Friday, June 12, 2009

Is Pops for Real!?!

The reason I'm even posting this is because it happened twice in one month and I felt once in a lifetime was too many.
We all have heard the many ringtones that people download to their cell phones and use because either think that the sound/song is cool or funny or whatever but it is really about being unique and/or showing others around you what your all about, somewhat. I have heard practically every song used (heck, I even had Led Zeppelins "Heart Breaker" for a while) many different sound effects and even voices of people yelling "Pick up the damn phone" I guess while your browsing through all the possible ringtones some of these could seem funny or cool at the time, but when it actually rings when your in public it does not seem so cool anymore especially to those around you who really couldn't give a Rats Ass about you anyway.
Well, twice in one month, while riding the bus I heard a baby laughing ringtone. Sounded somewhat cute, I mean who could argue that a baby laughing is not cute. The thing is, the two times I heard this ringtone it was on the cell phone of a man at least in his 70's. . .
The first time was a heavy set black man sort of reminded me a Louis Armstrong. We were sitting on a bus and all of a sudden we heard this loud and whacky baby laughter. As we are looking around to see where it was coming from and we were practically laughing already before this man pulls a phone out of his sports jacket. The sight of this huge old man sitting there with a phone that is laughing a giggling like a baby as he is trying to figure out how to answer it was enough to get the rest of the bus to look at eachother in disbelief and break out laughing.
The other time was also on a bus but this was a little old white man with a cane. He looked like a Jewish man in his upper 70's and I was surprised to learn that he even had a cell phone, but to hear a baby laughing in his coat and see him fumbling to answer it, I started to wonder if this was becoming a trend or a reach or longing of the elderly to be young again and hope that I'm not destined to the giggling baby phone :0 Perhaps this is a light hearted prank by these gentlemens grandchildren or something?
I have since got rid of my Zeppelin ringtone and now have a very simple yet pleasing chime. I'm now very conscious of myself and any signs of a desire to have a baby giggling ringtone. . .please, not me.

14 comments:

drollgirl said...

ha! i have not heard this yet! cell phone rings and chatter pretty much drive me bonkers (mostly the YAMMERING the users do in confined spaces -- god i HATE that!).

hope you have a great weekend!

myan said...

funny story gary!
i should put my kitties meowing as my ring tone! never thought of that! ;p

oh and thanks for your super sweetness on the cinn & honey blog post! i am so flattered by your words as i am a HUGE fan of your talent and work! :)

happy friday!

L.Holm said...

Oh, too funny, Gary! Can absolutely picture it.
An elderly friend of mine is in Singapore for a few years while her daughter is there on business. The phone that my friend got came factory installed with a ring-tone like farting noises (sorry). It was days of embarrassment for poor Linda until she figured out how to change it.

diane said...

I can't believe how much I've missed since the last time I checked in! The photos are gorgeous, the cat is adorable, and the laughing baby ringtone story is hilarious.

Not that you asked or anything, but my favorite ringtone so far is the one Rosario Dawson has in Deathproof. It's just simply someone whistling.
I don't own a cell phone, so what do I know?

gh said...

Janene, its actually pretty funny, but I was blown away by seeing two old men have it as their ringtone.
Michelle, the kitties meowing would be cool!
Liz, thats crazy that they would use farting sounds for the default ringtone. . .i wonder if that was the case with these old guys.
Diane, a whistling tone could be cool. i can imagine the whislting part in"Sitting on the dock on the Bay" as a ringtone

Lee Wolfe Pottery OneClayBead said...

That would shake up my world, too! I don't use my cell phone a lot, but the ringtone is All You Need is Love. When it does ring it always comes during some situation when it sounds like some kind of cosmic message from the Universe rather than just my ringtone.

Lianne said...

Great story Gary. Maybe young kids with cell phones can get "old man wheezing" ringtones (?)

theresamillerwatercolors said...

Thank you so much, Gary, for dropping me a line and for your kind words. I really appreciate it.

Your photography is beautiful - I love the windows! - and Iki's story is wonderful! You made my day!

I was in NYC last week for a little while, visited The Met, The MOMA and did the tourist thing - walked around Manhattan. Such an energizing city - I envy you for living in such a great area...

Angelshair said...

Nice work and Lovely blog Gary!! You have been awarded!!! http://theangelshair.blogspot.com

Unknown said...

That is funny!! I still also only use just a simple ring, I can barely hear it at times, but I would be to embarrassed to have crazy loud sounds and music blaring from my bag. lol
Great story though and glad you shared.

:)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for your lovely comment Gary =)

Great story =) slightly creepy but entertaining.
I'm not a fan of ring tones that's why mine is on silent/vibrate. I pick it up whenever I feel like talking. I've made a lot of people mad hehe =D

Patricia said...

I just spent the afternoon with my father-in-law...he is 80. He has an iphone and lots of apps...I was in the theatre earlier in the week and a pair of elders seated behind me were comparing their apps during intermission. Old really doesn't mean senile ;)

dana said...

Don't even get me started on this one. I'm known as the "phone Nazi" at the library (where I work). No one seems to read the signs on the door "please turn off your cell phones". My personal vendetta is inforcement..lol.

Amanda said...

very entertaining but somewhat creepy!