# Crappy cellphone ringtones **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 9, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050 "2005-05-09T13:43:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@Dark\_Side\_of\_the\_Floyd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Side_of_the_Floyd)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/21 "2005-05-11T05:37:02Z")
I’ve got a recording of myself saying, **“HEY! ANSWER YOUR FUCKIN’ PHONE!”**. Gets a lot of looks on the bus, I tell you… ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/22 "2005-05-11T06:05:54Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > Someone at work has been bugging me to transfer her MP3s to her cell phone. I’ve got a cable of some kind, but no instructions. Anyone know what kinda program you use, anyhow? It really depends on your phone, and the luck of the draw. For mine, I found a free open-source program called [BitPim](http://www.bitpim.org/) that does the job. ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/23 "2005-05-11T06:09:44Z")
I have Monty Python’s “Sit on my Face” song as one of my ringtones and if you don’t like it, well you can… Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/24 "2005-05-11T06:14:21Z")
> [@DarkSideoftheFloyd](#): > > I’ve got a recording of myself saying, **“HEY! ANSWER YOUR FUCKIN’ PHONE!”**. The child has a ringtone from me, only heard if I ring. It says “this is your mother speaking, answer the bloody phone” in the loudest schreehiest voice I could muster. Of course I have never rung him and don’t plan to in the immediate future, I just thought it was a good threat (“I might ring you at school oneday…I hope you remember to keep your phone off” :D). Of course being 13 he has played it for ALL his mates. I am the only mother that sounds like a parrot it seems. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mtgman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5a626/32.png) [@Mtgman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mtgman)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/25 "2005-05-11T06:16:43Z")
Ok, ok. Dumb joke out of the way, here’s some info. Personalized ringtones, games, screensavers, etc are here to stay. This is a [million dollar a DAY business](http://www.mobilemonday.net/mm/story.php?id=3823), and that’s just for the US. Personalized ringtones are even more popular overseas. Face it, never before have so may people had such a powerful and versatile device in their hands and anything they can do with it, they will. We’re really just scratching the surface of what portable devices as powerful and connected as the modern “3G” phone can do. As the cell phone providers roll out more and faster networks it’s just going to get bigger. People LIKE their phones. It’s all those other inconsiderate jerks with their annoying ringtones and bad habits(driving while talking, etc) that are the problem. Enjoy, Steven ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/26 "2005-05-11T07:05:35Z")
> [@Mtgman](#): > > It’s all those other inconsiderate jerks with their annoying ringtones and bad habits(driving while talking, etc) that are the problem. Ah, this reminds me of something infuriating from last month that I couldn’t be arsed to start a pit thread about. I’ll vent here, if nobody minds. There was this ass riding a bicycle on an extremely congested sidewalk, steering with one hand and holding the cellphone that he was gabbing into with the other. I’m not talking about some cocky guy that could take his ten-speed into the half-pipe and rotate the front wheel with his toes while he caught air, either – this was a sweaty buffoon in a business suit, riding at speed through a scattering gaggle of old asian ladies waiting for the bus, while most of his attention was on his incredibly important phone call. I hope when this schmuck inevitably hits something it will be inanimate and bone-shattering. Asshole. ---
**Author:** ![davmilasav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@davmilasav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davmilasav)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/27 "2005-05-11T22:38:14Z")
I’ve got Virgin Mobile and the website has all kinds of neat rings. Mine is an actual, honest-to-og telephone ring and a voice that shouts “Phone call for Michael!” so I know it’s mine ringing and not anyone else’s. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 11, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/28 "2005-05-11T22:49:18Z")
> [@davmilasav](#): > > I’ve got Virgin Mobile and the website has all kinds of neat rings. Mine is an actual, honest-to-og telephone ring and a voice that shouts “Phone call for Michael!” so I know it’s mine ringing and not anyone else’s. 😃 I’ve got VM, too. While I rarely ever have the darn thing on (it’s for emergencies and if we happen to be out of town and trying to coordinate with friends…nobody ever calls me in any case), my current ringtone is the theme from “Scooby-Doo”. I also have “We’re Off to See the Wizard” and the theme from “The Muppet Show”. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/29 "2005-05-12T15:57:52Z")
> [@Pride of the Peaches](#): > > My Kyocera came with quite a few neutral ringtones, as well as some awful awful song ones. But I managed to snag the Super Mario Bros. theme for free so I use that. 😃 Hey! I paid $2.00 for my Super Mario theme. Damn you Motorola! Having a snazzy ringtone is fairly new to me, since my old phone only had regular rings. I’m sure I’ll get sick of it soon. On the other hand, now that I have a song as a ringtone, I’m no longer reaching for my phone during a cell phone commercial or in a store where someone else has the same ringtone. ---
**Author:** ![Stone\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@Stone\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stone_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/30 "2005-05-12T16:04:01Z")
> [@Mama Tiger](#): > > A friend’s husband has a “ringtone” (I use the term loosely) that starts off slowly, with the sound of a train chugging towards you…and then the train whistle starts to blow. Getting louder and louder. She said, “Imagine having that go off while you’re driving down the road!” My response was, “That would be the last time it ever happened, if I had any say in the matter!” Even with all the MP3s and who knows what else you hear everywhere now, that is the single most obnoxious one I have _ever_ heard. Not just because it could scare some poor unsuspecting driver half to death if he happened to be riding in their car when the damn thing went off. Speaking of trains, my cell phone (which I got rid of) had Casey Jones downloaded onto it. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/31 "2005-05-12T17:15:17Z")
> [@Rayne Man](#): > > Every other advert on the MTV and VH1 channels over here are for ring-tones. The ones which are being pushed at the moment are that crazy frog , a duck and some unidentified animal that farts! Good lord—they have farting cell phones? What if it goes off really loud in a business meeting or a restaurant?! ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2005, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/32 "2005-05-12T18:37:16Z")
You would assume the owner of the phone is 12? ---
**Author:** ![congodwarf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@congodwarf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/congodwarf)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/33 "2005-05-13T00:30:00Z")
My first cell phone was always on vibrate because I hated the selections. My new phone has internet access because I’m too damn lazy to concel it. But, with that access, I get $15 worth of free downloads every month. So, I currently have the theme to The Godfather for non-caller ID calls and Sing Sing Sing for caller ID calls. I’ve had a lot of jealous looks for the Jazz. I also have a picture of Edna Mode on my phone. I must admit, it’s kinda cool to personalize it. I do keep the sound to a reasonable volume though so as to not annoy others. Actually, I don’t actually like the Godfather movies or the song. I only got it to annoy my fiancee’s sister (she’s one of my best friends), because her phone doesn’t have that song as a download. ---
**Author:** ![RobuSensei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@RobuSensei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobuSensei)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2005, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050/34 "2005-05-13T15:04:23Z")
I live in Japan, where cell phone technology is probably too advanced for its own good. I’ve had a Mitsubishi phone for the past couple of years, and in the last couple of iterations they’ve completely removed the on/off sound effects. They’ve also included an “old phone ringing” ringtone in the 20 or so included ring tones. (It used to be called “black phone;” on the latest handset it’s “retro phone.”) When I don’t leave it set on that, I usually have it set to the “Final Fantasy” prelude. Harp glissandos work well for a ring tone. The only drawback is when I’m in the computer store walking past the FFXI online sales display… That being said, I’ve got a question or two for anyone who can help. I’m wondering how far American cell phones have come in the past two years or so. When I got my first (Japanese) cell phone, my friends in the states were envious – a screen that could do thousands of colors, polyphonic ring tones…(at the time, U.S. phones couldn’t do that). Now, my latest phone has a native resolution of 240x320, capable of 16-bit color. It includes a 2 megapixel camera (1224x1632). I can play 3d-rendered, textured and shaded graphics (it came with a Ridge-Racer-type game, and a FF inspired chocobo game.) It also came with a bunch of Java programs and games. And this is a low-end model–the high-end phones can do _real-time video conferencing._ Other models are combo phone/mp3 players, or come with GPS receivers… So, my question is, how does all that crap compare with what’s on the U.S. market these days? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crappy-cellphone-ringtones/303050.md?page=1)