We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Entertainment

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Rejection Hotline?

Tricia Christensen
By
Updated: May 16, 2024
Views: 18,383
Share

The rejection hotline is a service begun by Jeff Goldblatt in the early 2000s. Primarily begun as a joke, with a little intent on being serious too, Goldblatt came up with the idea of using the rejection hotline as a way to shake off the amorous advances of others who simply don’t appeal. Instead of prolonging conversations with people you honestly don’t want to get to know, you hand the person a dummy phone number. When the person calls the rejection hotline, they’re greeted with a message delivering the news that they have not reached the intended person and that they’ve been rejected.

The phone message on the original line then suggests that rejection may have occurred because the person has bad breath, body odor or a combination of the two, and give several other potential reasons for rejection. At the end of the message, people are enjoined to forget about the person who gave them the phone number, since that person has already forgotten about them.

Though Goldblatt initially began the rejection hotline as something of a joke, he was also inspired when he watched a woman attempt to spurn the advances of a would-be suitor. She eventually ended up embarrassing the guy in public by calling him several unfortunate names, producing an uncomfortable public situation for the rejecter and the rejected. Goldblatt felt providing a hotline to avoid this type of public discomfort was a little funny and definitely necessary.

Rejection hotlines have grown in popularity, and now you can find numbers for numerous major US cities. There are also a number of copycat lines, some meaner than others that eviscerate the rejected person with cruel statements or suggestions about why such a person was rejected. While some believe that the rejection hotline is a public service, which has long been needed on the dating scene, others believe that polite rejection in public is still the best way to get rid of someone in whom you have no interest.

Goldblatt contends that even when you’re trying to be polite, you simply can’t shake some people. Men and women may each have had the experience of trying to politely negate the advances of someone they find undesirable. If a person appears “creepy” or is a little frightening, there may be no good way to tell the person to go away. In this case the rejection hotline may be a better way to extricate yourself from a difficult situation.

Local rejection hotline numbers are easy to find on the internet, and Goldblatt profits a little if you download rejection hotline ring tones. There are several other free joke hotlines that Goldblatt has produced since, which may be fun (or insulting) to visit. Other services embrace the era of the Internet and offer rejection email addresses too.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Tricia Christensen
By Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia Christensen is based in Northern California and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to her writing. Her wide-ranging interests include reading, writing, medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion, all of which she incorporates into her informative articles. Tricia is currently working on her first novel.
Discussion Comments
By bigmetal — On Feb 04, 2008

this reminds me of that seinfeld episode where elaine gave a fake number out...can't remember what it was to, some restaurant or something. the sad thing is that while you're getting off the hook easier, it kind of stinks for the person getting rejected. here you've led them on by giving them a fake number, building up their hopes, and then the let down seems harsher. how a good old fashioned, "no thanks, i'm not available/not interested/etc."?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
With a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and years of experience as a WiseGeek contributor, Tricia...
Learn more
Share
https://direct.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-rejection-hotline.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.