Do You Resemble Your Phone?

(Apologies in advance to those of you outside the US who have no idea what is going on here. 

And to those of you inside the US who have no idea what is going on here.

And to my late, politically savvy father, whose photo I'm taking liberties with. 

I miss you Dad)

 

Is there a relationship between your choice of cell phone and your voting demographic? I found myself in a spirited discussion last night about analogies between cell phones and the voting public. It all started when I asked a group of User Experience folks I was hanging out with what their latest thoughts were on Android vs. iPhone.

Phil Ohme, who says he likes to be edgy (what is your blog URL Phil?), started it all with a provocative quip. I wish I could remember his exact words, but what I do remember is that within a few moments a group of people were chiming in:

"Voters are like Mobile Phones"

"Mobile Phones are like Voters"

"The choice of phone is closely aligned with your political demographic"

"iPhones are for intelligent people"

"iPhones are for lemmings"

"Androids are for the masses"

"Androids are for middle America"

"Androids are for people who like to hack on their phones"

"iPhones are like the political elite" 

"Both iPhone owners and Android owners vote" 

"iPhones are for people who like to make phone calls " (you figure that one out)

Does this conversation begin to sound like those stories about people who resemble their pets or what?

And lest we forget the rest:

"Windows Phone is like the Whig Party" (remember our Founding Fathers?)

"Windows Phone is like the Bull Moose Party" (remember Teddy Roosevelt?)

"Blackberry is for Zombies" (the living dead)

Someone interjected: "Now that Blackberry has gotten rid of its keyboard, the Zombies will fall over"


"Palm is for Libertarians" 

"Symbion  is the Green Party"

"If you use a Feature Phone (i.e. you don't use a Smart Phone at all) you must be a Libertarian"

Finally, one of Phil's good friends closed the conversation (phew) by suggesting that Phil could be trusted as far as one could throw him. But then, like a true friend, he added that he is sure he could throw Phil pretty far.