History Main / HarassingPhoneCall

* One Halloween Special episode of ''TheSimpsons'' hilariously subverted this trope when the family accidental ran over and killed Ned Flanders. Homer later receives a creepy stalkerish phone call from a raspy-voiced psycho, but when he replies to the caller it turns out that the caller is his friend Moe the bartender, who accidentally dialled a wrong number while trying to stalk Ned's wife Maude.
* ''AmericanDad'': Francine tries to prove to Roger that Stan cares about him by using a voice modulator and pretending to hold Roger for ransom. When she returns home, Stan is nonchalant and gives surprisingly elaborate explanations for Roger's absence. Ultimately he tells Francine that [[ButNowIMustGo Roger's people came back for him]], and if they stood on the roof waving kitchen utensils they'd receive a special telepathic message. While they're waiting, [[spoiler: Stan points out that they have [[DiscreditedTrope caller I.D.]] and Francine was using her own phone]].

[[{{Scream}} http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cindy1.png]]
[[caption-width:277:"I'd like to order a large pepperoni."]]

* ''ANightmareOnElmStreet'', before it got all schlocky. Nancy tries to call Johnny Depp to warn him not to go to sleep. Then the phone rings. She picks it up. It's [[spoiler: the sound of Fred's claws being sharpened.]] She (understandably) freaks out, tears the phone out of the plug, and throws it across the room. Then, despite being unplugged, it starts ringing ''again''. ''This'' time, it's [[spoiler: Freddy again, telling her that "I'm your boyfriend now, Nancy,'' and then he sticks his tongue down her throat, through the phone.]]

* The killer in ''{{Scream}}'' does this several times, most notably in the opening "Casey's Nightmare" sequence.

* ''LawAndOrder'' and other CrimeDrama often use the fact that the RedHerring is getting them (after it's become clear that they're innocent) to show that their life has been ruined (I recall a specific example in SVU where a care worker is DrivenToSuicide by them after the detectives discover she's failed to make checks, leading to the death of a child and the torture of another).

* ''SilentHillPromise'': Vanessa is continually harassed by a "Weird phone lady" (later revealed to be named Marissa) who wants her to leave town. Admittedly, given [[GeniusLoci the]] [[SurvivalHorror very]] [[PsychologicalHorror nature]] [[EverythingTryingToKillYou of]] [[TownWithADarkSecret Silent Hill]], Marissa ''could'' be trying to save Vanessa's life, depending on how the story unfolds.

* ''SilentHillPromise'': Vanessa is continually harassed by a "Weird phone lady" who wants her to leave town.

* One Halloween Special episode of ''TheSimpsons'' hilariously subverted this trope when the family accidental ran over and killed Ned Flanders. Homer later receives a creepy stalkerish phone call from a raspy-voiced psycho, but when he replies to the caller it turns out that the caller is his friend Moe the bartender, who accidentally dialled a wrong number while trying to stalk Ned's wife Maude.

Sometimes the voice initially sounds so charming and trustworthy that you can't help but strike up a conversation with the person. When this happens, the caller then switches their kind tone for a more menacing tone and [[NightmareFuelUnleaded you suddenly find yourself wishing that you had not answered the phone at all.]] Particularly when you find out that TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse.

Sometimes, however, their voice sounds so charming and trustworthy that you can't help but strike up a conversation with the person. The caller then switches their kind tone for a more menacing tone and [[NightmareFuelUnleaded you suddenly find yourself wishing that you had not answered the phone at all.]] Particularly when you find out that TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse.

Sometimes however their voice sounds so charming and trustworthy that you can't help but strike up a conversation with the person. The caller then switches their kind tone for a more menacing tone and [[NightmareFuelUnleaded you suddenly find yourself wishing that you had not answered the phone at all.]] Particularly when you find out that TheCallsAreComingFromInsideTheHouse.

There's nothing more unnerving than receiving a unknown phone call in the middle of the night. Except, of course, receiving an phone call that consists of silence for a moment before you start to detect sounds of [[VaderBreath heavy breathing]] or [[EvilLaugh uncontrollable laughter]] on the other end before the caller hangs up; the caller may even be an obsessive [[StalkerWithACrush stalker]] that will keep calling you, even after you tell them to stop it.

There's nothing more unnerving than receiving a unknown phone call in the middle of the night. Except of course, receiving an phone call that consists of silence for a moment before you start to detect sounds of heavy breathing or uncontrollable laughter on the other end before the caller hangs up; the caller may even be an obsessive stalker that will keep calling you, even if you tell them to stop it.

Sometimes however their voice sounds so charming and trustworthy that you can't help but strike up a conversation with the person. The caller then switches their kind tone for a more menacing tone and [[NightmareFuelUnleaded you suddenly find yourself wishing that you had not answered the phone at all.]]

[[AC:{{Musical}}]]
* "It's Me Again Margret" by Ray Stevens.

[[AC:{{Musical}}]]
* "It's Me Again Margret" by Ray Stevens.

* In ''DirkGently's Holistic Detective Agency'', Susan Way gets a number of phone calls with nothing but the sound of faint wind whistling. She's more perplexed and annoyed than frightened, describing it as a minimalist heavy breather. [[spoiler:It's actually the ghost of her recently-deceased brother Gordon, trying to complete [[DisconnectedByDeath the phone call he was making when he died]].]]

* ''TheAnnoyingOrange'': In a parody of "The Ring" a guy gets a call from Orange after watching a cursed video tape who laughs repeatedly and warns him that in seven days he and his friends will become onion rings.

* ''Senior Power'', an old movie meant to teach old people to defend themselves from crime ([[http://www.i-mockery.com/minimocks/senior-power/ and mockingly reviewed here]]), includes the "obscene phone call" scene. Apparently, when someone harasses you over the phone, the right thing to do is to... whistle really loud into the phone. So that the harassing caller will freak out and fall over. SoYeah.

* Less TruthInTelevision than is used to be, thanks to telemarketers. More people use answering machines and caller ID to filter phone calls, rather than picking up every call. It used to be that any incoming phone call was viewed as important; now they're viewed with suspicion.