# Marylin laughs at sick people **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839 "2003-05-27T19:01:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Ryan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7feea3/32.png) [@The\_Ryan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Ryan)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/1 "2003-05-27T19:01:18Z")
I just read the latest installment of the Come Worship My Brilliance Column, and I was rather shocked. I’ve grown used to inanity, but the sheer callousness displayed in this issue is something else. After responding to a reader’s rant on cell phones, vos Savant launches into her own about people who honk when they blow their noses. Besides putting in some subtle male-bashing, she says that she laughs at them, and encourages others to do the same (apparently in the hope that it will discourage such behavior). What, does she think these people are honking their noses intentionally to annoy her? People who honk their noses do so because when they blow their nose, it makes honking noses. Apparently she thinks that such people shouldn’t be allowed to blow their noses in public. What, does she think that sick people should run to the bathroom every time their nose starts running to spare her the unpleasantness of hearing a honking nose? ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/2 "2003-05-27T19:06:36Z")
Um, link please?😕 Where is this column found? 😕 Who is the columnist? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Avalonian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@Avalonian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avalonian)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/3 "2003-05-27T19:13:07Z")
Linkety-link? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/4 "2003-05-27T19:16:49Z")
Marilyn vos Savant, author of Parade magazine’s “Ask Marilyn”; she is supposed to have the highest IQ in the world. And I think her point is that honking is not an inevitable result of blowing your nose. Vigorous nose-blowing is the only way to get that sound, and many doctors think it does more harm than good. Such doctors, as well as Marilyn, think that a more restrained approach is in order. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/5 "2003-05-27T19:23:44Z")
Thank you Nametag. Could someone please provide a link to the column in question? I’d like to read for myself what was written. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/6 "2003-05-27T20:05:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nametag \* > \*\*Marilyn vos Savant, author of Parade magazine’s “Ask Marilyn”; she is supposed to have the highest IQ in the world. And I think her point is that honking is not an inevitable result of blowing your nose. Vigorous nose-blowing is the only way to get that sound, and many doctors think it does more harm than good. Such doctors, as well as Marilyn, think that a more restrained approach is in order. \*\* So, she’s become Miss Mensa Manners? Fabulous. Etiquette from the elitist. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/7 "2003-05-27T20:27:14Z")
If some asshole had laughed at me or my family when we were blowing our noses while crying this Sunday, I would have broken theirs. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/8 "2003-05-27T20:28:14Z")
I’m a Honker. She can eat a dick. That is all. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/9 "2003-05-27T20:45:00Z")
I’m a honker but only in the confines of my home or in my office with the door shut. When in company, I blow my nose all dainty like. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/10 "2003-05-27T21:17:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zabali\_Clawbane \* > \*\*Thank you Nametag. Could someone please provide a link to the column in question? I’d like to read for myself what was written. \*\* I tried the Parade website but it doesn’t seem to be there. BTW: I’m a honker too. It’s the only way I can clear my nose. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/11 "2003-05-27T21:20:48Z")
_puts down dueling banjo_ What a stupid bitch. _picks up dueling banjo_ ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/12 "2003-05-27T21:22:47Z")
Honking away here. ---
**Author:** ![XJETGIRLX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9fc29f/32.png) [@XJETGIRLX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XJETGIRLX)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/13 "2003-05-27T21:44:40Z")
Am I the only one here who _doesn’t_ blow their nose in public? Hrm. I mean, maybe I’m just overly conscious, but I always wait until I can get to a restroom, and even then I have to go into the stall before I can blow my nose. I wouldn’t begrudge someone with a medical condition from doing so if they had to, but I must admit that vigorous honking can be quite off-putting, especially in a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![singular1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ba9def/32.png) [@singular1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/singular1)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/14 "2003-05-27T22:03:17Z")
The only public noseblowing I object to is at the table. I used to lunch with a coworker that would make have a big old nasty sloppy wet schnotstorm every single freaking day after she ate. It would just about gag me. This is not a noise you want to hear while eating, believe me. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/15 "2003-05-27T22:12:47Z")
I agree, blowing noses in the vicinity of anyone who is eating is simply rude. Go elsewhere. However, laughing at people is also simply rude. Keep your lip zipped. Though I will agree that a more gentle approach to blowing is kinder to one’s sinuses and nose. Avoid the honking for your health, people! ---
**Author:** ![japatlgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@japatlgt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/japatlgt)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/16 "2003-05-27T23:35:03Z")
HONK! ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/17 "2003-05-28T00:52:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by japatlgt \* > \*\*HONK! \*\* Spike Milligan rendered it as “farn”. So when you blow your nose, you’re actually saying “farn”. **FARN!** ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_the_CC)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/18 "2003-05-28T03:11:16Z")
She is actually the stupidest person on the planet. Why the hell is she does she answer ethics and manners questions anyway? Since when does a high-IQ qualify you for that? It really pisses me off because if she would just stick to stuff that a high-IQ person is actually, by nature, qualified for, it’d be a good column. Instead she writes junk. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/58956e/32.png) [@Earl\_of\_the\_CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_of_the_CC)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/19 "2003-05-28T03:12:58Z")
> [@](#): > > Why the hell is she does she answer ethics and manners questions anyway? :eek: I have no idea what happened here. ---
**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:** [May 28, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839/20 "2003-05-28T07:25:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Ryan \* > **People who honk their noses do so because when they blow their nose, it makes honking noses.** Can’t argue with that. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/marylin-laughs-at-sick-people/177839.md?page=2)