‘Dear Abby' Pauline Phillips Dead: Advice Columnist Dies At 94
Pauline Friedman Phillips, who as Dear Abby dispensed snappy, sometimes saucy advice on love, marriage and meddling mothers-in-law to millions of newspaper readers around the world and opened the way for the likes of Dr. Ruth, Dr. Phil and Oprah, has died. She was 94.
Phillips died Wednesday in Minneapolis after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease, said Gene Willis, a publicist for the Universal Uclick syndicate.
"My mother leaves very big high heels to fill with a legacy of compassion, commitment and positive social change," her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, who now writes the column, said in a statement.
Private funeral services were held Thursday, Willis said.
The long-running "Dear Abby" column first appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle in 1956. Mother and daughter started sharing the byline in 2000, and Jeanne Phillips took over in 2002, when the family announced Pauline Phillips had Alzheimer's disease.
Pauline Phillips wrote under the name Abigail Van Buren. Her column competed for decades with the advice of Ann Landers, written by her twin sister, Esther Friedman Lederer, who died in 2002. Their relationship was stormy in their early adult years, but they later regained the closeness they had growing up in Sioux City, Iowa.
The two columns differed in style. Ann Landers responded to questioners with homey, detailed advice. Abby's replies were often flippant one-liners.
Phillips admitted that her advice changed over the years. When she started writing the column, she was reluctant to advocate divorce:
"I always thought that marriage should be forever," she explained. "I found out through my readers that sometimes the best thing they can do is part. If a man or woman is a constant cheater, the situation can be intolerable. Especially if they have children. When kids see parents fighting, or even sniping at each other, I think it is terribly damaging."
She willingly expressed views that she realized would bring protests. In a 1998 interview she remarked: "Whenever I say a kind word about gays, I hear from people, and some of them are damn mad. People throw Leviticus, Deuteronomy and other parts of the Bible to me. It doesn't bother me. I've always been compassionate toward gay people."
If the letters sounded suicidal, she took a personal approach: "I'll call them. I say, 'This is Abby. How are you feeling? You sounded awfully low.' And they say, 'You're calling me?' After they start talking, you can suggest that they get professional help."
In a time before confessional talk shows and the nothing-is-too-private culture of the Internet, the sisters' columns offered a rare window into Americans' private lives and a forum for discussing marriage, sex and the swiftly changing social mores of the 1950s, '60s and '70s.
One trend Phillips adamantly opposed: children having sex as early as 12 years old.
"Kids grow up awfully fast these days," she said. "You should try to have a good relationship with your kids, no matter what they do."
Pauline Esther Friedman, known as Popo, was born on Independence Day 1918 in Sioux City, Iowa, 17 minutes after her identical twin, Esther Pauline (Eppie). Their father was a well-off owner of a movie theater chain. Their mother took care of the home. Both were immigrants from Russia who had fled their native land in 1905 because of the persecution of Jews.
"My parents came with nothing. They all came with nothing," Phillips said in a 1986 Associated Press interview. She recalled that her parents always remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty: "It's amazing the impact the lady of the harbor had on them. They always held her dear, all their lives."
The twins spent their growing-up years together. They dressed alike, both played the violin and both wrote gossip columns for their high school and college newspapers. They attended Morningside College in Sioux City.
Two days before their 21st birthday, they had a double wedding. Pauline married Morton Phillips, a businessman, Esther married Jules Lederer, a business executive and later founder of Budget Rent-a-Car. The twins' lives diverged as they followed their husbands to different cities.
The Phillipses lived in Minneapolis, Eau Claire, Wis., and San Francisco, and had a son and daughter, Edward Jay and Jeanne. Esther lived in Chicago, had a daughter, Margo, and in 1955 got a job writing an advice column. She adopted its existing name, Ann Landers.
Pauline, who had been working for philanthropies and the Democratic Party, followed her sister's lead, though she insisted it wasn't the reason for her decision. She arranged for an interview with an editor of the San Francisco Chronicle and presented sample columns, arguing that the paper's lovelorn column was boring. The editors admired her breezy style, and she was hired.
Searching for a name for the column, Pauline chose Abigail from the Bible and Van Buren from the eighth American president. Within a year she signed a 10-year contract with the McNaught Syndicate, which spread her column across the country.
"I was cocky," she admitted in 1998. "My contemporaries would come to me for advice. I got that from my mother: the ability to listen and to help other people with their problems. I also got Daddy's sense of humor."
Pauline applied for the advice column without notifying her sister, and that reportedly resulted in bad feelings. For a long time they did not speak to each other, but their differences were eventually patched up. In 2001, the twins, then 83, attended the 90th birthday party in Omaha, Neb., of their sister Helen Brodkey.
The advice business extended to the second generation of the Friedmans. Not only did Jeanne Phillips take over "Dear Abby," but Esther Lederer's daughter, Margo Howard, wrote an advice column for the online magazine Slate.
Aside from the Dear Abby column, which appeared in 1,000 newspapers as far off as Brazil and Thailand, Phillips conducted a radio version of "Dear Abby" from 1963 to 1975 and wrote best-selling books about her life and advice.
In her book "The Best of Abby," Phillips commented that her years writing the column "have been fulfilling, exciting and incredibly rewarding. ... My readers have told me that they've learned from me. But it's the other way around. I've learned from them. Has it been a lot of work? Not really. It's only work if you'd rather be doing something else."
The NBA All Star Game February 15-17, 2013 will be In Houston
I’m sure you wondering when and where will be the 2013 NBA All Star Game this year?? Well it’s Feb 15-17 In Houston, Texas At The Toyota Center!! HOUSTON — Houston will once again play host to a constellation of the world’s brightest stars as it has been selected as the site of NBA All-Star 2013, the NBA announced.
The 62nd NBA All-Star Game will be played on Sunday, Feb. 17, at the Toyota Center, which will also host the NBA Rising Stars Challenge and NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm. NBA All-Star Jam Session, the hugely successful interactive basketball celebration, will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Bet on sports and support this NBA event.
”Houston is a spectacular sports city, and for one week it will be the basketball capital of the world,” said NBA Commissioner David Stern. “NBA All-Star is a magnificent celebration of our game, and I want to thank the city and the Rockets for welcoming us once again.”
2013 BET HONORS: The celebs get FAB On The Red Carpet
It was a huge night in Washington D.C as celebs made their way to the 2013 BET Honors taping at the Warner Theater. Check out the celebs who hit up the Nation's Capitol to honor a few good people for a few good causes...
Yes Halle! Ms Berry took command of the red carpet in a fiery look of her own.
In a strapless red & black watercolor high slit gown, Halle made her way to the 2013 BET Honors show as she received the Humanitarian Award (from Phylicia Rashad) for her work with the Jenesse Domestic Violence Center.
The 46-year-old pretty much shut it down looking flawless as ever. And she posed it up with Alicia Keys and BET's President Debra Lee.
The gorgeous mom was spotted backstage carrying around her Award.
We just want to pause and take her fabulousness all in for a moment....
We just want to pause and take her fabulousness all in for a moment....
Speaking of Alicia, she hit the carpet in this sexy black gown. But she took the stage in a red cropped top and matching maxi skirt to perform "Brand New Me" for Ms. Berry.
She looked fab.
Host Gabrielle Union was on her sexy tip last night. She looked amazing in an army green long sleeved, bust-cut out curve hugging dress for the carpet.
She kept the laughs going throughout the night with her seemingly dozens of outfit changes. And the fact she told the joke again about Dwyane putting a ring on it, it makes us think homegirl is really pushing for it these days. So much for those "we're not rushing thigns" quotes....
Super hot look for her.
Kelly Rowland was also there bringing the sexy in her black dress with a thigh high slit. She was on hand to present an Award to Chaka Khan.
She posed it up with Luis Carr, EVP of Marketing for the network.
Backstage, Chaka Khan and Erykah Badu had some girl time posing it up for the cameras. Chaka, looking svelte in her bronzed gown, was there to receive a tribute. And it was Ledisi who sang "Everlasting Love" to honor the diva. Wayne Brady also hit the stage to sing Happy Birthday to her.
Erykah Badu was on hand to open the show with "What Cha Gonna Do For Me", another tribute for Chaka.
And out on the carpet, Chaka posed it up with fellow honoree Lisa Leslie. Lisa rocked a gorgeous black Angelo Dean gown while being presented for an award (by Anthony Anderson) for her excellence in athletics. Brandy was also there to perform in her honor.
Beautiful dress for Lisa as she hit the carpet with her hubby!
Hey Laz Alonso. The "Deception" star looked great
Debra Lee hit the carpet, in an age appropriate look finally, with her daughter and Stephen Hill.
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis hit the stage to rock out with two of their hits from the 80's.
Mr. Wayne Brady kept it dapper on the carpet.
Funny guys Cedric The Entertainer (who was there to present to TD Jakes) and Anthony Anderson kicked it backstage.
Singer Luke James hit the carpet before the show.
Celebrity trainer Jeanette Jenkins showed off her cute figure in her gold Herve Leger dress.
Ledisi looked like she was channeling a mermaid. Hope this look translates properly on TV as she sang the tribute for Chaka Khan.
Mint Condition brought back their cool with a performance of "Breakin' My Heart."
Actress Kat Graham looked great on the carpet.
Bishop TD Jakes, hitting the carpet with his wife, was there to receive the Award for Education.
Beverly Bond made her way to the event of course with Bazaar Royale.
And political correspondent Roland Martin made a statement with this white brocade jacket.
The 2013 BET Honors will air February 11th.
Oxygen Cancels Shawty Lo Reality Special ‘All My Babies’ Mamas’
It’s official Shawty Lo‘s special on all his baby mamas and children is no longer going to air. The Oxygen network has official put a stop to the reality tv special featuring Shawty Lo and all his children and baby mamas. The Daily Beast says their sources said Oxygen will announce cancellation any day now. Sabrina Lamb, who created the petition to stop the show states that the show would be a horrific example of life for a certain “group” of people.
“I love that the people who’ve signed the petition are from all backgrounds, ages, and countries. This one elderly white man wrote me and said even he was tired of the stereotypical images of black people.’’
“This show is about more than a rapper and his girlfriends. This is a show about kids who had no choice in how they came into the world. This show sets them up to be ridiculed and made fun of. None of us should be OK with that.’’
On Facebook today her status read:
My entire statement will be announced tomorrow (outlining all of our victories) at the press conference and posted here at 12:00 noon-ish. Until then, I thank all 38,000 supporters who stood up for our children and said, “Enough Is Enough!” Oxygen Media awoke a sleeping GIANT!!
Do you think the show should have aired or was it another reality foolishness??
Cam’ron Married
Well they say the Cam’ron married is coming up. Cause has engaged his beautiful more then just a model girlfriend is engage with them. Check the pic. Shout outs to Cam’ron.. Peep what some saying.
Hip Hop superstar Cam’ron Giles is OFF THE MARKET!!! MediaTakeOut.com confirmed that he and longtime GF JuJu are ENGAGED. And Cam made sure that his NUMBER ONE CHICK is walking around in style. She’s rockin’ a $100K engagement ring!!!
Cam now joins his former partner JIM JONES as the second member of the NY baesd DIPLOMATS to get engaged. You know what that means . . . Juelz . . . you’re ON DECK!!!
Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Launch Housing Project for Homelessness
There’s nothing doper then celebrities who give back, literally! A few days after confirming to the world that they are in fact, still in love and not divorcing, Vanessa and Kobe Bryant announced their new community service initiative is a housing project called, Step Up On Vine, which assists youth who are homelessness.
Vanessa explained:
Tonight Kobe and I joined former President Clinton as we celebrated the grand opening of Step Up on Vine, a permanent supportive housing project in Hollywood as part of our commitment to end youth homelessness through the Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation. KVBFF.org #KVBFF
She continued:
It means so much to Kobe and I to be able to see how Step Up on Vine will directly impact young people by not only providing food, clothes and shelter but by offering vital services addressing their overall health and life skills. The building is amazing and has a Platinum Leed Certification. So happy to see this vision come to life! For more info please visit KVBFF.org #KVBFF and feel the love and Appreciation from them.. I would love you help the foundation in any way I can. I love giving back to those that are less Fortunate then I am.. #BryantFamily#GivingBack #LakersNation
Click here to learn more about Kobe & Vanessas foundation.
Stuart Scott Cancer Returns
ESPN anchor Stuart Scott revealed on Twitter on Monday that he is again battling cancer. A short while after tweeting about his diagnosis and treatment, Scott hosted the 11 p.m. EST episode of Sportscenter.
ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys told USA Today Sports that the Sportscenter fixture “plans to continue to work the best he can around his treatments.” Scott re-tweeted and shared some of the positive messages that he received from sports figures such as Robert Griffin III and Russell Wilson. Jay Glazer of FOX was among Scott’s colleagues in sports media offering support to Scott.
As indicated in his tweets, this is not Scott’s first battle with cancer. He first faced the illness in 2007 after an emergency appendectomy revealed a malignancy that was treated with chemotherapy.
“I’m not the type of guy to let this eat up my life. I’ve got strong faith and family and friends who are tackling this with me,” Scott said during his 2008 treatment, via ESPN.com. “I can’t find the words to express how much I appreciate everyone’s thoughts and prayers. I probably won’t be able to get back to you all; but know it means a ton.”
Scott again underwent chemotherapy in 2011 after doctors discovered more cancerous tissue. In 2011, Scott also announced his treatment on Twitter.
ON THE SET: Larenz Tate & Omari Hardwick FILM Melanie Fiona's "Wrong Side Of A Love Song" Video
Melanie Fiona was spotted on the set of her latest video "Wrong Side of a Love Song" recently. Find out who's directing and who's starring in the visuals inside.....
Director/actor Larenz Tate posted Instagram pics from his latest project, Melanie Fiona's video for "Wrong Side of a Long Song" recently. Larenz and Melanie posed with actor Omari Hardwick (atop) on the set as Omaris been cast as the leading man.
Larenz is putting on his director's hat again to give the song, which appears on Mel's latest The MF Life album, a hot visual treatment.
After she wraps the video, Melanie is set to team up with Swizz Beats and Music Unites (January 17) as a part of Music-Versity 2012, where they will use their musical gifts to empower 200 youth.
After that, she'll hit the 15th Annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café, for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah next week.
Chief Keef Arrested
Chicago rapper Chief Keef was jailed Tuesday after a judge found he violated probation.
Keef, whose real name is Keith Cozart, appeared in Cook County juvenile court. Cozart, 17, is on probation for pointing a gun at Chicago Police officers.
Judge Carl Anthony Walker found Cozart showed a “willful disregard” of the court. He’s being held until Thursday when the judge will hold a sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said he violated his probation in June when he visited a gun range in New York. He was prohibited by the judge from having contact with firearms. His attorney Dennis Berkson argued Cozart fired a rifle on private property as part of a promotional video. He said that didn’t violate the spirit of the judge’s order.
But Walker said it was no different than if Cozart handled a gun in a home. In that situation, he would have violated Cozart’s parole, the judge said.
Cozart, who was sentenced to 18 months probation in January 2012 for pointing a gun at Chicago cops, was handcuffed behind his back and taken out of the court Tuesday.
Cozart, who wore camouflage pants, a black-hooded sweatshirt and Timberland boots, did not address the judge or testify during the two-hour hearing.
In December, Cozart released a new album, “Finally Rich.” He was in the news last summer after another Chicago rapper, Joseph “Lil JoJo” Coleman, was shot to death on the South Side.
Coleman and Cozart, who were affiliated with rival gangs, were engaged in a war of words on the Internet at the time.
Cozart hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing in connection with Coleman’s killing.
Walter Jackson Threatens to Expose RHOA’s Kenya Moore to Andy Cohen
The plot seems to be heating up, offline, between Real Housewives of Atlanta reality star, Kenya Moore and her alleged ex-boyfriend, Walter Jackson. If you watched this entire season and kept up with the rumor mill, you know that last December, Walter did a radio interview alleging that Kenya had asked him to ‘play her boyfriend on TV’, so that she could be on the popular BRAVO show. Kenya admittedly denies this theory. Sunday evening, while on Andy Cohen’s ‘Watch What Happens Live!’ show, Kenya reiterated that their relationship was not ‘fake’ and her feelings for him were authentic. After the episode aired, Walter tweeted Andy, the show’s producer:
This isn’t going to end well. Meanwhile, Kenya continues to promote her new ‘Gone With the Wind Fabulous’ single. Stay tuned to see if Bravo snags Walter for ‘Watch What Happens Live!’ or the reunion show.
Organization Calls ABC’s ‘Scandal’ Out for Torturing Huck, Says Its Insensitive to Sandy Hook
Looks like we weren’t the only ones that had a tough time watching the torture scene (we actually closed our eyes) with ‘Huck’. On last week’s Scandal episode, Huck (played by Guillermo Diaz) was brutally tortured and questioned for his potential involvement in the president’s shooting. While some of found this as simple entertainment relevant to the story-line, the Parents Television Council (PTC) found it inappropriate. In a released statement, the group says that ABC broke the content-rating system:
“The brutal nature of that scene, which was rated as appropriate for a 14-year-old child, refutes statements made by an industry claiming to be responsible and concerned about societal violence.”
The creator/executive producer Shonda Rhimes had a content advisory at the beginning of the broadcast, but this was not satisfactory to PTC. In fact, they question the timing of the show, suggesting that it may have been insensitive to those affected by the Newton school shooting tragedy. Tim Winter (PTC’s president) explained:
“It is sickening just how quickly the entertainment industry was able to move past the tragedy of Newtown and get back to business as usual.”
The PTC says it wants the Obama administration to get behind an effort for:
“real responsibility from those who produce and distribute violent media content as well as real reform of the failed TV ratings system.”
What do you think? Was the torture scene too graphic for TV? And should that particular episode been altered or delayed, because of the Newton school shooting?
Love & Hip Hop NY Winter Ramos To Release Tell All Book
Love & Hip Hop New York‘s newest cast member Winter Ramos is set to give us a tell all book. As we all know she is the former assistant to Fabolous. She explained how well she seems to know the hip hop industry during her beginning statements in the show. Check out more inside.
She shared during the first episode with Jen the Pen that she is writing a tell all book and even referred Karrine Steffans. The book will be titled, Game Over: My Love For Hip Hop. The book is described as:
“As the chick that was always in the mix and “cool” with everyone, Winter was privy to the cray beyond the videos, private flights, and limos that the cameras caught for us. Her reality and theirs was no game. Game Over is Winter’s cautionary tale for the next generation of young women who believe that the fabulous lives of celebrities unveiled in blogs are all fire.”
Winter explained on the last episode:
“[I've] dated these guys, I’ve slept with them, worked for them, I know the girlfriend, I know the baby mother, I know the wife, I even know the side chick.”
“I wrote a book. It’s a tell-all of my experiences in the music industry. Guys that I’ve dated. It’s real sh**. Jadakiss, he’s a big part of the book.”
The book is currently available for pre-order .
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES ‘ATTACK OF THE YORKIES’
Seriously, that looks like the world’s largest, most possessed Yorkie eating your head off.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND EVERYBODY!!!!!!!!
EFREM
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