The Straight Dope
"The Straight Dope" is a newspaper column. Its author uses the pen name "Cecil Adams." Readers send questions in to Adams, and he answers them. He often uses humor in his answers.
 | |
| Owner | The Chicago Reader / The Straight Dope Publishing |
|---|---|
| Created by | Cecil Adams |
| Website | www.straightdope.com |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Registration | Required only on forums |
| Launched | 1973 |
| Current status | Active |
The first Straight Dope column was published on February 2, 1973.[1] As of 2013, The Straight Dope was published in the Chicago Reader and syndicated in eight newspapers in the United States.[2]
Creators and format
Most reader questions are answered by Cecil Adams. Adams describes himself as "the world's most intelligent human being."[3] He describes The Straight Dope's goal this way:
| “ | Cecil is trying to eradicate world ignorance. He deals strictly with factual questions. Questions you've always wanted to know the answers to. Questions like: What are the real lyrics to Louie Louie? When they execute a guy by lethal injection, do they swab off his arm first? How do the astronauts go to the bathroom in space? | ” |
The name "The Straight Dope" comes from the American idiom meaning roughly "the true information; the full story".[4] The column covers many subjects, including history, science, urban legends, myths, and inventions. The column's motto is: "Fighting ignorance since 1973 (it's taking longer than we thought)."
The Straight Dope is illustrated by Slug Signorino.[3]
Website
As of 2016, The Straight Dope's website includes all of Adams' new columns, and archives of his past columns. There are also online forums where users can discuss Adams' columns, as well as many other topics.[5]
Books
To date, Adams has published five collections of his columns, and his "assistant," Ed Zotti, has published a children's collection in the Adams style, Know It All.[6]
Television
In 1996, the A&E Network briefly aired a show based on The Straight Dope, hosted and co-written by comedian Mike Lukas.[7]
A "Straight Dope" podcast was briefly released in November 2009, but was then cancelled.[8]
Related pages
References
- ↑ "The First Straight Dope Column". Sun-Times Media, LLC. Archived from the original on April 29, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ↑ "Newspapers carrying The Straight Dope". Sun-Times Media, LLC. June 16, 2013. Archived from the original on May 23, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Who is This Man Called Cecil Adams?". Sun-Times Media, LLC. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ↑ McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2003. p. 652. ISBN 978-0071435789.
- ↑ "Welcome to the Straight Dope Message Board". Straight Dope Message Board. Archived from the original on October 30, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
- ↑ "The Straight Dope Books". The Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on January 12, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
- ↑ "Mike Lukas". Deja Vu Comedy Club. Archived from the original on February 6, 2008. Retrieved January 27, 2008.
- ↑ "Straight Dope – American iTunes Chart Performance". iTunes Charts. 2009. Retrieved May 28, 2016.