You know what? I’ve been messing around with this “ringy dingy” thing all day, and it’s been a trip down memory lane. It all started this morning when I stumbled upon an old video clip of Lily Tomlin doing her Ernestine bit on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. I used to watch that show as a kid, and hearing that “one ringy dingy… two ringy dingy” just brought it all back.
So, I got this crazy idea to see if I could recreate that whole telephone operator vibe. First, I tried to dig up an old rotary phone, but no luck. I looked in the attic, the basement, and finally found one but it’s broken. Guess those things are pretty much museum pieces now, right? Then, I remembered an old telephone switchboard panel in an antique shop. I saw it a few years ago and thought about it but now it’s gone, unfortunately.
Undeterred, I started thinking about how those old switchboards worked. From what I’ve read online, the operator had to physically connect the calls by plugging cables into the right jacks. I watched a few videos of people using them, and it looked like a real workout, all that plugging and unplugging. I even found a website with diagrams of how the wiring worked, but man, it was confusing! It’s nothing like those old telephones, it’s a big panel with lots of holes.
Next, I tried to simulate the experience with what I had on hand. I grabbed some old audio cables and started plugging them in and out of my computer’s audio jacks, pretending I was connecting calls. It was kind of silly, but it gave me a little taste of what it must have been like. It also made me appreciate how much easier we have it now with our smartphones. Just tap a name, and boom, you’re connected.
My little experiment didn’t stop there. I decided to record myself doing the whole Ernestine routine, complete with the “one ringy dingy” and the snorting laughter. Let me tell you, it’s harder than it looks! Trying to get that condescending tone just right while also sounding like you’re struggling with the technology is a real challenge. I must have done like twenty takes before I got something I was halfway happy with.
My Recording Attempts
- Take 1-5: Kept messing up the lines, sounded way too enthusiastic.
- Take 6-10: Got the lines right, but my voice was too monotone.
- Take 11-15: Started getting the tone right, but kept forgetting to snort.
- Take 16-20: Finally nailed it, but the audio quality was bad.
In the end, I did get a decent recording, but I also realized that I have a lot of respect for Lily Tomlin. She made it look so easy, but it’s actually quite a skill to pull off that character. It’s not just about the voice, it’s about the whole attitude, the facial expressions, the way she interacts with the imaginary callers. She’s a true comedic genius, no doubt about it.
This whole “ringy dingy” adventure was a fun way to spend the day. It made me think about how much technology has changed, how much communication has evolved, and how some things, like a good laugh, are timeless. And who knows, maybe I’ll try to track down a real rotary phone and give it another go. Just for kicks, you know?
