# Cecil Adams: One of the "Top Public Intellectuals"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 24, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151 "2005-09-24T00:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151/1 "2005-09-24T00:23:55Z")
That’s what [Kevin Drum](http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2005_09/007192.php), the Washington Monthly’s in-house blogger (formerly CalPundit, for those who follow the blogsphere), thinks: > [@Kevin Drum](#): > > TOP INTELLECTUALS…Foreign Policy has teamed up with the British magazine Prospect to produce a list of contenders for the title of world’s top public intellectual, which is defined (approximately) as someone who has both considerable achievement in their field and considerable influence outside it. The initial list contains 100 names and you get to vote for five. The full list of 100 is here along with voting instructions. > > \ > > I’m also supposed to come up with somebody who didn’t make the list of 100 but should have. Hmmm. I think my choice is **Cecil Adams**. As one of the first commenters said, “Hell yeah. Uncle Cecil has done a lot more influence on me than Pope Benedict ever will.” My sentiments exactly. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151/2 "2005-09-24T01:51:48Z")
I’m not saying I disagree, but does the dude need to have his ego pumped up any more? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151/3 "2005-09-24T15:11:01Z")
Maybe you have to be a real person to qualify for the list? ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151/4 "2005-09-24T16:06:52Z")
He could stand to be a bit more public. On this board at least. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151/5 "2005-09-24T17:08:33Z")
Cecil doesn’t have any particular field, which is, of course, part of his greatness and utility: you can ask him about anything, from the profound to the mundane. He’s like a broker of intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecil-adams-one-of-the-top-public-intellectuals/323151/6 "2005-09-24T17:27:51Z")
> [@Weirddave](#): > > Maybe you have to be a real person to qualify for the list? Blasphemy! Heresy! Feed him to the squcks! :eek: :mad: 😉 Real or not, I’d _still_ put him in the list of Top Public Intellectuals. Come on, everybody, vote!