Bull Response

this is a response to a some readings I did from a book by Michael Bull called Sounding Out the City: Personal Stereos and the Management of Everyday Life.

Does anyone care what Otto would have to say about this (a The Simpsons reference)? So this reading was really interesting and it reminded me of a discussion I had with some of my group members about this very phenomena of distractions for distractions. I’ve also read a few comments about how this reminded some about the This American Life episode we listened to and if you read my response to the sound portion of the show I wasn’t impressed. Actually this reminded me of another show I listen to called Radio Lab. They’ve done a few shows with auditory themes. Anyway not important, my overall response is that these ideas are very intriguing and on many levels would agree with much of the things I read. The thing that most bothered me was that much of what is insinuated and postulated is backed up by anecdotal evidence. Mind you I didn’t read the whole book just the parts that were assigned and Mr. Bull might have conducted a real study but I feel the writing lacked a real scientific weight. My impression of what I read was that it was great hypothesizing and a good thought experiment. In other words, good place to start but I want something more. With that in mind…

In the first section Bull introduces us to the target of the discussion. People that use personal stereo devices and how/what that changes for them. Overall I found the interviewees’ quotes very relatable. In my life and others around me this phenomenon of having to have your personal devices with you. When this book was written the iPod hadn’t come out yet and it would seem even the CD wasn’t in full force either. MP3 players I think have made the idea of having the “right” music for the “right time and place” has changed because people can now carry their entire library with them. Bull confronts that in his interview. But what hasn’t changed, at least for me, is that it isn’t about the music it’s about the playlists I create and making sure I have the right music categorized for my moods. Also, for me, podcasts have become that thing I got to make sure I downloaded before I go anywhere because I find myself listening to them way more than music.

In the second section, we read, the main focus seems to be the people who can’t handle silence. I found this section the hardest to relate to because I can’t sleep if there is noise… of any kind. I like to be alone with my thoughts. I’m not afraid of isolation. In fact I would go as far as to say I would probably go a little nuts if music/talking were going ALL the time.

And finally the notorious third section where the author, Bull, begins to draw some conclusions about what these devices do to what is known as the “gaze.” This is where I am cautious. Mainly because the things he talks about seems highly speculative. Although the things he says and the anecdotes of the interviewees seems intuitively right and sound some of what is insinuated bothers me. Just as an example when he’s talking about the cyclists and how they are more aware with their stereos; he slides in a statement about how the reaction time has been shown to be slowed in but in the rest of the writing he comes down much more on the side of how the personal stereo makes people more aware. Yes I know that’s what this section is about and he wants the evidence he presents to be in favor of his hypothesis but this part of the book reminds me of those party guys who say they drive better drunk… do they REALY?