The great rap genius, prophet, and possible modern-day Machiavellian, Tupac Shakur once said, “Only God can Judge me” (I’m guessing he read it in some
book or something). While Tupac may be right in many cases, we must remind ourselves that we have entered a new age and things have changed in many ways (after all, that was like the
90s). While I agree that I should not judge my fellow neighbors based on their choices in life, sometimes it is unavoidable. I agree that we should not judge people by the color of their skin, unless they are green, and in that case they are probably true
illegal aliens. I agree that we should not judge those whose beliefs differ from ours, except for the complete
wackos. But, I can not avoid making judgments about others when I hear their choice in Ringback Tones.
In case you are out of the “in” crowd, a Ringback Tone is that little bit of music you hear instead of a ring tone when you call certain people. I personally prefer classical hits, such as “Girls, Girls, Girls” or “Whip It,” but the options are endless with everything from Beethoven to Ying Yang Twins. While I find this development in the history of mankind’s triumphs amusing, I think people need to think twice about choosing their tones.
For example, today I called a friend of mine and boy was I surprised to hear Celine Deon’s “The Power of Love.” This was a guy I respected. I thought he was a guy’s guy that I could drink beers with, and now I come to find out that he is a Celine Deon fan! The way I feel right now must be a lot like how all the other members of Judas Priest felt when they heard Rob Halford was gay (as if the leather outfits didn’t give it away).
Seriously though, this is not the first time I have been caught off guard by the same thing. I understand the novelty in picking a truly ridiculous song with the hopes of amusing your caller, but think about the impression it leaves. Brining up Tupac again, while his song “California Love” is one of my all time favorites, it is probably not the best option for your Ringback Tone. Let’s say you apply for a job, do you really want your prospective employer to relate lyrics like “Fiendin for money and alcohol” or “Out on bail fresh outta jail” to your work ethic? Sure it may help if you are a celebrity like Shia LaBeouf (first celebrity slam on my blog - here I come TMZ!), but if you are an average Joe applying to Wendy's, a song like that might make the manager think otherwise about setting up an interview.
If you are anything like me and you hate phone calls, maybe it might be good to pick a really annoying Ringback Tone. Maybe choose a kid’s song, like Barney’s “I Love You” (a real option with Verizon), or just go for the real brutal and choose “The Canadian National Anthem.” That way you can ensure that anyone who calls you will never make the same mistake again.
Of course, Ringback Tones are just the next step in the cell phone’s role in making the world more annoying. From the very first time a cell phone ring interrupted a movie to the first douche bag that wore a Bluetooth headset, cell phones have constantly pushed the levels of annoying qualities in the world to all time highs. The only way cell phones could make things worse is if they allowed people you don’t even want to talk to, nonetheless see, find you no matter where you are… oh wait...
