Text You and Everyone Who Looks Like You

Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters.


Like K-Fed, one in seven people report having been dumped via text message or email. Another 4% simply cut off all communication. What a flock of cowards. Back in my day, we had a little something called integrity. Whatever happened to the old-fashioned backbone required for dumping someone via voicemail?

You know the drill: call the loser’s office – reception, not his direct line – to make sure he’s at work. Then, fire up that fake, unplaceable accent normally reserved for dodging the collection agencies and student loan folks (“wha? who? no De-ba Deek-son he-ah. You got-ta baad num-ba. No De-ba he-ah. Call some more, me curse you whole fam-ly.”). With him safely away for nine or so hours, bravely enumerate his failings and let his machine know exactly how dumped he is. Next, block his number or screen like a son of a gun whilst hiding at an out of town girlfriend’s for a few days til you have enough contact attempts for a restraining order. But text and email? Ah, for the good old days of American forthrightness.

We Recommend

Latest

Sign up for our free newsletter

Subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox.

Get our award-winning magazine

Save big on a full year of investigations, ideas, and insights.

Subscribe

Support our journalism

Help Mother Jones' reporters dig deep with a tax-deductible donation.

Donate