# Cecil Adams; is he living or dead? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 19, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901 "2004-02-19T00:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/21 "2004-02-19T15:10:01Z")
[_ **CECIL IS IRONMAN!** _](http://www.ivory.org/lyrics/ironman.html) > [@](#): > > Has he lost his mind? > Can he see or is he blind? > Can he walk at all, > Or if he moves will he fall? > > Is he alive or dead? > Has he thoughts within his head? > We’ll just pass him there > Why should we even care? ---
**Author:** ![aleong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4af34b/32.png) [@aleong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aleong)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/22 "2004-02-19T17:39:32Z")
How about someone posting a picture of Cecil Adams holding up today’s newspaper to dispel all the confusion? ---
**Author:** ![Satyagrahi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f475e1/32.png) [@Satyagrahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satyagrahi)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/23 "2004-02-19T17:52:21Z")
Fact 1: A few years ago, Ed Zotti was the guest speaker at a (relatively) public meeting. Following his speech, Ed had a personal conversation with myself and a friend of mine named Robin C. Robin informed him–Ed Zotti, in the flesh–of some facts regarding a topic he had asked about during his speech. Fact 2: A month or two later, that topic, including Robin’s input, appeared in [this column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_363.html) which, you will note, has the byline of “Cecil Adams.” Obvious Conclusion: _Of course_, Cecil exists!!! As does my other personal hero, John Ezra Dahlquist. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2004, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/24 "2004-02-19T21:50:51Z")
> [@Lynn Bodoni](#): > > 1. We have a lower age limit of 13 for a reason. I have accordingly banned the OP for a couple of years. > > 2. Cecil is alive. Doubt him at your own risk, but stay away from ME if you must doubt. I am severely allergic to thunderbolts. Or at least being on the receiving end of thunderbolts, I don’t mind tossing out a few myself. > > Lynn > For the Straight Dope Good Lord! You banned this kid for being 12? He is a lot better off here than on the porn sites he is probably accessing in frustration. ---
**Author:** ![LemonThrower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d2c977/32.png) [@LemonThrower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LemonThrower)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/25 "2004-02-20T00:05:30Z")
That has me wondering if Robin Masters exists, or if Robin Masters and Higgins are the same person. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/26 "2004-02-20T01:00:10Z")
Cecil’s columns are not written by Cecil Adams, but by another “Cecil Adams” also named Cecil Adams. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/27 "2004-02-20T01:12:26Z")
> [@ltfire](#): > > Good Lord! You banned this kid for being 12? He is a lot better off here than on the porn sites he is probably accessing in frustration. It’s a violation of the CIPA. ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/28 "2004-02-20T02:15:39Z")
slightly off topic…but when i was twelve years old i was just as intelligent as i am now, only with less life experience. I felt extremely out of place with my “peers” as they had yet to develop the passion to learn that i have…if only i had found “straight dope” then. Now the 12 year old in me REALLY wants to point out that banning this kid is a pointless rule that people don’t want to speak up against because it’s against some man made violation that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Am i out of line? ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/29 "2004-02-20T02:28:11Z")
> [@Satyagrahi](#): > > Fact 1: > A few years ago, Ed Zotti was the guest speaker at a (relatively) public meeting. Following his speech, Ed had a personal conversation with myself and a friend of mine named Robin C. Robin informed him–Ed Zotti, in the flesh–of some facts regarding a topic he had asked about during his speech. > > Fact 2: > A month or two later, that topic, including Robin’s input, appeared in [this column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_363.html) which, you will note, has the byline of “Cecil Adams.” > > Obvious Conclusion: > _Of course_, Cecil exists!!! As does my other personal hero, John Ezra Dahlquist. 🙂 But you do realize that Colonel Towers’ coup was toppled by Cecil, who travelled to the future of a different time line this past summer (which is why he didn’t post for about three months) either (a) with the assistance of the Burroughs-Carter-Long group or (b) aided by Ferdinand Feghoot or (c) having himself invented a cross-time transporter device. He then purchased a short history of the 20th and 21st centuries on that timeline and transported it to Los Angeles in 1938, where he provided it to a retired Naval lieutenant. Or maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/30 "2004-02-20T02:51:53Z")
On the one hand, it is true that there is no **Cecil Adams**. On the other hand, there also is no **Governor Quinn**. ---
**Author:** ![pcroughn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/977dab/32.png) [@pcroughn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pcroughn)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/31 "2004-02-20T02:53:14Z")
Take your pick: [Cecil](http://www.rootsweb.com/~txcrosby/crosbyton/a/images/adams_cecil.jpg) [Cecil](http://srifunding.com/aamancecilf.jpg) [Cecil](http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~gonetotexas/East-TX-cemeteries/salem/adamscecil.jpg) [Cecil](http://www.smackfu.com/photos/dopefest/DSCF1248.JPG.html) [Cecil](http://alumni.astate.edu/events/golden_anniversary_brunch.htm) (Back row, second from right) As anyone can plainly see, they are all pictures of the same person. I hope this answers your questions. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/32 "2004-02-20T03:04:58Z")
> [@ThatGuy](#): > > slightly off topic…but when i was twelve years old i was just as intelligent as i am now, only with less life experience. I felt extremely out of place with my “peers” as they had yet to develop the passion to learn that i have…if only i had found “straight dope” then. Now the 12 year old in me REALLY wants to point out that banning this kid is a pointless rule that people don’t want to speak up against because it’s against some man made violation that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Am i out of line? It is a _law_. [Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act](http://www.cdt.org/legislation/105th/privacy/coppa.html) If you feel that **SHAKINTHERIM’s** First Amendment rights were violated, call the ACLU. What the hell is a man made violation? If you mean a _law_, all laws are man-made. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/33 "2004-02-20T06:43:44Z")
> [@ThatGuy](#): > > slightly off topic…but when i was twelve years old i was just as intelligent as i am now, only with less life experience. I felt extremely out of place with my “peers” as they had yet to develop the passion to learn that i have…if only i had found “straight dope” then. Now the 12 year old in me REALLY wants to point out that banning this kid is a pointless rule that people don’t want to speak up against because it’s against some man made violation that shouldn’t be there in the first place. Am i out of line? Of _course_ you were just as intelligent with less life experience. That is the case with every single person that has walked the earth. You don’t “gain” intelligence, you gain life experience! ---
**Author:** ![ThatGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@ThatGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThatGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/34 "2004-02-20T07:16:20Z")
Of course you were just as intelligent with less life experience. That is the case with every single person that has walked the earth. You don’t “gain” intelligence, you gain life experience! Point taken…I meant emotional maturity to handle posting on a forum such as this one. As far as the children’s online protection act, i don’t dispute that the rule exists, thus his rights wern’t legally “violated”. I just generally hate objective rules like that being applied to subjective things such as WHEN people are able to take care of themselves enough to make certain decesions. So reporting this kid seems a bit silly to me. Once again i don’t blame this forum or anyone in particular…just a general gripe that was actually better suited for pitting (if it was a suitable place to post minor gripes based on opinion without people taking it way too seriously) ---
**Author:** ![ltfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@ltfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ltfire)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/35 "2004-02-20T21:39:34Z")
LYNN BODONI 1. We have a lower age limit of 13 for a reason. I have accordingly banned the OP for a couple of years. …and that reason would be? I don’t remember having to send a copy of my drivers licence to join the SDMB. How do you know truly how old ANY poster is? In fact, from my experience, I’ve come across numerous two year olds on this forum. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2004, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/36 "2004-02-20T23:04:32Z")
Satyagrahi - I’m just thinking…is it possible that Ed Zotti told that information to Cecil and then it appeared in his column? I mean, maybe that would explain it. It does seem to be sort of logical. I mean, it could have happened, if the two of them knew each other and one said to the other, Hey, I just made a speech and then talked to this guywho’s a friend of Satyagrahi, a guy named Robin C. Robin, and he told me some facts that I think you should use in a column. I’m just thinking, it could sort of explain the observation you made. Maybe. I’m just thinkin’… If that happened, then I think that maybe you haven’t proved that there’s really a Cecil after all. On the other hand, once, several years ago, I wrote a question to Cecil and he answered it in the paper. That’s all the proof you need. Why didn’t you ask me in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/37 "2004-02-21T01:06:26Z")
There _was_ a Cecil, but I may or may not have backed over him in my car… ---
**Author:** ![cmonidareya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecd19e/32.png) [@cmonidareya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmonidareya)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/38 "2004-02-21T06:14:51Z")
For what it’s worth, in one of his Big Secrets books (I think it was the second one “Bigger Secrets”) the author reveals that Cecil Adams is Ed Zotti. Okay, fine. Maybe he was wrong, but then a year or two later, I was in a book store and there was a children’s reference section with a bunch of “how things work” kind of books. I saw one with the author listed as Ed Zotti! I perused it and sure enough, there were some rehashed old “Straight Dope” questions and answers in it aimed at kids. So, as far as I am concerned, Cecil Adams is as made up as Betty Crocker and Franklin W. Dixon. A bunch of researchers get together, come up with an answer and use the character to answer the questions. Ed Zotti or whoever is in charge has some influence over the content and manner. ---
**Author:** ![FabioClone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5f8ce5/32.png) [@FabioClone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FabioClone)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/39 "2004-02-21T07:04:57Z")
This is rediculous. Cecil Adams is clearly a zombie. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2004, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901/40 "2004-02-21T07:26:23Z")
> [@Governor Quinn](#): > > On the one hand, it is true that there is no **Cecil Adams**. > > On the other hand, there also is no **Governor Quinn**. And there is no spoon. * * * I thought I settled this a few weeks ago. Ed Zotti is to Cecil Adams as Clark Kent is to Superman. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-is-he-living-or-dead/229901.md?page=3)