10 Things We Learned From Jon Ronson On Louis Theroux's Grounded Podcast

10. Theroux And Ronson Share A Friendly Rivalry

One of the first things that Louis Theroux and Jon Ronson get out of the way is the acknowledgement that they are so similar. While this interview isn't quite being in the same room at the same time, it's the closest thing we're going to get to confirmation that they are two different people. However, while they are different people, they are also professionals who share a huge intersection in the Theroux-Ronson Venn diagram.

Journalists who have enjoyed television and documentary success, they share parallel careers. Both came to prominence in the 90s and during that rise to fame, they were aware of each other. While there is now clearly an admiration and respect between the pair, their rivalry was less enjoyable when they were starting out. It felt as though they were fighting for the same territory, covering similarly weird subjects.

Ronson points out there is a distinction between having an enemy and having a nemesis. Animosity is felt towards an enemy, while a nemesis inspires you to greater heights. Theroux agrees with this assessment but also admits that there is a nastiness he feels which he wishes he could root out. However, he is comfortable enough with this feeling and believes it is important to be honest about it.