Fun Fact: Clarice Starling Isn't Real

She's a fictional character.

I don’t always take requests, but when the need is so great, I act. 

Will do.

Hi, Chris Cillizza! Quick thing: Eliot Ness was an investigator for the U.S. Department of Treasury who worked with the Bureau of Prohibition in Chicago. He never worked with the FBI. Clarice Starling also never worked with the FBI, because... she was a fictional character? Jodie Foster played her in a movie, and then Julianne Moore played her in a different movie that wasn’t as good as the first one.

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were also not real FBI agents. Neither was Johnny Utah, or Dale Cooper.

And yeah, J. Edgar Hoover was a monster.

Twitter offers additional thoughts:

I hope the lambs eventually stop screaming, Chris.

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Jason Linkins edits “Eat The Press” for The Huffington Post and co-hosts the HuffPost Politics podcast “So, That Happened.” Subscribe here, and listen to the latest episode below.

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