Zipper Exclusive: The Agony Column Reviews
Posted on May 22, 2008
It is an irony of human nature that the people who most often seek advice are the ones least likely to take it. Nevertheless, advice columns have been dispensing wisdom since the middle of the19th century when they were commonly called ‘agony’ columns. People have always enjoyed reading these gossipy screeds because they provide a fascinating (and blessedly brief) window into the lives of strangers. Ann Landers and Dear Abby are probably the two most recognized advice givers, appearing in thousands of newspapers daily, but advice columns in general have enjoyed a resurgence in popularity ever since the Internet broadcast that first bare breast to millions of mesmerized teenagers.
Below we’ve reviewed six of these popular online fonts of profundity so that now you’ll know where to find a disinterested opinion on that unfaithful lover, overbearing boss, or nosy neighbor. (Rated one out of five stars.)
Dear Prudence - Emily Yoffe’s columns can be addicting. Her advice on ‘manners and morals’ is both clever and perceptive. I wish I could say the same for the animated videos that occasionally accompany them. Lose the vids, Slate, or hire better animators. ****
Dear Mrs. Web - Dreary and provincial, Mrs. Webb offers unimaginative advice to equally unimaginative questioners. There’s a ‘clippings’ section where her website is praised by the right-wing nuts at World Net Daily. That alone should tell you where her buns are buttered. Progressives beware. **
Since You Asked - Cary Tennis at Salon is probably the most reflective adviser of the bunch. The letters he receives are long and published without any apparent editing - and his responses can be even longer! But Mr Tennis always tackles readers’ queries in a thoughtful and amusing manner. *****
Savage Love - Rude, crude and often hysterical (in both senses of the word), Dan Savage counsels folks with sexual problems and hang-ups. Although the probers’ questions would make a Portuguese sailor blush, Dan’s responses - equally raw - contain enough humor to render them entertaining. ****
Dear Uncle Ezra - This column is part of the Cornell Information Network. Although the questioners are mainly attendees of that university, Ezra’s levelheaded advice should appeal to students everywhere. ***
Ask Dog - While ‘Dog’s’ advice isn’t absolutely meritless, his attempts at humor feel strained and sophmorish, which is probably appropriate since his fan base seems comprised of middle schoolers. (And the cadence of their sentences is suspiciously like the columnist’s.) **
Filed Under Entertainment, Random Zip | 1 Comment
Tags: Cary Tennis, Dan Savage, Emily Yoffe
