Several months ago, I blogged about characterization–how important it is to a story and different ways to achieve it. Let’s be honest, you can have the most intriguing plot ever conceived, but if you don’t have a character readers can root for, that great story isn’t going very far. It’s all about character, and I’m constantly trying to figure out ways to make mine more unique. In that previous post, I mentioned how cell phone ring tones can say a lot about a person, thus becoming a great characterization tool. But what do ring tones really tell you about a person? A lot more than you think. Here’s a for instance for you. Not too long ago, I was standing in line at the grocery store behind a guy who could have been the poster boy for Harley Davidson motorcycles. He had the tats, the ball head, the leather from head to toe even though the temperature was in the mid 80’s. All of a sudden his pocket started chiming Shania Twain’s Forever and For Always. All I could think was huh? Really? Shania Twain? Dude. If that’s not a contrast in what I saw on the outside, I don’t know what is. But what if that song has special meaning to the biker? Maybe it was the song he and his wife danced to at their wedding. You just never know. The experience made me think about how people may look at me differently based on my cell phone’s ring tones. Here are a few of the ring tones on my phone:
Popular from the Broadway show Wicked I’ll Make a Man Out of You from the movie Mulan Love In an Elevator by Aerosmith An eclectic mix, right? What do these ring tones say about me as a person? Well, anyone who knows me knows I’m a Broadway fanatic, and Wicked is one of my very favorite shows. I’m also a major Disney nut, and I absolutely adore Mulan and all of the songs on the soundtrack, especially I’ll Make a Man Out of You (It’s also one of my favorite scenes in the movie). That leaves Love in an Elevator. I’ll be honest, it’s the one that raises the most eyebrows when it rings, but if people knew why this girl who grew up on 80’s R&B had Aerosmith blaring from her phone, it would make perfect sense. Like I said, I’m a Disney nut. I visit Disney World at least once a year with my little sister, and one of our most beloved rides is the Rockin’ Rollercoaster featuring Aerosmith. Every time my sister calls, that song plays on my phone, catapulting me to one of our favorite places on earth. I love it. As a writer, ergo a student of characterization, I’m fascinated by how this seemingly simple thing can reveal so much about a person’s character. So don’t be surprised in the future if one of my heroes has Chaka Khan’s I’m Every Woman as a ring tone. It doesn’t necessarily mean he’s going through a gender crisis. More than likely it’s because it was the favorite song of the mother he holds near and dear to his heart. What are some of your ring tones? What do they say about you?
The ringtone I had for like two years was Lovestoned by Justin Timberlake. Then I got a new phone and switched it to Green Light by Beyonce. I think this says I like popular music, lol. Good idea about using ringtones for characterization!
I don't use my cell phone except when traveling. I have it set on "vibrate" plus one of the ring tones that came with it, a weird John Cage–esque repetition of four notes. I guess that says I'm frugal (don't want to pay for minutes or ring tones) and something of a Luddite.
I only use mine for e-mail and web surfing, so when it does ring it scares the crap out of me!
I just recently changed my tone to Billie Holiday's "April in Paris" from an old Maxwell tune I had for over a year. Mine is on vibrate 90% of the time, so, like Phyllis, when it does ring it scares and confuses me for a moment and then I usually miss the call trying to find where in the world the phone is in my purse!
I don't have very many interesting ring tones on my phone – but I have the Can-Can song ring when my friend Fallon calls. If you knew Fallon, you'd know that this tune fits her perfectly. Apart from that, she's a brilliant artist – Her bathroom is painted a'la Moulin Rouge! It's AMAZING.
G.