Skip the News and Play "Spot the Fake Advice Column" episode artwork

EPISODE · Sep 19, 2025 · 9 MIN

Skip the News and Play "Spot the Fake Advice Column"

from An Americanist · host Carol Marks

TALK TO ME, TEXT ITEver have one of those days when scrolling through the news just makes you want to close your browser and walk away? That's exactly what happened in this episode. After a brief morning coffee delay (complete with baristas blaming their "self-cleaning espresso machine"), I decided to skip the usual news commentary because everything felt "awful and gross."Instead, I pivoted to something more entertaining - a game of "Which Dear Abby letter is fake?" I briefly touched on the Jimmy Kimmel controversy, noting Kat Timpf's misunderstanding of the FCC's role, and shared Jon Stewart's humorous response where he wore Trump-like attire on The Daily Show. But the real fun began with three peculiar advice column scenarios: an elderly mother mysteriously distancing herself from her children, a neighbor who insists on mowing his lawn at 6 AM while singing polka songs off-key, and a fitness center patron concerned about another woman's overly transparent leggings.Each letter presents its own unique interpersonal dilemma - when to intervene in an elderly parent's changing behavior, how to handle minor neighborhood annoyances without creating unnecessary conflict, and the delicate question of whether to mention potentially embarrassing clothing issues to strangers. Both Dear Abby's responses and my commentary reveal different approaches to these everyday social challenges. But here's the twist - while all advice columns seem somewhat fabricated, one of these three scenarios actually came straight from my imagination. Can you guess which one before I reveal the answer?Listen now and see if you can spot the fake Dear Abby letter, then join me and the gent this Sunday for our "Brood Awakening" episode where we'll dive into deeper conversations.Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREE Thanks for listening! Liberty Line each week on Sunday, look for topics on my X file @americanistblog and submit your 1-3 audio opinions to [email protected] and you'll be featured on the podcast. Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREESupport the showTip Jar for coffee $ - Thanks  Music by Alehandro Vodnik from PixabayBlog - AnAmericanist.comX - @americanistblog 

TALK TO ME, TEXT IT Ever have one of those days when scrolling through the news just makes you want to close your browser and walk away? That's exactly what happened in this episode. After a brief morning coffee delay (complete with baristas blaming their "self-cleaning espresso machine"), I decided to skip the usual news commentary because everything felt "awful and gross." Instead, I pivoted to something more entertaining - a game of "Which Dear Abby letter is fake?" I briefly touched on t...

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Skip the News and Play "Spot the Fake Advice Column"

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This episode was published on September 19, 2025.

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TALK TO ME, TEXT ITEver have one of those days when scrolling through the news just makes you want to close your browser and walk away? That's exactly what happened in this episode. After a brief morning coffee delay (complete with baristas blaming...

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