World of Suck

I realized the other day that there's a little-discussed aspect of MP3 players. It's the black-box, anonymity gained by putting a 'generic' face on something that is very revealing.

In the past you could get an idea of what kind of person you were next to by catching a glimpse of the CD titles in their car, on their desk, in their home...etc. But with the advent of all-digital, no-moving-parts music players these accidental insights are all but removed. Now the only revelation comes when someone chooses to share their playlist, and again, it's a choice.

I can remember raising an eyebrow when getting a ride to lunch with someone and seeing the cover of a cassette tape ("they still listen to Queen !?!" or "Whoa, My Sharona?"). There was a sense of peeping into someone's private self, sure they wear a tie Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm but once they get into the car they're howling to Stevie Ray Vaughan or having a moment with Tom Jones. Who knew?

Well for the most part, no one will - at least not by accident. With the enormous improvement in sound quality and portability it's hard, overall, to lament this change. Still there is a certain romance for those days when a show-tune 8-Track in the back seat meant you had a pretty good idea of whom you were dealing with and what to expect.