Mighty musical Marvin
I was on the tube today, on my daily commute into work, which is hardly the highlight of my day, so as usual, I brightened it up by listening to my iPod, Marvin. Yes, I named my iPod, it's a blue mini, and so I named it after the depressed robot from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy (depressed...blue...get it?). To be fair I had the volume turned up to full and it was rather loud, just how I like it. My eardrums weren't quite bleeding, which was disappointing, but alas, can't have it all.
Now on a packed train, it was loud enough that people could hear it quite clearly, and had people broken out into song, singing along to the catchy songs...they'd have seriously worried me (and probably been listening to someone else's iPod as I doubt they'd know the words to Funeral for a Friend). I got a lot of funny looks, in fact there was a bit of gossip about it travelling through the train but not one person said something. Until someone did. Obviously. Oh you know what I mean!
A rather well-dressed gentleman gently tapped me on the shoulder, and I removed my headphones and said "Yes?". He asked very nicely if I would mind putting the volume down a little bit. I said no, of course not, and promptly did so. This generated an odd reaction, the assembled onlookers looked from me to him and then back again, and I think I know why it was that they did this rather odd thing. People were probably thinking "Why didn't we think of that?" Which makes perfect sense, why didn't they? Are we so afraid to break out of our comfort zone enough to ask a very simple request from a stranger? It's almost as if people were afraid to talk to me because they didn't know me, much like the phenomenon where noone talks to anyone else on the tubes. People are even afraid to make eye contact on the tubes, it's a big taboo!
Or were they suggesting it was because he was Indian? As you'll note, I hadn't actually mentioned that fact previously, as it wasn't relevant, but being an Indian (in ethnic origin only) myself, perhaps they felt that it was a bit of "He's one of ours" going on? Which couldn't be further from the truth as I don't even think of myself as Indian, I'm just an ultra-tanned Englishman. Honest! Ok, I'm an Englishman whose parents happen to be of Indian descent, but that's all. The truth is, had anyone, of any race, colour, creed or religion, asked me to turn it down, I would have. I'd say gender but I know that if a pretty girl flashed a smile at me and asked me to turn it down I'd have switched it off and chatted her up instead! Well, ok, maybe not, probably just turned it down. And stared at her forlornly, realising she was out of my league. Whilst drooling, of course, because she's just so hot.
Anyway, the odd thing is, those people muttering about me and giving me dirty looks could easily have just asked, like he did. I responded to his request because he was polite in making it, and it was a request, not a demand or an insult. Had someone asked in a similar manner, I'd have done the same thing. Now, of course, if someone was rude to me, or demanded that I turn it down, or made snide remarks or anything along those lines, I'd have promptly told them to fuck off, shown them the finger and gotten back to listening to my music, ignoring them. I respond to politeness and mutual respect, I do not respond to being patronised or told what to do. I pay my fare to travel like everyone else, and if they don't like the music I'm listening to, they can get off and take the next train.
What I don't understand is, why is it fine when the offending loud music is RnB or dance music, but not when it's rock? I can often hear the vocals to RnB music from other people's iPods when I'm travelling and they rarely, if ever, get the same sort of reaction. Is it because it's more "pleasant" to the ear? Says who? I find it painful to listen to, but I usually just drown it out with my own, much more pleasant, music. Is it because rock music is so offensive? In what way? I find most RnB or Garage music to be an assault on my ears. Is it the swearing? What, and Eminem doesn't swear? Don't get me wrong, I actually like Hip Hop, and I like Eminem, but to suggest that rock music is offensive or in any way "lesser" to any other genre is degrading.
But that's fine, rock music has always been about being outcasts and misfits, and it'll never change. If I can change just one attitude or perhaps even educate the Great Unwashed in what good music is, then it's all worth it.
Now on a packed train, it was loud enough that people could hear it quite clearly, and had people broken out into song, singing along to the catchy songs...they'd have seriously worried me (and probably been listening to someone else's iPod as I doubt they'd know the words to Funeral for a Friend). I got a lot of funny looks, in fact there was a bit of gossip about it travelling through the train but not one person said something. Until someone did. Obviously. Oh you know what I mean!
A rather well-dressed gentleman gently tapped me on the shoulder, and I removed my headphones and said "Yes?". He asked very nicely if I would mind putting the volume down a little bit. I said no, of course not, and promptly did so. This generated an odd reaction, the assembled onlookers looked from me to him and then back again, and I think I know why it was that they did this rather odd thing. People were probably thinking "Why didn't we think of that?" Which makes perfect sense, why didn't they? Are we so afraid to break out of our comfort zone enough to ask a very simple request from a stranger? It's almost as if people were afraid to talk to me because they didn't know me, much like the phenomenon where noone talks to anyone else on the tubes. People are even afraid to make eye contact on the tubes, it's a big taboo!
Or were they suggesting it was because he was Indian? As you'll note, I hadn't actually mentioned that fact previously, as it wasn't relevant, but being an Indian (in ethnic origin only) myself, perhaps they felt that it was a bit of "He's one of ours" going on? Which couldn't be further from the truth as I don't even think of myself as Indian, I'm just an ultra-tanned Englishman. Honest! Ok, I'm an Englishman whose parents happen to be of Indian descent, but that's all. The truth is, had anyone, of any race, colour, creed or religion, asked me to turn it down, I would have. I'd say gender but I know that if a pretty girl flashed a smile at me and asked me to turn it down I'd have switched it off and chatted her up instead! Well, ok, maybe not, probably just turned it down. And stared at her forlornly, realising she was out of my league. Whilst drooling, of course, because she's just so hot.
Anyway, the odd thing is, those people muttering about me and giving me dirty looks could easily have just asked, like he did. I responded to his request because he was polite in making it, and it was a request, not a demand or an insult. Had someone asked in a similar manner, I'd have done the same thing. Now, of course, if someone was rude to me, or demanded that I turn it down, or made snide remarks or anything along those lines, I'd have promptly told them to fuck off, shown them the finger and gotten back to listening to my music, ignoring them. I respond to politeness and mutual respect, I do not respond to being patronised or told what to do. I pay my fare to travel like everyone else, and if they don't like the music I'm listening to, they can get off and take the next train.
What I don't understand is, why is it fine when the offending loud music is RnB or dance music, but not when it's rock? I can often hear the vocals to RnB music from other people's iPods when I'm travelling and they rarely, if ever, get the same sort of reaction. Is it because it's more "pleasant" to the ear? Says who? I find it painful to listen to, but I usually just drown it out with my own, much more pleasant, music. Is it because rock music is so offensive? In what way? I find most RnB or Garage music to be an assault on my ears. Is it the swearing? What, and Eminem doesn't swear? Don't get me wrong, I actually like Hip Hop, and I like Eminem, but to suggest that rock music is offensive or in any way "lesser" to any other genre is degrading.
But that's fine, rock music has always been about being outcasts and misfits, and it'll never change. If I can change just one attitude or perhaps even educate the Great Unwashed in what good music is, then it's all worth it.
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posted by Jesus Of Suburbia at 23:08
2 Comments:
Chief, chief, chief, the reason you got stares is because everyone knows the customary response to a request to turn down music on a subway car is "I'll cut you, #$%^*@ $%^&*!%!"
You make a good point...
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