I heard the most pretentious thing on NPR

[lionheartednyhc]

So I was listening to NPR on my drive home from work and this guy just uttered the most pretentious thing I have ever heard, in regards to the iphone.

"....I am on vacation in San Francisco so I am calling from my iPhone..."

Maybe I am just grumpy tonight, but that annoyed the heck out of me. Normal people would say "I am talking on my cellphone".

 

[sting7k]

He's prob just some NPR talking head trying to be funny. Or maybe he hates San Fran.

 

[obee1]

So, the most pretentious thing you've ever heard is a person specifying which cellphone they are using?

Umm...how dare he?

 

[chobbs1]

I have heard many things that are much more pretentious than that

 

[Crogs]

Obee, no one really does that. "I'm calling from my BB Storm!" or "I'm calling from my HTC touch!" or "I'm calling from my Moto Razer!"

It's a bit pretentious to make it a point to say you're calling into a radio show from your iPhone.

 

[canadu]

You can also say the same thing about Mac or PC users. It's about branding. Most pc users will say, "I'll send it from my computer or laptop" whereas mac users will say "I'll send it from my mac or powerbook". The iPhone is an icon and thus people will refer to it as is rather than the category which defines it. Great observation though!

 

[whmurray]

So I was listening to NPR on my drive home from work and this guy just uttered the most pretentious thing I have ever heard, in regards to the iphone.

"....I am on vacation in San Francisco so I am calling from my iPhone..."

Maybe I am just grumpy tonight, but that annoyed the heck out of me. Normal people would say "I am talking on my cellphone".

Perhaps. My friends will tell you that I am nothing if not pretentious. I use Kleenex when tissues would do. I use Band-Aids when bandages would do. I drink Coke rather than soda. I use a "Mac" rather than a computer. I go to Starbucks rather than the cafe. I pay with my Visa card when a credit card, or heaven forbid, cash, would do.

What is more, a lot of work goes into getting me to so pretend. It is called "branding." And, yes, I talk on my iPhone rather than on a generic cell-phone.

 

[whmurray]

Obee, no one really does that. "I'm calling from my BB Storm!" or "I'm calling from my HTC touch!" or "I'm calling from my Moto Razer!"

It's a bit pretentious to make it a point to say you're calling into a radio show from your iPhone.

I have talked to lots of people on their "blackberries."

 

[jamesus]

He might have been preempting the call that just might be dropped. AT&T service in San Fran is down right terrible.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

Obee, no one really does that. "I'm calling from my BB Storm!" or "I'm calling from my HTC touch!" or "I'm calling from my Moto Razer!"

It's a bit pretentious to make it a point to say you're calling into a radio show from your iPhone.

That was my point. Maybe I exaggerated though.

 

[lionheartednyhc]

He might have been preempting the call that just might be dropped. AT&T service in San Fran is down right terrible.

Haha, touche. Although I have been fortunate enough to never really have an issue in my area.

 

[BLiNK]

i feel the same way about emails that i receive with the classic signature;

sent from my iPhone or Sent from my BlackBerry

its irritating and i always delete from my phone or account right away.

 

[milani]

i feel the same way about emails that i receive with the classic signature;

sent from my iPhone or Sent from my BlackBerry

its irritating and i always delete from my phone or account right away.

Which, ironically, is probably part of the reason that referring to your mobile phone as an iPhone has become the norm.

 

[Pearlish]

i feel the same way about emails that i receive with the classic signature;

sent from my iPhone or Sent from my BlackBerry

its irritating and i always delete from my phone or account right away.

Ok I have to admit that I am so happy with my iPhone that I actually edited that signature line to read "sent from my awesome iPhone." I will now quietly slink away in embarrassment.

Edited to add: I don't think I would have said "Hi I'm calling from my iPhone though. A phone is a phone is a phone? I probably would have said cell phone.

 

[irjoeyy]

UGH! I completely agree! I can NOT stand when people refer to their stuff by brand name (barring things completely embedded in the lexicon like Levi's instead of jeans)! It's so boastful!

Ex. Referring to a North Face jacket as "my North Face" rather than "my coat." Same with iPhones... "I can't find my iPhone" as opposed to "I can't find my phone."

Is it really necessary to state what kinda stuff you have? Seriously... Save that for nouveau rappers and the like.

 

[Crogs]

i feel the same way about emails that i receive with the classic signature;

sent from my iPhone or Sent from my BlackBerry

its irritating and i always delete from my phone or account right away.

Yep, I just made it match what my GMail sig line is. I don't need people to know that I'm emailing from my mobile device. I think its there so people think "WOW HES WORKING ON THE GO!" (i.e. in a business environment).

 

[obee1]

Obee, no one really does that. "I'm calling from my BB Storm!" or "I'm calling from my HTC touch!" or "I'm calling from my Moto Razer!"

It's a bit pretentious to make it a point to say you're calling into a radio show from your iPhone.

I understand what he was saying. I just think on a "pretentiousness scale" of 1-10, that it's a 2. It's not that it isn't a bit pretentious, but it's just not that big a deal. I have a facebook friend that has "posted from my Blackberry" everytime he posts something from his phone. He's proud of his ownership of that particular brand of phone. Doesn't bother me. I never once got into an iPhone vs. Blackberry battle with him over it.

Besides, preamble on radio talk shows is always rather awkward and inane. "Hi, Phil. I'm listening to you on the radio and decided to call from my phone." Well, no sh*t.

 

[tpj88]

When somebody asks if they can use my phone they don't ask if they can use my cell, they ask if they can use my iPhone. I suppose it depends on the manner in which he said it.

 

[bergman]

I've seen one or two people edit their e-mail signature to disclaim responsibility for typos and spelling errors because they are sending from their iPhone or Crackberry. As if the fact that they are mobile is a get out of jail free card for sloppy communications. what's next? Resumes sent from iPhones complete with spelling errors and applicants asking us to believe that they really are careful and detailed?

 

[Ipheuria]

The funniest thing was when I was emailing with a contact to buy an item. My iPhone sig at that time was "Iphone often immitated, never duplicated, yes that means you Blackberry." Just a bit of fun LOL, I laughed when I noticed at the end of the guy's email Sent from Blackberry but he loved my sig said it made him laugh.