The Universal Appeal of El Diablo

[Los Feliz Slim]

So, we're a couple of months into the EDGF experiment, and it's an understatement to say that things are going swimmingly. Certainly, no other poster could've established such a thriving forum based purely on reputation and personal selectivity. This subject is interesting to me. But first, a related and amusing anectode:

A little while ago several posters in OOT discussed a reality-television "star" who was appearing in soft-core pornography. I mentioned this to my wife, who is a fan of the reality TV. She was like "People on OOT watch the Real World?" She was asking me more about 2+2, of which she's aware without understanding it, and later that night I showed her some of my more successful and amusing gimmick accounts (which she didn't give a [censored] about). Anyway, sometime after this I left OOT open on my computer, and my wife apparently browsed OOT for five minutes or so. I was watching TV in the other room, and she walks in and says "Hey, I like that El Diablo guy."

So this story illustrates that El D's appeal, while it may have started with his poker prowess, has certainly grown beyond that sphere. To what can we attribute this phenomenon? His writing? His jet-setting lifestyle? His seemingly limitless knowledge of all things luxurious?

For people who frequent other forums, is there an untouchable El D type on each forum, or is his situation unique? Obviously, there are those who try to do combat with El D whenever they can, like Stuey (although I think Stuey would want to argue with the most popular poster regardless, it's a rebellion thing or something). So, knowing that posters are always trying to knock El D off his perch, does anyone have an example of El D losing one of these battles? I doubt it, not because he's never wrong, but because he's good at equivocating when he's not 100% sure of his position.

Those of you who know the man IRL, does he enjoy such unparalleled popularity off the forum as he does on it? Would you say that his online "persona" is similar to his offline self, or is the El D that has so completely dominated 2+2 a character, a creation? Is there a man behind the curtain?

I've never posted on another message board, so I don't know how unusual any of this is, but I do find it fascinating. El D, please chime in with your opinion of your own ubiquitousness if you wish, I'm very interested in your perspective.