One of Gothamist's (many) guilty pleasures is reading advice columns, and the best advice columnist for non-movie matters, i.e., love, family, and shoe matters, is Carolyn Hax, Washington Post writer who is syndicated across the country. She answers questions about three times a week, plus has a live chat session at the Washington Post site on Friday afternoons. She is simply down-to-earth when answering the umpteenth question about whether or not it's a good idea to tell one to break up with the boyfriend or girlfriend she/he no longer loves. Gothamist goes from "Who are these people?" to "Jesus, that's us!" when reading her work. And she's been frank about her own personal life, from her mother's recent death to her seemingly marriage after becoming pregnant, after a fairly public divorce (her ex-husband still illustrates her column).
Time Magazine called her one of America's best for being a "master of the art of telling it like it is." Gothamist loves that about her too, as typified in this exchange from a year ago (reprinted yesterday):
Carolyn:
Short and simple: Do guys like being asked out?
-- D.C.
They say they do. But remember, guys are more or less socialized to go for things they want, so if it's going to work, you have to be someone he didn't realize he wanted until you asked him out. You know. Hot.
Carolyn:
Just curious, but how do you know what guys think? You just assume that even though guys say they like it when women ask them out that they really mean they only like it when "hot" women ask them out. You would never stereotype women that way. -- Phoenix
Took your earnestness pills today, I see. Good good. The "hot" thing was a joke, but the rest I absolutely believe. It's the same answer I'd give to the question "Do women like it when men are persistent?"
A: When it's the right man.
