# Ask the....what the hell **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 19, 2002, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775 "2002-12-19T12:13:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Stccrd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8797f3/32.png) [@Stccrd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stccrd)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/21 "2002-12-19T17:27:32Z")
Well, that all makes a bit more sense. Sometimes my train of thought doesn’t go the route it might because I am young and simplistic. Maybe I’ll go start my own thread. And I have just the topic… ---
**Author:** ![TaxGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@TaxGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TaxGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/22 "2002-12-19T17:36:25Z")
Well, I started an “Ask the . . .” thread a few minutes ago, and here’s what I was thinking about while I did it: I’m new here and I’ve been lurking a while, so I’d feel weird to just start posting in random threads without kind of saying hi to everyone first. It would be really dumb to start a whole thread just to say hi. How much more “hey look at me” can you get? I know a fair bit about tax and I enjoy talking about it. Other folks may be doing some end of the year tax planning now, so they may need someone to give them a kick in the right direction. Plus, I may learn a thing or two while researching the answer to a question. Also, there’ve been a couple of threads recently on tax issues, so maybe some folks have something they want to ask as a result of those threads. So, there you go. A peek into the demented mind of an “Ask the . . .” thread guy. ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/23 "2002-12-19T18:20:16Z")
Can’t beat “The Onion” for the definitive “Ask a…” [articles](http://www.theonion.com/archive/archive_advice.html). I know, these columns are more about asking general advice _of_ certain people - but The Onion is always worth a link. ---
**Author:** ![wring](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@wring](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wring)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/24 "2002-12-19T20:10:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*The scary thing is that my first boyfriend was a gay Muslim albino. To my knowledge he did not sell Amway. \*\* wait a second. **matt\_mcl** is _gay_??!?!! why doesn’t anyone **tell** me these things!? ---
**Author:** ![Freyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freyr/32/5763_2.png) [@Freyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freyr)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/25 "2002-12-19T20:20:42Z")
We had a thread, “Ask the gay muslim albino Amway salesman” ?? How did I miss that one!? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kn\_ckers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@Kn\_ckers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kn_ckers)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/26 "2002-12-19T20:45:10Z")
So is it true what they say about chickens and lasers being a bad combination? ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/27 "2002-12-19T21:48:38Z")
My only beef with the threads is that it should say “Ask a …” and not “Ask the…” Like Margaret Cho said, it’d be pretty hard on the only gay person to do the parade all by him/herself. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/28 "2002-12-19T21:57:40Z")
I like those threads, like somebody else said they usually give you the opportunity to ask things that you would not normally ask perfect strangers. So far so good. The “Ask the Muslim” and “Ask the Convicted Felon” are by far the most interesting, for me that is. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/29 "2002-12-19T21:58:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freyr \* > \*\*We had a thread, “Ask the gay muslim albino Amway salesman” ?? > > How did I miss that one!?\*\* C’mon then, what would you have asked? ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/30 "2002-12-19T22:02:09Z")
Personally, I find satire to be more satisfying than ranting. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/31 "2002-12-19T22:02:28Z")
Well, **stpauler** , at the time I was the only prolific enough queer poster (that we knew of) that was able to answer questions. Fortunately many more have made themselves known since and have helped (and continue to help) me with the threads. And I also saw it as people saying, “Hey, there’s **Esprix** , that gay guy” - hence the “the” instead of “a.” Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/32 "2002-12-19T22:04:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*The scary thing is that my first boyfriend was a gay Muslim albino. To my knowledge he did not sell Amway. \*\* At first I thought this was a remarkable coincidence, but then I thought probably one could pick 4 random attributes, and likely someone reading the thread will have known or dated someone fitting at least 3 of 'em. Sort of like the 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/33 "2002-12-19T22:21:02Z")
You mean someone here has dated a fundamentalist Wiccan ambidextrous soldier? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/34 "2002-12-19T22:22:49Z")
Yes, and even a left-handed bisexual redheaded steel-worker. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/35 "2002-12-19T22:25:08Z")
Me, too. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/36 "2002-12-19T22:46:58Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Kn_ckers \* > \*\*So is it true what they say about chickens and lasers being a bad combination? \*\* Are they ill tempered chickens? ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/37 "2002-12-19T22:54:38Z")
My complaint with these threads ain’t their existence, but the redundancy/unnecessary nature of some of them. Recently, for example, we’ve had a “ask the muslim” and ‘ask the catholic’ threads. We had an excellent ‘ask the muslim’ thread about a year ago. Just about anything needed to be asked could be answered just by searching up that thread. The OPer of that one should have done a search. As for the Catholic one, do we really need somebody to come along and start one of those when we have Catholic posters like **tomndebb** around?!! It’s kinda like “ask me for my opinion, but if you want the correct answer, email **tomndebb.** ” Further, some people who start these threads think they are an expert just because they are something. Just because you are a Southern Baptist, for example, doesn’t mean you automatically have in-depth knowledge and comprehension of Southern Baptist theology. Sua ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2002, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/38 "2002-12-19T22:56:02Z")
I just started one myself. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![martin\_ibn\_martin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@martin\_ibn\_martin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/martin_ibn_martin)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/39 "2002-12-20T02:00:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SuaSponte \* > \*\*My complaint with these threads ain’t their existence, but the redundancy/unnecessary nature of some of them. Recently, for example, we’ve had a “ask the muslim” and ‘ask the catholic’ threads. > > We had an excellent ‘ask the muslim’ thread about a year ago. Just about anything needed to be asked could be answered just by searching up that thread. The OPer of that one should have done a search. > > \*\* You are right. I started the thread on my third day on the boards. I should have searched around. I am such an asshat. Martin “Ask A muslim”, thank you very much!:smack: ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775/40 "2002-12-20T02:33:11Z")
I liked “Ask the cop.” In general I find these informative and interesting, though I’ve kinda stopped reading them lately. But that’s why we have thread titles: so I don’t have to look at them if I don’t feel like it. I’m certainly not annoyed by their presence. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-what-the-hell/143775.md?page=3)