# What's the deal with Dear Abby?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dear-abby/48464>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 4, 2001, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dear-abby/48464 "2001-01-04T21:33:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dear-abby/48464/1 "2001-01-04T21:33:24Z")

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In the wonderful metropolis of Phoenix we have the luxury of two full pages of funnies in the daily paper in addtion to both Ann Landers _and_ Dear Abby. I’m puzzled by the extra face in Abby’s photo. She looks somewhat younger than Ms. Van Buren, kind of like a Brigitte Nielsen gone to seed. What’s the deal? Did they clone Abby? Is her sis next?

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**Author:** ![JeffB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeffb/32/188_2.png) [@JeffB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JeffB)\
**Post date:** [January 4, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-deal-with-dear-abby/48464/2 "2001-01-04T21:42:23Z")

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It’s probably her daughter Jeanne Phillips. (Abby’s real name is Pauline Phillips.) You can see the picture and a brief history of “Dear Abby” [here](http://www.uexpress.com/ups/abby/html/bio2000.html).