Ronson writes an article on poker for Time Out but ends up overplaying his hand…
Here’s a brief tiff between Gutshot bloggers and Ronson’s spokesperson, Vicky Coren. I didn’t see the Time Out article online, but will keep looking.
While I disagree with Coren that being familiar with Ronson’s writing style should override any misunderstandings or hard feelings on the part of the players, I think that anyone going into an interview situation with a journalist ought to realize that journalists make a living writing sensational stories. Ronson is no exception; he’s the rule! He does make many of his subjects come across in ways they would not have wanted and that sells books. He’s the Borat of reporting, and like Borat, if you’re willing to let him in then you should understand there’s going to be a gag involved. Of course, like Borat, many folks don’t realize that he’s a humorist and thus feel duped and express hard feelings and lawsuits. I can’t imagine how many seriously dangerous people Ronson has pissed off in his career, but reading his books, you can sense it’s a lot. And the more fame he garners, the more they’re all steaming, I’m sure.
Well, that’s his chosen profession, and he knows what he’s doing, insofar as he knows he’s upsetting a lot of folks and must understand the baggage that comes with. I’m not his apologist, and as I’ve written before, I don’t always agree with his methods…but I am still a fan!
http://www.gutshot.com/forum/showthread.php/4605-MESSAGE-FROM-JON-RONSON
