LOOKING BACKA
problem shared is a problem halved. But
does a problem shared with half the nation
obey the same rule? The sackloads of letters
sent to problem pages each week suggest so.
If you thought agony aunts were a product
of modern women’s magazines you might also be
surprised to learn that the first ‘agony’ column
was published 330 years ago by an agony uncle.
In 1690, John Dunton founded The Athenian
Mercury to publish ‘questions answered’. Rumour
has it Dunton was having an affair and wanted advice
without asking anyone who might grass him up
to Mrs D. Some received rather ‘direct’ advice, with
one older lady fearing loneliness being advised to
get herself down to the docks in search of a sailor.
By 1704, the concept was so popular Daniel Defoe
jumped on the bandwagon, with the ‘Scandalous
Club’ in his magazine, The Review, and similar
columns sprang up everywhere.
Fast forward to Victorian times and women were
writing to publications with female advisers, seeking
advice on anything one couldn’t ask a peer: etiquette,
affairs of the heart and even (gasp!) the bedroom.
The period also heralded the first teen problem
pages. The Girl’s Own Paper problem pages were as
far away from Just Seventeen’s advice on snogging as
you’d imagine, but no less intriguing. Responses were
in terse tone and printed sans original letter, leaving
the reader speculating as to what the question may
have been to elicit the answer: “We could not hazard
an opinion on what was your disease; your writing
slopes the wrong way.” Another curt reply reads:
“what a coarse, orange-peel skin you will soon have ifWE CELEBRATE THE WOMEN
TASKED WITH ANSWERINGEVERYTHING THAT YOU ALWAYS
WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX(AND OTHER SUCH MATTERS),
BUT WERE TOO AFRAID TO ASKyou fill up the pores of the face!” Which of us in our
youthful folly has not overused a Boots 17 concealer?THE PILL, PAMPHLETS, PROOPS
Women were firmly taking over the reins of agony,
and by the interwar years, the aunts did sterling work
in letting male letter-writers know that there was no
shame in wielding a dishcloth. Irma Kurtz, who was
agony aunt for Cosmopolitan for over 45 years and
author of My Life in Agony, says the war years were
a watershed moment for agony columns. “Only after
the menfolk were called away to fight wars, leaving
women to keep homes and homelands on even keels,
did agony columns move from serviettes and fish
knives into the deeper waters of frustration and
emotional tumult.”
While the columns struck a blow for equality,
the answers could still be rather prim; in her
autobiography, Peggy Makins, who wrote under
the more domestic name Evelyn Home for Woman
magazine in the 1950s, remembers being forbidden to
employ the word ‘bottom’ anywhere in the magazine,
“even if it referred to the bottom of the garden.”
All that changed with the arrival of pop and The
Pill. One aunt who straddled this whole era was
Marjorie (Marje) Proops. Her 1950s agony columnWords: IONA BOWER“While the columns struck a
blow for equality, the answers
could still be rather prim”
»
Dear Agony
Aunts
Dear Agony
Aunts
LOOKING BACKA
problemsharedis a problemhalved.But
doesa problemsharedwithhalfthenation
obeythesamerule?Thesackloadsofletters
senttoproblempageseachweeksuggestso.
If youthoughtagonyauntswerea product
ofmodernwomen’smagazinesyoumightalsobe
surprisedtolearnthatthefirst‘agony’column
waspublished 330 yearsagobyanagonyuncle.
In1690,JohnDuntonfoundedTheAthenian
Mercurytopublish‘questionsanswered’.Rumour
hasit Duntonwashavinganaffairandwantedadvice
withoutaskinganyonewhomightgrasshimup
toMrsD.Somereceivedrather‘direct’advice,with
oneolderladyfearinglonelinessbeingadvisedto
getherselfdowntothedocksinsearchofa sailor.
By1704,theconceptwassopopularDanielDefoe
jumpedonthebandwagon,withthe‘Scandalous
Club’inhismagazine,TheReview, andsimilar
columnssprangupeverywhere.
FastforwardtoVictoriantimesandwomenwere
writingtopublicationswithfemaleadvisers,seeking
adviceonanythingonecouldn’taska peer:etiquette,
affairsoftheheartandeven(gasp!)thebedroom.
Theperiodalsoheraldedthefirstteenproblem
pages.TheGirl’sOwnPaperproblempageswereas
farawayfromJustSeventeen’s adviceonsnoggingas
you’dimagine,butnolessintriguing.Responseswere
intersetoneandprintedsansoriginalletter,leaving
thereaderspeculatingastowhatthequestionmay
havebeentoelicittheanswer:“Wecouldnothazard
anopiniononwhatwasyourdisease;yourwriting
slopesthewrongway.”Anothercurtreplyreads:
“whata coarse,orange-peelskinyouwillsoonhaveifWE CELEBRATE THE WOMEN
TASKED WITH ANSWERINGEVERYTHING THAT YOU ALWAYS
WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX(AND OTHERSUCH MATTERS),
BUT WERE TOO AFRAID TO ASKyou fill up the pores of the face!” Which of us in our
youthful folly has not overused a Boots 17 concealer?THE PILL, PAMPHLETS, PROOPS
Women were firmly taking over the reins of agony,
and by the interwar years, the aunts did sterling work
in letting male letter-writers know that there was no
shame in wielding a dishcloth. Irma Kurtz, who was
agony aunt for Cosmopolitan for over 45 years and
author of My Life in Agony, says the war years were
a watershed moment for agony columns. “Only after
the menfolk were called away to fight wars, leaving
women to keep homes and homelands on even keels,
did agony columns move from serviettes and fish
knives into the deeper waters of frustration and
emotional tumult.”
While the columns struck a blow for equality,
the answers could still be rather prim; in her
autobiography, Peggy Makins, who wrote under
the more domestic name Evelyn Home for Woman
magazine in the 1950s, remembers being forbidden to
employ the word ‘bottom’ anywhere in the magazine,
“even if it referred to the bottom of the garden.”
All that changed with the arrival of pop and The
Pill. One aunt who straddled this whole era was
Marjorie (Marje) Proops. Her 1950s agony columnWords: IONA BOWER“While the columns struck a
blow for equality, the answers
could still be rather prim”
»
Dear Agony
Aunts
Dear Agony
Aunts