About

THEN WHO WAS PHONE? (usually capitalized) is a catchphrase associated with a subtype of creepypasta stories that are poorly written or unintentionally funny. Most typically seen on 4chan's /x/ (paranormal) board, the phrase bears some similarities to other grammatically incorrect memes like "I Accidentally" or How Do I Shot Web.

Origin

The original creepypasta was posted via 4chan's /x/ (paranormal) board on March 28th, 2008.

Spread

Throughout 2008, the creepypasta became a staple catchphrase within the /x/ community, spawning a variety of derivative stories with similar elements of mystery, as well as spreading across other discussion communities like Bodybuilding Forums^[18], NeoGAF Forums^[15] and Yahoo Answers.^[16] The notability of the phrase has been also documented by referential websites such as Encyclopedia Dramatica, Urban Dictionary, TV Tropes and Bad Creepypasta Wiki.^[8]

On July 30th, 2008, YouTuber SCPantera uploaded a dramatic reading of the narrative (shown below).

In 2009, "Then Who Was Phone?" continued to spread through internet humor blogs, making appearances on websites like Cheezburger and FunnyJunk. However, despite its recognizable status, questions about the meaning behind the phrase continued to surface on Q&A forum communities, most notably Yahoo Answers with more than 470 related posts (as of March 2013).

Notable Examples

Fan Art Illustrations

Image Macros

Derivatives

Counter Strike Edition

So yur with guerilla and yur planting bomb wen chat appears. U read the chat and the text is "wut r u doing with my base". U tell the guerilla and he say "GIGN is ded". then who was chat?

Super Mario Edition

So U are Withe Youre bitcha and you arE licking her feet wen your Siemens squilla. You presse de geereenno button "CHE STAI FACENDO CON MIA FIGLIA??" you telle your bitcha n she say "My pimp is ded". who was Siemens?

Toast Edition

So ur with ur honey and yur making a sandwich wen the toaster digns. U buter it n the vioce is "wut r u doing wit my dinner?" U tell ur sandwich n it say "my dad is bred". THEN WHO WAS THE PIECE OF TOAST?

Rastafarian Edition

Alright my yout, mi and dis fine gyal decide we waan fi go park, we went pon swing, pon slide, and even have good time a bounce pon teeter-totter. Buoy, it fun mi tell yuh. Been long since we frolic ina park. We sit dung a ground fi have lunch, afta lunch she waan fi go home, so we went to her house fi watch movie and sinting. Mi tell you, the gyal mus be one freak, cause she jump pon my lap and start suck out mi face. After 5 minute the blood clot phone ring and mi answer. One rated man come yell ina mi ear, man was livid! Him say sumthing like 'YO STAR, A WEH YOU A DO WIT MI PICKEY?' Mi just give one sour look pon my girl face and ask a wuh dis man business? Gyal tell me her dad ded, him ina ground, ded, ded, ded. A WHO DI BUMBACLOT DEH PON MY PHONE?

Verbose Edition

Theoretically, you and your romantic partner, who is most likely of the female gender, are accompanying each other, when the cellular telephone, of which you are the legal owner, abruptly emits an audible tone, which is highly likely to be your default sound that will play when someone from another location, usually within your country of residence, depending on your telephone carrier or provider, inputs a finite pattern composed of numerical units into their legally owned cellular telephone, which in turn will send a wave that goes through a complex process that includes radios and telephone towers. You walk over to the area that the cellular telephone is physically placed, and you translate the telephone receiver from it's resting area, where it is mechanically constructed to fit into, all the way in the direction towards your ear drums, and then place the northern part of the device to your ear, and then place the southern part near your mouth, most likely onto your cheek. A voice that resembles that of an adult male proclaims "What activity are you currently in the process of completing, that involves having my female offspring attend!?". You immediately notify your female romantic companion, and she educates you on the objective fact that the paternal guardian that she normally refers to as "Father" has stopped living some time in the past, and is also currently deceased. If the details of this story are in fact, the truth, than it is now your duty to answer the question of 'Who was calling you and your romantic companion on your cellular telephone?'.

Search Interest

Search traffic for "then who was phone" peaked in 2008, shortly after the creepypasta was submitted to 4chan's /x/ board.

External References