Things Fell Apart

by Jon Ronson

If you've ever yelled at someone on social media about, say, cancel culture or mask-wearing, then you are a soldier in the culture wars - those everyday battles for dominance between conflicting values. The acclaimed writer and podcaster Jon Ronson has seen friends swallowed up in them to the extent that it's ruined their lives. Jon was curious to learn how things fell apart, and so he went back into the history of the culture wars to find some of the origin stories: the pebbles thrown in the pond, creating the ripples that led us to where we are today. He had no idea what he'd find, but he's uncovered some extraordinary people and the strangest, yet most consequential tales.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Politics, History, Essays, Journalism

3 pages, Audible Audio

First published February 17, 2022

About the author

Jon 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.

Reviews

[Petra X]

Update 2. Tammy Faye Bakker does good! When I was a younger, my bf and I (later my first husband, I was a teen bride!) used get stoned, put on some good music and watch televangelist shows with the sound turned down. Our two favourites were Benny Hinn - the way people he touched were so overcome they fell backwards, and Tammy Faye. Her hair, her clothes and that make up, she was entrancing in all the wrong ways. Then of course there were the scandals that destroyed the Bakkers.

So I was really surprised to learn that back in the days when people didn't even want to be in the same room as someone who had AIDS she invited a gay preacher, Rev. Steve Pieters, who had HIV on her show. She wanted to show that true Christians would of course accept gays with love in their hearts, which according to Rev Pieters was unheard of in televangelism then. The preacher made only one stipulation, that the show went out live so it couldn't be edited. At the last minute the producers phoned him to say the show was cancelled. Tammy was ill. But he went anyway, she wasn't ill, they'd go cold feet. Tammy Faye has gone up enormously in my estimation.
__________

I like Jon Ronson's obsessions with the individuals and organisations that are at the far ends of what is acceptable politically, socially or just kind of really out to lunch. I'm going to review the book by chapters, since each is a different topic so it's going to be updated a lot.

1. 1,000 Dolls. This is before the current abysmal state of abortion laws in the US which was engineered greatly by evangelical Christians. Apparently in the '70s they were not in the least engaged with abortion because it was seen as a Roman Catholic issue, and since they thought Catholics were going to hell, they wanted nothing to do with them or their theology. Who knew?

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

A super interesting collection of short explorations into the unexpected origins of some of the most significant culture wars of our times. I found all of these stories really compelling, even on the odd occassion when the origin story didn't take me entirely by surprise. Ronson explores our increasingly adversarial thoughtfully, and as intended this book made me think, particularly about the nature of our interactions with people and information in an increasingly digital world. Well worth your time.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jon Ronson's work but this was a tough one to get through. The situation we find ourselves in when it comes to culture wars is draining and these topics are hard on the soul especially when dealing with objectionable people. It's interesting that he took the direction of going back to find patient zero as it were when it came to the culture wars that we're dealing with.

A few things stood out in the series (and from other things I've observed over the years outside of these profiles) are:
Don't give people on petty, meanspirited crusades your time or thought. Apply the rules of the "fire triangle." A flame war needs oxygen to survive. Don't give it any.
Well-meaning people on a crusade focus on a single aim and fail to look at the situation on a wider level.
Outcasts are usually people who've lost relevancy in their personal worlds and latch onto something that fills that need and supplies a platform. The disenfranchised need to be looked after.
Hold onto our empathy. Without it, we're lost.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Ronson investigates the roots of the current divisive social and political atmosphere – the so-called culture wars – with his usual informed curiosity, openness, and commitment to critical inquiry. Each chapter (or episode, since this is technically a podcast) takes us on a surprising journey to the point in the 1980s or ’90s where major third-rail topics had their genesis: textbook bans, the Satanic panic, abortion, online free speech, the trans movement in Third Wave Feminism, internet public shaming/canceling (a popular Ronson topic), etc. Many have their start in the evangelical community, which is often stirred up by a single person and quickly spreads throughout the community to become cultural crusades. His goal to "tell culture war stories without becoming part of the culture wars” takes an unexpected turn when his book So You've Been Publicly Shamed becomes the target of a ridiculous school ban in Scottsdale, AZ. Even a writer whose stated goal is to tell stories with respect and empathy can get caught up in the maelstrom.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ~ [8.61/10]

Jon Ronson's style of literary journalism has been one that I've gravitated towards for a long time, I've read nearly all of his books and he never fails to draw me into a story. I listened to both Season 1 and, the newly released, Season 2 of this show back to back - I actually accidentally listened to Season 2 first because of the way BBC Sounds organised the episodes, but each episode is an individual short story so it made no difference to my enjoyment.

Ronson has a way of exploring the human moments in the culture wars that really resonate with me. I like that he explores both sides of an argument without coming across as a "Both Sides Guy", his major concern is about finding the empathy in stories and the, often innocuous, origin of a culture war that has spiraled out of control. I thought Season 2 had a more cohesive over-arching story than Season 1, but I enjoyed both immensely. The stand-outs for me were A Miracle from Season 1 about Tammy Faye Bakker's approach to highlighting the AIDS epidemic in a time when even the president wouldn't acknowledge the existence of the disease. And, The Most Mysterious Deaths from Season 2 about the pseudo-science of Excited Delirium and the ripple effects it has had in systemic racism, even sinking it's insidious claws into one of the most impactful culture wars in our modern history.

I think Ronson has really hit on a winning format for his brand of journalism with this series and I hope there are many more seasons to come!

[SS · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a series of documentaries than a book. The author narrates his elements but then they have interviews/sound recordings of each of the people who's story is being conveyed in each episode. Feel almost like you're watching the television documentary rather than reading/listening to a story.

An interesting piece of work on culture wars in America through the mid-late twentieth century and into the twenty-first. How abortion became an evangelical Christian's call to arms through to modern race wars/ white fragility.

Certainly an intriguing piece of work and a good narrative, but do I think the cherry picked early sliding door moments are in fact the pivotal moments in these history of these larger cultural matters, perhaps not, but certainly contributory, if not significant.

Kept me engaged and listening.
3.5 stars

[Jonathan Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really a radio series for the BBC, I listened to this like am audiobook. It gets to the origin story of each culture war, does so without judgment, and brings insight.

Did you know that the evangelical right was Pro Choice until a documentary was made in the 1970s?

There are insights like that, and in any case it is incredible.

I highly recommend it.

[Eve Dangerfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the current state of discourse and the fact humans are dumb as fuck and never actually learn anything makes you want to bash your head on a wall, give this one a miss. Love you, Jon Ronson. “What about the extreme all night game of musical chairs?” indeed.

[Libby Caldwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

Some chapters were stronger than others. I really like Ronson’s overall voice and tone. He seems to have a gift for connecting lots of different stories in a seamless way.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big Jon Ronson fan and eagerly seek out his new work. I particularly enjoy his audio and podcasting work because of his memorable voice and cadence. Recently, most of that audio work has delved heavily into the world of pornography as heard in the podcasts The Butterfly Effect and The Last Days of August. As interesting as those works were, I am glad that Ronson is working in a more mainstream milieu in this look at the history of the culture wars in the United States. Structured around a few battles in this war in last 50 years, Ronson's Things Fell Apart focuses on abortion, evangelicalism, school boards, trans activism, QAnon and many other arenas in which Americans, a group I belong to, have been their absolute worst selves. Ronson's selection of events does feel fairly random, and it's easy to imagine other events that might have exemplified division just as well (e.g. guns), but all eight episodes of Things Fell Apart are insightful and, despite their topics, highly entertaining.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and insightful stories about conflicting values and culture wars.

[Marcus · Rating 3 out of 5]

*Turns out that the BBC podcast is compiled into an audiobook. There is no physical book. Average culture wars fare.

Original review:

Quite an interesting podcast, if a little lightweight. Can’t see it making for one of his more enthralling books when it hits the shelves.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Also could be called - why the US is messed up. I listened to this in one sitting. The Tammy Baker story is a stand out lovely story on the goodness of people.

[Tom Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating Archaeology of The Origins of Conspiracy Theories.

While Ronson does a good job of tracking the rise and evolution of a number of popular tropes that have merged into an Alternative Reality so many of our fellow Citizens dwell in I think we need to delve deeper. I have lived through many, if not all, of these waves and have been disgusted by their silly outlandish beliefs. But the rise of QAnon and MAGA have exposed the danger they can pose to Life in America.

What has been even more puzzling has been the speed and scope of their wildfire spread and the grip that they maintained over their Believers. Whether the influence of Religion, Media, or Politics was the root cause of each, they all seemed to arise out of thin air and grow in power and extremism with no sufficient opposition from more Rational Forces in the Society.

Unlike the Hula Hoop, Pet Rock, or Disco fads that blossomed and faded in weeks or months leaving almost no trace behind, these Manias metastasized into Political and/or Religious Movements lasting years and tearing apart People, Families, and Institutions. Another interesting and dangerous quality we’ve experienced is the way disparate Theories tend to find common cause with others and multiply their influence, e.g. Anti-Abortion, LGBTQ, and Book Banning. Their Followers find a common thread and identify with other Members of their Tribe.

It is this last quality that Ronson hasn’t satisfactorily addressed in Things Fell Apart, perhaps because he’s a journalist and not a Psychologist. But why do these Theories attract a certain sliver of the Populace. I’m pretty sure you could connect the dots of each Tribe from Pro-Life to Satanic Panic to QAnon to MAGA.

There has to be some element of Personality, Education, Economics, etc. that makes these Followers vulnerable to the appeal of various Conspiracies. That, to me, is the worrying issue, because Social Media has made it much too easy for these Tribes to grow and spread. I think this book is a good start, but more research needs to be done to understand where these Folks live in these Fantasy Worlds. Four Stars. ****

[Scholastic Squid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appreciate his ability to breakdown situations, gather the information and the facts from all angles. It was a tough emotional read but I am more knowledgeable about how group dynamics or even individual events can turn into something more complex. Something dangerous, and create a whole new level of stress and ambiguity.
It reminds me of the Village of Cannibals where a town essentially created a mini satanic panic but about an individual. The entire village mindset became one buzzing & roiling fever dream creating false narratives and stretching small truths to the extreme. Once the individual at stake was eliminated everyone stopped and opened their eyes questioning the validity of their accusations and their deadly crimes.
Instead of the instant-soup of emotions, it’s better to step back and reflect yet in each of the stories Jon Ronson tells there is always a trigger of some kind that ripples through the subsequent generations causing change whether you like it to or not.

[Norma · Rating 4 out of 5]

( Format : Audiobook )
"This is not a media stunt."
Jon Robson looks into the origins of several media moral panics in, amongst others, child trafficking, pornography, abortion, gender politics and racial discrimination, and produces eight potential spark points for current social conflict. As with all of Ronson's investigations, this is both interesting and informative, easy to read and, often, quite extraordinary. He also narrates.
Originally broadcast by the BBC, presumably as a series of programmes, each new segment is introduced by a repeated few sentences which should better have been edited out but otherwise a fascinating, if rather worrying, book. It does appear that it is not just the poor and badly educated who fall prey to strange conspiracy theories.
Recommended.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great listen for critical thinking and maybe moving outside the comfort zone a bit. Leans to the left a little bit (of course) but you're given viewpoints from "the right" to get equal perspective however skewed. Still amazing to think that the two "sides" live in the same country but have such different realities. I didn't know some of these historical "pebbles" as he calls them and am wondering what sort of boulders are being dropped by current events...yikes. Will definitely see if he's got more episodes out/coming. Also didn't realize this was the same Jon Ronson who wrote "So You've Been Publicly Shamed" - on my TBR list.

[Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

--4.5 stars rounded up--

Not everyone episode is an absolute hit but they're all good, and some of them are brilliant. I've listened to both series of this, some of them twice, and the standout episodes as far as I can remember (it was a while ago now, so I've just guessed the date) were the abortion episode, the Tammy Faye Bakker one and the George Floyd one. The QAnon one sticks out in my mind too.

I'll definitely be listening to this whole series again and just hope Ronson keeps making stuff like this for as long as possible.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting, quick listen about the history of culture wars in America. It covers 8 different topics ranging from third-wave feminism to trans rights to critical race theory just to name three. My only criticism is that I think they should’ve edited it so each chapter didn’t have the same introduction repeated. I understand this was originally a radio series but I think it would’ve helped. I definitely recommend this for an even handed look at past and present cultural battles.

[Simon Sweetman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guess the lines blur with Ronson between what’s a radio show, what’s a podcast, what’s an Audiobook — they’re all pieces of (related) work that he does. And he always delivers. This is one of my favourites from recent years. Two series now, the second fairly brand new and brilliant. Bring on a third!

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

I engaged with this via the audio broadcast format on the BBC rather than as printed book, and the interviews included helped to enrich the process. But the culture wars are draining and this was a refreshing tonic to that chore

[Kelly Mccloskey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jon Ronson is one of my favourites, and this one was terrific. The stories were all great, but I think everyone's fav is the Tammy Faye episode. It's worth listening to and getting the backstory on so many of the US culture wars.

[Eivind Lindbråten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audiobook! Jon Ronson dives into the surprising history of some of the most prominent cultural wars. Originally made for BBC as 8 episodes. So very audiobook friendly, with interviews, music etc.

[Stacey Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adore his work!

[J.D. Kessey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great interviews. Great central message.

[Kent Winward · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just enjoy Jon Ronson. By coincidence I also read Po Bronson this same week, another author I tend to enjoy. Not sure the significance, but I'm sure it is there somewhere.

[Nat]

John Ronson is great to read and even better to listen to.

[Lexi Mag · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything Jon Ronson does is fantastic. Everything. This was a great look at how seemingly benign things sparked culture wars that are still alive and well in society today.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really really good story telling!!! very engaging

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Binged it in one greedy sitting. It’s actually a BBC podcast series so available on BBC Sounds. I wish I could tell the 9 people waiting to read this from the library!!!