Reasonably Optimistic

What a reality show taught this author about modern masculinity

October 28, 2026·49 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

When journalist Jon Ronson’s son arrived at a Connecticut castle expecting a party, the owner told him and his friends that they had actually been invited to appear on a reality show. It quickly became clear that the show wasn’t what it seemed. That bizarre encounter — and the investigation it set in motion — became the basis for Ronson's new book, “The Castle: Adventures in a World of Unraveling Men,” which is about men struggling to find their place in the world.Host Megan McArdle talks with the author about modern masculinity, the false promise of online fame, how outrage can become an identity and what happens when attention begins to replace purpose.Subscribe to The Washington Post here.

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