Actually in all seriousness, the incest question is the perfect example of why it is a bad idea to get advice from a write in column. The context of that relationship is such that it would have a huge impact on the advice.

Maybe what she describes really is creepy and she needs to be concerned. Maybe she has a severe jealousy problem and sees smoke where there is no fire. Maybe she and the sister hate each other and that is clouding her judgment. Prudence knows none of these things, yet wades in with advice anyway. Is it good advice? Maybe. But who knows?

It reminds me of the gawd awful Dr. Laura show, where some schlub will call in and get 5 seconds of air time to explain her problem, then Laura interrupts them and gives major life advice based on that 5 seconds of information.

The whole concept is idiotic.

And yet you not only spent your time reading it, you took time to respond - hypocritical much?

Actually, A Dude, Prudie was very careful to qualify her advice as assuming the LW isn't a jealous (naughty word meaning female dog that I'm no longer allowed to say here) and there is an issue. She said it right up top. Check it out. It's called close reading and it's an important skill.

Being close and playful siblings is one thing. Doing sort of flirty stuff you wouldn't do with a same-sex sibling is another. It's creepy and there's no way around it. We all know creepy when we see it. Grown siblings playing footsie is creepy. Too much afffection between siblings is creepy. A competitive vibe between fiance and sister means there's some creepiness.

That's not entirely fair, with regards to the "competitive vibe" statement. My older brother and I are extremely close. He had one ex-girlfriend that could barely stand to be in the same room as me. She was apparently intimidated by how close we were and felt "left out" when we started goofing off and making jokes that only he and I found funny/understood the context. She told him that I "always had to be the center of things."

Her loss though. I don't think he would have married his wife if she and I hadn't become such good friends, independent of his relationship with her. That's not to say he waited for my blessing or anything - he just found someone who wasn't a petty, crazy person insistent on keeping him all to herself.

But, as I said, creepiness is subjective. And once you're creeped out, I think it's pretty hard to warm up to somebody. In your case, it was best that your brother got away from that girl. That may be the case here, as well.

How is that hypocritical? You've never read something that, when you got done, you found to be idiotic, then remarked that it was idiotic? I'm not going to say something is idiotic w/out actually reading it.

If I go to a movie that halfway through seems like it won't be good, but I sit through the whole thing, and then say that movie sucked and wasn't worth viewing, am I being a hypocrite?

So is not being an ass SmagBoy, you should check it out.

A Dude:

So is not being an ass SmagBoy, you should check it out.

Oh! I see! So:

A Dude:

Actually in all seriousness, the incest question is the perfect example of why it is a bad idea to get advice from a write in column...Prudence knows none of these things, yet wades in with advice anyway...The whole concept is idiotic.

is not "being an ass", but, pointing out that Prudie did, in fact, qualify her answer is being an ass.

Okay, got it. Thanks for the clarification.