Advice column
Encyclopedia
An advice column is a column
in a magazine
or newspaper
written by an advice columnist (colloquially known in British English as an agony aunt, or agony uncle if the columnist is a male). The image presented was originally of an older woman providing comforting advice and maternal wisdom, hence the name "aunt". An advice columnist can also be someone who gives advice to people who send in problems to the newspaper.
An advicetrs columnist answers readers' queries on personal problems. Sometimes the author is in fact a composite or a team: Marjorie Proops
's name appeared (with photo) long after she retired. The nominal writer may be a pseudonym
, or in effect a brand name; the accompanying picture may bear little resemblance to the actual author.
The term is beginning to fall into disuse, as the scope of personal advice has broadened, to include sexual matters — pioneered by the likes of Dr. Ruth — as well as general lifestyle issues.
and appear in countless newspapers. Prominent U.S.
examples include Dear Abby
, Ann Landers, and in a more modern form, Carolyn Hax's
"Tell Me About It". Internet sites such as the Elder Wisdom Circle
offer relationship advice to a broad audience, while Dear Maggie offers sex advice to a predominantly Christian readership in Christianity Magazine
. In the UK, Ann Widdecombe
is renowned for her advice column in The Guardian
newspaper and has been for many years.
Men as advice columnists are more rare than women in print, but men have been popping up more often online in both serious formats and comedic.
On the Internet, a greater variation on the signature theme is often seen. The person's signature may refer to the problem being expressed, but rather in a phrase, which the 'agony aunt' abbreviates so as to spell an appropriate word. For instance, "Confused About My Partner" would become "CAMP". Dan Savage
uses this method to comic effect in his Savage Love
column.
regarded it as a professional duty to answer all the letters received, whether or not they were published.
's Discworld
series of novels.
Column (newspaper)
A column is a recurring piece or article in a newspaper, magazine or other publication. Columns are written by columnists.What differentiates a column from other forms of journalism is that it meets each of the following criteria:...
in a magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
or newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
written by an advice columnist (colloquially known in British English as an agony aunt, or agony uncle if the columnist is a male). The image presented was originally of an older woman providing comforting advice and maternal wisdom, hence the name "aunt". An advice columnist can also be someone who gives advice to people who send in problems to the newspaper.
An advicetrs columnist answers readers' queries on personal problems. Sometimes the author is in fact a composite or a team: Marjorie Proops
Marjorie Proops
Rebecca Marjorie Proops , born Rebecca Marjorie Israel, was probably best known as an agony aunt in the United Kingdom, writing the column Dear Marje for the Daily Mirror newspaper....
's name appeared (with photo) long after she retired. The nominal writer may be a pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
, or in effect a brand name; the accompanying picture may bear little resemblance to the actual author.
The term is beginning to fall into disuse, as the scope of personal advice has broadened, to include sexual matters — pioneered by the likes of Dr. Ruth — as well as general lifestyle issues.
Examples of advice columnists
Many advice columns are now syndicatedPrint syndication
Print syndication distributes news articles, columns, comic strips and other features to newspapers, magazines and websites. They offer reprint rights and grant permissions to other parties for republishing content of which they own/represent copyrights....
and appear in countless newspapers. Prominent U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
examples include Dear Abby
Dear Abby
Dear Abby is the name of the advice column founded in 1956 by Pauline Phillips under the pen name Abigail Van Buren and carried on today by her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now owns the legal rights to the pen name....
, Ann Landers, and in a more modern form, Carolyn Hax's
Carolyn Hax
Carolyn Hax is a writer and columnist for the Washington Post and the author of the eponymous advice column Carolyn Hax — formerly titled Tell Me About It. The column debuted in 1997 and is published Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday – syndicated in more than 200 newspapers...
"Tell Me About It". Internet sites such as the Elder Wisdom Circle
Elder Wisdom Circle
The Elder Wisdom Circle is a nonprofit organization that provides free and confidential advice on a broad range of topics. The EWC also publishes an advice column, in both a Web version and a syndicated print version that is carried in 25 publications....
offer relationship advice to a broad audience, while Dear Maggie offers sex advice to a predominantly Christian readership in Christianity Magazine
Christianity Magazine
Christianity Magazine is an evangelical Christian magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom by Christian Communications Partnership Ltd....
. In the UK, Ann Widdecombe
Ann Widdecombe
Ann Noreen Widdecombe is a former British Conservative Party politician and has been a novelist since 2000. She is a Privy Councillor and was the Member of Parliament for Maidstone from 1987 to 1997 and for Maidstone and The Weald from 1997 to 2010. She was a social conservative and a member of...
is renowned for her advice column in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
newspaper and has been for many years.
Men as advice columnists are more rare than women in print, but men have been popping up more often online in both serious formats and comedic.
Typical format
Questions are most often asked 'anonymously', with the signature assuming the problem that is being expressed. For example, someone who is asking about erratic behaviour in their partner may sign their letter "Confused, Johannesburg".On the Internet, a greater variation on the signature theme is often seen. The person's signature may refer to the problem being expressed, but rather in a phrase, which the 'agony aunt' abbreviates so as to spell an appropriate word. For instance, "Confused About My Partner" would become "CAMP". Dan Savage
Dan Savage
Daniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
uses this method to comic effect in his Savage Love
Savage Love
Savage Love is a syndicated sex-advice column by Dan Savage. The column appears weekly in several dozen newspapers, mainly free newspapers in the US and Canada, but also newspapers in Europe and Asia...
column.
Advice columns on the Internet
Advice columns on the internet provide ways to share one's interests and expertise. Anyone can be a columnist and create their own advice column. Users can can post questions for columnists to answer. Users can also interact with the columnist and with each other to voice their opinions. E-mailing advisors is popular because readers can open up their personal problems without exposing their identity to the world. Popular e-mail advisers include Aunt Vera and Annie.Ethical issues
Advice columns generally have limited capacity and do not answer all the requests they receive. This has led them to be criticised for abusing the hopes of their correspondents for commercial gain (in terms of newspaper sales) – raising the uncomfortable image of desperate people waiting day after day for the answer to their terrible problem to be published, only to have to accept after months that there will be no help for them. For this reason Marjorie ProopsMarjorie Proops
Rebecca Marjorie Proops , born Rebecca Marjorie Israel, was probably best known as an agony aunt in the United Kingdom, writing the column Dear Marje for the Daily Mirror newspaper....
regarded it as a professional duty to answer all the letters received, whether or not they were published.
Related fiction
Inevitably the "Agony Aunt" has become the subject of fiction, often satirically or farcically. Versions of the form include:- An agony aunt whose own personal problems and issues are more bizarre than those of her correspondents. A notable example is the British TV sitcom Agony created by Anna RaeburnAnna RaeburnAnna Raeburn is a British broadcaster and journalist who is famous for her role as an 'agony aunt' giving advice on life relationship and more general life problems. She is principally known for her work on Capital Radio in London....
, starring Maureen LipmanMaureen LipmanMaureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
as the agony aunt with an overbearing mother, an unreliable husband, neurotic gay neighbours, and a career in media surrounded by self-promoting bizarros. Anna Raeburn herself works as an agony aunt on radio call-in shows, much as the main character of the sitcom does. - Mrs. MillsMrs. Mills Solves all Your ProblemsMrs Mills Solves All Your Problems is a popular, satirical and fictional agony aunt column in the Sunday Times Style magazine, in which readers write or email Mrs Mills and she replies with exceptionally...
deliberately gives terrible advice to her clients, and is a satire of an agony aunt. - Another classic example of the agony aunt in fiction appears in Miss LonelyheartsMiss LonelyheartsMiss Lonelyhearts, published in 1933, is Nathanael West's second novel. It is an Expressionist black comedy set in New York City during the Great Depression.-Plot summary:...
by Nathanael WestNathanael WestNathanael West was a US author, screenwriter and satirist.- Early life :...
. - In Evelyn Waugh'sEvelyn WaughArthur Evelyn St. John Waugh , known as Evelyn Waugh, was an English writer of novels, travel books and biographies. He was also a prolific journalist and reviewer...
novel The Loved One,The Loved OneThe Loved One: An Anglo-American Tragedy is a short satirical novel by British novelist Evelyn Waugh about the funeral business in Los Angeles, the British expatriate community in Hollywood, and the film industry.-Conception:...
a Mr. Slump dispenses advice (on one occasion lethal) under the name Guru Brahmin.
Other uses of the term
The Agony Aunts, Dotsie and Sadie, are the chilling elderly enforcers of the Street of Negotiable Affection in author Terry PratchettTerry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
's Discworld
Discworld
Discworld is a comic fantasy book series by English author Sir Terry Pratchett, set on the Discworld, a flat world balanced on the backs of four elephants which, in turn, stand on the back of a giant turtle, Great A'Tuin. The books frequently parody, or at least take inspiration from, J. R. R....
series of novels.
See also
- Amy AlkonAmy AlkonAmy Alkon , also known as the Advice Goddess, writes a weekly advice column, Ask the Advice Goddess, which is published in over 100 newspapers within North America. While Alkon addresses a wide range of topics, she primarily focuses on issues in intimate relationships...
- Helen BottelHelen BottelHelen A. Bottel was an American newspaper columnist who wrote the long-running, nationally syndicated advice column Helen Help Us! in the 1960s and 1970s....
- Katie BoyleKatie BoyleKatie Boyle is an Italian-born British actress, television personality, and game show panelist, well known for appearing on TV panel games such as What's My Line? and for presenting the Eurovision Song Contest in the 1960s and 1970s....
- E. Jean CarrollE. Jean CarrollE. Jean Carroll is an American journalist and advice columnist. Her “Ask E. Jean” column has appeared in Elle magazine since 1993, and was ranked one of the five best magazine columns by the Chicago Tribune in 2003.Born Elizabeth Jean Carroll in Detroit,...
- George W. CraneGeorge W. CraneDr. George W. Crane was a psychologist and physician, best known as a conservative syndicated newspaper columnist for 60 years , and published at least three books. He was the father of Republican U.S...
- Amy DickinsonAmy DickinsonAmy Dickinson is an American newspaper columnist who writes the syndicated advice column, Ask Amy....
- Quentin FottrellQuentin FottrellQuentin Fottrell is an Irish columnist, author, agony uncle and radio critic currently living in New York. He was born in Dublin and studied psychology in University College Dublin , before switching to journalism in University College Galway ....
- Phoebe HalliwellPhoebe HalliwellPhoebe Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Phoebe is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Lori Rom in the unaired pilot,...
- Phillip HodsonPhillip HodsonPhillip Hodson is a British psychotherapist, broadcaster and author who popularised ‘phone-in’ therapy in his role as Britain's first 'agony uncle'. His afternoon and evening counselling programmes ran on LBC Radio in London for nearly 20 years...
- Ann Landers
- Marie Manning
- Judge–advisor systemJudge–advisor systemA judge–advisor system is a type of advice structure often studied in advice taking research, a subset of decision-making in the social sciences. The two roles in a JAS are the judge and advisor roles. The judge is the decision maker who evaluates information concerning a particular decision and...
, an entity used by academic researchers to study the giving and taking of advice - Judith MartinJudith MartinJudith Martin , better known by the pen name Miss Manners, is an American journalist, author, and etiquette authority. Martin's uncle was economist and labor historian Selig Perlman.- Early life and career :...
- Mrs. Mills Solves all Your ProblemsMrs. Mills Solves all Your ProblemsMrs Mills Solves All Your Problems is a popular, satirical and fictional agony aunt column in the Sunday Times Style magazine, in which readers write or email Mrs Mills and she replies with exceptionally...
- Jeanne PhillipsJeanne PhillipsJeanne Phillips is an advice columnist who writes the advice column Dear Abby.She is the daughter of Pauline Phillips, who founded "Dear Abby" in 1956, and her husband, Morton Phillips. In a Dear Abby column on December 12, 2000, Pauline introduced Jeanne as co-creator of Dear Abby. They began to...
- Pauline PhillipsPauline PhillipsPauline Phillips is an American advice columnist and radio show host who began the "Dear Abby" column in 1956. Married to Morton Phillips, the couple has two children, a son, Edward Jay Phillips, and a daughter, Jeanne Phillips....
- Marjorie ProopsMarjorie ProopsRebecca Marjorie Proops , born Rebecca Marjorie Israel, was probably best known as an agony aunt in the United Kingdom, writing the column Dear Marje for the Daily Mirror newspaper....
- Susan QuilliamSusan QuilliamSusan Quilliam is an agony aunt and author noted for bringing systemic psychology to a mass audience. Her areas of expertise include: love, sex, personal psychology, medico-sexual psychology and body language...
- Claire RaynerClaire RaynerClaire Berenice Rayner OBE was an English nurse, journalist, broadcaster and novelist, best known for her role for many years as an agony aunt.-Early life:...
- Denise RobertsonDenise RobertsonDenise Robertson MBE is a writer and television broadcaster in the United Kingdom...
- Dan SavageDan SavageDaniel Keenan "Dan" Savage is an American author, media pundit, journalist and newspaper editor. Savage writes the internationally syndicated relationship and sex advice column Savage Love. Its tone is frank in its discussion of sexuality, often humorous, and hostile to social conservatives, as in...
- Jeffrey L. SeglinJeffrey L. SeglinJeffrey L. Seglin is an American journalist and writer. Seglin grew up in Boonton, New Jersey and attended Boonton High School....
- Susan Sutherland IsaacsSusan Sutherland IsaacsSusan Sutherland Isaacs, CBE was a Lancashire-born educational psychologist and psychoanalyst. She published studies on the intellectual and social development of children and promoted the nursery school movement...
, who worked under the pseudonym 'Ursula Wise' in several child care journals. - Cary TennisCary TennisCary D. Tennis , an American author and columnist. He is best known for his work as an advice columnist in his column "Since You Asked," which appears on the website Salon.com.-Personal:Tennis is a native of Tidewater, Virginia....
- Elder Wisdom CircleElder Wisdom CircleThe Elder Wisdom Circle is a nonprofit organization that provides free and confidential advice on a broad range of topics. The EWC also publishes an advice column, in both a Web version and a syndicated print version that is carried in 25 publications....
- Emily YoffeEmily YoffeEmily Yoffe is a journalist, a regular contributor to Slate magazine and the NPR radio show Day to Day. She has also written for The New York Times, O, The Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, and many other publications...
, of SlateSlate (magazine)Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
, a web magazine, under the pseudonym Prudence. - Miss LonelyheartsMiss LonelyheartsMiss Lonelyhearts, published in 1933, is Nathanael West's second novel. It is an Expressionist black comedy set in New York City during the Great Depression.-Plot summary:...
, novel - Straight TalkStraight TalkStraight Talk is an 1992 American comedy-film distributed by Hollywood Pictures, directed by Barnet Kellman and starring Dolly Parton and James Woods. Parton did not receive star-billing in any other theatrically-released films until the 2012 film Joyful Noise, alongside Queen Latifah...
, a 1992 film featuring Dolly PartonDolly PartonDolly Rebecca Parton is an American singer-songwriter, author, multi-instrumentalist, actress and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music. Dolly Parton has appeared in movies like 9 to 5, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Steel Magnolias and Straight Talk...
as an agony aunt. - The Athenian MercuryThe Athenian Mercury] The Athenian Mercury, or The Athenian Gazette or The Question Project or The Casuistical Mercury, was a periodical written by The Athenian Society and published in London twice weekly between 17 March 1690 [i.e. 1691 new Calendar] and 14 June 1697...
(1690), first periodical with an advice column ever used. - The Ladies' MercuryThe Ladies' MercuryThe Ladies' Mercury was the first periodical published that was specifically designed just for women. It contained an advice column in the periodical. It was first published in London on February 27, 1693. - History :...
(1693), first periodical just for women contained mostly an advice column.