Monday, September 11, 2006

You may wanna change that ring-tone, buddy

It's been a very somber day around here, as you can well imagine - what with all the 9/11 5th anniversary remembrances and the conservative bishops and big-wigs from the UK in town to grill our Presiding Bish and the Presiding Bish-Elect. Tension and sadness all around.

We had a very moving noon Eucharist commemorating the World Trade Center attacks - lots of tears and heavy hearts. The chapel was full of all sorts of contentious and not-so-contentious purple-garbed humans, plus many of us lay worker-bees. Beautiful, moving service.

Just as the service ends, a very loud techno-rendition of Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld" (better known to us peons as the Can-Can song) pierces the silence. It takes a while for someone - I didn't see who but am hoping it was one of the conservative bishops - to silence the thing. Nervous giggles as folks make their way out of the chapel and into the sunlight of a gorgous September day.

Now, all of us with cellphones have been guilty of forgetting to turn the thing off for meetings, church, movies at one tme or another. (Actually, I'm more guilty of forgetting to turn it on. I miss a lot of calls. Shrug.)

But today's incident was a good little life lesson. When chosing your ring-tone, ask yourself: How will I feel when this goes blarring out at a funeral? An intervivew? When I'm in the middle of an argument with my spouse/child/boss? Yeah, maybe it'd lighten the moment, but it's more likely to just piss people off and make a bad situation worse.

Think about that next time you're tempted to use Can-Can or "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" for your ring-tone.

9 comments:

petercmoore said...

My ring tone used to be "Uncle F*cker" from the South Park movie.

OK, it didn't have lyrics to it, but it certainly was one that you didn't want going off during a wedding or a funeral!

[That song still makes me laugh though. Obscenity for its own sake...]

Anonymous said...

I heard one on a quiet Sunday during a prayer , Queens "Another one bites the dust" . Very moving during the quiet time when you are in communion with the ONE and only . I liked that one a lot better than our ministers.."Riders on the Storm" , Ala Jim Morrison. It had a good beat , but was easier to dance to.

Chris said...

Mine's 'Minnie the Moocher'.....but I don't hear it often.....nobody calls me often........sigh.....

Clare said...

I was at a random mass/service one evening in Italy. Down the road there was a disco in full swing. Just as the priest said "And God said..." the disco finished the sentence with "burn baby burn". Ever since that song has made me smile!

MaryB said...

I keep mine on vibrate most of the time (woo-hoo!). Otherwise, it's just an old fashioned telephone ring - no T-Mobile or Verizon jingle. How boring am I?

One of my young friends (very young - with own cellphone, sheesh!) has an ear-splitting scream as the ringtone.

And whoever got it in their brains than a stale 1980's movie theme (Beverly Hills Cop) was a cool ringtone? And how did it get to be called "Frogger"?

chux said...

Hmm that would be bad! Perhaps the only thing worse would be the Macarena I guess.

I want a copy of "Minnie the Moocher" like Chris. Currently I have Clocks by Coldplay. I use to have 'Aint Nobody' by Chukka Khan but i'm not that happy anymore. :-)

Liz Hinds said...

I don't have a mobile phone. Nobody calls me at home so they're not likely to when I'm out ...

Anyway, is there such a thing as a good tone ring?

And, look at that? The word is sketxvv - that's almost where I live!

MaryB said...

God, Bro, you'd better choose an alternate ring for the hills of NoGA - something by one of those country singers that wear big old cowboy hats. (I'd give you a suggestion, but I'm clueless. Maybe Kate can help.)

And, no, Liz. There is no such thing as a good ringtone. (rrwodatz)

jomoore said...

I am anti music-as-ringtones, so imagine my dismay when I bought a new phone and that was all that it had. I had to download a normal ringing sound!

My ringtone is, er, 'ring-ring'.