Thursday, July 7, 2011

Appointment Reminders and the Abortion Playlist


I hear a lot of ring back tones when I call people to remind them of their appointments. I’m convinced that the women out there are sending messages – via the type of songs their phones play – to the guys in their lives. Thing is, I don’t think a lot of guys would actually “get it” that this is what’s going on…that the girls are giving THEM a message, telling them how it is. The reason I’m convinced this is happening is because I hear the same songs over and over. Maybe those songs are just super popular. Or maybe there are a lot of girls super pissed off at the guys they’re having an abortion with. In my experience, the top songs I hear on the abortion client playlist are:

• Love the Way You Lie – Rhianna
• Hate That I Love You – Rhianna (or basically, anything Rhianna)
• Free Fall – Kelly Rowland
• Tell Me a Lie – Kelly Clarkson
• So What – Pink
• Through With You – Maroon 5

Songs I hope I hear one day:

• Not a Pretty Girl – Ani DiFranco
• Pretty Girls – Neko Case
• I Will Survive – Gloria Gaynor
• King of Anything – Sara Bareilles
• Single – Natasha Beddingfield
• RESPECT – Aretha Franklin
• Miss Independent – Kelly Clarkson
• Beautiful – Christina Aguilera
• You Don’t Own Me – Lesley Gore
• I Am Woman – Helen Reddy
• A Woman’s Worth – Alicia Keys
• Video – India Arie
• Karma – Alicia Keys
• Single Ladies – Beyonce
• Firework – Katy Perry
• Goodbye Earl – Dixie Chicks
• Just Fine- Mary J Blige
• Superwoman – Alicia Keys
• Stronger – Brittany Spears


3 comments:

  1. Haha! I used to hear "Single Ladies" a lot when I called patients, which makes me think you're onto something. Then again, I heard "Lollipop" by Lil Wayne far more frequently. I chalk it up to chance.

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  2. Oh man, yes, it's a great way to get terrible songs stuck in your head all day every day!

    Though I did have one patient, who needed a lot of support seeking funds for her care, whom I loved to call back because her ringtone was one of my very favorite guilty-pleasure songs ("Live Ya Life" by TI and Rihanna, haha).

    AAG, your theory is really smart! I'd never thought about it before, but I bet it's right on the money, at least for some of them -- similar to how some people write those not-naming-any-names-but status messages on facebook or instant messenger.

    However, there are a couple ringtones that struck me as reallly odd, like maybe the patient just forgot it was there for a long time. Like the one that went "oh baby, baby, let's make a baby" and stuff. She really wasn't that excited about the idea of babymaking at the time that I met her!

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