Somewhat? I don't think he's positing conspiracy, but this certainly seems to be about a larger breakdown than some shitty earbuds. The piece repeatedly admit

Somewhat? I don't think he's positing conspiracy, but this certainly seems to be about a larger breakdown than some shitty earbuds. The piece repeatedly admits that all of the old movie tech he's lauding is still bulky and impractical and terrible. It certainly doesn't seem to be endorsing Blade Runner and The Matrix as actual, human-friendly design. So what I got from it was an indictment of blankness more than minimalism. The feeling, broadly, that something is terribly wrong and that this is reflected in enforced-aesthetic devices as well as larger society.