Jon Ronson & Micah Truran

Summary

The Moth Podcast Episode Summary: Jon Ronson & Micah Truran

Title: Jon Ronson & Micah Truran
Host: Dan Kennedy
Release Date: November 10, 2015
Episode Theme: Identity

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Introduction to the Episode

In this compelling episode of The Moth, host Dan Kennedy explores the multifaceted theme of identity through two poignant stories. The discussions delve into the complexities of personal identity, the impact of digital impersonation, and the journey toward self-acceptance. The episode offers listeners a deep dive into what it means to be oneself in an increasingly interconnected and often anonymous world.

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Story 1: Jon Ronson on Identity Theft and Public Shaming

Speaker: Jon Ronson
Timestamp: [05:34] - [16:09]

Overview

Jon Ronson, a renowned author and contributor to This American Life, shares an intriguing experience of discovering an online impersonation that challenges his sense of self. His story navigates the thin line between personal identity and digital representation, highlighting the unforeseen consequences of technology on personal reputation.

Key Points and Discussions

1. Discovery of the Impostor Twitter Account

   • Jon recounts accidentally discovering another "Jon Ronson" on Twitter, whose profile picture mirrored his own ([05:34]).
   • The impostor's tweets were nonsensical, leading Jon to realize it was a spam bot designed by Luke Robert Mason from the University of Warwick.

2. Confrontation and Conflict

   • Jon attempts to resolve the issue amicably by contacting the creator, only to be met with academic jargon and a lack of understanding of the personal impact ([07:45]).
   • Frustration grows as Jon observes the spam bot gaining traction, while his own interactions and public presence remain stagnant.

3. Public Shaming and Online Mobilization

   • Deciding to take matters into his own hands, Jon films a confrontation with the academics responsible for the bot.
   • The video garners aggressive support from online commenters, leading to public shaming of the academics and the eventual shutdown of the spam bot ([14:20]).

4. Reflections on Identity and Normality

   • Jon introspects on the ethics of his actions, questioning whether his response was a reflection of society's intolerance towards deviations from "normality."
   • He ponders the ramifications of defining societal norms through exclusion and the potential escalation of such conflicts ([15:50]).

Notable Quotes

• Jon Ronson:
  • "I was at war with a robot version of myself." ([07:10])
  • "We are soldiers in the war on human flaws because we just don't like it when somebody's not normal." ([16:00])

Insights and Conclusions

Jon's narrative sheds light on the vulnerability of personal identity in the digital age. It underscores the challenges individuals face when their identities are co-opted or misrepresented online. The story also prompts a broader conversation about societal standards of normality and the lengths to which individuals will go to protect their personal narratives. Jon's journey from discovery to confrontation encapsulates the struggle for authenticity amidst digital impersonation and public scrutiny.

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Story 2: Micah Truran on Embracing Identity as a Trans Man

Speaker: Micah Truran
Timestamp: [16:53] - [22:47]

Overview

Micah Truran, a trans man and psychology student, shares a heartfelt story of self-acceptance and the profound impact of kindness. His experience at a concert serves as a pivotal moment in his journey toward embracing his true self and finding the courage to live authentically.

Key Points and Discussions

1. Personal Struggles with Identity

   • Micah introduces himself as a trans man, describing the internal conflicts of having a male identity within a female body ([16:53]).
   • He highlights the challenges of living in the closet and the emotional toll it takes on his sense of self.

2. The Night of Transformation

   • On Halloween night, Micah attends a rave in Milwaukee, feeling empowered by wearing his "lucky red tie" ([17:30]).
   • The concert becomes a transformative experience as the lead singer approaches him, complimenting his appearance and offering support ([19:15]).

3. A Moment of Affirmation

   • The lead singer's gesture—signing Micah's tie and offering words of peace, love, and equality—serves as a catalyst for Micah's self-acceptance ([20:05]).
   • This encounter provides Micah with the reassurance and bravery needed to live openly as his authentic self.

4. Impact of Simple Kindness

   • Micah emphasizes the significance of kind words, likening them to a single candle's flame that can save a life ([21:10]).
   • The support he received catalyzed his decision to embrace his identity publicly, highlighting the power of empathy and understanding.

Notable Quotes

• Micah Truran:
  • "The thing about a kind word is that it's sort of like the flame of a single candle. It doesn't mean much to most people, but for somebody who really needs it, it can save your life." ([20:50])
  • "That moment made it so that I then had the courage to let other people know who I was and be myself, and that makes all the difference in the world." ([22:30])

Insights and Conclusions

Micah's story is a testament to the transformative power of human connection and acceptance. It illustrates how a single act of kindness can empower individuals to overcome internal struggles and embrace their true selves. His experience underscores the importance of supportive communities and the profound impact of positive reinforcement in the journey toward self-acceptance. Micah's narrative serves as an inspiring reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the essential role of empathy in fostering inclusive environments.

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Closing Reflections

This episode of The Moth masterfully intertwines stories of personal identity and the external forces that shape our understanding of self. Through Jon Ronson's confrontation with digital impersonation and Micah Truran's journey toward self-acceptance, listeners are invited to reflect on the delicate balance between individuality and societal expectations. The episode emphasizes the significance of authenticity, the challenges posed by technology, and the enduring importance of kindness and support in navigating the complexities of identity.

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About the Speakers

Jon Ronson

Jon Ronson is a celebrated writer known for his works such as The Psychopath Test, Lost at Sea, and The Men Who Stare at Goats. He co-wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed film Frank and is a regular contributor to This American Life. Jon resides in both London and New York City and has recently released his book, So You've Been Publicly Shamed.

Micah Truran

Micah Truran is a psychology student at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. An aspiring writer and avid gamer, Micah also plays the guitar. His personal journey as a trans man adds a profound layer to his academic and creative pursuits.

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This summary aims to encapsulate the essence of the episode, providing a comprehensive overview of the narratives and themes discussed. For those interested in the intricate dynamics of identity and personal transformation, this episode offers valuable insights and heartfelt storytelling.

Transcript

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[Dan Kennedy]

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This week on the podcast we have a couple of stories about identity, stolen identities, hidden identities, Twitter bots, a particular favorite of mine. This is going to be a fun episode. We haven't checked in with our story Slam Crowd Slips in a little while, so I wanted to quickly read a couple of these to see what's been happening at our live shows all over the country. The audience slip asked this question. Well, it's a statement, really. It says, tell us about a time you were proud to be weird, this person wrote. My girlfriend and I were in a sorority in college. One day the sorority had a party that was themed 1920s. Everyone showed up in stunning flapper outfits with bobbed hair and cocktail gloves. My friend and I, however, showed up dressed as Russian Revolutionary Bolsheviks, complete with hammer and sickle logos and slogans tattooed on our arms proclaiming Peace, Land and Bread. People were aghast. To make things worse, we had pre partied a little too hard with Russian vodka. Always a mistake pre partying too hard with Russian vodka. So I promptly threw up over my friend's beautiful Russian fur boots and was sent home in a cab in disgrace. And it says the end, but it's underlined very hard. I think they really felt that. Here's another one. This person wrote, I dressed up. Oh, I'm sorry, it was Easter time and I dressed up like a giant pink bunny to surprise a guy that I was dating. I had to walk down a busy road to get there. Lots of cars were honking and people were waving. I got there and he wasn't home. He arrived to find me asleep on his stairs. The next year, we got married. Okay, so identity. Our first story today is from John Ronson, and he told this at a moth event here in New York City in association with Riverhead Books. Here's John.

[John Ronson]

Anyway, this story starts, like a lot of great stories do, with me accidentally typing my name into Google and inadvertently pressing Search. And I discovered that there was another Jon Ronson on Twitter, and his Twitter name was JonRonson. And his picture was a picture of my face. And as I looked in surprise at his timeline, he tweeted, going home. Got to get the recipe for a huge plate of muscle and guana in a bap with mayonnaise. Hashtag yummy. Who are you? I tweeted him. Watching Seinfeld would love a delicious plate of lemongrass stew. Foodie, he wrote. I didn't know what to do. The next morning, I checked the other Jon Ronson's Twitter feed before I checked my own. In the night, he tweeted, I'm dreaming something about time and cock. He had 20 followers. Some of them were people that I knew from real life who were presumably wondering why I'd suddenly become so passionate about fusion cooking and also candid about dreaming about cock. So I did some digging, and I discovered that it was a spam bot created by an academic from the University of Warwick called Luke Robert Mason. And I thought, oh, well, this is fine. I'll email him and I'll tell him that I don't like the spam bot and he'll take it down. So I emailed him and I said, I'm sorry, can you take down your spam bot, please? And he emailed back, we prefer the term infomorph to spam spam bot. So I wrote, but it's taken my identity. And he replied, the infomorph isn't taking your identity. It is repurposing social media data into an infomorphic aesthetic. I felt a tightness in my chest. I was at war with a robot version of myself. A month passed, and the other Jon Ronson was tweeting about 30 times a day about his soirees. The other John Ronson, I should say, was having a much better life than I was having in the entire period. I was only invited to one thing that would be called a score. And as I turned up, the host said to me, would you like some potato chips? And I said, no, thank you. I'm going to have cereal when I get home. So I saw out the corner of my eye, my wife was glaring at me and mouthing something. And I said, what? And she mouthed, be more general. Your small talk make it more general. It was just basic small talk, as far as I understand the concept. Anyway, I emailed Luke Robert Mason, and I said, well, if you won't take down your spam bot, maybe we can meet and I can film the encounter and put it onto YouTube and you can explain your reasons for creating the spam bot and I can explain why I Don't like the spam bot. And he wrote about to say, we would very much like to meet you to explain our reasons behind the infomorph. And I said, that's great. I'm very much looking forward to hearing your reasons behind the Spam Bot. So I rented a room in central London, and three of them turned up, and they were all academics. And I asked them all to sit in a row on a sofa so I could film them all in a single shot. And one of them said, okay, we'll play along, but we know what you're doing. It's a form of psychological control. And I said, is it? And he said, I do it to my students. I sit them in a row, and I sit in a chair separately. And I said, why would you want to psychologically control your students? And he looked briefly worried that I'd caught him saying something eerie. And he said, it's about controlling the learning environment. And I said, well, I'm not trying to psychologically control you, but actually, I think back on it, I think I kind of was. Anyway, so he said, do you want to go through the London phone book and tell everybody in the phone book called John Ronson that they're not allowed to be called John Ronson? And I said, no, because those people aren't called John Ronson because of me, whereas you're calling this spambot John Ronson because of me. And he said, well, you're proposing yourself as the real John Ronson, and we feel annoyed with you because we feel that what you're really doing is brand management. And I said, it's just me tweeting. And I said, my problem is that, you know, if it was, like, porn or fraud, it would be okay, but this, it's plausible, and it's an idiot, and it's like a misrepresentation of me. And he said, would you like it to be more like you? And I said, no, I'd like it to not exist. And he said, well, I find that disturbing because you want to kill these algorithms. You must feel threatened in some way. So I said, you're the troll. And then I staggered out into the London afternoon, and I dreaded uploading the footage because I'd been so screechy, and I didn't want YouTube comments mocking my screechiness. But I posted it, and I left it 10 minutes. And then, with some apprehension, I had a look. And the first comment said, these people should respect John's personal liberty. And I thought, wow. And then the second comment said, vile, disturbing idiots, playing with the man's hurt and anger and then laughing at his pain. And I nodded soberly. And then the third comment said, break them, fuck them, destroy them. And I was giddy with joy. I was like Braveheart wandering through a field, at first alone, and then I realized that hundreds are marching behind me. And then the next comment said, if I could see these people face to face, I would say that they are pricks. The cunt in the middle is a fucking psychopath. And I thought, I hope nobody's going to actually hurt them. And then the next message said, gas them. And I won. The academics were shamed into acquiescence, and it was like their public shaming had set a factory restore button and everything went back to normal. And it was a wonderful feeling, the feeling of victory. I felt like I felt overwhelmed with this good feeling, like a sedative. And they shut down the spam bot and they made a big deal out of it. They tweeted it and said, you know, I'm afraid that we're going to have to close you down now. Do you know what that means? And then I said, you only have a few hours left. I hope you choose how to spend them wisely. I hope you had a happy life. And I said, just turn it off. Jesus. It felt great to be victorious. But as I stood over the corpse of despair, I suddenly thought to myself, were we doing to them what they were doing to me? Were we turning them into something that wasn't quite human? And then I thought, were we the people in the lithographs, being ribald at whippings? And then I thought, maybe what's going on here is that there's an escalation in the war on human floors, and we're soldiers in that war because we just don't like it when somebody's not normal. And then I was thinking, well, maybe what we're saying here is that we are normal and this is the average. Maybe what we're doing is defining the boundaries of normality by becoming furious and tearing apart the people outside of it. Thank you.

[Dan Kennedy]

John Ronson is a writer whose books include the Psychopath Test, Lost at Sea, and the Men who Stare at Goats. He also co wrote the screenplay for the very funny movie Frank, which stars Michael Fassbender and Maggie Gyllenhaal. Jon Ronson is a regular contributor to this American Life. He lives in London and New York City, and his new book, which is called so you've been publicly shamed is out now. Okay. Our second Story on the theme of identity is from our Slam series in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This story was told by Micah Truran and the theme of the night was Busted. Here's Micah.

[Micah Truran]

So my name's Micah and I'm a trans man. I could spend well over five minutes just explaining what that is, but in layman's terms, I have a male brain and female body. Now, at the time where this story takes place, I would never have been able to even imagine saying that in front of a group like this. I was so far in the closet that I knew my way around Narnia. But on occasion I would get out of my small minded, small town and go someplace where nobody knew who I was. And there I was able to be myself. And this story takes place on one of those nights. It was Halloween night and one of my favorite bands was playing at the rave here in Milwaukee. So I go with my best friend and her, her boyfriend, now husband. And I'm wearing my lucky red tie, which is something that I tend to do when I'm a little bit nervous to give me a little boost of confidence. That's a total coincidence, by the way. So I walk in and I'm feeling pretty good because I can overhear some 13 year old girls giggling about how cute the guy with the red faux hawk and red tie is. So I can kind of assume that I look something like the punk version of Justin Bieber. And I'm oddly cool with that. The concert is kind of a blur in my mind looking back on it, it's just incredible. And when it ended, I was covered in a mix of red Bull feathers, my best friend's body glitter, and a large amount of sweat, most of which was not mine. And then like five feet to my right, the lead singer of the band comes out of a door that I hadn't even noticed was there. And he's there to meet fans. And I'm standing there socially awkwardly to the side, just staring at him with a goofy grin on my face because of course I couldn't actually approach him and say hi. But he looks over at me and sees me standing there, says, oh, I love a man in a necktie. Grabs my tie and pulls me over to him and gives me a hug. And I knew right away how I had to immortalize this moment. And I asked him if he would sign my tie. And my friend hands me her Sharpie. And I hadn't exactly thought through the mechanics of this. I put it kind of awkwardly out on my arm for him to sign and he's like, nah, man, it's cool, I got it. He puts it across my chest to sign it. So I know that there's a couple of things there that he's bound to notice. But what can I do? He starts signing and I just freeze. I suddenly get very cold, despite the fact that I'm sure It's well over 90 degrees in this room, because I'm just so nervous. I'm suddenly aware that there's people all around and all it would take is just the wrong word, the wrong reaction, and suddenly I'm surrounded by people who know my secret. So he's signing, and about halfway through the signature, he stops and he looks up, away from my tie and into my eyes. It was probably only about a tenth of a second, but it felt like an hour. And then he just finishes signing like everything's completely normal. And as soon as he finishes signing, he pulls me in and gives me another big hug and he says into my ear, peace, love, and equality for everyone. We're all in this together. Stay strong. See, the thing about a kind word is that it's sort of like the flame of a single candle. It doesn't mean much to most people, but for somebody who really needs it, it can save your life. And I had never had anyone who didn't know me know that I was trans before. He'd known me for all of, like three seconds. And he was one of my heroes. So, you know, it was a moment when the wrong word could have devastated, but the right words made it so that I then had the courage to let other people know who I was and be myself. And that makes all the difference in the world.

[Dan Kennedy]

Micah Truran studies psychology at University Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He's an aspiring writer, an avid gamer, and, he says, a mediocre guitar player. That's it from the Moth Podcast. This time, before we go, we wanted to let those of you in Austin, Texas, or those of you who might be traveling through Austin or have friends in Austin or in some way connected to Austin. We wanted to let you know that the Moth mainstage is returning to the paramount theater on December 9th. For tickets and information on all of our upcoming tour stops, just Visit the site themoth.org thanks for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week.

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Dan Kennedy is the author of the books Loser Goes First. Rock On An American Spirit. He's also a regular host and performer with the Moth.

[Dan Kennedy]

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