole person whose life and death matter for their own sake, rather than simply a statistical victim from a larger societal problem.
Again, whether you find this approach illuminating or obscuring comes down to how you feel about Ronson himself as a character within the stories he tells. For me, both he and his books are always compelling, evoking curiosity as much as discomfort from whatever subject he turns to.
Listened to this on Audible.
January 5, 2019
The Last Days of August is a fascinating look inside a tragedy that most of the world ignored because it happened to a porn actress. Jon Ronson set out on this journey because he believed the reason the beautiful, 23-year old August Ames hanged herself in the woods was because of a social media "pile-on". That was enough to grab my attention, but what we're left with is so much more interesting than that, if no more fulfilling.
August Ames was one of the more popular porn stars in the world when she died, and was very active on social media. She was set to shoot a scene with someone that had done male-on-male pornography in the past, and she decided that she did not want to work with him. She took to social media after the company let her go for refusing to work with the male performer, and some in the industry took her tweet as homophobic, which unleashed the flood of criticism directly at her.
She killed herself days later.
Her husband, porn producer Kevin Moore, sent out a statement about a month later, publicly incriminating two porn stars in particular for her death. Like any story worth telling, though, there is so much more going on here than what first meets the eye.
Ronson makes it clear very early on that he is not trying to frame this story as anything more than it is, and I admire that. It does take away from some of the tension that he could have otherwise created, but it's clear that Ronson is trying to keep the focus on the tragedy of the matter: a young, 23-year old girl is no longer with us because something drove her to take her own life. This is a profoundly sad story, but Ronson never draws fantastic conclusions for the sake of sensationalizing anything. He manages to give the story a fair look from every prespective he comes across, and then lets the facts guide August's story.
This, much like Jingle Bell Pop, feels more like a podcast than a traditional audiobook. The story is made up of interviews from the major players in August's life, including her husband, her brother, her closest friends, and other personalities from the porn industry. The Last Days of August has a very similar feel to something like the Serial podcast, or even Criminal, as it really is a true crime story, even if there is not a traditional killer like in most of the genre. I am a huge fan of true stories like these, so I ate this entire thing up from start to finish.
Whether you know, or care, who August Ames was, The Last Days of August is a story worth reading. It covers the value that some place on social media, the importance of self-evaluation, mental health issues plaguing the adult film industry, grief, uncertainty, and so much more. Jon Ronson does not provide a hell of a lot of answers, but shines a light on the facts as he finds them through his nearly year-long journey into the life, and untimely death, of August Ames.
The Last Days of August is available this month (January, 2019) as a free Audible Original for members.
August Ames was one of the more popular porn stars in the world when she died, and was very active on social media. She was set to shoot a scene with someone that had done male-on-male pornography in the past, and she decided that she did not want to work with him. She took to social media after the company let her go for refusing to work with the male performer, and some in the industry took her tweet as homophobic, which unleashed the flood of criticism directly at her.
She killed herself days later.
Her husband, porn producer Kevin Moore, sent out a statement about a month later, publicly incriminating two porn stars in particular for her death. Like any story worth telling, though, there is so much more going on here than what first meets the eye.
Ronson makes it clear very early on that he is not trying to frame this story as anything more than it is, and I admire that. It does take away from some of the tension that he could have otherwise created, but it's clear that Ronson is trying to keep the focus on the tragedy of the matter: a young, 23-year old girl is no longer with us because something drove her to take her own life. This is a profoundly sad story, but Ronson never draws fantastic conclusions for the sake of sensationalizing anything. He manages to give the story a fair look from every prespective he comes across, and then lets the facts guide August's story.
This, much like Jingle Bell Pop, feels more like a podcast than a traditional audiobook. The story is made up of interviews from the major players in August's life, including her husband, her brother, her closest friends, and other personalities from the porn industry. The Last Days of August has a very similar feel to something like the Serial podcast, or even Criminal, as it really is a true crime story, even if there is not a traditional killer like in most of the genre. I am a huge fan of true stories like these, so I ate this entire thing up from start to finish.
Whether you know, or care, who August Ames was, The Last Days of August is a story worth reading. It covers the value that some place on social media, the importance of self-evaluation, mental health issues plaguing the adult film industry, grief, uncertainty, and so much more. Jon Ronson does not provide a hell of a lot of answers, but shines a light on the facts as he finds them through his nearly year-long journey into the life, and untimely death, of August Ames.
The Last Days of August is available this month (January, 2019) as a free Audible Original for members.
October 16, 2019
In an effort to catch up on this year's Reading Challenge, on which I am woefully behind schedule, I am going to cheat and add this ... well, it's not an audiobook as it's not a "book", simply an Audible Original.
Speaking of Audible, it breaks my heart that they're owned by Amazon. What a pity. I've made a personal commitment not to order anything from Amazon due to the fact that they're a major corporation and one that, it's widely reported, treats the majority of their employees (particularly those that work in their distribution centers) like shit.
But then I learn they also own Audible. Fuuuuuck. This is the problem in America today. Two or three companies seemingly own EVERYTHING. Meaning it's increasingly hard, and impractical, to boycott any of them for any reason at all because they increasingly have no, or very few, rivals.
Thankfully, there is an Audible alternative I recently learned about called Libro.fm. Libro.fm gives a portion of their sales to the independent bookshop of your choosing, you just have to specify in the site's settings which bookshop to align yourself with, though you can choose to just spread the wealth among the country's independent booksellers evenly if you don't have a single one in mind.
Before I switched to Libro.fm and absolved myself of the guilt I felt, I downloaded this latest Jon Ronson audio-thing. As previously mentioned, I am a fan of Ronson's (I just find him a likable fellow, really, with a keen eye for a story) and usually snatch up anything he puts out.
This is a look at the suicide (or is it the murder?) of a 23-year-old porn actress and the events surrounding it. As always, Ronson's reporting is fascinating and he has a wonderful voice for radio, or whatever this is. He's nice to listen to, I mean.
If you already like Ronson, you'll almost certainly like this. If you don't, you probably won't. But regardless, I hope you're not intrigued enough by my review to actually give Audible your money. That's not what I want, at all. Which perhaps makes my writing this review a bad idea. So how about this. If you're intrigued enough by my review, maybe get this some other way ...
Wink wink.
Speaking of Audible, it breaks my heart that they're owned by Amazon. What a pity. I've made a personal commitment not to order anything from Amazon due to the fact that they're a major corporation and one that, it's widely reported, treats the majority of their employees (particularly those that work in their distribution centers) like shit.
But then I learn they also own Audible. Fuuuuuck. This is the problem in America today. Two or three companies seemingly own EVERYTHING. Meaning it's increasingly hard, and impractical, to boycott any of them for any reason at all because they increasingly have no, or very few, rivals.
Thankfully, there is an Audible alternative I recently learned about called Libro.fm. Libro.fm gives a portion of their sales to the independent bookshop of your choosing, you just have to specify in the site's settings which bookshop to align yourself with, though you can choose to just spread the wealth among the country's independent booksellers evenly if you don't have a single one in mind.
Before I switched to Libro.fm and absolved myself of the guilt I felt, I downloaded this latest Jon Ronson audio-thing. As previously mentioned, I am a fan of Ronson's (I just find him a likable fellow, really, with a keen eye for a story) and usually snatch up anything he puts out.
This is a look at the suicide (or is it the murder?) of a 23-year-old porn actress and the events surrounding it. As always, Ronson's reporting is fascinating and he has a wonderful voice for radio, or whatever this is. He's nice to listen to, I mean.
If you already like Ronson, you'll almost certainly like this. If you don't, you probably won't. But regardless, I hope you're not intrigued enough by my review to actually give Audible your money. That's not what I want, at all. Which perhaps makes my writing this review a bad idea. So how about this. If you're intrigued enough by my review, maybe get this some other way ...
Wink wink.
January 11, 2019
Another spectacular work by Mr Ronson. Listen to The Butterfly Effect first, then follow up with this tragic tale.
January 20, 2019
Multiple times in this book the author and narrator says he’s not telling a murder mystery yet he incessantly sets up each chapter, each transition, and each snippet of interview as if he is telling a murder mystery and some truth bomb is about to go off. And he spoon feeds it in an annoying manner, such as “I tell you this now because it becomes important later” or “this detail is important when we discuss such and such” sort of narration. Give the reader some credit for connecting dots on his or her own. But then there aren’t really any dots to connect are there? He’s intentionally sensationalizing a story about a woman with a traumatic history and mental health issues who commits suicide.
I gave a star for at least broaching a somewhat misunderstood and taboo industry with some professionalism and candor.
I gave a star for at least broaching a somewhat misunderstood and taboo industry with some professionalism and candor.
April 5, 2019
Investigative journalism with a podcast interview-style reminiscent of 'Serial'.
Jon Ronson looks into the aftermath of the suicide of notable porn star August Ames' back in 2017, which was initially attributed to social media bullying.
This book takes a deeper dive into the investigation around those who suspect it may not have been a suicide and brings up a dialogue/commentary on the toll it takes on the young women of the adult industry.
Just a fascinating listen.
3.4/5
Jon Ronson looks into the aftermath of the suicide of notable porn star August Ames' back in 2017, which was initially attributed to social media bullying.
This book takes a deeper dive into the investigation around those who suspect it may not have been a suicide and brings up a dialogue/commentary on the toll it takes on the young women of the adult industry.
Just a fascinating listen.
3.4/5
March 19, 2020
Another great audio-book from Jon Ronson.
The Last Days of August is like a continuing journey from the previous audio book by Jon Ronson: the butterfly effect. This also covers the concept of the porn industry however the main topic is the death of a young porn star: August Ames. Ames took her own life in a park after she was 'bullied' on twitter for a tweet which caused a backlash.
This covers the life of a porn star, relationships in this industry and mental health. Something which really stuck with me which was mentioned by the husband of the porn star August Ames: The porn industry is sick. People in the industry are profiting off people who are sick with some kind of mental issues which is probably the reason why they go into the business. Girls with daddy issues or those who have dark pasts.
I was really drawn into this story. Jon Ronson is excellent with the way he delivers a sensitive topic like suicide and mental health.
If you enjoyed the Butterfly Effect you'll defos like this one.
The Last Days of August is like a continuing journey from the previous audio book by Jon Ronson: the butterfly effect. This also covers the concept of the porn industry however the main topic is the death of a young porn star: August Ames. Ames took her own life in a park after she was 'bullied' on twitter for a tweet which caused a backlash.
This covers the life of a porn star, relationships in this industry and mental health. Something which really stuck with me which was mentioned by the husband of the porn star August Ames: The porn industry is sick. People in the industry are profiting off people who are sick with some kind of mental issues which is probably the reason why they go into the business. Girls with daddy issues or those who have dark pasts.
I was really drawn into this story. Jon Ronson is excellent with the way he delivers a sensitive topic like suicide and mental health.
If you enjoyed the Butterfly Effect you'll defos like this one.
January 8, 2019
I really liked Ronson's book on shame so I thought this audiobook would be a nice follow-up and I get the sense that he did too, but then the story is not what he thinks it is and then he tries to make it a murder mystery and digs himself a hole and then he tries to save himself from it by coming up with some banal lessons.
But I did think the view into the business of the porn industry and the interviews with some of the women was really interesting
But I did think the view into the business of the porn industry and the interviews with some of the women was really interesting
January 29, 2020
The seven part audible original was a mixed bag. Exploring the suicide of pornstar August Ames - the book tries to understand the cheery star's environment looking for clues.
Ronson gets called in to investigate the death by her husband Kevin who pegs it as a case of Twitter bullying. At the end of first episode it is established the Twitter pile on is not the only reason.
Credit to the production team - they establish very early on it is not a murder. In one of the later chapters they get told off by one of the porn stars - why they are not investigating the death of 4 other porn stars who died in the last one year.
I am not sure if it is a commentary on the industry or the human mind. More likely the former given the time spent around investigating the one shooting where August Ames feels violated (and yet holds the cheque teary eyed and confirms she gave her full consent).
Where I felt the book lost out was - the production team went off on a tangent which didn't give any result. And hence the 7 episodes seemed long and somewhat pointless. You even feel it is a manhunt at times - which it should not have been.
Only since it is free.
Ronson gets called in to investigate the death by her husband Kevin who pegs it as a case of Twitter bullying. At the end of first episode it is established the Twitter pile on is not the only reason.
Credit to the production team - they establish very early on it is not a murder. In one of the later chapters they get told off by one of the porn stars - why they are not investigating the death of 4 other porn stars who died in the last one year.
I am not sure if it is a commentary on the industry or the human mind. More likely the former given the time spent around investigating the one shooting where August Ames feels violated (and yet holds the cheque teary eyed and confirms she gave her full consent).
Where I felt the book lost out was - the production team went off on a tangent which didn't give any result. And hence the 7 episodes seemed long and somewhat pointless. You even feel it is a manhunt at times - which it should not have been.
Only since it is free.
February 12, 2019
This is my second audiobook by Jon Ronson focused on some aspect of the pornography industry and I truly love his style. In The Last Days of August, he digs into the apparent suicide of 23-year-old porn star August Ames. Frankly, this is the only access I plan to have into the business and I'm glad that Ronson and his producer, Lena (not sure of the spelling because it's an audiobook...) spend months tracking people down and interviewing a good many people in an effort to paint a picture of not only the industry as a business, but the people in front of and behind the camera.
Honestly, I find these stories fascinating and love Ronson as a narrator. I'll absolutely keep listening to his stuff.
Honestly, I find these stories fascinating and love Ronson as a narrator. I'll absolutely keep listening to his stuff.
January 6, 2019
Jon Ronson investigates what he thinks is another instance of internet mob brutality of the kind he profiled in So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed: A porn star commits suicide after being harshly called out for her ostensibly homophobic tweets.
It turns out there’s a lot more to the story, and all of it is depressingly sordid. As the victim’s husband, a porn producer, says: “You don’t get into this [industry] if you’re a well-adjusted human being.”
It turns out there’s a lot more to the story, and all of it is depressingly sordid. As the victim’s husband, a porn producer, says: “You don’t get into this [industry] if you’re a well-adjusted human being.”
January 8, 2019
Another recycled podcast from Audible's failed attempt at podcasting converted into an audiobook. However, unlike Twain's Feast the production values and research is top notch. Once you get past the subject matter (the porn industry) and the seriously screwed up people involved, Ronson conducted a surprisingly compassionate look at the suicide of a young actress. The only reason I give this 3 instead of 4 stars is the yuck factor.
January 27, 2019
Interesting and quite compelling. Ronson looks into the suicide of August Ames, an adult movie star, who apparently took her life after online bullying. Only, was this the only reason? The story unfolding says otherwise, even though this isn't a classcial true crime (in a sense of whodunnit) tale. It's more a general look at the porn industry, its players and relations.
I really enjoyed the way the story was unfolding, it was quite revealing to see who spoke to Ronson, when, and what they said. Very entertaining. My only personal problem was that I couldn't really get into Ronson's voice - which was a bit disturbing for me, considering this is a narrated format. However, I might pick up some more of his work despite this, for I liked his method and style overall.
I really enjoyed the way the story was unfolding, it was quite revealing to see who spoke to Ronson, when, and what they said. Very entertaining. My only personal problem was that I couldn't really get into Ronson's voice - which was a bit disturbing for me, considering this is a narrated format. However, I might pick up some more of his work despite this, for I liked his method and style overall.
Read
January 20, 2019This was a really interesting listen. I didn't know this story before hearing this, but I thought it was portrayed well and in a way where it was just presenting the facts. I think many things from this will stick with me for a while. It brought up, and helped shine a light on, a lot of issues that I think need more attention. I definitely recommend to anyone who knew of August Ames, who is interested in hearing about what struggles and life this woman led, and anyone who is just looking to listen to something different.
January 24, 2019
Following the suicide of young porn star August Ames, journalist Jon Ronson starts to unravel what really lay behind her tragic death. What on the surface looks to be a case of cyberbullying that pushed her over the edge, a topic Ronson has written a great deal about and his initial focus on the case, quickly turns into a complex look at the people closest to her and the much deeper root of August's demise. Thorough and unsensationalized, it's a chilling and very important scrutiny and I highly urge everyone to listen to it.
February 14, 2019
Jon Ronson, a journalist who writes a lot about social media and contemporary culture, has done pieces on the porn industry before, with The Butterfly Effect, but I think this was a better work, as it's the result of a year-long investigation focused on a single individual's story. Compiled from a podcast series into an Audible original, it's a combination of narrative and interviews, in which Ronson speaks candidly about his ethical qualms at various points during the investigation.
The subject of The Last Days of August is August Ames (real name: Mercedes Grabowski), a young porn actress who committed suicide in 2017 at the age of 23.
This is August with her husband, Kevin Moore. You can of course find many, many NSFW photos of her, as her videos can be found on Pornhub to this day. (No, I haven't checked personally. Ronson tells us this, and I assume he's correct.)
August's story will sound typical to anyone who's read stories about the porn industry before: she was a small town girl who was too pretty and too ambitious to stay on the farm, and went to Los Angeles seeking fame and fortune. Actually, it seems she fell directly into porn without even bothering to try the Hollywood route. She hooked up with an older guy, marrying porn producer Kevin Moore. We unsurprisingly learn of a childhood history of sexual abuse, but what makes August's story of particular interest is her suicide following a social media dragging. She tweeted that she didn't want to work with "crossover actors" (gay men who film sex scenes with women), and was immediately piled on by many other big names in the porn industry for "homophobia." Soon thereafter, she went to a national forest and hung herself.
Sounds like a case of a mentally vulnerable woman killing herself after being bullied online, right? This is certainly what her widower thinks, and he blames a particularly well known porn star who participated in the pile on. But as Ronson investigates, he finds the story isn't nearly that simple. August apparently had been struggling with mental health issues. Her relationship with her much older, porn producer husband, wasn't the greatest. The porn star her husband blames, it turns out, really never tweeted anything particularly critical of August personally, and when Ronson interviews her, the woman breaks down into tears and seems genuinely distraught that she might have somehow been a contributing factor to August's suicide.
Ronson tells us up front that he doesn't want to keep the listeners in suspense thinking there will be a dramatic twist at the end, that this will turn into a murder mystery or something. It isn't, it's just the story of an unfortunate, damaged young woman who took her own life for reasons we'll never be completely clear on. But along the way, Ronson shows us again, as he did in The Butterfly Effect, just how grimy and lacking in empathy the porn business and most of the men in it are. (The woman, by contrast, seem to be far more empathetic, and yet, though on an hourly basis they are the biggest earners, they are also the most expendable and they know it.)
The story doesn't really take us anywhere unexpected, but the cast of characters, the conflicting narratives, the many people involved with August, all of whom have a different view of her life and death, make this is very listenable.
The subject of The Last Days of August is August Ames (real name: Mercedes Grabowski), a young porn actress who committed suicide in 2017 at the age of 23.
This is August with her husband, Kevin Moore. You can of course find many, many NSFW photos of her, as her videos can be found on Pornhub to this day. (No, I haven't checked personally. Ronson tells us this, and I assume he's correct.)
August's story will sound typical to anyone who's read stories about the porn industry before: she was a small town girl who was too pretty and too ambitious to stay on the farm, and went to Los Angeles seeking fame and fortune. Actually, it seems she fell directly into porn without even bothering to try the Hollywood route. She hooked up with an older guy, marrying porn producer Kevin Moore. We unsurprisingly learn of a childhood history of sexual abuse, but what makes August's story of particular interest is her suicide following a social media dragging. She tweeted that she didn't want to work with "crossover actors" (gay men who film sex scenes with women), and was immediately piled on by many other big names in the porn industry for "homophobia." Soon thereafter, she went to a national forest and hung herself.
Sounds like a case of a mentally vulnerable woman killing herself after being bullied online, right? This is certainly what her widower thinks, and he blames a particularly well known porn star who participated in the pile on. But as Ronson investigates, he finds the story isn't nearly that simple. August apparently had been struggling with mental health issues. Her relationship with her much older, porn producer husband, wasn't the greatest. The porn star her husband blames, it turns out, really never tweeted anything particularly critical of August personally, and when Ronson interviews her, the woman breaks down into tears and seems genuinely distraught that she might have somehow been a contributing factor to August's suicide.
Ronson tells us up front that he doesn't want to keep the listeners in suspense thinking there will be a dramatic twist at the end, that this will turn into a murder mystery or something. It isn't, it's just the story of an unfortunate, damaged young woman who took her own life for reasons we'll never be completely clear on. But along the way, Ronson shows us again, as he did in The Butterfly Effect, just how grimy and lacking in empathy the porn business and most of the men in it are. (The woman, by contrast, seem to be far more empathetic, and yet, though on an hourly basis they are the biggest earners, they are also the most expendable and they know it.)
The story doesn't really take us anywhere unexpected, but the cast of characters, the conflicting narratives, the many people involved with August, all of whom have a different view of her life and death, make this is very listenable.
January 22, 2019
I'm not a fan of the generalization that all women working in porn have some kind of unresolved mental trauma and/or daddy issues. After all, porn is one of the few industries where the female performers' salaries far outstrip (pun not intended but left in...god, everything can be a pun when we're talking porn, eh?) that of their male co-stars. That said, as Ronson's latest foray into the porn world - after The Butterfly Effect - makes apparent, misogyny is still alive and kicking in the industry.
In some ways, The Last Days of August works as an extended coda to two of Ronson's previous works about pornography (TBE) and online bullying (So You've Been Publicly Shamed). With his signature nerdish, somewhat naïf determination, Ronson looks into the suicide of successful actress August Ames, who hung herself in December 2017 after her Twitter post was deemed homophobic and invited swift rebuke from those both inside and outside of her industry.
Invited to explore the topic by Ames' Svengali-like husband Kevin, Ronson and his producer quickly determine that the truth is not as simple as online bullying = suicide. In a world with a plethora of true crime podcasts, I appreciated that Ronson quickly debunked the possibility that Ames's death was more than a suicide; a lesser journalist could have easily teased the reveal out for an entire season. Ronson's sympathetic approach to people within the industry - always polite but not willing to entirely swallow (...pun?) their peddled bullshit - is in keeping with his self declared mandate for this piece: to get a clearer understanding of the personalities within this marginalized and misunderstood community. Ames's death is an entry point.
Naturally, the truth is messier, sadder and more nuanced than the tagline suggests, with the porn performers running the human gambit from empowered to damaged but rarely victims, with even the figures a lazier podcast would cast as villainous coming across as somewhat fucked up. Rejecting lazy tropes, the porn world emerges as a complicated, problematic world that may attract performers that ascribe to the aforementioned generalizations, but cannot be entirely defined by them. Porn may be exploitative - the story of young women having to hold up their paychecks and swear on camera that they're not being abused with dull eyes, choking back tears, is horrible - but not any more so than the shitty parenting, fostering and neglectful mental health care they've suffered prior to arriving in Los Angeles.
In some ways, The Last Days of August works as an extended coda to two of Ronson's previous works about pornography (TBE) and online bullying (So You've Been Publicly Shamed). With his signature nerdish, somewhat naïf determination, Ronson looks into the suicide of successful actress August Ames, who hung herself in December 2017 after her Twitter post was deemed homophobic and invited swift rebuke from those both inside and outside of her industry.
Invited to explore the topic by Ames' Svengali-like husband Kevin, Ronson and his producer quickly determine that the truth is not as simple as online bullying = suicide. In a world with a plethora of true crime podcasts, I appreciated that Ronson quickly debunked the possibility that Ames's death was more than a suicide; a lesser journalist could have easily teased the reveal out for an entire season. Ronson's sympathetic approach to people within the industry - always polite but not willing to entirely swallow (...pun?) their peddled bullshit - is in keeping with his self declared mandate for this piece: to get a clearer understanding of the personalities within this marginalized and misunderstood community. Ames's death is an entry point.
Naturally, the truth is messier, sadder and more nuanced than the tagline suggests, with the porn performers running the human gambit from empowered to damaged but rarely victims, with even the figures a lazier podcast would cast as villainous coming across as somewhat fucked up. Rejecting lazy tropes, the porn world emerges as a complicated, problematic world that may attract performers that ascribe to the aforementioned generalizations, but cannot be entirely defined by them. Porn may be exploitative - the story of young women having to hold up their paychecks and swear on camera that they're not being abused with dull eyes, choking back tears, is horrible - but not any more so than the shitty parenting, fostering and neglectful mental health care they've suffered prior to arriving in Los Angeles.
November 20, 2025
1.5 stars The only Jon Ronson project (book, film, tv show, audiobook, or podcast) I had trouble getting through because it was all so banal. There’s only so much I can take of pornstars’ catty rumors, macho posturing, crocodile tears, and rapid-fire rambling. I just didn’t care about any of it. Ronson’s projects usually give fresh or enlightening insight on a topic, but I learned nothing here. He mentions early on that this isn’t going to be a murder mystery, but I get the sense that he THOUGHT it was going to be that … but it turned out it was just the story of a sad, narcissistic man coping with the suicide of his pornstar partner who, at worst, just didn't provide her the emotional support she needed. So it just became interviews with a collection of unstable pornstars. This has less to do with online shaming or suicide and more to do with the US mental health crisis in general and the emotionally damaged people who go into the porn industry in particular.
September 3, 2019
I wasn't really sure what to make of this book and I'm not sure I'd recommend it to anyone as I didn't really find a conclusion, opinion or singular focal point of the story.
The book was free on Audible and I thought it was supposed to focus on the details surrounding the death of an adult film actress. However the story jumps all over the place from speculation on the actress' death, implications of a potential murder and grandiose statements about the entirety of the adult film business. Had the author focussed on perhaps the issues surrounding the adult film business, the book could have been very enlightening. However, it seemed that the author couldn't make up their mind on what to focu on and thus, no meaningful conclusions or point is ultimately made.
My final take away from the story was that of sympathy of the actress who committed suicide and the industry which seems to nurture self destructive behavior.
The book was free on Audible and I thought it was supposed to focus on the details surrounding the death of an adult film actress. However the story jumps all over the place from speculation on the actress' death, implications of a potential murder and grandiose statements about the entirety of the adult film business. Had the author focussed on perhaps the issues surrounding the adult film business, the book could have been very enlightening. However, it seemed that the author couldn't make up their mind on what to focu on and thus, no meaningful conclusions or point is ultimately made.
My final take away from the story was that of sympathy of the actress who committed suicide and the industry which seems to nurture self destructive behavior.
October 5, 2020
Podcast - Fantastic investigative pod looking into the effects of a Twitter pile-on aimed at a Canadian Pornstar. A real look into the toxic world of porn and how a white man covers up a murder using mental health.
January 23, 2019
I really enjoyed this, since it was basically a 'true crime' esque podcast. And I love those. Listened to on Audible, glad I got this one.
May 17, 2019
I listened to this original podcast in the form of audiobook. Jon Ronson is a great investigative reporter because he’s genuinely curious about people’s lives. He doesn’t judge, or jump to conclusions. He also keeps an open mind and really explores everything. I couldn’t stop listening! So intriguing!
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