Note that the “Ann Landers” column existed before Esther took it over. It is not uncommon for columns to change hands without changing names or pseudonymous authors.
Marilyn vos Savant is attached to a definite person who appears publically to promote herself. She may be hired to speak at $20-30K a pop:
There you have it: Dear Abby and Ann Landers don’t exist.
And are you sure that the person who “appears” as Marilyn vos Savant is always played by the same individual? It could be the same deal as Bozo the Clown.
As for Coldfire, I don’t know anybody over the age of 10 that still believes he’s real.
Just a thought. A post by “handy” a bit earlier got me thinking. If I were Cecil Adams, I just might enjoy throwing similar red herrings around to throw the scent off the trail of those who “want to know”.
“handy” has posted 9951 times since Mar 1999 (or so it says); that’s an average of about 12 posts per day for over 800 days. As for the Mar 99 date, I suspect “Cecil” would have no probs showing any start date he/she chose (another red herring?) with the mod powers available.
Does “handy” have plausible deniability? Could “handy” in reality be Cecil?
It is understood that there will always be a cadre of backsliders, ne’er-do-wells and jaded sophisticates who think it appropriate – or maybe “the k3wl thing to do” – to proclaim their disbelief in the existence of Cecil – although this strikes me as hardly a fitting reward for Unca Cece’s decades of selfless service. Still, in this sacred forum, even assorted heretics, mindless cranks and wild-eyed skeptics of all varieties are welcome to post their heretical and irrational rantings that “prove” the non-existence of our beloved Cecil – Great Leader and Dear Leader combined – as long, of course, as it doesn’t degenerate into mere name-calling.
I like ponies. Ponies are our friends. I hope that someday they remake that movie, you know, Equus, although this time, with ponies instead of horses.
I came across a reference in Google to William Poundstone’s “Biggest Secrets” which apparently addresses the Cecil/Ed conspirancy. It’s going to be a while until I can get to the library. Can anybody paraphrase any of the arguments he makes? Just curious.
It was recently updated (or at least in Newsday; maybe photo use is optional amongst syndicate members), and also includes her daughter, who now co-writes the column.
I just linked to this thread in an ATMB thread about Cecil. Sorry if I inadvertantly gave the impression that it was a current thread (I don’t think I did, but you never know).
On page 33 of Poundstone’s Biggest Secrets he says: “We hate to blow a fellow vade mecum author’s cover, but Straight Dope columnist Cecil Adams (variously described as “one of the world’s legendary recluses” and “reputedly the world’s smartest human being,” and never photographed) is a guy named Ed Zotti. Zotti is credited as Adams’s “editor and confidant.””
That’s the sum total of comment on the subject in the book. I guess you have to believe Poundstone or not. He offers no particular proof.
Another piece of evidence: check out the dedication pages of some Straight Dope books. Often mentioned is the name “Mary,” which I hypothesize is the first name of Mrs. Adams, and a few others which must be the Little Researchers. (Return of the Straight Dope, the only one I have handy, says, “To Mary, still a fox after all these years, and to Ryan, Annie, and a third party to be named later, who give their father…”) Does anyone know anything about Little Ed’s family? Anyone know if one of the Chicago phone book Cecils has a wife named Mary? In addition, I’m fairly certain I remember references to the effect that Cecil is bald, left-handed, and hates cats. Anyone know how the info we have on Ed stacks up against all this?
(And yes, of course, all this information could be red herrings planted by the Perfect Master to throw us off the scent.)
