# Cecil's enemies **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 18, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066 "2004-03-18T19:00:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tigereye001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tigereye001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigereye001)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/1 "2004-03-18T19:00:50Z")
Wasn’t sure where to post this, so I’ll just stick it in MPSIMS for safety’s sake… Does **The Great One** have any enemies (besides ignorance and stupidity)? Does he have any rivals, any backstabbers, any secret organizations working against him? Genuinely curious (and in tears from laughing at all the great humour on SDMB), tigereye ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/2 "2004-03-18T19:07:08Z")
Cecil has no enemies. He does, however, have competitors. The two that are most often mentioned are William Poundstone (of the “Secrets” books and who had the sheer balls to “out” Cecil in one of them) and David Feldman, who does the “Imponderables” series. Neither of these lesser authors can hold a candle to Cecil’s opera. Robin ---
**Author:** ![tigereye001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tigereye001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigereye001)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/3 "2004-03-18T19:12:26Z")
Of course, Cecil is The Perfect Master! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/4 "2004-03-18T19:24:04Z")
Well if Cecil fights ignorance, it stands to reason that his enemies are those who disseminate ignorance. Organized religion comes to mind… And the Bush Administration… And Hollywood… Cecil is more my hero all the time. Anyone else? ---
**Author:** ![Paradoxical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/77aa72/32.png) [@Paradoxical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paradoxical)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/5 "2004-03-18T20:06:18Z")
> [@tigereye001](#): > > Wasn’t sure where to post this, so I’ll just stick it in MPSIMS for safety’s sake… > > Does **The Great One** have any enemies (besides ignorance and stupidity)? Does he have any rivals, any backstabbers, any secret organizations working against him? > > Genuinely curious (and in tears from laughing at all the great humour on SDMB), > tigereye Ask Ed, his alter ego is Cec…I mean…what I meant to say was…he’s…shut up! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/6 "2004-03-18T20:10:31Z")
What about what’s-her-face Vos Savant? That used to be a full-on competition thing, back in the day. I never did hear what happened with that. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/7 "2004-03-18T20:14:56Z")
Enemies? My child, Lord Cecil has no enemies, save the forces of ignorance and repression… Wherever there is a lack of understanding, he’ll be there. Wherever there are popular misconceptions, he’ll be there. Wherever a child cries out in the night, “How do birds turn so quickly as a flock?” … … _he_ will be there. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/8 "2004-03-18T20:19:46Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Wherever a child cries out in the night, “How do birds turn so quickly as a flock?” … > > … _he_ will be there. HEY! That was _me_ who answered that one, not Cecil! (Though I suppose I shouldn’t object to being mistaken for The Master.) SDStaff Colibri ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/9 "2004-03-18T20:29:29Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > HEY! That was _me_ who answered that one, not Cecil! > > (Though I suppose I shouldn’t object to being mistaken for The Master.) > > SDStaff Colibri Heh. Sorry 'bout that, just was trying to think of an appropriately silly question for a child to cry out in the night, and one that had been answered here. But you count as part of Cecil, since you’re a sidekick of sorts! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/10 "2004-03-18T20:36:29Z")
The Illuminati can’t be too happy with him. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/11 "2004-03-18T20:38:14Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > But you count as part of Cecil, since you’re a sidekick of sorts! 😉 Part of Cecil’s posse, you mean? Now you’ve got everyone thinking I look like Gabby Hayes or Andy Devine. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/12 "2004-03-18T20:40:41Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Part of Cecil’s posse, you mean? Now you’ve got everyone thinking I look like Gabby Hayes or Andy Devine. I was going for more of a Wonder-Twins style superhero jumpsuit, but sure. “Cecil-Squad powers, activate!” ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/13 "2004-03-18T21:00:16Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > What about what’s-her-face Vos Savant? That used to be a full-on competition thing, back in the day. I never did hear what happened with that. I think we can conclude from this little story that Cecil has safely vanquished dumb old Marilyn. Looks like that Feldman guy is still at large tho’. [http://www.lunabase.org/~faber/Oracle/Oracle\_Ark](http://www.lunabase.org/~faber/Oracle/Oracle_Ark) ---
**Author:** ![tigereye001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tigereye001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigereye001)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/14 "2004-03-18T23:59:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I was going for more of a Wonder-Twins style superhero jumpsuit, but sure. > > “Cecil-Squad powers, activate!” The Cecil Squad! Can I join (and do I get special superpowers)? ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/15 "2004-03-19T00:23:40Z")
> [@tigereye001](#): > > The Cecil Squad! Can I join (and do I get special superpowers)? Sure you can! It’s $4.95 for the first year, $14.95 after that. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/16 "2004-03-19T03:58:35Z")
> [@](#): > > **(Two figures emerge out of the shadows: Cecil Adams and his sidekick Ed Zotti. Cecil is holding a pistol, and Ed is carrying some kind of complicated raygun device.)** Ah, so it was a 1920s style death ray. ---
**Author:** ![tigereye001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tigereye001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigereye001)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/17 "2004-03-19T03:58:56Z")
I thought it was $19.99 😉 Do I get a 1920’s style Death Ray? ---
**Author:** ![tigereye001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@tigereye001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tigereye001)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/18 "2004-03-19T04:00:58Z")
> [@Dijon Warlock](#): > > Ah, so it was a 1920s style death ray. Ahhhh psychic! ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2004, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cecils-enemies/235066/19 "2004-03-19T14:31:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Ah, so it was a 1920s style death ray. Heh. Yeah, as overused as that phrase is/was here, I was rather amused to see the death ray in that story, too.