AlamoSpursFan
01-18-2006, 12:16 PM
This isn't as bad as what I usually get: laughed at.
:lol
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3593760.html
Jan. 17, 2006, 9:08PM
THE DATING WORLD
Rejection is a phone call away
Hot line burns those who can't take a hint
By KRISTIN FINAN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
She laughed at your jokes. She returned your smiles. And at the end of the night when you finally worked up the courage to ask for her number, she gave it to you.
You waited the requisite three days, visions of your future family (or fling) filling your head, then, with heart pounding, dialed her number.
Ring. Ring. Rejection.
"Hello, this is not the person you were trying to call," says a man's recorded voice. "The person who gave you this Rejection Hotline number did not want you to have their real number. We know this sucks, but don't be too devastated."
Ouch. And it continues ...
"Why were you given a Rejection Hotline number? Maybe you're just not this person's type. Note this could mean boring, dumb, annoying, arrogant or just a general weirdo. Maybe you suffer from bad breath, body odor or a nasty combination of the two."
Double ouch.
Founder, creative director and voice of rejection Jeff Goldblatt said the Rejection Hotline received more than 18 million calls last year, with Houston averaging nearly 80,000 calls a month. It's one of many phone and e-mail rejection services that have popped up in the past few years, and Goldblatt calls it a "public service" for rejectors, rejectees and the mechanics, pizzerias and little old ladies who would otherwise receive the late-night calls.
"If you're getting fake phone numbers, you should probably give some thought to why that is," the 28-year-old said. "It's designed as a last-resort kind of thing, when someone won't get the hint that you're not interested."
But nationally recognized dating agent David Wygant said the concept could cause lasting damage to those seeking mates.
"It's awful," Wygant said. "There's no reason for it. A lot of women have no idea how hard it is for a guy to approach a woman to ask her out. Maybe he's got no clue that you're not interested, but to give him a phone number so he gets ridiculed and rejected? It's mean. It's a waste of time. It's bad."
Goldblatt formed the first Rejection Hotline in Atlanta in 2001, and now there are more than 70 nationwide, including Houston's, which was created in 2003 and can be reached at 713-866-6249.
"I loved everything about it," said 21-year-old Justin Quimby of Crosby, who posts that number as his own on his My Space Web page. "It's good for a little laugh."
Like the majority of callers, Quimby heard about the number from a friend and called seeking not a date but rather an entertaining message.
In terms of actually using it to turn down girls, he admits, "I don't think I'd ever be that mean."
But 23-year-old college student Gail Ozumba said sometimes people need a reality check.
"I'd use it, if they're unattractive or not my type," she said. "Maybe if you don't feel like saying no right there."
Her friend, 24-year-old Cara-Lee Sanchez, said she used to keep the Houston Rejection Hotline number stored in her phone. She said the idea is hilarious — as long as she's not on the receiving end.
"If a guy gave it to me, he better hope I don't see him again," she said.
In addition to phone numbers, Rejection Hotline and many other groups now offer free rejection e-mail addresses.
For example, when a person e-mails any address ending in "@papernapkin.net," they automatically receive this rejection:
"Ha ha, just kidding. Actually, this is a rejection letter. The person who gave you this e-mail address does not want to have anything to do with you."
Then the e-mail walks you through reasons you may have been rejected. Particularly desperate-sounding e-mails are sometimes posted on the Paper Napkin Web site to be ridiculed.
"It's not a very nice thing to do, but it's interesting to be caught in the middle of a conversation that you wouldn't otherwise be privy to," said Josh Santangelo, founder of www.papernapkin.net. "It's mostly guys who meet some girl and are excited to get in touch with (her). It's a really easy target for ridicule."
Still, even Santangelo said people should use it with caution.
"It's fun to pick on people who deserve it, but it's not fun to hurt the feelings of some poor guy who was just trying to get a date," he said.
Goldblatt said because the Rejection Hotline is free, he has only recently begun to profit from it through partnerships and speaking engagements.
"For a while I was probably America's worst entrepreneur, because I was reaching millions and not getting any money," he said.
He said he adds hot-line numbers in cities based on size and demand.
"You can only get so many e-mails from people in Minnesota, because they don't have a number yet," he said. "It's something that everybody can relate to on one level or another. It's kind of a satire on the whole 'can I get your number?' dating scene."
For the record, to date no one has ever given Goldblatt the Rejection Hotline number, although he said his friends are working hard to make it happen.
"I definitely think twice about whether or not to ask somebody for their number."
But according to Wygant, people who use the number to fend off potential dates should be prepared for their karma.
"What goes around comes around," he said. "You always get it back, one way or another."
[email protected]
:lol
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3593760.html
Jan. 17, 2006, 9:08PM
THE DATING WORLD
Rejection is a phone call away
Hot line burns those who can't take a hint
By KRISTIN FINAN
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
She laughed at your jokes. She returned your smiles. And at the end of the night when you finally worked up the courage to ask for her number, she gave it to you.
You waited the requisite three days, visions of your future family (or fling) filling your head, then, with heart pounding, dialed her number.
Ring. Ring. Rejection.
"Hello, this is not the person you were trying to call," says a man's recorded voice. "The person who gave you this Rejection Hotline number did not want you to have their real number. We know this sucks, but don't be too devastated."
Ouch. And it continues ...
"Why were you given a Rejection Hotline number? Maybe you're just not this person's type. Note this could mean boring, dumb, annoying, arrogant or just a general weirdo. Maybe you suffer from bad breath, body odor or a nasty combination of the two."
Double ouch.
Founder, creative director and voice of rejection Jeff Goldblatt said the Rejection Hotline received more than 18 million calls last year, with Houston averaging nearly 80,000 calls a month. It's one of many phone and e-mail rejection services that have popped up in the past few years, and Goldblatt calls it a "public service" for rejectors, rejectees and the mechanics, pizzerias and little old ladies who would otherwise receive the late-night calls.
"If you're getting fake phone numbers, you should probably give some thought to why that is," the 28-year-old said. "It's designed as a last-resort kind of thing, when someone won't get the hint that you're not interested."
But nationally recognized dating agent David Wygant said the concept could cause lasting damage to those seeking mates.
"It's awful," Wygant said. "There's no reason for it. A lot of women have no idea how hard it is for a guy to approach a woman to ask her out. Maybe he's got no clue that you're not interested, but to give him a phone number so he gets ridiculed and rejected? It's mean. It's a waste of time. It's bad."
Goldblatt formed the first Rejection Hotline in Atlanta in 2001, and now there are more than 70 nationwide, including Houston's, which was created in 2003 and can be reached at 713-866-6249.
"I loved everything about it," said 21-year-old Justin Quimby of Crosby, who posts that number as his own on his My Space Web page. "It's good for a little laugh."
Like the majority of callers, Quimby heard about the number from a friend and called seeking not a date but rather an entertaining message.
In terms of actually using it to turn down girls, he admits, "I don't think I'd ever be that mean."
But 23-year-old college student Gail Ozumba said sometimes people need a reality check.
"I'd use it, if they're unattractive or not my type," she said. "Maybe if you don't feel like saying no right there."
Her friend, 24-year-old Cara-Lee Sanchez, said she used to keep the Houston Rejection Hotline number stored in her phone. She said the idea is hilarious — as long as she's not on the receiving end.
"If a guy gave it to me, he better hope I don't see him again," she said.
In addition to phone numbers, Rejection Hotline and many other groups now offer free rejection e-mail addresses.
For example, when a person e-mails any address ending in "@papernapkin.net," they automatically receive this rejection:
"Ha ha, just kidding. Actually, this is a rejection letter. The person who gave you this e-mail address does not want to have anything to do with you."
Then the e-mail walks you through reasons you may have been rejected. Particularly desperate-sounding e-mails are sometimes posted on the Paper Napkin Web site to be ridiculed.
"It's not a very nice thing to do, but it's interesting to be caught in the middle of a conversation that you wouldn't otherwise be privy to," said Josh Santangelo, founder of www.papernapkin.net. "It's mostly guys who meet some girl and are excited to get in touch with (her). It's a really easy target for ridicule."
Still, even Santangelo said people should use it with caution.
"It's fun to pick on people who deserve it, but it's not fun to hurt the feelings of some poor guy who was just trying to get a date," he said.
Goldblatt said because the Rejection Hotline is free, he has only recently begun to profit from it through partnerships and speaking engagements.
"For a while I was probably America's worst entrepreneur, because I was reaching millions and not getting any money," he said.
He said he adds hot-line numbers in cities based on size and demand.
"You can only get so many e-mails from people in Minnesota, because they don't have a number yet," he said. "It's something that everybody can relate to on one level or another. It's kind of a satire on the whole 'can I get your number?' dating scene."
For the record, to date no one has ever given Goldblatt the Rejection Hotline number, although he said his friends are working hard to make it happen.
"I definitely think twice about whether or not to ask somebody for their number."
But according to Wygant, people who use the number to fend off potential dates should be prepared for their karma.
"What goes around comes around," he said. "You always get it back, one way or another."
[email protected]