One of the rituals I like to subject ESK, and sometimes Phenom, is reading aloud and discussing responses to, and then evaluating the actual response in advice columns.
I have liked Dear Abby over the years. I even had my own response to one of her columns printed by her. Sadly, my local newspaper doesn't carry her column anymore. We have Dr. Joyce Brothers instead. I just haven't gotten into that one.
Currently my favorites include: Dan Savage, Dear Prudence, and the Ethicist.
Dan writes about sex. He is a gay man in a committed relationship and a parent. I've observed him become less tolerant of behavior that victimizes others. He also points out that many of the measures proposed/enacted to take rights away from gay people also takes rights away from straight people. His columns are the sort you shouldn't read at work. Sometimes the letters have a horrifyingly high squeamish factor. This week, he gives spot on advice about a person who acted out in a sexually aggressive manner to an unsuspecting and non-consentual person. It was gold.
Dear Prudence is more like what I use to get from Dear Abby, only I think with a better grasp of modern culture.
Most of the time, I like the responses from the Ethicist. Some of the questions posed in the column are thought provoking. I don't always agree, but I do like the discussions the column sparks.
I don't really do "reality tv" . . . I imagine my love of advice columns isn't too different from being drawn in to reality tv, only in really small doses and with a nice neat ending.
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