Phonald Ringin

**President Phonald Ringin** appears in one of the endings in Randy's route, where the Mugger (the Knife-Headed one) offers Phonegingi weed and they immediately die from one hit of the devil's lettuce.

## Appearance

Mr. Ringin's head appears to be a mix between a candlestick phone and a camera; instead of having one removable receiver and the other attached to the phone itself, there are two removeable receivers. Where the first receiver usually would be, there is the head of a security camera affixed. The mesh texture additionally has an LED light behind it which emits a red glow when the device is powered on. It seems to be a custom hybrid-head, apparent by the exposed wires poking out of the bottom.

He dons a sharply cut pinstripe suit with a notch lapels and wide shoulder padding, sporting a dapper white shirt underneath. It may be a gray color when factoring in the lighting of the scene behind him in-game, that of a warm fireplace, but it is more likely to be a professional brown to mimic real-world Ronald Reagan's signature style.

Interesting to note how his tie pattern is that of the American flag, rather than a solid red, which he wore in our reality to signify his status of a member of the Republican party. It is unknown if this was part of Callum Crown's influence on future presidencies. It is presumed he wore an American flag tie to signify his third-party status, but could have been picked up by both Republican and Democratic politicians alike to be less divisive.

Most notable is the taped on image of real-world Ronald Reagan's face. Well, the bottom half of it, assuming that the single security camera lens is meant to serve as an eye visually, and optical sensor in practice. His smile purposefully serves as both comforting and disturbing.

## In-Game

Mr. Ringin only appears in one ending in Randy's route, able to be branched off into when the Mugger flirts with you in the subway. After failing to partake in sexual intercourse with him, he offers you some weed. Phonegingi is hesitant at first, but then gives in, wanting to seem cool. The screen fades to black and comes back to Phonald Ringin, sitting in front of a fireplace. He speaks directly to the player, saying:

"Hello, my fellow Americans. President Phonald Ringin, here. Unfortunately, one hit WAS enough to kill our good friend, Phonegingi... Who sadly succumbed to peer pressure, and took a fatal hit of marijuana. Most kids today don't know: A single puff of the devil's lettuce is enough to kill a fully grown man... until he's DEAD. FOREVER. So, I'm afraid that our friend Phonegingi is simply dead forever and never coming back. Remember, kids: "winners don't do drugs!" It says so on television! If you stay away from such things, why... You could even become president of the United States yourself, one day! It's time for me to go. Goodbye, kids, and remember: ...I'll be watching."

On that final note, Mr. Ringin's camera glows a faint red as the game fades to black once again before it flips to the illustrated card for the ending. It is referred to as the 80's Drug PSA ending, which is an accurate summary.

## Information

The effects of marijuana in this are comically oversaturated and blown out of proportion, as one hit is, in fact, not enough to kill a grown man. The Mugger refers to weed as a "hard drug" and agrees that it is "against God and America". Despite popular belief, cannabis was not even mentioned once in the Bible (and assumedly not in the Holy Ringle either).

This exaggerated, caricature-esque depiction of marijuana is poking fun at real-world Ronald Reagan and the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program he set up in America during his presidency. To quote Mr. Reagan himself in his September 8, 1988 Proclamation, he states: "D.A.R.E. is concerned with children from kindergarten through junior high school and with their parents. It offers information and wise counsel on resisting peer pressure and avoiding illegal drug use and alcohol abuse. Police officers, experienced in the effects of drug and alcohol abuse, are trained to help students recognize the risks of drugs and to learn strategies for handling stress without resorting to dangerous substances." Reagan is also credited for the three strikes and you're out law for handling drug-related criminal activity, creating mandatory minimum sentences for these criminals. An oversimplified approach was taken for the war on drugs in America, especially during the 80s, creating a distorted black and white view of drugs, alcohol, and smoking.

## Trivia

* The 80s Drug PSA ending is thought of to be the quickest to achieve in Randy's route, although not confirmed.
* He is the only character, besides Phonegingi, able to break the 4th wall and speak to you, the player.
* It is unknown if his birth name was Ronald Reagan and it was changed later, or if his parents just named him that.
* It's also unknown why he has an image of himself taped across his object head. It could be a photo of himself at 55; the Dial-Up was in '66, before Mr. Reagan's presidency in '81 when he was 69 years old.