Significant Events in the History of Phone Sex

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September 15, 2011

Phone sex has operated in its current condition for quite some time. I discuss in this article a few somewhat related events in the history of this unique industry. Despite the fact that the public imagination and the media constructs the image of phone sex operators as mysterious, romantic, or sometimes deplorable figures, there is nothing profound or extraordinary about many of them or the realities of the industry itself.

AT&T introduced 900-numbers the way we understand them today in 1980. This allowed people access to information and entertainment in exchange for a by-the-minute fee. In 1992, the Telephone Disclosure and Resolution Act, or the TDDRA, required 900 numbers, including phone sex services, to adhere to certain standards of transparency with their customers regarding fees-per-minute. The act requires that 900 numbers include a preamble at the beginning of any service call with the potential to cost customers more than a total of two dollars. The preamble must provide the customers the opportunity to hang up before they officially incur any fees. The bill also delineates a standardized process for how to settle disputes over fees incurred by the use of a 900 number. Pacific Bell first contracted phone sex exchanges to the New York City metro area, and this earned .5 million in the year of 1987 alone. Combined, the four major international phone companies AT&T, MCI, Sprint and Telesphere reported a total of 0 million dollars in revenue from 900 numbers (including phone sex numbers alone) in that one year.

More recently (June of 2011), a media outlet called The Statesman reports that a member of the New York congress, Anthony Weiner, publicly broke down crying in the face of accusations that he conducted adulterous online and phone sex activities with a total of six women in recent history. He admitted to feeling a profound shame for the public discovery of his phone sex habit, but ultimately he chose not to resign despite its exposure to the public. Weiner, 46, denied the allegations for roughly a week, insisting that his account was hacked by a remote party. At a press conference in June, however, Weiner, admitted publicly to sending a suggestive image of his body to a woman from Seattle through his Twitter profile. Weiner maintains that he did not engage in physical sexual relations with any women during the period of time in question other than his wife: Huma Abedin. Abedin is a secretary and aid to Hillary Clinton. The House of Representatives elected Weiner for seven consecutive terms. Up until his teary-eyed confessions regarding phone sex, Weiner was intending to run for mayor of New York in 2013.

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