![]() ![]() The convention has become so well known that it all but screams to viewers: "Fake phone number!" The 555 phenomenon dates back to at least the early 1960s, when TV and movie producers were encouraged to use these numbers because they weren't being distributed to customers. Last year Justin Bieber tweeted an annoying teen fan's phone number, and the poor kid's cellphone reportedly received more than 26,000 text messages before he could shut down his account. The studio subsequently replaced it in TV and home video versions with, yes, a 555 number.Īt least all this happened before Twitter and other social media networks accelerated the spread of such mischief. The BBC reported that even a man in the Manchester, England, area was receiving up to 70 calls a day from folks seeking help and forgiveness.Īt the time, Universal explained that the number it chose was not in use in the Buffalo area, where the movie was set. The phone number also connected divine-seeking callers to a church in Sanford, N.C., where the minister, who happened to be named Bruce, was not amused. ![]() The Associated Press reported that a Florida woman threatened to sue Universal Pictures because she was receiving 20 calls an hour on her cellphone. That's kind of funny, unless you happened to own that number in your area code. In the 2003 Jim Carrey comedy "Bruce Almighty," God's phone number (776-2323, no area code) appears on the Carrey character's pager, so of course moviegoers called it and asked to speak to God. Most phone service providers still don't give out the title number of Tommy Tutone's 1982 hit "867-5309/Jenny" because of the subsequent outbreak of crank calls asking for "Jenny." (The number is not in use in Chicago-vicinity area codes yes, I checked.) ![]()
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