Leaving a non-weird answer phone message is up there with performing brain surgery and trying to play Monopoly without getting into an argument in terms of difficulty. We managed it once in 2004.
Reassuringly, fictional characters are just as awkward as we are when it comes to coping with voicemail etiquette. So, here to make you feel better is the most embarrassing set of cinematic answer phone messages ever endured on screen.
(Image: YouTube)
Blades of Glory (2007)
Leaving an apologetic voicemail is tough. All that groveling and begging for forgiveness with just a limited amount of time to actually get your point across usually leads to extended humiliation. In this scene, Will Ferrell's character attempts to make it up to Jon Heder's character through the medium of telephony. With disastrous results.
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I Love You, Man (2009)
Throughout the early stages of this bromance comedy, Paul Rudd's friendless Peter is desperately trying to impress Jason Segal's cooler and more comfortably masculine Sydney. In this painful scene, we see him trying to arrange a man-date. Via an answer phone. With horrifying results.
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Swingers (1996)
Technology is an evil yet necessary element of dating. But before we were given a whole range of mediums to humiliate ourselves on, the simple telephone was all there was. Those simple yet complicated days. After meeting a girl on the town, Jon Favreau's character Mike decides to leave a short but sweet voicemail. Well, that was his intention anyway...
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The Campaign (2012)
And this is why you should always be careful what you give away over the phone. During this scene from last year's underrated Ferrell/Galifianikis comedy, we see what happens when you leave a smutty voicemail. Spoiler: not a lot of good.
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The Cable Guy (1996)
In a contemporary update of this dark stalker comedy, Jim Carrey's deranged cable guy would probably inundate the bewildered object of his affection with text messages and Snapchats. But back in the 90s, he was forced to use the answer phone to unleash his madness. Again and again and again...
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He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
Not that we've actually seen this, of course, but it might have been on in the background once or twice or something. Anyway shut up, you are. In this scene, we see how a romantic voicemail can rapidly turn into something far more embarrassing very quickly. Oh and, make note, best not to listen to your answer phone messages with an audience.
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