DramaTel Phone Card Commercial: Ghetto in Every Sense of the Word
November 17th, 2008 Paul Lucas
Ridiculous Infomercial Review fan Sharon Haughey sent me an email about a commercial for a product called DramaTel. Billing itself as “The Almost Illegal Phone Card,” DramaTel allows a caller to appear to be calling from another phone number so as to fool the recipient.
When I first saw the video of the DramaTel commercial, I was convinced it had to be some kind of a YouTube parody, but the website at www.DramaTel.com shows that this is indeed a real advertisement for a real product. Take a look for yourself:
What a perfect idea for the Jerry Springer and Maury Povich audience! The folks at DramaTel would make a bundle if they would advertise their phone card on those talk shows and then offer a paternity testing kit as a free bonus.
Not since the old Myotron infomercial have I seen a TV advertisement featuring such a cheap and hokey dramatization. This commercial really deserves to be called ghetto—in every sense of that word.
One part that doesn’t seem quite realistic comes at the beginning when the woman calls the playa and his phone identifies her as “Baby’s Momma.” How is that ID supposed to help him? It doesn’t tell him which Baby’s Momma is calling him. His caller ID should have said something like “Baby’s Momma #8” so he could know which one is calling.
That “voice changer” feature lets you disguise your voice as a male or female. The DramaTel commercial gives a brief example of the male voice. But unless the person you are trying to imitate sounds like Satan on a heavy metal record spinning backwards I’m not sure how useful this feature really will be.
There are a few shots shown here—such a the playa poolside and the white guy named “John Smith” befuddled by phone records—that offer hope that more ads or even a full-length infomercial will be coming forth from DramaTel. The commercial tells us that DramaTel can also help you “be a cheater.” I would love to see an ad where some man uses DramaTel to keep his playa hand strong.
I love the reaction when the cheater finds out he really isn’t talking to T-Money but to his Baby’s Momma:
The line “You been DramaTeled, playa!” is classic and deserves to be as famous as “I’ve fallen and I can’t get up.” I fully expect “dramatel” to be featured as a verb in the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
Wow…. Hardly am I ever but this time I am…. speechless….
Comment by TimNRA757 — November 17th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
It could only be better if at the end the player is shaking his fist while exclaiming “Damn you Dramatel!”
Comment by Al Frank — November 18th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
So awesome I am actually at a loss for words.
Comment by Monica Hamburg — November 26th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
So let me get this straight…DramaTel can help you to catch a cheater AND be a cheater? What happens when two DramaTel users enter into a relationship or friends with benefits situation? Do their memberships cancel each other out? Is antimatter created? Aaaaaaaah my mind is spiraling out of control.
Comment by Sarah — November 30th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
So on my work phone where I have to pay for the personal calls I get they could showup as coming from the company phone number.
When I want to call somone who dosent except blocked numbers I could make it showup any number.
etc.. yeah that is dumb
Comment by Joe Blow — December 7th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I am stunned into submission. Truly, truly, truly, Hall of Fame material here. BRAVO, I SAY!
Comment by Scott Mercer — December 10th, 2008 at 5:03 am
Pure genious……..I want…
Comment by Sparkle — December 19th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Oh no you dih-uhnt!
Comment by robert — January 1st, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Hello, I’m Joey Greko from “Cheaters”, who was talking to you, pretending to be your girl.
This part of the program was brought to you by: DramaTel
Comment by Znkp — January 12th, 2009 at 3:56 am
Opps! I misspell my own name; it should have been Greco.
Comment by Znkp — January 12th, 2009 at 3:59 am
“But unless the person you are trying to imitate sounds like Satan on a heavy metal record spinning backwards I’m not sure how useful this feature really will be.”
Man I’ll say it again theres nothing like firing up the bong and reading these reviews….you guys are bad ass….keep em coming………yes little green alien monkey,Im done writing the reply…Im coming…
Comment by Weedopolis — February 21st, 2009 at 7:46 pm
I can’t believe how awesome that just was. Your commentary is way too funny.
Comment by Canaduck — March 26th, 2009 at 12:07 am
Yo Infomercial-Hell, it’s Katie! I’m just leavin’ a comment to say…this ain’t Katie! You’ve been DramaTel’d!
Comment by katie — January 3rd, 2010 at 12:15 pm