# Oh dear, I don't know who Edie Sedgwick was! Shame on me! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 16, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659 "2006-10-16T17:52:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/41 "2006-10-16T22:49:19Z")
[QUOTE=Frank] Nonsense. It’s one more instance of **lissener** being an intellectual dick. He has an astonishing amount of knowledge about film that I couldn’t match if I studied for 100 years, yet he chooses to either impart it in a snide, condescending manner or to sneer at those who don’t match his knowledge. [/QUOTE] Or so you choose to read it that way. [QUOTE=Frank] There’s such a thing as an honest question, you know. Why not an honest answer? [/QUOTE] Because why should I answer a question that didn’t care about the answer anyway? “Who the hell is…” or “Who the fuck is…” (from a Barry Cowsill thread I started once after he’d died) are not honest questions. They’re “I revel in my ignorance” questions. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/42 "2006-10-16T22:55:34Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] Because why should I answer a question that didn’t care about the answer anyway? “Who the hell is…” or “Who the fuck is…” (from a Barry Cowsill thread I started once after he’d died) are not honest questions. They’re “I revel in my ignorance” questions. [/QUOTE] Or so you choose to read it that way. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/43 "2006-10-16T23:02:27Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Yes, but honest questions are not phrased that way, in my experience. As I said, if you ask rudely, you get answered rudely. Surely Dopers get the difference between “Who is she?” and “Who the hell is she?” [/QUOTE] As I said above, that could indicate any number of things. Astonishment, for one. Confusion. Wonderment. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/44 "2006-10-16T23:07:31Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Or so you choose to read it that way. [/QUOTE] To (try to) be fair, **Miller** , I read it that way, too, and I wasn’t in the original thread, just been reading this one. If anyone responded to some person I’d mentioned with “Who the hell is \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ ?” I’d take it negatively rather than as a simple inquiry. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/45 "2006-10-16T23:08:33Z")
Since when has adding “the hell” to a who is question turned it into a passive query? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/46 "2006-10-16T23:10:16Z")
[QUOTE=wring] and not even all of us who did. I agree. and disagree that she fits any description of “significant” that I would use. [/QUOTE] Sadly, with my luck, I’m guessing I will remember her. I WISH I could forget her-right now, in fact. :mad: As for the original question, I cannot see the big deal in saying “who the hell?” If that’s offensive, then this certainly isn’t the Dope I remember. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/47 "2006-10-16T23:14:40Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] Since when has adding “the hell” to a who is question turned it into a passive query? [/QUOTE] Who says it’s passive? Certainly, the modifier indicates _something_, but it’s not necessarily negative. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/48 "2006-10-16T23:16:53Z")
Who the hell was Miniver Cheevy? ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/49 "2006-10-16T23:42:42Z")
I don’t necessarily take adding “the hell” as rude or negative. IRL it would depend on the situation, voice inflection, facial expression, the relationship of those involved and still other factors. It seems silly to me to be condescending to someone for his ignorance when that very person _was just at the point of seeking to end his ignorance._ We perpetuate the very thing we criticize (or find depressing) by not answering the question. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/50 "2006-10-16T23:45:57Z")
Who the hell is lissener? I kid, I kid. I know who you are 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/51 "2006-10-16T23:46:55Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] It seems silly to me to be condescending to someone for his ignorance when that very person _was just at the point of seeking to end his ignorance._ We perpetuate the very thing we criticize (or find depressing) by not answering the question. [/QUOTE] As I said, I’ll cheerfully answer “Who is…?” questons, just not “Who the hell is…?” questions. They can go Google. They won’t, of course. They’re more concerned with letting everyone know that knowing who the person in queston is of little value simply because _they’ve_ never heard of the person. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/52 "2006-10-16T23:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] As I said, I’ll cheerfully answer “Who is…?” questons, just not “Who the hell is…?” questions. They can go Google. They won’t, of course. They’re more concerned with letting everyone know that knowing who the person in queston is of little value simply because _they’ve_ never heard of the person. [/QUOTE] Speaking of condescending… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/53 "2006-10-17T00:34:08Z")
[QUOTE=The King of Soup] **RickJay** , “Who the hell is Edie Sedgwick?” is at the least an awfully aggressive (if not uncivil) way of asking the question… [/QUOTE] You’re absolutely right (as is everyone else who’s said this.) The question wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, actually. It was meant more to parallel Sedgwick’s minor cultural importance with Miller’s. I really don’t think the word “hell” is offensive, but the phrasing was totally wrong for the point I was trying (and completely failed) to make, so it was dumb wording. I didn’t mean it aggressively, and it came out that way. My fault, for that anyway. My pitting of **lissener** , however, stands. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/54 "2006-10-17T02:37:51Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] You’re absolutely right (as is everyone else who’s said this.) The question wasn’t directed at anyone in particular, actually. It was meant more to parallel Sedgwick’s minor cultural importance with Miller’s. I really don’t think the word “hell” is offensive, but the phrasing was totally wrong for the point I was trying (and completely failed) to make, so it was dumb wording. I didn’t mean it aggressively, and it came out that way. My fault, for that anyway. My pitting of **lissener** , however, stands. [/QUOTE] Obviously your question was not an “honest question,” despite Frank’s disingenuous posts. If it had been a serious question, it would have taken less effort, and been more productive, to high thee to Wikipedia. Rather, it was a childish avowal of self-righteous ignorance. It just cracks me up that a “kids these days” aside, linked to a cite it would’ve been faster for you to find yourself than to type in the self-righteously ignorant “Who the hell is Edie Sedgwick?”, apparently hit such a raw nerve that you found it worth the extra effort of a toddler-level tantrum of defensiveness. If you had said, “Who’s Edie Sedgwick?” I’da been only to happy to pompously show off my knowledge. Instead, you shitted “Who the hell is Edie Sedgwick?” which means only “I can’t be bothered to look it up.” And the only point it makes is that you think it’s more retarded to know who she is than not to know. Even so, all I communicated was a world-weary sigh of the “am I really that old?” variety, which sets off this hilarious aria of petulant defensiveness. Thanks for the laugh, RickJay. ---
**Author:** ![rayh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@rayh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayh)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/55 "2006-10-17T02:51:25Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] Obviously your question was not an “honest question,” despite Frank’s disingenuous posts. If it had been a serious question, it would have taken less effort, and been more productive, to high thee to Wikipedia. Rather, it was a childish avowal of self-righteous ignorance. It just cracks me up that a “kids these days” aside, linked to a cite it would’ve been faster for you to find yourself than to type in the self-righteously ignorant “Who the hell is Edie Sedgwick?”, apparently hit such a raw nerve that you found it worth the extra effort of a toddler-level tantrum of defensiveness. If you had said, “Who’s Edie Sedgwick?” I’da been only to happy to pompously show off my knowledge. Instead, you shitted “Who the hell is Edie Sedgwick?” which means only “I can’t be bothered to look it up.” And the only point it makes is that you think it’s more retarded to know who she is than not to know. Even so, all I communicated was a world-weary sigh of the “am I really that old?” variety, which sets off this hilarious aria of petulant defensiveness. Thanks for the laugh, RickJay. [/QUOTE] You still missed his point. He knew who Edie Sedgwick was, he was trying to point out her cultural importance. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/56 "2006-10-17T02:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=lissener] Obviously your question was not an “honest question,” despite Frank’s disingenuous posts. If it had been a serious question, it would have taken less effort, and been more productive, to high thee to Wikipedia. Rather, it was a childish avowal of self-righteous ignorance… [/QUOTE] I wonder what the Spanish word is for “whoosh.” ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/57 "2006-10-17T03:04:58Z")
[QUOTE=Equipoise] Sorry, it’s against my policy to answer “Who the _hell_ are…” questions. [/QUOTE] Who _the fuck_ are you again? Oh, and quit hogging the “Grey Poupon” will ya… ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/58 "2006-10-17T03:07:40Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I wonder what the Spanish word is for “whoosh.” [/QUOTE] Not a one word translation. Silbido = whistle. “Pasar como un silbido” = whoosh. ---
**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:** [October 17, 2006, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/59 "2006-10-17T03:09:29Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I wonder what the Spanish word is for “whoosh.” [/QUOTE] The closest equivalent, I think, would be _zumbar_, “to zoom.” ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659/60 "2006-10-17T03:13:22Z")
[QUOTE=Colibri] The closest equivalent, I think, would be _zumbar_, “to zoom.” [/QUOTE] Or slang = Zas! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/oh-dear-i-dont-know-who-edie-sedgwick-was-shame-on-me/376659.md?page=4)