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"Mojave mirage" teacher's guide

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Content “M OJAVE M IRAGE” TEACHER’S GUIDE
by
Kaarina Cleverley
A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment o f the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF ARTS
(ANTHROPOLOGY)
December 2001
Copyright 2001 Kaarina Cleverley
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U N IV E R SITY O F S O U T H E R N C A L IF O R N IA
T H E G R A D U A T E S C H O O L
U N IV E R S IT Y P A R K
L O S A N G E L E S . C A L IF O R N IA 9 0 0 0 7
This thesis, written by
under the direction o f hMaCLJThesis Committee,
and approved by all its members, has been pre
sented to and accepted by the Dean of The
Graduate School, in partial fulfillm ent of the
requirements fo r the degree of
Dtam
T in t * December 17, 2001
THESIS C O M M IT T E R -
OlsirSiii
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CONTENTS
Page Number
Preface iv
Chapter One: Instructor's Guidelines I
Chapter Two: Timeline - Mojave Phone Booth 3
Chapter Three: Technical Film Facts 5
Chapter Four: Discussion - Film Review & Analysis 6
Location 6
History 6
Publicity 8
Callers and Visitors 9
Calls 11
Connection 13
Community 14
Accessibility 16
Desert Location 17
Appeal 19
Removal 21
Tombstone 24
Film Elements 25
Purpose o f Film 27
Chapter Five: Sample Discussion Questions - The M ojave Phone Booth
Phenomenon as a M etaphor o f th e Inform ation A ge 29
ii
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Chapter Six: Mojave Phone Booth Websites 37
Chapter Seven: Mojave Phone Booth Articles 40
Chapter Eight: Mojave Phone Booth Broadcasts 43
Chapter Nine: Related Readings 46
Bibliography 50
Appendix 53
Sample Call Logs 54
H i
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PREFACE
This study guide serves as an educational supplement to the film “Mojave
Mirage”. The film documents the unusual pop phenomenon based on a lone phone
booth in the Mojave Desert, a phenomenon which began in May 1997 and lasted until
May 2000. Publicity of the booth originated on the Internet, and was further spread by
the media. The rapid response of curious intrigue was overwhelming. The booth
constantly rang with calls from all over the world which were answered by those who
traveled there to do so; also numerous websites on the booth were created. Although a
community emerged at the site and on the phone, an even wider on-line community
grew on the Internet.
I first heard about this phenomenon on a morning news program in the fall of
1999, the peak period o f the booth’s popularity. The news story seemed so bizarre, and
I had to verify that it was real! Also, I had been thinking about addressing some aspect
o f the Information Age for my thesis project in Visual Anthropology at the University
o f Southern California. Hearing about the phenomenon sparked my interest. I searched
for it on-line, and I quickly found more information on it, including the phone number
and directions. I went there, and from there the project developed.
Besides being an interesting anthropological study in and o f itself the Mojave
Phone Booth Phenomenon also serves as a fascinating and provocative metaphor o f
the Information Age. It represents central aspects o f our society such as; the media,
virtual communication, entertainment, community, and cultura change. Also these
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elements relate to the reality and impact o f transnationalism, illustrating that the
concept o f the bounded society is outdated.
While the film is a filmic representation of the phenomenon, this study guide
serves to direct a phenomenological analysis o f it. This guide is designed to not only
assist the instructor in discussing the film, but also enrich the students’ understanding of
it, as well as encourage them to explore and question it as a commentary on our society.
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Chapter One: Instructor’s Guidelines
Pre-Viewing Suggestions
Have students watch the film. (Suggestion: don’t let students know that the
booth was removed, most audiences find that knowing that beforehand spoils it). Ask
them to bear in mind the following things:
FILM STRUCTURE: How does the film present the information?
LOCATION:
HISTORY:
PUBLICITY:
VISITORS:
Where does the film take place?
What is the history o f the booth and it popularity?
How have people heard about the booth?
Who do we see at the booth?
PASSAGE:
CALLS:
How do people get there?
Where do the calls come from ?
What do people talk about?
MOTTVE(S):
REACTION:
Why do people say they call the booth or visit it?
From watching the film , why do you think people
would call or visit?
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Post-Viewing Suggestions
The purpose o f the Film Review & Discussion section is twofold: one, to provide
guidelines for reviewing and discussing the film; and two, to offer more information on
the phenomenon and the film. The questions and responses are organized by topic.
Preview the section, and choose questions and responses that would be most appropriate
for your students, depending on their academic level.
The purpose o f the Sample Discussion Questions: Film as a Metaphor o f
Society section is also twofold: it raises questions on how the film is representative of
our society, and it encourages further analysis o f our society. No responses are provided
for these questions as they are intended to be open ended. These questions could be used
in class discussions, group discussions, or written assignments. Note: they are merely
guidelines for discussion. Again, select the questions that would be most appropriate and
interesting for your students.
The Appendix provides further materials on the phenomenon, which might be
interesting for your students to review. You could copy these materials for your students
for their review.
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Chapter Two: Timeline - Mojave Phone Booth
The phone was originally called the “Cinder Peak Phone”, as it was located near the
Cinder Peak Mine, yet in its popularity it came to be known as the " ‘Mojave Phone
Booth”.
Non-dialing crank-type phone installed for local
miners and ranchers.
New dial-model booth installed for miners. Later,
(date unknown) the dial-model was replaced by a
push button phone.
The phone was relocated down the dirt road.
Pacific Bell’s right-of-way for the booth and the
associated transmission tine expired. It was never
renewed, and became an issue for its removal 8
years later.
O ct 31.1994 The California Desert Protection Act was passed,
creating the 1.6 million acre Mojave National
Preserve, in the heart o f the Mojave Desert. The
phone was now within the Mojave National
Preserve.
3
1948
~ 1960s
1972
1992
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May 26.1997 Godfrey Daniels reads about the booth in letter to
Wig Out an independent music publication.
Godfrey repeatedly tries to call the booth.
June 20. 1997
August 1997
Sent. 24. 1999
November 1999
Mav 17. 2000
December 2000
Spring 2001
Lorene Caffee, mine owner, is there when
Godfrey calls, and finally his call is answered.
Godfrey’s first trip to the booth. It, and others’
trips are recorded on a score of websites,
spreading the word on the booth.
LA Times story on the booth led to worldwide
media coverage.
The handset is removed, and later replaced.
The phone is removed by Pacific Bell.
(Claiming that the phone’s popularity was
having a “negative impact” on the natural
environment, The National Park Service (NPS)
had told Pacific Bell to either renew its long
expired right-of-way or remove the phone.)
A tombstone is placed at the booth.
The tombstone is removed by the NPS.
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Chapter Three: Technical Film Facts
Dates of Filming: November 1999 - April 2000, June 2000, and January 2001.
Format: The film was shot in mini-dv, on a Sony VX 1000.
Amount of Footage: We shot over 13 hours of footage.
Editing: We edited the film on Final Cut Pro. We finished in June 2001.
Length: 28 minutes 40 seconds
CREDITS: Crew
Director/Producers: Kaarina Cleverley Roberto
Cinematographer: Derek Roberto
Additional
Cinematography: Laurel Almerinda
Editors:
Musical Score:
Sound Design:
Sound Mix:
Kaarina and Derek Roberto
Tony Morales
Michael D’Addario
Kaarina Roberto
Michael D’Addario
Sound Consultant: Addison Teague
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Chapter Four: Discussion - Film Review & Analysis
The purpose of this section is to guide the review and discussion of the film, as well as
offer more background information on the phenomenon and the film.
LOCATION
W here was the booth located?
The isolated booth was located in the middle of the east Mojave National
Preserve, in the Mojave Desert. It was about 15 miles off of I-I5’s Cima Road Exit, the
nearest paved road, accessible only by 4-wheel drive. It was about 75 miles southwest of
Las Vegas.
HISTORY
Why was th e booth placed there originally?
It was placed there sometime in the 1960s for local cinder miners and ranchers.
How did th e phenom enon originate?
The phenomenon originated as a result o f Godfrey Daniels' account o f the
booth on his website deuceofclubs.com (originally cardhouse.com). He encouraged
people to call, and even proposed a couple gatherings there. From there the booth was
mentioned on other websites, and the media began to cover it. Word o f mouth also
contributed to its popularity.
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H ow did Godfrey discover th e phone?
(This information wasn ’ t mentioned in the film : In 1997, a desert wanderer
noticed a phone icon on a Mojave Desert map and decided to drive out to it from Los
Angeles. He found the phone, discovered it worked, and then wrote about it in a letter
to an independent music publication called Wig Out including a map and the phone
number).
In May 1997, Godfrey Daniels, in Tempe, Arizona, was reading Wig Out, and
was fascinated to learn that this solitary phone existed and functioned. According to his
website, he started calling the booth repeatedly for about a month, until one day, on June
20, 1997, he heard a busy signal!! He kept trying until someone finally answered.
Who was Lorene Coffee?
Lorene answered the phone originally when Godfrey called. She describes a little
o f the booth’s history in the film. Her family owned a nearby cinder mine, and her
father originally installed the booth. She lived a few miles away from the booth. One
day after hauling water she stopped by the booth to make a few calls. After doing so she
was astonished to hear the phone ring. Lorene and Godfrey spoke for some time. (A
copy of the conversation, which Godfrey transcribed on his website, is included in the
Appendix).
W hat happened next?
Godfrey traveled to the booth, and afterwards devoted a section o f his website to
the booth. As a result o f his website, word o f die booth began to spread.
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Is Godfrey in th e film ?
No. Although he responded privately to the director’s questions, he had
retreated from the scene’s forefront after the booth exploded in the media. Yet he still
maintained his website and was generally considered the mysterious Father o f the Booth.
How was th e booth’ s appearance a testam ent o f its history?
It was an old fashioned booth, closed in by four wails. However, vandals had shot
out the glass years earlier. Also, there were bullet holes in the metal. Visitors had
caringiy covered some o f them with Band-Aids. In addition, the booth had graffiti,
stickers, and often other tokens that marked certain visitors’ visits.
PUBLICITY
How did people in th e film hear about th e booth and its phone num ber?
In tern et Originally the phenomenon was driven by the Internet. The most
popular source of information was Godfrey’s website. Many visitors documented their
experiences on websites devoted to the booth, or by incorporating the booth into pre-
established websites.
M edia. Although some papers covered stories on the booth, after the LA
Times covered a story on itin Septmeber 1999, the Wireless Flash News Service picked
up its story, which was followed by worldwide media coverage of the booth. For eg.
CNN, BBC, NBC, and NPR covered stroies on the booth. (A sample of media coverage
is listed under “Additional Sources of Information” in this guide).
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Word o f M outh. The phenomenon was also spread by word of month, as a sort
o f urban legend. Also, popularity breeds popularity. As a result, many wanted to call or
visit, and many people who had traveled there would encourage their friends and family
to also go there, often returning with them.
Had you ever heard o f the booth? Ifso . how?
CALLERS & VISITORS
How popular was th e booth?
Very. It ultimately achieved a cult-like following.
W here d id people ca ll a n d visit from ?
Visitors. Most of the visitors were from the United States, although many
international callers said they wanted visit the booth.
Callers. People called from all over the world, allegedly from every continent
but Antarctica. A majority o f international calls were from Europe. (See Call Log in
Appendix.)
D id yo u notice th a t som e people w ould log th eir calls? Why do you th in k they did so?
Many people would keep a log o f the phone calls that they answered. Also,
many who documented their visit to the booth on websites posted their logs. Logging
probably gave people a sense of how widespread, diverse, and frequent the calls were -
things which made the booth a novelty.
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People would refer to the logs when asked how many calls had been received and
from where. Also, keeping records not only can make things more real, but also serves
the memory and creates an artifact for posterity. In addition, documenting is arguably
symptomatic o f a bureaucratic society.
Who w ould ca ll or visit th e booth?
Anyone that heard about it and wanted to call or visit.
Visitors. Many visitors were first time visitors, coming explicitly to visit the
booth or because they were passing by. Other visitors included those who had been there
before, and had returned, sometimes also bringing others. Some likened the visitors to
tourists, and the booth to a sightseeing spot, or visitors to pilgrims, and the trips to a
pilgrimage.
Callers. The callers included a range of people: those calling for the first time,
those who had called many times before, and those that knew people that would be
there.
W ere th e callers and visitors representative o f society?
Although it seemed like many knew about the booth, since it received so many
calls and visitors, in reality the callers and visitors represented a small percentage of
society. One visitor said, originally the booth attracted “less conventional people",
since its publicity was more obscure, based more in “fringe” contexts. However, after
the media started publicizing the booth more “mainstream” people heard about it and
wanted to “check it out”.
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D id you th in k th a t callers and visitors were strange?
Often skeptical outsiders o f the phenomenon thought that mostly bizarre
people were drawn to the booth. Also, some callers and visitors said that when they told
some of their friends and family about the booth they were critically told to “get a
life!”.
Did th e visitors have any particular characteristics?
Overall the booth generally attracted happy, inquisitive, open, spontaneous, and
adventurous people of all ages. Also, it seemed to draw many with intellectual curiosity
and follow-through. For the most part people were tech savvy and wellinformed. as
many heard of the booth via the Internet or media. Also, another characteristic o f a
majority of visitors was that they were Caucasian.
Which visitors, and which calls, stood o u t to you?
In w hat ways was th e booth tike a secular, transient “ pilgrim m age center”?
CALLS
G enerally w hat d id people ta lk about?
The general script between people on the phone covered similar themes: who
people were; how many calls had come through; where people had called from; how
they heard about the booth; what the booth looked like; what the desert is like;
encouragement to visit the booth; history o f the booth; ideas about the meaning of the
phenomenon.
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D id people only answer incom ing calls, or w ould people m ake outgoing cads?
Although the booth was originally installed so that locals could make outgoing
calls, during the phenomenon the booth predominantly took incoming calls. However,
people did make some outgoing calls to friends and family.
H ow was th e booth like a chat room , a virtual space?
Do you th in k talking on th e phone with strangers affected th e way people
com m unicated?
The booth was like a chat room because people generally did not have
background knowledge of one another and were not communicating face to face. There
was a removal from physicality. However, the booth was more intimate than a chat
room because one could hear the sound and nuances of another’s voice.
Virtual space is Uminal, a threshold to a realm where one has the control and
freedom to put on or remove masks. Also, people could use their imagination regarding
whom they were talking to. In some ways people were curious about who someone was
and what they looked like, but in another sense they could mold them however they
chose. For example someone calling asked "What do you look like?” and then quickly
added “I think you are five foot eight, blond, green-eyed, and really hot!”.
There is a certain safety, as well as liberty, in being anonymous in virtual space.
Relations are temporary and somewhat superficial. Interestingly, although people
generally felt safe communicating at the booth, people usually only gave out their e-mail
address, and not their personal address or phone number, for further contact E-mails,
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limited to virtual space, are a step removed from physical contact. Also, die booth, like
a chat room, was like a transnational portal that served to connect people.
CONNECTION
W hat kinds o f connections were fo rm ed a t th e booth ?
Although most people interacted at some leveL, connections were also formed
among certain visitors and phone calls. The booth brought people together, and some
became even closer by the things they had in common. Some lasting connections
resulted in relationships among those who stayed in touch. Yet many did not stay in
touch. There were others, like the quadriplegic, who called to connect with someone,
yet their calls were so fleeting, and any connections were quickly lost after the phone
was hung up. Thus no real relationship was formed.
How valuable are such connections i f people don 'r stay in touch?
Was there value in strangers, often fro m different cultures, m eeting via th e booth?
Many people said that the booth was a meaningful forum for meeting people
they otherwise would not meet. It minimized boundaries. It also served to show the
universals people had in common, despite cultural differences. These cross-cultural
exchanges were significant to certain people. One person said the booth gave them a
"renewed faith in humanity". Also, another caller described the calls as "kindred spirits
connecting.”
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COMMUNITY
D id a com m unity fo rm a t th e booth ? W hat com prises a com m unity?
To w hat degree does th is “com m unity" have continuity and internal structure - i f a t all?
A community is comprised of people who share common characteristics or
interests. Also members don’t necessarily reside in a common locality, but they are
drawn together by similar needs. They share related experiences, objectives and values;
they are held together by some sort of unifying power structure, identity, heritage, or
common ethos.
Clearly the Mojave Phone Booth created an illusion of community. People
were drawn to the phone booth in similar ways, and they were brought together either
virtually or literally. Members were familiar with its story and were playing a live part
in it. Also, they shared related experiences within the community.
However, community requires membership, and membership which often requires
investment of dues and responsibilities. Membership in the phone community came
rather easily though, without requiring anything more than calling, visiting, or being
informed about it. Arguably, people that traveled to the booth created a stronger
community than those that called because they invested much more in the experience.
It was easy to be “in” the group. It didn’t take much to feel like an old-timer at
the booth. The routine, history, and characters associated with the booth were simple
and straightforward to learn; also, it was simple to pass on the information and
“traditions” .
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W hat did th e callers and visitors share in com m on?
Callers. They shared knowledge of the booth and interest in it with those who
answered. Also they shared the experience o f calling it with other callers.
Visitors. Like the callers, they found the booth compelling. With other visitors
they shared the desire to go there, the trek o f a long and tough trip, and the answering
and logging of calls. The phone was like a campfire; people would gather around it and
chat. Often they shared food and drinks, and sometimes they even shared camping
under the stars.
Also, many had the desire to make their mark there. They inscribed graffiti,
writing their names, e-mail addresses, or other messages. For example. Bob superglued
coins and a thermometer, left a phone book, and placed a sign up with his name. (Also,
this was not in the film: the phone number was written in white rocks, but the NPS later
removed them.) All visitors shared the space.
W as th e space an open space?
Generally it was an open space. The appeal of the booth was that it was
accessible to anyone either by Internet, telephone or car. It was basically non
discriminating.
Although we didn’t see this in the film, occasionally certain personalities would
surface or become territorial and unfriendly, which put people off and was counter to the
spirit of the booth. For example, one woman and her family, who had been to the booth
before, turned around once, soon after arriving, because she found the atmosphere to be
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surprisingly “cold” and “unfriendly”. She said she thought there would be “two fires”
that night, not one - as there usually was. She later returned and found “one fire” again.
This also was not represented in the film, because it was so subtle, but among
certain people there was a fear about the booth becoming a “mainstream”, rather than
underground, phenomenon. The original community was formed on the fringe of the
mainstream of society. These people felt more like authentic members. For example,
certain people would call and say they had heard about the booth “way before” everyone
else. However, there was also a sentiment that the booth should not be limited from the
mainstream.
ACCESSIBILITY
How accessible was th e booth fo r callers and visitors?
Although the booth’s accessibility was very appealing, it was not totally
accessible.
Callers. The booth seemed quite accessible by phone; also cheap phone rates,
good calling plans, and extra cell minutes increased the phone’s accessibility. However,
even though many callers said they called simply because they could, it was often
challenging to get through on the busy line, and at other times it was hard to find
someone to answer calls.
Visitors. Visitors were inspired to travel there simply because they could. Yet
the trip was somewhat challenging. One needed a 4-wheel drive for the sandy roads, and
visitors often got stuck and lost. Also, there were few signs, and maps were not very
clear.
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H ow was th e challenge o f calling or visiting like a rite ofpassage?
The challenges were like a rite o f passage because the rituals were similar;
they involved comparable initiations, after which people became members o f the
community. This was particularly so for those who traveled there, having departed their
community, willing to make a challenging passage to an unknown desolate environment.
The passage required skill and perseverance. As a result, when people arrived they were
generally welcomed and accepted, not only because it was an open space, but also because
they had succeeded in arriving; they had paid their dues and were inducted into a new
community, which was isolated. There was a sense of being separated from an outside
world.
However, how was th is isolated place also very central?
The desert crossroads was a point o f global convergence. In the middle of a
barren and desolate landscape people gathered, and the phone rang repeatedly, as if
automatically; one could be reached from anywhere and could connect to anywhere.
DESERT LOCATION
Do you th in k th e desert location was p a rt o f th e booth’ s appeal?
The desert intrigued most callers, as it, and “The West”, has a mystique, almost
like a fantasy world. European callers especially were fascinated by the desert, which
represented a free, wild or final frontier, an exotic place romanticized in film, and so
different from their own geographic environment. One caller said. “The word Mojave
alone conjures up all these images.” Callers had many questions about the desert.
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Many said they loved the idea of knowing that they could call a phone in the
desert. They said that simply calling was fulfilling, and it was intriguing that then call
was an impetus for an isolated phone to ring in the middle of the desert. Many callers,
and even visitors, said they were surprised to get such a clear line since it was in such a
remote place.
Also, many visitors told callers they were in “the middle o f nowhere.” The fact
that to them they were in the middle of nowhere was appealing, meaning that it was an
escape, a departure from their center. (The idea that it is in the “middle of nowhere” is
somewhat ethnocentric - nowhere in terms o f where? Nowhere as opposed to
somewhere - like the center o f the universe?)
W hat was th e irony o f the booth’ s desert location and appeal?
Ironically, the booth, as an object of civilization, was incongruous with its
landscape. People left civilization in order to make contact with it; the phone served as
a link between the desert and civilization. Although originally installed to connect
desert folk to the city, it later served to connect city folk, in the desert, to the world.
One observer noted that it used to be an outpost of civilization, but it became an outpost
o f isolation.
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APPEAL
Were people driven to call or visit th e booth fo r th e sam e reasons?
There was no overall reason people called or visited The Mojave Phone Booth.
When asked about the booth’s appeal, many did not have articulated phenomenological
explanations. In fact, some said such an analysis reduced the experience to something
sterile. People’s responses to the booth were usually more intuitive than philosophical,
although there were exceptions. This intuitive response was global; people were
fascinated, curious, compelled, bored, lonely, or hooked.
The most immediate response people gave for calling or visiting the booth was
because they could, or because it was fun, or because they wanted to see if “it is for real”.
Also, the booth represented a safe, oftentimes spontaneous, adventure in a society
lacking real adventures related to survival.
Critics said th a t th e booth attracted those with utoo m uch tim e on th eir hands. ”
Do you agree?
I f th is is a day and age when people’ s num ber one com plaint often is th a t they don V
seem to have enough tim e fo r anything - why did they have tim e fo r this??
Novelty, entertainment, adventure, connection and/or communication
Why was th e booth a novelty?
Most said they were driven by curious intrigue and entertainment; the booth
represented something “different”, “unique”, “unusual”, and “fun”. It was something
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people bad heard about in the media and were curious about. They wanted to know if it
was “for real?” - and they could find out for themselves if it was because it was
accessible, whereas many things in the media are not. Also, answering the phone placed
people at the center of the phenomenon, and they could play a role in the limelight.
Why was th e booth entertaining?
The overwhelming response given for calling or visiting the booth was “Why
Not?” - as if it were an impulsive activity. It was easy and instantly gratifying. Also, the
adventure was entertaining, whether vicarious or actual.
The experience was alive and dynamic, ever changing, yet consistent enough to
be familiar and comfortable. Although the routine of calling or picking up seemed
predictable, there was a strong degree of randomness, not knowing when the phone
would ring, where the call would be from, who would be on the other end, and what the
conversation would cover. Also, even if the experience seemed repetitive, there would
always be new people, different stories, alternative takes on the similar or redundant.
The experience was like the graffiti on the booth, which would fade and change, yet the
messages were often similar.
Why would connecting or com m unicating be appealing?
The experience was usually positive for both the caller and the answerer.
Although conversations would often address the same topics, and were often not too
intimate, each conversation was unique, like each person. The communication at the
booth was generally authentic. The calls represented low risk one-on-one personal
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connections. Most people felt safe meeting total strangers; they were willing to be open
and let then guard down. Overall, people enjoyed calling and visiting because it was
social, something they valuedD&f callers and visitors have social needs?
Callers and visitors had social needs. Also, by answering and calling they were
also meeting other’s needs. The experience was affirming as people were usually happy
to meet one another’s needs. A more extreme social need was that of housebound,
elderly or disabled callers, who often called the booth because they wanted someone to
talk to.
People are drawn to such virtual spaces for interaction and communication,
because ironically even though our tech-industrial society facilitates communication, it
has also created isolation and alienation. As one caller said, “People seem more isolated.
People are lonelier today than ever. People are connecting yet disconnecting. People
are safe in their own little enclaves as opposed to being face to face with another human
being. On the Internet and in chat rooms we can be anonymous.”
D id calling really m eet those callers’ needs?
W hy do you th in k people called or visited th e booth ?
W as there a difference between callers’ and visitors’ m otivations?
I f yo u still could go there w ould you?
I f you still could call it w ould you?
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REMOVAL
When was th e booth rem oved? Who rem oved it? Why?
Unfortunately, the phone booth was removed on May 17, 2000. Pacific Bell
removed the booth, although The National Park Service (NPS) had told them that they
needed to either remove the booth or renew their right-of-way (license to have the
booth on private property), which had expired 8 years earlier.
Pacific Bell and the NPS issued the following joint statement: “ After weighing
the environmental concerns and public need, Pacific Bell and the National Park Service
had agreed to remove a pay phone located in a remote pocket of the Mojave National
Preserve. While the phone and its location proved to be a novelty for some in recent
months, the increased public traffic had a negative impact on the desert environment
and the nation’s newest national park.”
W hat kin d o f negative im pact on th e environm ent d id th e booth have?
The NPS argued that in addition to the traffic, there were unattended fires, large
gatherings without permit, garbage scattered, vegetation damage, posted graffiti, and the
phone number written in white rocks, brought from out o f the area.
W hat was th e reaction to th e rem oval?
The general reaction was that o f great surprise, disappointment, suspicion, and
anger. The reactions were expressed on Godfrey’s website, deuceofclubs.com , which
served as a hub for people to express their feelings and ideas. Also, the booth’s removal
was covered, and offimes questioned, by worldwide media.
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The official explanation was not generally accepted as a legitimate explanation
because they believed the booth did not have a “negative impact” on the environment,
and that everyone took pride in the booth and were mindful about keeping the area
clean. In describing “the very sad “ removal, Lorene (the local) said that Mary Martin,
Superintendent of the Mojave National Preserve, was “acting like a tyrant”. Also, Bob
(booth devotee) said the removal was an example of “bureaucratic vandalism”.
Many felt that the booth was removed more out o f fear at what might become
o f it, rather than what had become o f it. Some people felt suspicious that the NPS
feared it was attracting “a cult like following” of weirdos. (In fact several news stories
cast the phenomenon in this light). Also, many felt that it was removed because the
NPS did not place the phone there or could not regulate it.
One park ranger described the booth as an “attractive nuisance”. However,
ideally, it should have been a positive thing for the NPS that the booth was drawing
people to the desert, a fundamental purpose of the preserve. However, to many, the
booth's removal proved that the preserve wasn't for the people, if a small group of
people going to the booth constituted too much traffic for the preserve. In NBC/Tom
Brokaw’s coverage of the booth's removal, Brokaw cheekily responded by saying “In
other words, despite 1.6 million acres of sand, cactus, joshua trees, and snakes, too many
people — 25 to 30 a week — were tramping way out o f their way to answer the phone.”
Godfrey wrote that the removal was “probably inevitable”, given (1) the booth's
popularity and (2) federal involvement. He also encouraged people to write and call
Mary Martin at the Mojave National Preserve. She allegedly received innumerable
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phone messages and letters. People were also urged to write the NPS, Congressman
Lewis, and Senator Femstein.
W hat happened to th e booth ?
Although people hoped it would be re-installed, could be bought and placed
elsewhere, or would be put in a museum, it was immediately destroyed by Pacific Bell.
• How do you fe e l about th e booth’ s rem oval?
• Was its rem oval inevitable?
• Do yo u th in k th e attention th e booth attracted caused it to be rem oved?
• Was th e o fficia l explanation satisfactory?
• W hat m ight become u n o fficia l reasons they rem oved th e booth?
• W hat do you th in k w ould have happened i f d ie booth had n o t been rem oved?
THE TOMBSTONE
W hat was th e tom bstone?
The tombstone was placed at the phone booth site on December 29, 2000. The
memorial was made from cement, decorated with tiles, and placed into the ground with
concrete. On the tombstone were written the booth’s name and the dates it was there.
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The phone number was placed along the curved edges. Sadly, it too was also removed by
the Park Service in the spring o f 2001.
♦ You can still log onto websites and learn m ore about th e booth.
♦ A lso, yo u can ca ll it: 760-733-9969
FILM’S ELEMENTS
D oes th e film fo c u s on any character in particular?
The booth is the main character of the film. Although we are introduced to
different people, the film is not about any o f them in particular. The film documents the
booth’s popularity, representing the desert environment it is situated within, some of
the phone conversations which take place there, and a cross-section of visitors and their
ideas about the booth.
H ow is th e inform ation delivered in th e film ?
The film’s objective is to show, rather than tell. It constructs a day in the life
of the booth, using no single narrator and no direct interviews, only voice over.
W hat is d ie effect o f th is approach?
This approach is very “fly on the wall” (meaning the camera recorded the
events much like a surveillance camera). As a result, the style is more voyeuristic and
realistic. When we hear the conversations it is more like we are eavesdropping
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Why don’ t we hear both sides o f th e phone conversations?
One main reason we don't hear both sides of the phone conversations is because
the filmmakers would have needed clearance to record the callers’ calls. The director
wanted to disrupt things as little as possible, not only so that things would be more
natural on film, but also because the callers and visitors had invested time, effort, and
money to have their own experience, not to be subjects in a film. She didn’t want to
dominate their experience and turn the environment into her own film set.
Another reason the director chose not to put in the audio from both sides of the
phone calls was simply because she thought it was more interesting to hear one side;
when you only hear one side you usually try to imaginatively put together what is being
said on the other end. The audience becomes more active in this way.
How does th e film present th e inform ation ?
After revealing the booth in the beginning, it is then introduced and explained.
The main body of the film is structured similar to the flow of a typical phone call.
The film is organized mostly in the way a call would potentially progress,
covering topics such as: greetings and introductions; questions about how many calls
have come through and from where; explanations about how people heard about the
booth; descriptions about the booth and other visitors; explanations about how remote it
is and what the desert is like; suggestions that others come out; review o f history and
media publicity; personal exchanges; and ideas about the meaning o f the phenomenon.
Once the booth is removed, there are no more voices, only textual explanations,
landscape, nostalgia, and sadness.
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PURPOSE OF FILM
Even though th e film ’ s approach is “ voyeuristic” or “ fly on th e w all” , does th a t m ean
th a t th e film is objective?
No. Although the presentation might seem objective, the process o f making the
film was subjective. What to shoot, how to shoot, what to include - the editing, the
structure, the style, the tone, the music and sounds - these are all choices that make the
film subjective. For example, the juxtaposition (intercutting) of “the quadriplegic call”
with the other call was a subjective choice.
Why do you th in k th e “ quadriplegic call” was juxtaposed with the other call?
Both of those calls began in a similar playful and sarcastic manner; both men
were there to have fun. They then ask general questions, which is when the calls start to
diverge. The one discovers he is talking to a quadriplegic and the call becomes very
serious. He even dares to ask him really blunt questions, and there is an honesty that
probably the anonymous virtual space allowed. At the same time, the other guy’s call
remains a little obnoxious, something that the virtual space also licenses; yet he still
covers some personal ground as well.
Both calls represent different types o f connection as the one guy listens to the
quadriplegic and the other tries to arrange meeting his female caller. However, when the
one guy cuts the call short with the quadriplegic, and mutters “that was depressing... damn
quadriplegic”, we see that he was there for fun and games, like the other guy who
ultimately can’t take his call seriously. However, some callers have more serious needs.
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W hat do you th in k was th e film m a ker's purpose?
The first purpose o f the film was to document the Mojave Phone Booth
Phenomenon. However, although there was a standard routine at the booth, the booth
and the experience meant different things to different people. For example, to many it
was entertainment, to some adventure, to others it represented connection, and to a few
it was bizarre. The film did not want to present it solely as entertainment or anything
else, but it wanted to show that it was a variety of these things.
The second purpose of the film was to represent the booth as a metaphor of the
Information Age. However, the filmmaker did not want to didactically impose her
philosophical explanations into the film; instead she chose to underlie the film with
such ideas, hoping to raise questions, leaving the viewer to ponder and answer them. For
example, the film builds up to the time-lapse section where the film pauses and considers
why people would call or visit the booth, yet it offers no overarching explanation, only
a cross-section of soundbytes.
Ideally the film would not only provoke the audience to consider the meaning of
the booth’s appeal, but also what it may reflect about our humanity and contemporary
society. The film can serve as a springboard for thought and inquiry regarding the nature
of communication, community, identity, information, and pop culture in our society.
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Chapter Five: SAMPLE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS -
The Mojave Phone Booth Phenomenon as a Metaphor
of The Information Age
The Mojave Phone Booth phenomenon is a touchstone for discussing aspects of our
society because it served as a testament o f the nature o f our day and age. The following
questions serve as a guide for class discussion, group discussion, or individual written
assignments.
Media and Internet
• Why could the phenomenon have only happened in the Information Age?
• How did the Internet/mass media breed the phenomenon?
• How does the phenomenon show the power o f the Internet/mass media?
• What role does the Internet/mass media play in our culture?
• What role does the Internet/mass media play in our lives?
• Do you think the Internet will eventually dominate other media? Why or why not?
• How is the Internet different from other media?
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Internet as a Soap Box
• Why do you think people documented their trips or calls to the booth on the
Internet?
• Why do people make their own home pages and websites?
• Does the Internet give people a voice?
• Are people drawn to the Internet so that they can have a voice?
• Are these voices always heard?
• Was Andy Warhol right when he said that in the future everyone would enjoy IS
minutes o f fame?
• Was the phone booth a “ 15 minutes o f fame” for some people?
• How are people drawn to the Internet for narcissistic reasons?
• How are people drawn to the Internet for voyeuristic reasons?
• How are people drawn to the Internet because it is faceless?
Virtual Space
• To what degree was the phenomenon faceless or anonymous?
• To what degree is virtual space anonymous?
• How else would you describe virtual space?
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• What kinds o f virtual spaces are people drawn to in our society?
• What kind of safety is there in virtual space?
• What kind of liberty is there in virtual space?
• How is there a fantasy element to virtual space?
• How might virtual space be a virtual “time out” zone o f the literal world?
• To what degree was the phenomenon virtual?
• How was the booth similar and different to a chat room?
Access
• Who could access information on the phone booth? Who couldn’t?
• How might Internet access, or the lack of it, create a greater divide in our society?
• What are the pros and cons to increased access to information?
Information Overload
• Is it overwhelming that, for example, there are over 400 hits when one searches for
“Mojave Phone Booth” on a search engine like Google?
• How would you choose which sites to look up?
• What other kinds o f information are available on the Internet?
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• Is there an information overload in oar society?
• If so, what’s the impact o f an information overload?
• Is there a danger that we fail to discriminate information?
• How might we better discriminate information?
• How does our society have ADD- like symptoms?
Information Age in oar Lives
• Is information overload a symptom o f the Information Age?
• What role does the Information Age play in our lives?
• How has quality o f life improved during the Information Age?
• How has it deteriorated?
• Why, when the Information Age has introduced many labor saving devices, people
complain about not having enough time?
• In trying to cut or save time, or feeling like there is never enough time, do we resist
taking time for things that are important and/or eliminate the things that take time?
• Also, does feeling overwhelmed draw us to things that require minimal investment?
• Ironically many said that the Mojave Phone Booth phenomenon showed tha people
had “too much time on their hands”. Was that true?
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Entertainment/Pop Culture
• Is the fact that many said they were drawn to the booth because it was entertaining
show that we make time for entertainment, despite how busy we are?
• Why do we make so much time for entertainment in our lives?
• How important o f a priority is entertainment or pop culture in our society?
• Do we tend to prioritize things that are quick and give us immediate gratification?
• Why are there so many fads in our culture? What is a fad?
• Was the phone booth a fad? Why or why not?
• To what extent do things like the booth become important because they're popular?
• To what extent do things also become popular because they are important?
Connection
• To what extent were people attracted to the booth as a form o f communication, not
just as a past time?
• Is the fact that many said they were drawn to the booth because it was “a way of
connecting “representative o f a need to connect in our society?
• Do people have a very superficial definition of “connection” in our society?
• How else do we try to connect with others in our society?
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• To what extent has the Information Age fostered connection and made us more
reachable?
• To what extent has the Information Age fostered disconnection, and made us more
unreachable?
• To what degree do you think the need to connect at the booth was also related to
loneliness?
• What kinds of connections did people make at the booth?
■ Where do you draw the line between communicating, connecting, and forming a
relationship?
• What was the value in communicating at the booth even if it was only momentary?
• Did these connections create a “phone booth community”?
Community
• Does the fact that people swarmed to Godfrey’s website when the booth was
removed suggest that a booth community had formed?
• If so, what type of community was it?
• How do virtual communities differ from literal communities?
• What is the value in a community like the phone booth community?
• Are people drawn to forming these types o f communities because their literal
communities do not meet their needs?
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• Are people also drawn to forming virtual communities because they expand their
communities and their spatial and cultural boundaries?
T ransnatio nalism
• How was the phone booth phenomenon representative of the global and
transnational nature o f the Information Age?
• How does the Information Age have no cultural boundaries?
• How might cross-cultural exchanges affect ethnocentrism?
• What kind of universals do people share in common?
• What is the impact of living in an increasingly borderless world?
• What are some examples of transnationalism?
• How does evolving from a bounded to an unbounded society affect our sense of
identity?
• Is cultural change a constant element of our culture?
Socio-Cultural Change
• How does the Information Age affect the rate of change in our society?
• How does change represent progress?
• How has change become a cultural value in our society?
• How does the phenomenon show how influential information is?
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• In an age of cell phones what’s the significance of a phenomenon developing around
an old fashioned phone booth?
• How rapid is technological change?
• Is the booth’s removal reflective o f how things quickly become expendable in our
society?
• What are some other consequences o f rapid change in our society?
• How does a bureaucratic society respond to change?
• Was the booth’s removal representative o f a bureaucracy’s need for regulation?
Why or why not?
• Is democracy as illusion?
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Chapter Six: Mojave Phone Booth Related Websites
The following list Is a sample of the websites which focus on the Mojave Phone
Booth in one way or another. By searching for the Mojave Phone Booth on the
Internet you will find a number of these or many others. (Note: The most
popular websites are in italics.)
angeifire.com/or/ashback/Mojave.htm
blert.net/mpbg
bobscherer.com/Pages/Mojave%20TelephoneBooth.html
burstzme.com/bzine_prmt. asp?bzine_id=92&issue_id=28 ft
calstatela.edu/stafi7mgatlin/mpb.htm
canoe. ca/CNEWSHeyMartha9909/20_mojave.htmI
carysqoirrel.org/vacation/mojave/mbooth.html
cg-squared.com/geology/mojave_phone.htm
cinderpeak. com
clive.canoe.ca/CNEWSHeyMartha9909/20 mojave.html
clubs.yahoo.com'clubs/mojavephonebooih
cnn.com/US/9909/22/mojave.phone
coolpick.com/way/cooI/scan
csmonitor.com/durable/2000/06/16/p I ls2.htm
ctel.net/~mmccormack/Los_Angeles_Timesiitm
deadpan.net/mph
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deuceofclubs.com
directhit.com
dispatches.azstamet.com/zoe/1998/web0904.htm
duke.edu/~lrb l/research/fieId/nov98/nov98.html
earthlink.net/~shrike3/Booth.htm
europe.cnn.com/US/9909/22/mojave.phone
fiercely-independent.com/deadline
foxnews.com/etcetera/0S2400/booth.htm
foxsports.com/wires/wires/pages/94/spt/spt186894.sml
fiingeware.com/msg/1998/msg8177 .html
garot.com/interesting/travels/mojave/stufF.asp
geocities.com/mojavephonebooth.com
gettingreaLcom/click/life 10.htm
gocalifomia.about.com/cs/mojavephonebooth
gosanfian.miningco.com/library/weekly/aal21399.htm
home.earthlink.net/~surferslim/mojave.html
illuminatrix. com/mojave
jps.net/destrip/mpbtrip 1 htm
kenlayne.eom/2000/2000_09_ 17_logarc.html
lvij.com/lvij_home/2000/May-23-Tue-2000/news/13631118.html
members.tripod.com/Long-Distance_2/pages/pages2/phonebooth/html
mojavephonebooth. com
m ojave-phone-booth.com
nn.com/US/9909/22/mojave.phone
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nwIink.com/~sirby/desert_phone_boothJitm
pallwitz.com/phonebooth
philospohical-services.com/mojave/Mojave.asp
phoenixnewtimes.com/extra/scroll/scroll2.html
phoenixnewtimes.com/specialprojects/scroll/scroll2.html
pizzamanagement.com/mpb.html
pr3 fix.com/mojave.htm
ps.net/destrip/mpbtrip2 .htm
qnet.com/~vlfiradio/mojphone.htm
randeins.de/magazin/archiv/2000/ausgabe_07/was_menschen_bewegt/ amkel2_2.html
salon.com/travel/planet/2000/0 l/l 2/phone
scarysquirrel.org/vacadon/mojave
smh.com.au/news/0005/27/text/worIdl I .html
sufari.net/~jbunin/deserts/~jbunin/desrts/mojave_main.btmI
uddyhead.com/other/phone
ufomind.com/pIace/us/ca/mojave/phonebooth
ultrasupercool.com/touringlinksJitm
users.erinet.com/31859/stockpile/phone.htm
volkskrant.nl/media/netnieuws/350020899.html
why.com
worldstar.com/~stonart/mojave/contacthtm
worldstar.com/~stonart/mojave/mailJitm
waaf.com
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Chapter Seven: Mojave Phone Booth Articles
(In Chronological Order)
The following list is a sample of articles in American newspapers that covered
stories on the Mojave Phone Booth. It does not include any international
articles, of which there were many. A Majority of the articles were written
after September 1999.
“Petty Officers at National Park Service Take ’ Public' Out o f Public Lands.”
Washington Insight on the News, June 19, 2000: Vol. 16, Iss. 23, p. 47.
“The Long Arm o f the National Park Service.” The Los Angeles Times, June 15, 2000:
Record edition; p. 3.
“Nummer ohne Anschluss.” Sueddeutsche Zeitung, June 13, 2000: p. V2/5.
“The Kids’ Reading Room.” Los Angeles Times, June 2, 2000: Home Edition, p. 8.
Hibberd, James. “Last Call: The Mojave Phone Booth Gets Disconnected.” Phoenix
New Times, June 8, 2000.
Matt Coker. “A Clockwork Orange.” OC Weekly. June 2, 2000: Columns; p. 15.
Hibberd, James. “Last Call.” Phoenix New Times, June I, 2000.
Tawa, Renee. “Requiem for a Telephone Booth; The Internet Helped Turn a Lone
Phone Booth in the Mojave Desert into a Cult Phenomenon — Until the
Bureaucrats Stepped In.” Los Angeles Times, May 30, 2000: Home Edition,
p.2.
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Stuever, Hank. “A Phone Ringing in the Wilderness; The Middle of Nowhere Should
Have an Unlisted Number.” The Washington Post, May 25, 2000: FINAL
Edition, p. C.01.
“Time Runs Out for Phone Booth in Mojave Desert.” The Los Angeles Times, May 23,
2000: Record edition; p. 21.
“Mojave Phone Booth Removed.” AP Online, May 22, 2000.
"It’s for You!" Kids’ Wall Street News, 2000: Vol. 5, Iss. 2; p. 6.
Thompson, M. Dion. “With the Advent of Cell Phones, Phone Booths are an
Endangered Species— as is Privacy.” The Los Angeles Times, Jan. 9, 2000:
Record Edition; p. 2.
“Vandalized Desert Phone Repaired.” The Los Angeles Times, Nov. 2, 1999: Record
Edition; p. 26.
Bates, Warren. “Lonely Phone in the Mojave Desert Pays the Price of Fame.” Las
Vegas Review-Joumal, November I, 1999: p. IB, 762.
Reed, Christopher. “One in a Trillion. World’s Most Remote Public Telephone in
the Mojave Desert of California.” Newsweek, Oct. 5, 1999: v l 17, p20(l).
“The Kids’ Reading Room; Reading by 9; Pop Quiz; Top of the News.” The Los
Angeles Times, Sept. 24, 1999: Record edition; p. 8.
AAP NEWSFEED, September 21, 1999, Nationwide General News; Features.
“Once Lonely, the Mojave Desert Phone is Now the World’s Companion.” The
Associated Press State & Local Wire, September 20, 1999,
Glionna, John M. “Reaching Way Out; In the Middle of the Mojave Stands a Phone
Booth. There’s No Reason to Call— Except to Make a Connection..” The Los
Angeles Times, September 18, 1999: Record edition; p. 1.
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“If a Phone Rings in the Desert Who Will Answer It?” Las Vegas Review-Joumal,
August 1, 1999: p. IA.
Leibowitz, David. “‘Mojo ‘99’ Captures...Nothing.” Arizona Republic, April 3, 1999.
Hibberd, James. “Phone Alone; In the Middle o f Nowhere, Godfrey Daniels Gets Calls
from Everywhere.” Phoenix New Times, April 15, 1999.
Miller, Martin. “This Nature Call Was Actually Answered.” The Los Angeles Times,
March 29, 1999: Record Edition, p. 2.
O’Connell, Pamela Licalzi. “If a Pay Phone Rings, Who Will Answer?” New York
Times, May 14, 1998: Late Edition, p. G.10.
“Saving Desert Environment” The Los Angeles Times, Dec. 25, 1987: Home Edition
p.6.
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Chapter Seven: Mojave Phone Booth Broadcasts
(In Chronological Order)
The following list is a sample o f broadcasts in the United States that covered
news stories on the Mojave Phone Booth. It does not include international
broadcasts, although the phenomenon was also covered internationally.
KING-TV, Television, BONG Five Morning News, May 24, 2000.
FOX News, Television, May 24, 2000.
CNBC Cable Programming .Today's Business Early Edition, AM, May 23, 2000,.
NBC Nightly News, May 23, 2000.
WLWT-TV, Television, News 5 Today, May 23, 2000 (2 different broadcasts).
CNBC Cable Programming, Today's Business Early Edition, AM , May 23, 2000.
NPR, Morning Edition, May 23, 2000.
KGET-TV, Television, News at Five, May 22, 2000.
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KGET-TV, Television, News at Six, May 22, 2000.
KBAK-TV, Television, Channel 29 Eyewitness News at Six, May 22, 2000.
Art Bell, “Desert Chad”, March 7, 2000.
WLVI-TV, Television, The Ten O’Clock News, February 29, 2000.
WLVI-TV, Television, The Ten O’Clock News, February 28, 2000.
KGO-TV, Television, Channel 7 News At Six, December 24, 1999.
WWMT-TV, Television, News 3, November 19, 1999.
WCNC-TV, Television, 6 News Today, October 12, 1999.
WITI-TV, Television , TV 6 News At, October 09, 1999.
WITI-TV, Television, TV 6 Wake Up News, October 04, 1999 (3 different
broadcasts).
CNN, CNN WORLDVIEW 18:00 p.m. ET, October 3, 1999.
CNN/KTLA, October 2, 1999.
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KTLA-TV, Television, KTLA Morning News, October 01, 1999.
CNBC Cable Programming, Upfront Tonight, September 24, 1999.
NBC Nightly News, September 24, 1999.
CNN/KNSD, September 22, 1999.
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Chapter Nine: Related Readings
The following serves to suggest further readings that would relate to the ideas
and questions that the Mojave Phone Booth phenomenon raises.
Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities. London: Verso, 1992.
Appadurai, Arjun. Modernity at Large: Cultural Dimensions of Globalisation.
Minneapolis: University o f Minnesota Press, 1996.
Aronson, Elliot. The Social Animal. San Francisco: W.H. Freeman and Company,
1972.
Berry, Thomas. “Technological Triumphalism.” Lapis. Issue 8, pp. 21-23.
Bruner, Jerome S. Acts o f Meaning. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1990.
Berne, Eric. Games People Plav: The Psychology of Human Relation shins New York:
Grove Press, 1967.
Clifford, James. The Predicament o f Culture: Twentieth Century F rh n n g ra p h v .
Literature, and Art. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1988.
“Does America Have ADD?” US News & World Report: March 26, 2001, p. 14.
Fairclough, Norman. Media Discourse. London, New York: 1995.
Featherstone, Mike, ed. Global Culture: Nationalism G Tnhali?ati<->n. and MnHprnity
London: SAGE Publications, 1990.
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Frank, Scott. “Power and Authority on the Internet.” Master’s Degree Thesis,
University o f Massachusetts/Amherst, 1996.
Frank, Scott “Transnationalism and Globalization in Anthropology.” Topic Qualifying
Paper, University o f Southern California, 1999.
Gergen, Kenneth J. The Saturated Self: Dilemmas o f Identity in Contemporary Life.
United States of America: Basic Books, 1991.
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52
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A P P E N D IX
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Sample Phone Logs
THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 2000
Evening
I.) 6 p.m. Dorothy Boyd Rancho Cucamonga
(She called us our first time at the booth. She calls every day.)
2.) Tom Burwald Omaha, Nebraska
3.) Marc Siegel Washington, DC
(Personal friend)
4.) Jessica Salem, NH
(Told Mistress Carrie to call; see #6)
5.) Karlena Roberto San Francisco
(Family)
6.) Mistress Carrie Boston, MA
(Radio DJ, WAAF Boston. Came 3/2/00 with others and
camped. Calls every night.)
7.) Fallan Salem, NH
(Friend o f Jessica; see #4)
8.) Heidi New York City
(Personal friend)
9.) Sasha Hanover, Germany
10.) John Fort Lauderdale, FL
(Had # programmed into his cell phone. Coming next weekend.
Saw website.)
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11.) Justin Dell City, OK
(Called three times. Has been trying half a month - no answer.
Originally saw it in a newspaper. Wanted to see if he could
reach anyone.)
12.) Doreen Whittaker Toronto, Canada
(Ex-boyfriend saw the # in a newspaper. Does not have a life.
She is in a wheelchair/she is housebound. She wants a picture
of the booth).
13.) Doug and Becky Peach Tree City
(They have tried a hundred times. They heard about it first on
Dan Rather. It is cool and different to call.)
14.) 8:25 p.m. Justin Gardanrhey
(His first time).
15,) 8:30 p.m. Patrick Bradley Windham, NH
(Wanted to find out where it is.)
16.) 8:39 p.m. Jeff Antlers, OK
(Heard about it on TV. Tried to see if someone would answer.)
17.) 8:45 p.m. Bill Simi Valley, CA
(Called five times before he got through the first time. First
heard about it in a newspaper clipping. He has programmed the
number on his cell phone.)
18.) 9:00 p.m. Gord Ottawa., Ontario, Canada
(Called because he saw it on TV and wanted to see if he could call
it. This is not the first time he has called. Wanted to know what
it looked like and who has called.)
FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2000
1.) 5:49 ajn. Charlie London, UK
(Looking for Chad. Heard about it on the Internet. Had
romantic notions.)
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2.) 6:00 a.m. Hang-up
3.) 6:11a.m. Russell Paris, France (British)
(Read a 2-page article in The Observateur. He called from his
office. Wanted to call somewhere sunny. It was raining in
Paris.)
4.) 6:15 a.m. Bruno Charvier Lyon, France
(Read about it in the paper).
5.) 6:20 a.m. Patrick Denis Bordeaux, France
(Saw pictures.)
Hang-up
Hang-up
8.) 6:40 a.m. Karen Cortez Elko, NV
(Heard about it on the art Bell show. Wanted to see if it is real.
She is on oxygen; she is homebound..)
9.) 6:55 a.m. Mike Koehler Boston, MA
(Heard about it through Mistress Carey. Finds it intriguing,)
10.) 7:05 a.m. Dean Gainesville; FL
(Drove here in a car rental. Had friends who knew about it years
before Godfrey.
Does kite buggy sailing. Hopi Center of the Universe near
Zzyyzzx Road or Goff Town/Nipton Road near 95. SBBB.net
Renews faith in humanity. Ability to communicate with
anybody. Disbelief that people could be there.)
11.) 7:25 a.m. Harri Muller Stuttgart, Germany
(Calls very often ~ 4 or 5 times a week. Heard about it on The
56
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Internet and saw something on TV. Will come next year to Las
Vegas and rent a car to drive to the booth.)
12.) 7:40 am .
13.) 7:49 am .
14.) 7:59 am..
15.) 8:05 am .
16.) 8:08 am .
17.) 8:09 am .
18.) 8:25 am .
19.) 8:27 am .
20.) 8:28 am .
21.) 8:31 am .
22.) 8:33 am .
Bob Demot Long Island, NY
(Used to live in Lucerne Valley. Called just to see if anyone was
there.)
Lara Sedar Sterling, VA
(Personal friend)
Bill Lawrence, KS
2 hang-ups in a row
Lisa Libbert Virginia
(Lara’s friend. See #13).
Adam Pennsylvania
(Heard about it on Art Bell and a website. Called because he is
bored.)
Lori Jackson Washington, DC
(Friend of Lisa’s, see #16. Wanted to see what it is all about.)
Hang-up
Dominique France
(First time calling. Heard about it on the Internet. No time
left on his phone card.)
Anna Toulouse, France
(So strange).
Sadie Moore Los Angeles, CA
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23.) 8:41a.m. Jack Las Vegas
(Coming Sunday to the booth.)
24.) 8:44 a.m. Carrie Las Vegas
(Came last weekend and logged calls. Heard about it on The Art
Bell Show. Booth is a way to communicate. There’s no
prejudice. It is friendly and positive.)
25.) 8:51 a.m. Hang-up
26.) 9:00 a.m. Bill Cottonwood, AZ
(4th contact. Heard about it on Art Bell. He is the type of
person that likes to talk with and meet people. This is unique.)
27.) 9:29 a.m. Ray Marola Duluth, Minnesota
(Wanted directions. Called two months ago for the first time.
Heard about it on local TV and then looked it up on the
Internet.)
28.) 9:32 ajn. Loki Concord, CA
(He is friends with Chad. Has known about it for over 2 years.
From BBS. - ?)
29.) 9:43 a.m. Rebecca and Christy Redlands, CA
(Their dad told them about it. Saw it on TV. Want to come.)
30.) 9:50 ajn. ?? Poland
(Lost connection).
31.) 9:51 a.m. ?? Austria
32.) 9:53 a.m. 7? Poland
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33.) 9:55 ajn. Sid Billings, Montana
(Curiosity. Will someone pickup? Why not?)
34.) 10:17 a.m. Sean Boston
(Heard about it on salon.com and Godfrey’s website. Tries
calling sporadically. Wanted to see if he could get through. Now
that he has gotten through he probably won’t call again.)
35.) 10:27 a.m. T >
(Looking for Mervyns - wrong number.)
36.) 10:29 a.m. ?? Kansas City
(Saw it on the news. Not very talkative.)
37.) 10:35 ajn. Amy Collins SF, CA
(Personal friend)
38.) 10:40 a.m. 2 hang-ups
39.) 10:53 a.m. Amy Collins SF, CA
(Personal friend)
40.) 10:53 a.m. (Desert) Chad Concord, CA
(Passionate about the phone. Says he is getting hate mail. Why
call?: Overwhelming desire to connect; it is unique. Curiosity.)
41.) 11:10 ajn. ?? Germany
(Heard about it on TV. Poor English.)
42.) 11:13 a.m. Pete and Ai New York
(Heard Chad on the radio).
43.) 11:15 ajn. EricFurie LA, CA
(Personal friend)
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44.) 11:22 ajn. Adam New Jersey
Saw it on the web. Also saw something on NBC. Had heard
about it before that.
45.) 11:27 ajn. Anthony and Jeff Boston
Heard about it on die radio. They’re paramedics. Called from
the ambulance. This was the first time they called. Will call
again. Wanted to see who would answer the phone.
46.) 11:38 ajn. ?? London
Very brief Mildly curious.
47.) 11:39 ajn. Dorothy Rancho Cucamonga
Checking up on '4 the kids” (us).
48.) 11:42 a.m. ?? N. Germany
Expecting someone to sing for them.
49.) 11:44 a.m. Art Cincinatti, OH
Calling for Chad. Heard him on Art Bell.
50.) 11:47 a.m. JJ. Virginia Beach, VA
Bartender at Gillian’s
51.) 11:49 a.m. Ray Glendale, CA
52.) 11:55 a.m. Louis Framingham, MA
Goal: to talk to everyone that comes to the desert. Heard about
the booth on WAAF, the #1 Active Rock Station in the U.S.
WAAF came out here. WAAF.com
53.) 12:13 p.m. Sadie and Sean Baker
Note: Some people came out to the booth. They told us that the phone booth is:
N 35 degrees 17. 115’ W 115 degrees 41. 072’
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54.) 12:15 pjn . John Fort Lauderdale, FL
Wanted measurements for windows of booth. Wants to make
stained glass windows for the booth.
55.) 12:22 p.m. Ricardo Paris
He is Spanish. He read about it in the Novelle Observateur.
He was curious. Wanted to know if it was for real.
56.) Anthony and Jeff Boston
(see #45). Wanted my e-mail address. Wanted to know what I
looked like. (“You must be 5 foot ten with green eyes, blond
hair, and really hot”).
57.) 12:33 p.m. Brett Concord, CA
Doing work detail with Rick, who is friends with “Desert Chad”
They are doing community service in a park in Concord.
58.) Eric S t Domain, France
59.) Willie Germany
60.) 12:52 p.m. ?? Germany
Could not understand
61.) 13:02 p.m. Michael Germany
62.) 13:11 p.m. Michael Germany
63.) The Captain Illinois
64.) 1:15 p.m. Douglas Toronto, Canada
Heard about it on TV and on the web.
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65.) 1:33 pjn. Kris New Mexico
66.) 1:38 p.m. Patrick Windham, NH
67.) 1:40 pjn. Melissa San Diego
(My cousin).
68.) 1:55 p.m. David Paris, France
69.) 2:00 p.m. Jamie Nashville, TN
70.) 2:15 p.m. John Glendale, CA
Heard about it on the Desert Chad online site.
71.) 2:20 pjn. Pete and Frank Eslip. NY
72.) 2:33 p.m. Doug Chicago, IL
73.) 2:36 p.m. Nicole Redondo Beach, CA
A friend told her about the booth.
74.) 2:42 p.m. Pete San Diego, CA
75.) 2:45 p.m. Jeanine Vista, CA
My aunt. The phone phenomenon transcends the artificial
bonds of our culture.
76.) 3:08 p.m. Denny Germany
Has called 15 times. Heard about it on a TV program. “It is a
little bit crazy to speak with someone in the desert. It is funny.
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77.) Lin Fu
Friend
DC
78.) Genne Paris, France
Heard about it on the radio.
79.) Kathleen Pheonix, AZ
Vacationed here last week.
80.) 3:50 pjn. AnnaLiisa
Friend
Los Angeles, CA
81.) 3:52 pjn. Germany
82.) 3:59 pjn. Patrick France
His 48th birthday is today. He and his friends were calling.
83.) 4:07 pjn. Brian Nelson
Calling because his dad said not to.
84.) 4:09 pjn. Vicki Lott Burbank, CA
85.) 4:11p.m. George
TIL - TV
86.) 4:14 p.m. Chris Brunswick, OH
Heard about it on the Internet. Called to see if someone would
answer.
87.) 4:15 pjn. Harry Muller Germany
Heard about it on the Internet. Called this morning. Calls 5 -6
times every day to practice his English and see who is there.
88.) 4:23 pjn. Dorothy
“Checking in.T
Ranch Cucamonga, CA
63
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89.) 4:26 pjn.
90.) 4:30 pjn.
91.) 4:40 pjn.
92.) 4:44 pjn.
93.) 5:00 p.m.
94.)
95.) 5:14 p.m.
96.)
97.)
98.)
99.)
100.)
Paul Braintree, MA
Heard about it form a radio show (WAAF).
Dean Florida
Professional kite flyer. Phone junkies. He has been here. Says
that this is “a manifestation o f everything that is good about
humanity.” When he came he “couldn't wait to hang up and get
the next call.”
Patrick Ernest Austria
Heard about it on the Internet.
Mari ah NY, NY
Friend.
Machmous Oxford, England
He is French/ Algerian. Heard about it in a magazine in France.
His number is: 0044-774-707-2568
Matt Massachusetts
Heard about it from a radio show today.
Peter La Mirada
“How is the sunset?”
Merritt Santa Monica
Making a documentary
Jaime Scotland
Karlena Roberto SF, CA
(Family)
Rick Glendale, CA
Nick Boston, MA
Heard about it from a radio show.
64
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SATURDAY, MARCH 18
1.) I p.m. FredPiscione Providence, RI
This booth is about kindred souls who want to connect. It strikes
a chord - this booth. There’s an awful lot of lonely people out
there who want to do something different. This broadens my
horizons. There are more lonely people today than ever.
Everybody’s connecting and disconnecting. Chat rooms are
anonymous. No one is going to question them. People are safe
in their own enclave as opposed to being face to face with
another human being. The Internet and technology have made
us more isolated. Could tell me more about the people who have
been out to the booth. Called New Years Eve twice. One fellow
got a call from Chechnya. He (the Chechnyan) could not talk
but it was enough for him to just get through.
2.) Verena Bavaria, Germany
First time caller. Read about it in the Arizona Highways. She
was curious.
3.) 1:11p.m. Andrei England (near Manchester)
It is about 9 p.m. there. It is an impulsive thing for him to call.
Learned about it through a friend. He has gotten through before.
Calling is something to do - just speaking to people across the
world. He just got engaged.
4.) Pat Cummings Big Bear, CA
She is in Big Bear celebrating her 30th wedding anniversary. She
came out in Feb. with her husband to answer phones. They took
156 calls during their two days at the booth. Has a log of calls.
Wrote an essay about it: Why do people call?
Took calls from all over the world, including Dorothy.
Sometimes it rings and sometimes it doesn’t. Land
reinforcement.
Ringing phone in the desert.
Everyone on both ends is interesting.
Say “hi” to the guys in Stuttgart!
5.) Vance
Crazy caller.
6.) Jacqui France
Read about it in the paper.
6 5
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7.) Bob LA (near Griffith Park)
Read article in the LA Times. Calls once a week to see who will
pickup. Uses cell phone. Has free minutes on the weekend.
8.) 1:50 pjn. Merritt LA
Called from freeway. She is on her way to the booth.
9.) 2:03 pjn. Francis Toulouse, France
47 years old. Read about it in the Observateur. He is a teacher.
10.) 2:10 pjn. Glenn New Jersey
Heard about it on yahoo. He has tried calling a number o f times.
It is a unique thing to do. Phone in the middle of nowhere. It is
a tourist attraction. The Info. Age is impersonal. Although
technology is a great thing it lacks human interaction.
Alternative = old fashioned interaction. There is a reliability and
randomness to the phone. People that change fields from
technology go 180 degrees. We need to take risks. He takes
pictures/candid photos. Also, he is a volunteer firefighter. He
works in a technical field. Good Book: Silicon Snake Oil
11.) Therman Tempe, AZ
12.) 2:20 pjn. Kate New Zealand
Has called over 50 times. Appealed to her from the start. She
says that people think “She is mad”
13.) Frenchman
14.) 2:43 p.m. JR Madison, IN
Heard about it on CNN and from Dan Rather
15.) Jim San Jose, CA
Heard about it from a newspaper. He is a quadriplegic. He dialed
with his fingers. Fell at work. Dependent on medication.
Kidney dialysis. 54 years old. Depression is the worst thing
about being a quadriplegic.
66
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16.) Jerry Pumichet France
Gave his mobile #: 0614796722
17.) Patrick Paris
Heard about this from a weekly newspaper. Has been to the US,
on the East Coast. Lives five minutes from the Eiffel Tower. It
is midnight in Paris.
18.) Dorothy Rancho Cucamonga, CA
19.) Couple with kids Las Vegas, NV
20.) Betty Carillo and Bob Betts San Clemente, CA
In their 70s. Have only called twice before. Heard it on Art
Bell’s Radio program and from the Internet.
2 1.) 4:06 p.m. Call made to: Wayne and Mona Terrill Midway City, CA
Called by Rudy and Lisa Gartner from Huntington Beach, CA
22.) 4:10 p.m. Amy Medina Newport Beach, CA
Called Stu Nicol at the booth. She is dilating.
23.) Harry Muller Stuttgart, Germany
24.) 4:30 p.m. ?? Paris, France
25.) Jerry Arlington, VA
Engineer. Describes himself as an “old single guy”. This is
the 3rd time that he has called. Says he has “Saturday night
boredom”. The call is only 5 cents/minute. He has bad eyesight
and can not drive.
67
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Asset Metadata

Creator Cleverley, Kaarina (author)

Core Title "Mojave mirage" teacher's guide

School Graduate School

Degree Master of Arts

Degree Program Anthropology

Degree Conferral Date 2001-12

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag anthropology, cultural,cinema,education,OAI-PMH Harvest,social science

Language English

Contributor Digitized by ProQuest (provenance)

Advisor Simic, Andrei (committee chair), [illegible] (committee member), Lutkehaus, Nancy (committee member)

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c16-294039

Unique identifier UC11337603

Identifier 1411023.pdf (filename),usctheses-c16-294039 (legacy record id)

Legacy Identifier 1411023.pdf

Dmrecord 294039

Document Type Thesis

Rights Cleverley, Kaarina

Type texts

Source University of Southern California (contributing entity), University of Southern California Dissertations and Theses (collection)

Access Conditions The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the au...

Repository Name University of Southern California Digital Library

Repository Location USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus, Los Angeles, California 90089, USA