About this episode
Alex Jones built his Infowars brand on conspiratorial thinking and table-pounding rage. This week, we look at the three lawsuits testing whether Jones can sustain his business on lies alone. After the LGBT-rights advocate David Buckel committed suicide in Brooklyn's Prospect Park this past weekend, we review the difficult history of self-immolation and we zoom in on one such incident, in Texas in 2014. Plus, an LSD retrospective, featuring never-before-heard audio from author Ken Kesey's acid-fueled hijinks. 1. Lyrissa Lidsky [ @LidskyLidsky ], professor at University of Missouri's School of Law, on the legal threats to Alex Jones' conspiratorial media business . Listen . 2. Andrew Poe, professor of political science at Amherst College, on the history of self-immolation. Listen . 3. Michael Hall [ @mikehalltexas ], executive editor at Texas Monthly, on the life and death of pastor Charles Moore . Listen . 4. River Donaghey and Tom Wolfe, author of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test , on the legacy of author and LSD evangelist Ken Kesey . Listen . Music: Lost, Night by Bill Frisell Whispers of Heavenly Death by John Zorn Unaccompanied Cello Suite No.4 in E-Flat Major by Yo-Yo Ma Walking by Flashlight by Maria Schneider Tomorrow Never Knows by Quartetto D'Archi Dell'Orchestra Sinfonica Di Milano On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today ( https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm ). Follow our show on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.