Changing faces of advice
For more than four decades, readers could pick up any newspaper anywhere and expect to find witty advice dished up by either Dear Abby or Ann Landers. The twin sisters – Esther Lededer who was the force behind Ann Landers and Pauline Phillips writing as Dear Abby – had a lock on the personal advice columns. Lederer began her column with the Chicago Sun-Times in 1955 and Phillips soon followed.
Sadly that era has come to a close. Lederer died in June.
Phillips’ family on Tuesday revealed that she has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. A statement released by the column’s distributor, Universal Press Syndicate, said the deterioration of Phillips’ memory has been slow.
Abby and Ann had a lock on advice. No one else came close. Now others must try.
For some time now, her daughter has been writing the Dear Abby column. Lander’s column, now called Annie’s Mailbox, is written by two of her longtime editors.
People being as they are will always be searching for solutions to problems and insight into relationships. Others find comfort in reading that someone else’s troubles are worse than their own.
Undoubtedly the columns will continue through their chosen successors and advice will be tucked inside daily newspapers to be accepted or rejected same as it’s always been.
Somehow though it just isn’t the same.