# So that's what Ed Zotti is like. What are you like? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 14, 2009, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015 "2009-09-14T08:58:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/1 "2009-09-14T08:58:01Z")
TubaDiva linked a radio interview with Ed Zotti, [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=531192). From what I’ve read of Ed Zotti’s posts, I’d built up a picture in my mind of what he’d sound like. The person in that interview sounds nothing like the image I had in my mind. I suppose because I’ve never seen any ‘social’ posts by him, only commandments, I really did have a ‘sound picture’ of him being stentorian and serious. Lo and behold, here’s this relaxed, chatty guy. Just goes to show that posting on the internet doesn’t always give you the full picture. I have mental images of lots of frequent posters here. Not just what they look like, but how they’d come across in real life. I wonder how much of you comes across in your posts. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/2 "2009-09-14T09:26:16Z")
The interviewer, although I have never heard of him before, Mit(?), is an obnoxious know-it-all, pompous jerk. And pardon me if I am the first to notice this, but…hearing Ed speak…well, my Gaydar bells went off the charts. Screaming queen - no way - but somehow I got the impression some guy named Chuck is waiting home in bed for Ed to bring the Chinese food after this interview. Not that there is anything wrong with that. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/3 "2009-09-14T09:40:00Z")
He appears to have a kid, having been featured in ‘Parenting’ magazine, according to [this report](http://www.ipass.net/whitetho/edcecil.htm). That doesn’t preclude him from being gay, I know, but it’s a strong indicator that he’s not. Also, although my gaydar has never worked very well, I didn’t get that from that interview. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/4 "2009-09-14T09:44:16Z")
Honestly I know more middle-aged/older gay men with kids than without. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/5 "2009-09-14T10:14:36Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Honestly I know more middle-aged/older gay men with kids than without. Oh. Bang goes the theory, then. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/6 "2009-09-14T10:39:52Z")
A quick Google search on **Ed Zotti** plus “wife” reveals tons of references to his wife Mary (with whom he worked on the _Barn House_ apparently, though obviously none of us have read enough about the Barn House to be aware of that). I think that **Ed** is a pretty good guy actually, and I’m not surprised to hear that he would be friendly and chatty in person. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2009, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/7 "2009-09-14T10:51:57Z")
In following up on some of my Googling, I found a pretty interesting set of [before and after photos](http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/homes/galleries/1147432,gallery-homes-barnhouse07.photogallery) of the Barn House. **Ed** and Mary have a lot to be proud of. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/8 "2009-09-17T16:28:05Z")
Ed is very likely not gay. He just has a lisp and a slightly higher speaking voice. Honestly, I question the whole idea of “gaydar”, and I especially doubt it’s effectiveness when you’ve only heard one interview. I actually think it might be interesting to do a scientific study on the accuracy. My guess is it’s full of confirmation bias. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/9 "2009-09-17T17:52:51Z")
I really didn’t start this thread to determine if Ed is gay or not. Just shows, the best laid plans of mice and men… (no, no, I’m not suggesting he’s a mouse either) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/10 "2009-09-17T19:50:12Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Ed is very likely not gay. He just has a lisp and a slightly higher speaking voice. Funny–I listened to that interview just now and also noticed what was perceived as a lisp. Having met Ed on more than one occasion and spent time talking with and listening to him in person, I’d never heard that lisp. I just wonder if he had gum surgery recently or some other malady. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/11 "2009-09-17T20:09:01Z")
Weird. I always pictured him as having a voice and accent not unlike the two jive-speakers in the movie Airplane. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/12 "2009-09-17T20:14:51Z")
Mike Tyson sounds as stereotypically gay/sissy as it is possible to sound. I would not ask him what his preference is because: 1. Mike Tyson can kick my ass. 2. As long as he doesn’t want to fuck me, I don’t care what his preference may be. Not gonna speculate on Zotti’s prowess at fisticuffs, but I don’t care about his sex life. I’m pretty sure he feel the same way about me, or any other poster. ---
**Author:** ![Starving\_Artist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Starving\_Artist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starving_Artist)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/13 "2009-09-17T20:15:01Z")
Hey, **Ed** , how do you like this tiny little snippet of what life as a celebrity must be like? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/14 "2009-09-17T20:17:43Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Mike Tyson sounds as stereotypically gay/sissy as it is possible to sound. I would not ask him what his preference is because: > > 1. Mike Tyson can kick my ass. > 2. As long as he doesn’t want to fuck me, I don’t care what his preference may be. and 3. You have a couple of ears 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/15 "2009-09-17T20:28:51Z")
Nothing like I’d imagined. Pleasant voice though, nice timbre to it. Ed pronounced the Master as Cee-cil (as opposed to the announcer’s Ce-cil) and mentioned Chicago. Is there some sort of regional variation in the US in pronouncing the name? (It’s Ce-cil in the UK.) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/16 "2009-09-17T20:44:18Z")
I pictured Ed as being older than he is so the voice was a pleasant surprise. He has a nice voice. As far as the pronounciation of Cecil I always heard it as Cee-cil until Sideshow Bob’s brother showed up on the Simpsons and Bob was calling him Ce-cil. I’ve lived in both the middle of the country and in Southern California FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/17 "2009-09-17T20:47:51Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Nothing like I’d imagined. Pleasant voice though, nice timbre to it. > > Ed pronounced the Master as Cee-cil (as opposed to the announcer’s Ce-cil) and mentioned Chicago. Is there some sort of regional variation in the US in pronouncing the name? (It’s Ce-cil in the UK.) In refering to the Master, Ed apparently mispronounced “Oakminster”, who is the most Perfect Master of all things. 😃 That noted, I pronounce the alias used for the Straight Dope columns as “see-cil”. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/18 "2009-09-17T22:33:43Z")
I’ve met Ed. He did not set off my gaydar at all. That said, I have pretty shitty gaydar. ---
**Author:** ![maplekiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@maplekiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/maplekiwi)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2009, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/19 "2009-09-17T23:10:02Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > In following up on some of my Googling, I found a pretty interesting set of [before and after photos](http://searchchicago.suntimes.com/homes/galleries/1147432,gallery-homes-barnhouse07.photogallery) of the Barn House. **Ed** and Mary have a lot to be proud of. Wow! That was a huge project! I would have bulldozed it. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015/20 "2009-09-18T15:35:42Z")
I was frankly blown away by Ed’s Chicago knowledge. Very Impressive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-thats-what-ed-zotti-is-like-what-are-you-like/510015.md?page=2)