# Is Cecil Adams a real person, or a title for a group of people? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [September 8, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621 "2011-09-08T15:32:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/21 "2011-09-08T18:16:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Personally, I think he’s a direct descendant of Kent Allard. Also a descendant of Lamont Cranston, but the two of them never met as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/22 "2011-09-08T18:20:04Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Also a descendant of Lamont Cranston, but the two of them never met as far as I can tell. My first clue was his insistence(until 2 years ago) on communicating only via vacuum tubes and shortwave radio. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2011, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/23 "2011-09-08T18:24:19Z")
> [@Darth\_Panda](#): > > Now you just need to teach Vikings how to write this in the sand with a stick and work on your Arab accent… And bow towards Chicago several times a day. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/24 "2011-09-08T18:28:22Z")
Type “Ed Zotti” and “Cecil Adams” into Google Images, and draw your own conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/25 "2011-09-08T18:38:03Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Type “Ed Zotti” and “Cecil Adams” into Google Images, and draw your own conclusion. Read the cites for the pictures of Ed that show up when you Google “Cecil Adams” and you will find that they describe Ed as Cecil’s editor. ---
**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:** [September 8, 2011, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/26 "2011-09-08T18:52:08Z")
> [@John\_DiFool](#): > > Type “Ed Zotti” and “Cecil Adams” into Google Images, and draw your own conclusion. And if you type “drfidelius” into Google Images the first hit is on someone who is completely unknown to me. Google Images search does not meet the Straight Dope’s reliability requirements. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/27 "2011-09-08T19:14:55Z")
Of course Cecil is real. He’s my son’s godfather, for goodness sakes! Now, strictly speaking he wasn’t present at the ceremony. And he didn’t respond to my emails about being a godfather, but I figured he was just busy – after all, there’s no reason to refuse such a reasonable request. Now, you might say, “hey **fluiddruid** , you don’t have a son. Or any children for that matter.” And, well, there is that. ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/28 "2011-09-08T19:40:17Z")
You know that Dos Equus guy, the one with all the hot women in the beer commercials. You want to know who that’s suppose to be? ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/29 "2011-09-08T19:46:08Z")
Cecil shook my hand one day. I noted it in my resume and was immediately hired. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/30 "2011-09-08T19:58:01Z")
I’ll believe it when I see the long-form birth certificate. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/31 "2011-09-08T20:00:23Z")
Is he related to Nick Adams? Then again, my sister’s late husband was an Adams and he was a very smart man. But he’s dead. ---
**Author:** ![Nars\_Glinley](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nars_glinley/32/8177_2.png) [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/32 "2011-09-08T20:05:17Z")
He’s the love child of Cecil B. DeMille and Maud Adams. Or Maude Adams. The records are sketchy. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/33 "2011-09-08T20:41:30Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > I’ll believe it when I see the long-form birth certificate. His citizenship isn’t being questioned, only his existance. ---
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/34 "2011-09-08T21:00:29Z")
Define real. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/35 "2011-09-08T21:20:45Z")
His friend Beanie knows. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/36 "2011-09-08T22:35:31Z")
> [@SDMBKL](#): > > Is Cecil Adams a real person, or a title for a group of people? Yes, Virginia. Cecil is real. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/37 "2011-09-08T23:39:49Z")
I met him once as we passed on the stairs. Yes, he is real, or so Ed tells me. Or was that Carlos? Maybe it was in a peyote field; I forget. What was the question? ---
**Author:** ![curlcoat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@curlcoat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curlcoat)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/38 "2011-09-09T00:18:48Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > You know that Dos Equus guy, the one with all the hot women in the beer commercials. You want to know who that’s suppose to be? “I may not always be Cecil Adams, but when I am…” ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/39 "2011-09-09T00:23:19Z")
Cecil is not now nor has he ever been a real person. For some reason, the mods here insist on ridiculous levels of kayfabe about it. Ed Zotti writes as Cecil when he does the column. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2011, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621/40 "2011-09-09T00:26:05Z")
Jeez. What a buzz-kill. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-cecil-adams-a-real-person-or-a-title-for-a-group-of-people/595621.md?page=3)