I sat next to this guy on the train who was blasting heavy metal incredibly loud out of his headphones (and sleeping). Maybe he was having a bad day, but he was playing it so loud I feel like it had to be for everyone else's benefit. He wanted to share his music with the world but more tell the world that that music is part of his identity. I wonder if there would be a market for reverse headphones - headphones that only project music outward, for those people who want to project a certain self-image without listening to the music itself. One could listen to Coltrane or Vanessa Carlton's "Thousand Miles" while the world thinks they're listening to Black Eyed Peas or someone equally bad. You could also use reverse headphones as a way to ward people away from the seat next to you; Brotha Lynch and Andre Nickatina are perfect for that purpose. Would expand on this idea but I have three midterms tomorrow.

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