# How in the fuck did this slip through? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 27, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889 "2003-05-27T23:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/1 "2003-05-27T23:22:01Z")
[http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030527/ap\_en\_mo/phone\_number](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030527/ap_en_mo/phone_number) I would be pissed off something terrible if it was _my_ number they used in the film. Isn’t this exactly _why_ the 555 prefix is supposed to be used by film people? ---
**Author:** ![Sqube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aca169/32.png) [@Sqube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sqube)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/2 "2003-05-27T23:58:13Z")
Unbelievable… especially on that poor woman’s _cell_ phone!? I hope her provider doesn’t make her pay, or she’s gonna be hurtin somethin fierce come end of the month. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/3 "2003-05-28T00:01:40Z")
Send the bill to whoever was responsble for this crap. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/4 "2003-05-28T00:04:08Z")
Personally, I think it’s sad we _have_ to resort to things like 555 in situations like this. What kind of pathetic loser moron calls a number he saw in a movie or a TV show? ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/5 "2003-05-28T00:06:30Z")
Eight-six-seven-five-three-oh-ni-eee-ine… ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/6 "2003-05-28T00:11:10Z")
Shades of Tommy Tutone. If the cell phone and pager companies aren’t willing to offer these women some relief from the billing problems and aggravation that this has caused them, methinks that the studio that made a movie that made $70.5 million dollars in two days has very nice, very deep pockets. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/7 "2003-05-28T00:12:14Z")
I saw this movie last night, and I wondered what number that was. I guess the director didn’t want an obviously fake 555 number, which I understand. Here’s my two solutions for this problem. 1. Put an 800 number ont here that leads to the studio. Have some out goung message saying “You’ve reached God. Please leave a message, and He will return your call as soon as He can.” Or something to that effect. Something less blasphemous, if you want. 2. Use a 555 number. Have Jim Carrey’s character comment about how 555 number’s are fake. Have the number work anyway when he dials it, thus showing him that something decidedly strange and supernatural is happening. That’s my take on it, anyway. ## Oh, and on preview: **QED** : Don’t think of pathetic losers. Think of little kids, who might decide to call God. Not so unrealistic, is it? There was a ral number published in a Peanuts cartoon once, which resulted in a jillion plaintive calls for Snoopy. I believe Cecil mentioned this… aha! [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_374a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_374a.html) Justin ---
**Author:** ![Necromancer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac91a4/32.png) [@Necromancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Necromancer)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/8 "2003-05-28T00:20:53Z")
This reminds me of when I was in high school in the '70s and some friends dialled a number that was mentioned in the AC/DC song, Dirty Deeds. Apparently, the owner of that number (36-2436) went on TV saying they had to change their number because they got sick of AC/DC fans ringing it every few minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/9 "2003-05-28T00:24:29Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by JSexton_ > > 1. Put an 800 number ont here that leads to the studio. Have some out goung message saying “You’ve reached God. Please leave a message, and He will return your call as soon as He can.” Or something to that effect. Something less blasphemous, if you want. A lot of movie actually do this, although I cannot, of course, think of a single one off the top of my head. It’s like an Easter egg: call the number and get a humorous message related to the movie. _The Simpsons_ does this sort of thing with the Internet all the time: they’ll throw out some improbably named web address, and throw up a quickie website to go with it. Check out [www.whatbadgerseat.com](http://www.whatbadgerseat.com) for an example. It’s common enough that, if I saw a real (non-555 prefix) number in a movie, I would automatically assume it was that sort of a deal and give it a try myself, assuming I could remember the number until the movie ended. Most of the people calling that poor woman’s cell phone were probably expecting something similar. ---
**Author:** ![Wolfian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/7ea924/32.png) [@Wolfian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolfian)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/10 "2003-05-28T00:34:30Z")
That really sucks, but you gotta laugh about it. I’m sure the bills will be paid or nullified by someone and they will have a dinner party story for the rest of their lives. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JSexton \* > **1. Put an 800 number ont here that leads to the studio. Have some out goung message saying “You’ve reached God. Please leave a message, and He will return your call as soon as He can.” Or something to that effect. Something less blasphemous, if you want.** You have reached God. If you are a Jew, press one. If you are a Protestant, press two. If you are a Muslim, press three. If you are a Buddhist, press four. If you are a terriorist, hold your breath and hit yourself repeatly with a blunt object. I will deal with you soon… ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/11 "2003-05-28T00:42:55Z")
Not a big deal. So she’ll have to get a new cell phone number and if she throws a fit the studio will probably pay the bills for her for a while. There are far better things to be outraged about, folks. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/12 "2003-05-28T01:27:34Z")
Its not a big deal for us, **ooner** , but I’m sure it is for her. Why in the fuck should she _have_ to get a new phone number? She almost certainly is going to have to fight with her phone company now. All just because some fucktard loser pulled her number out of their ass. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/13 "2003-05-28T01:46:03Z")
I’m with **bernse**. I’d be royally _pissed_ if this had happened to me. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/14 "2003-05-28T03:14:30Z")
Why is she answering the phone if she doesn’t know who is calling? I did think about that during the movie, though, but I figured, surely people don’t do that any more! I always hate seeing the “555” numbers in movies anyway. Good suggestion that the producers should have seen this coming and come up with some sort of clever promo tie-in, however. While I surely have much better things to do than write down fake phone numbers and _call them_, I guess others have more time on their hands. ---
**Author:** ![Ooner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@Ooner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ooner)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/15 "2003-05-28T06:02:36Z")
I still think it’s not a big deal. It’s a phone number. I’d think the attention was kind of cool, and I’d fuck with all the callers for a while, then get a new number and move on with my life. Or, as I said before, throw a fit, and the studio will probably pay my phone bills for a while to make up for it. And the guy who decided to put a real number in the movie is a “fucktard loser”? Puhlease, we’re stretching. Far. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/16 "2003-05-28T06:06:18Z")
If it was me, I’d be majorly pissed and looking for a lawyer. 20 calls an _hour_ is insane. ---
**Author:** ![NoctrineX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d78d45/32.png) [@NoctrineX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoctrineX)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/17 "2003-05-28T06:32:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Miller \* > \*\*A lot of movie actually do this, although I cannot, of course, think of a single one off the top of my head. It’s like an Easter egg: call the number and get a humorous message related to the movie. _The Simpsons_ does this sort of thing with the Internet all the time: they’ll throw out some improbably named web address, and throw up a quickie website to go with it. Check out [www.whatbadgerseat.com](http://www.whatbadgerseat.com) for an example. It’s common enough that, if I saw a real (non-555 prefix) number in a movie, I would automatically assume it was that sort of a deal and give it a try myself, assuming I could remember the number until the movie ended. Most of the people calling that poor woman’s cell phone were probably expecting something similar. \*\* Magnolia did this (taken directly from [www.imdb.com](http://www.imdb.com) ) The telephone number (877) TAME-HER is shown on the “Seduce and Destroy” infomercials within the movie. Dialing this number gives a recording of Tom Cruise giving the Seduce and Destroy pitch[www.imdb.com](http://www.imdb.com) ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/18 "2003-05-28T06:38:10Z")
There should be a trace on each call, and each caller should be deported. We could get rid of a lot of useless morons that way. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/19 "2003-05-28T10:24:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HelloKitty \* > \*\*Why is she answering the phone if she doesn’t know who is calling? > \*\* 😕 So you have never received a call from someone who was using a phonebox, friend’s landline, different phone at work, friend’s mobile or anything like that? And even then, just having to deal with the phone ringing all the time would drive me up the wall. ---
**Author:** ![dantheman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dantheman/32/9421_2.png) [@dantheman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dantheman)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889/20 "2003-05-28T10:32:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Necromancer \* > \*\*This reminds me of when I was in high school in the '70s and some friends dialled a number that was mentioned in the AC/DC song, Dirty Deeds. Apparently, the owner of that number (36-2436) went on TV saying they had to change their number because they got sick of AC/DC fans ringing it every few minutes. \*\* That wasn’t a phone number, though. Those were measurements. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-in-the-fuck-did-this-slip-through/177889.md?page=2)