Anyone know where to find that Denver Post (I think) article in which Ed pretty flatly admits to being Cecil?
Real or imagined, I bow in respect to my god, Cecil Adams. I think this is turning into an UL thing. Whether or not it’s true that Cec is Ed, I don’t care, but “it is the question that drives us, Neo.” Is the truth all that important? Still, I want Cec/Ed? to make an appearance here.
I am Emmit Brown
(just posting to this thread in case the all knowing one posts to the thread. I always wanted to be in a cecil posed thread before he posts)
Just getting in my “HEY CECIL!!” in case he decides to post.
Like he would ever post in this thread…
“There is no Cecil but Cecil, and Zotti is his prophet.”
Our Cecil who art in Chicago,
Hallowed by thy information,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On Earth as it is Illinois;
Give us this day, our daily dope,
And forgive us our ignorance,
As we forgive those who are ignorant towards us,
Lead us not into stupidity,
But deliver us from goatfelchers,
For thine is the dope, the wisdom, and intelligence forever.
Amen
The Editorship for Cecil has indeed manifested itself in three persons.
Initially it was Mike Lenehan, who apparently gets credit for mid-wifing the whole Cecil Adams phenomenon, back in 1973. (In light of the upcoming glorious Straight Dope 30th anniversary, fast approaching this February, it would be nice if Mr. Lenehan contributed a “How I Met Cecil” entry for the SDMB FAQ. Hint, hint.) In any event, Mr. Mike’s editorial mission was similar to Pete Best’s tenure as the original drummer for the Beatles – the first, thus influential, but relatively short-lived. Mr. Lenehan is now a big-wig mucky-muck at the Chicago Reader, and has even posted on this message board a few times, mostly about administrative matters. In theory he holds a responsible position at the Weekly, but I fear that, due to lingering effects of his time with Cecil, he (Lenehan) may merely have a sinecure, quietly spending each day staring out the window at the passing traffic, occasionally letting out a muffled post-traumatic-stress scream of remembrance.
Second on the exalted list of Cecil-editors is Dave Kehr, who, having spent two years lashed to the post, had the shortest tenure amongst Cecil’s trinity of editors. He is reported by the preface to The Straight Dope to have been “driven to the brink of madness by Cecil’s obnoxious behavior, and desperately wanted out”. Beatle’s fans may remember that for a small number of recording sessions Andy White worked as the drummer for the Fab Four – the analogy, I trust, is clear. Mr. Kehr does not appear to have ever posted on this board, and frankly, given his fragile state at the end of his tenure, I’m leery about trying to find out too much more about his current activities.
The third, and current, Cecil-editor is the illustrious Ed Zotti, who took over in 1978 – thus, the Straight Dopes’s own Ringo Starr. After near twenty-five years of dealing with Uncle Cecil, Ed is tough and grizzled on the outside, but hard and unyielding on the inside. Tough, but fair – let’s just say he’s dealt with various message board crises with appropriate dispatch, and I wouldn’t cut him off in traffic. However, I suspect he also likes kittens and walks along the beach at sunset.
Not to cause trouble, but I’ve often wondered who Cecil would choose as his favorite among his three editors. Obviously this might cause a little jealousy, so if Unca Cece could discretely cough one, two, or three times, we’d get the picture. Although perhaps, if he was feeling ornery, he wouldn’t cough at all. Like Sherlock Holmes’ “dog that didn’t bark”, that in itself would be a clue.
Cardinal said
Could you be more specific? Where did you get this? Any help here?
[cowardly lion] I do believe in Cecil! I do believe in Cecil! I do, I do, I DO believe!!! [/cowardly lion]
Cecil exists. He’s sealed in a jar in my basement. I feed him my leftovers (and believe me, Earthworm leftovers are not very pleasant) and make him answer questions for me.
-Dirty
Thou shalt not question the existance of the Great One.
Cecil (may his pen never dry) shall walk the Earth unto the end of days, and then, upon the judgement, he shall speak unto the masses and he shall say unto them: “Jeez you guys, it’s just a message board.”
And the masses will be amused, and they will turn upon the Landerites and the Abbyists and they shall be put to the sword, and the rivers shall run black with the ink of their columns, and the lamenting will be heard on all corners of the earth.
And the four horsemen shall come, and they shall speak unto Cecil (hallowed by his keyboard) and they shall run for they will be shamed in his glorious presence.
And yea, a great gathering of the Dopefull shall come to pass on the end of days and it shall be “Apocadope…”…
what?
from here
The Post interviewer kinda makes it sound like Ed is Cecil later on, but Ed doesnt say so.
Of course Cecil Adams exists. Do you think his column writes itself? Admittedly there may be an open question as to whether he answers to any names besides Cecil Adams, but I’ll confess that Little Nemo isn’t the name on my birth certificate, so who am I to talk.
:eek:
Blasphemy!!! You must now be cast away with the ignorant, the goatfelchers, the nazi groundhogs, and other beings so horrible that I dare not speak of them.
Thou shalt not question the wisdom of the Mighty One (may his printer never jam). In his wisdom he makes decrees, and unto them you shall give respect.
All shall shew the Dopefull their hearts and souls, and unto them shall be given great wisdom, as it lies in the heart of all that is Wise, Cecil (may he forever be published).
“There’s no man like Cecil”
“There’s no man like Cecil”
“There’s no man like Cecil”
click click
!
: Beats self with boad of wisdom:
There is no wisdom but Cecil’s
whap!
There is no wisdom but Cecil’s
whap!
There is no wisdom but Cecil’s
whap!
There is no wisdom but Cecil’s
whap!
Come to think of it, why have I never seen anyone postulate that Cecil is really Slug?
bdgr Thank you so much for the link. I had read it before but forgotten the details.
I personally don’t see where the interviewer intimated in any sense that he was Cecil. But I may have missed it.