Jon Ronson On... When Small Talk Goes Wrong

Jon Ronson talks to Denis Fillion, who was behind one of the first major internet hoaxes. Denis used to post threads and make small talk on a technical forum called Anandtech. Irritated by the misogyny he found on the site, he invented a female character to join in the chat. Soon he found himself flirting with his own character and weaving a tale so believable that the character took on an air of reality, even for him. As the relationship deepened, Denis was forced to take drastic action to get out of his own hoax. With additional contributions from comedian Josie Long and Charlie Brooker. Music Philip Glass "Vessel" Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance Philip Glass "Prophecies" Koyaanisqatsi: Life out of Balance Kraftwerk "The Robots" The Mix Kraftwerk "Pocket Calculator" The Mix Kraftwerk" Computer Love" The Mix A Man Called Adam "Estelle" Café Del Mar Florence and The Machine "Cosmic Love" Lungs