Line #123 Main/CassetteCraze


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5	%% This list of examples has been alphabetized. Please add your example in the proper place. Thanks!
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11	[[quoteright:640:[[Series/TwinPeaks https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cassette_craze.jpg]]]]
12	[[caption-width-right:640:You'll be hearing a lot of this...]]
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14	It started with logs and diaries, as an easy way for characters to monologue information that was too time-consuming to explain, or just happened off-screen. Then came the Cassette Craze, when characters would carry around portable recorders to record the adventures of guys who traveled a lot because writing is not [[RuleOfCool cool]], and diaries are for sissies. This would evolve into the CaptainsLog later, but that's [[ExactlyExtyYearsAgo exty years into the future]], and will probably never happen anyway. In the modern day, TechnologyMarchesOn and cassette recordings have been rendered obsolete by digital equivalents, but tapes persist in fiction due to a combination of TheCoconutEffect and RuleOfCool; a hard-boiled reporter leaving his critical notes as audio files on a flash drive just doesn't evoke quite the same feeling.
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16	Of course, this is a JustifiedTrope when the speaker is a writer, teacher, journalist, researcher, doctor, or scientist because it makes for better accuracy when there's a voice behind the words, and it's [[TruthInTelevision really used by said professionals]] in the field. It makes for more detailed information as the person works and better recordkeeping.
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18	It also makes {{Apocalyptic Log}}s that end with the death of the speaker a lot more plausible. Who ''writes'' while they're being devoured? It's the in thing to beg for mercy and scream, and you just can't do that on paper.
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20	!!Examples
21
22	[[foldercontrol]]
23
24	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
25	* This is used very ominously at the end of ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'''s Tatarigoroshi-hen, in which a tape with unknown origins (but is believed and implied to be an interview of [[spoiler:Keiichi]] done by a journalist) is discovered and essentially ends with [[spoiler:Keiichi]] going on a LaughingMad tirade. The DS novel even shows a picture of him completely nuts, although [[FridgeLogic how you can see that on an audio tape]] [[MST3KMantra isn't really ever addressed]].
26	* In the ''Anime/{{Witchblade}}'' anime, [[http://www.funimation.com/witchblade/characters/reina_sohou.html Sohou Reina]] aka 'Lady' is obsessed with self-exploration ([[WildMassGuessing possibly]] trying to figure out [[IJustWantToBeNormal how to be normal human]] despite her [[{{Tykebomb}} abnormal upbringing]]), so she keeps a recorder and dictates her impressions whenever she has any. [[spoiler:Thus, when her recorder is finally broken, it foreshadows her own death, which was [[PhlebotinumOverload imminent]] anyway.]]
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[folder:Audio Drama]]
30	* ''AudioPlay/ThirtySixQuestions'' is framed as if everything is being recorded on Judith's mobile phone, with it only being turned off when the battery is dying or nobody is talking.
31	* The ''AudioPlay/BigFinishDoctorWho'' audio drama ''[[Recap/BigFinishDoctorWhoCCS6E1TalesFromTheVault Tales From The Vault]]'' is a ScrapbookStory based on UNIT audio recordings. We're told that Jo Grant started recording her reports on tape because she never got around to writing them up, and Steven left his [[WriteBackToTheFuture message to the future]] on a wax cylinder because he thought it would be more durable.
32	* The Made-For-Audiocassette ''Series/{{Star Trek\|The Original Series}}'' Captain Sulu adventure ''Cacophony'' is presented with the framing device of a Federation special investigator making a report on an suspected prime directive violation by Sulu and the Excelsior. Because the investigator is a bit of an eccentric (played by [[Series/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy1981 Simon Jones]]), he's had all of his source documents transferred to a twentieth-century audio cassette. (The implication is that his final report is the same physical cassette the audience is listening to.)
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	[[folder:Comic Strips]]
36	* ''ComicStrip/{{Luann}}'''s titular character uses one of these as her diary.
37	[[/folder]]
38
39	[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]
40	* In ''Film/FourteenOhEight'', Mike Enslin keeps records on a tape recorder, a little more justified since he writes books about hotels at which he stays, and it's all taking notes.
41	** In the story the movie is based on, he found that when camping out in graveyards, the tape recorder is easier to use than paper.
42	* ''Film/{{Amelie}}'': Gina's obsessive stalker Joseph is at the cafe where she works every day, using a dictating machine to take notes on her every movement. When he then moves on to Georgette, he demonstrates his stalking by playing back all the references to "camel hair" (belonging to a particular male) in quick succession.
43	* Tom Ripley in Wim Wenders' ''Der Amerikanische Freund'' (''Film/TheAmericanFriend'') tapes himself. Later he gives the dictaphone to his German stooge as an impromptu gift.
44	* In ''Film/BackToTheFuture1'', Doc Brown uses a tape recorder as a log on his experiments.
45	* Dr. Conrad Zimsky (Stanley Tucci) in ''Film/TheCore'' has a tendency to constantly and pretentiously narrate the journey for his upcoming biography, much to the annoyance of the other crew members. Subverted when [[spoiler: he ends up trapped in a discarded compartment with the nuclear weapon about to detonate and "jump-start the planet". He tries narrating his final moments only to realize how pointless it would be to keep narrating when all the evidence would be vaporized as soon as the weapon detonates, so he asks himself "[[PrecisionFStrike What the fuck am I doing?]]", drops the tape recorder to the ground and laughs until the bomb explodes.]]
46	* [[Creator/NormMacdonald Norm [=MacDonald=]]]'s character in ''Film/DirtyWork'' is constantly making notes-to-self on his dictaphone, which becomes an important plot device later when he accidentally leaves it on. Notably, the "note-to-self" thing was already an element of Norm [=Macdonald=]'s comedy before the movie came out.
47	* ''Film/{{Flatliners}}'': Randy Steckle (Oliver Platt) is constantly talking into his tape recorder, making notes about the experiments and situation and taping what the other characters are saying.
48	* In ''Film/FriendOfTheWorld'', Gore uses cassette tape recordings [[spoiler:to disclose important plot points about the setting before the film begins and again in a reveal toward the end.]]
49	* ''Film/HorrorOfDracula'': Van Helsing records notes on a nifty Edison wax-cylinder phonograph (probably a ShoutOut to Seward's phonograph diary in the novel). Alas, it only plays out as a joke when a servant wonders who the good doctor is talking to, and is somewhat taken aback when Van Helsing says he is talking to himself.
50	* The ''Film/LostInSpace'' movie has Dr. Robinson using his recorder gadget to remind himself of all sorts of things, like taping an apology for missing his son's Science Fair.
51	* In ''Film/{{Primer}}'' Aaron constantly records everything people are saying so he can play it back [[spoiler: and cue himself during the next iteration of a time loop]].
52	* ''Film/TheWomanInBlack'': In the 1994 film, Arthur Kidd discovers the wax cylinder recordings of Mrs Drablow's notes, and learns about the history of the Woman in Black. He also uses the machine to make notes on his own movements, including testing it by whistling comically.
53	[[/folder]]
54
55	[[folder:Literature]]
56	* In ''Literature/ThirteenReasonsWhy'', Hannah Baker records several tapes, detailing [[spoiler:the events she believes are the ones that ended in her suicide.]] Said tapes are then sent to the thirteen people she blames, or in the case of [[spoiler:Clay Jensen,]] the people she wants to apologize to.
57	** Hannah records the tapes with the help of [[spoiler:Tony Padilla]], who is one of the few people in the town who still uses cassette tapes. Later on, it's revealed that [[spoiler: Tony is the person who has the second set of tapes, and is willing to release them to the public.]]
58	* Probable UrExample in ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'': Dr. Seward uses a phonograph to record his observations.
59	* In ''Literature/TheHandmaidsTale'', the stories told by Offred are revealed to have been discovered recorded on cassettes at the end of the book.
60	* Played with in the short story "The Only One" by David S. Garnett. It starts off as a {{Steampunk}} story, but the lead character is unaware that when he travels "back" in time, the tech level actually goes ''up'', with his own equipment changing to match. So initially he's recording the story on a wax cylinder, then a phonograph record, vinyl, cassettes, microcassettes, and eventually a built-in hard drive.
61	* ''Literature/SherlockHolmesAndDoctorWasNot'': In "The Adventure of the Madman", author Nancy Holder claims [[DirectLineToTheAuthor the story is transcribed from phonograph cylinders found in the effects of one of her ancestors, Mary Holder]], who is a major character in the story. This is a ShoutOut to ''Literature/{{Dracula}}'', as the doctor in this story is Dr. John Seward.
62	[[/folder]]
63
64	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
65	* Alex in ''Series/AshesToAshes2008'' records her experiences on a tape recorder, addressing her daughter in them.
66	* ''Series/DeathInParadise'': One of D.I. Neville Parker's quirks is his constant dictating of his observations and case notes into his Dictaphone.
67	* In ''Series/{{Farscape}}'', John Crichton uses a tape recorder to record messages to his dad.
68	* In ''Series/{{Heroes}}'', Mohinder starts using a small handheld tape recorder after [[ProfessorGuineaPig experimenting on himself]] and starting to become some sort of insect-like mutant. Plus his erratic behavior scared off everyone who could play TheWatson for him (or, rather, every other character is occupied with better subplots than his), so he's got no one to explain his experiments to but his trusty tape recorder.
69	* In the PilotMovie ''Film/TheInvisibleWoman1983'', Bob Denver's character used one of these devices.
70	* Parodied on ''Series/{{Scrubs}}'': J.D. and Turk claim to carry a dictaphone around to take patient notes, but they actually use it to tape their singing when no one's about.
71	* In the FamousAncestor episode of ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', Shannon O'Donnell, Janeway's [[IdenticalGrandson surprisingly identical ancestor]], uses a tape player to record logs of her travels.
72	* Diane, I've noticed that Agent Dale Cooper in ''Series/TwinPeaks'' constantly records his observations on his handheld cassette recorder, including personal opinions having nothing to do with his job. In fact, there are hints that 'Diane' may not be a person, but the name he gave the tape recorder. In the third season, we finally meet the real Diane, [[spoiler: and the {{tulpa}} impersonating her]].
73	* ''Series/TheXFiles'':
74	** Scully practically abuses her recorder in order to tell the audience useful tidbits about the case, usually when she is performing an autopsy.
75	** Many agents are shown to use cassettes to record their cases. In "Lazarus", Mulder listens to the cassettes of Jack Willis as he tracks down a Bonnie and Clyde couple.
76	** Scotland Yard detective Phoebe Green used a cassette to relay the basics of the case she was working on and needed help with (upon it's finding, Mulder quips that "10 to 1 you can't dance to it."). She also leaves one at the end of that episode, but it is never listened to.
77	** Mulder is seen to use a tape recorder; during "Little Green Men", he uses one to record his findings in the hopes that Scully would find them.
78	** During "En Ami", Scully sends Mulder cassette tapes to alert him as to where she has gone with CSM.
79	** Confessions of suspects are usually put on cassettes; Mulder listens to Duane Barry's confession repeatedly during Scully's abduction in season two.
80	[[/folder]]
81
82	[[folder:Podcast]]
83	* ''Podcast/TheMagnusArchives'': Part of the archivist's job is to record audio versions of the statements, and each episode of the podcast consists of one such recording. He uses an actual tape recorder for the more "bizarre" statements (i.e. all the ones we hear) because for some reason they don't record properly on computers. Later on, the tapes begin appearing on their own, and [[spoiler: are later revealed to have been tied to [[GreaterScopeVillain the Web]] the whole time.]]
84	[[/folder]]
85
86	[[folder:Radio]]
87	* In ''Radio/AdventuresInOdyssey'', private eye Harlow Doyle uses a cassette recorder. The first time he did so was in "The Case of the Candid Camera"; he got confused and thought he was hearing a radio station when he rewound the tape and heard himself singing "Three Little Fishes".
88	* Radio adaptations of ''Dracula'' and ''Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds'' have appropriately replaced the character's diaries with recording machines. It's especially effective in ''Worlds'', in a late scene the narrator is interrupted by the entrance of another refugee; their important conversation is recorded simply because he doesn't bother to turn off the machine.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Theater]]
92	* The premise of ''Theatre/KrappsLastTape'' by Samuel Beckett. The main character takes a tape out and listens to it, then makes a new tape. The tape he listens to is always wound to the same part.
93	[[/folder]]
94
95	[[folder:Video Games]]
96	* In ''VideoGame/{{BioShock\|1}}'', the citizens of Rapture kept their diaries, notes and messages to each other on personal voice recorders, all of which you find lying about the city. This allows you to listen to their {{Apocalyptic Log}}s while walking around. Its predecessors, ''VideoGame/SystemShock'' and ''VideoGame/SystemShock2'', also do this.
97	* ''Franchise/DeadSpace'' sprinkles audiologs around like it's candy, with characters telling about how everything went bad. In one extreme example, a man record his monologue ''while he is sawing of his legs''.
98	* Though lacking any technical means of conveying the recordings to the player, ''VideoGame/{{Dear Esther}}'' is basically this trope in and of itself. The whole plot, whether you perceive it as a spiritual experience with internal monologue, or metaphorical journey with author's voiceover, is a series of disjointed thoughts narrated in a manner similar to a diary in an epistolary novel. Besides all sorts of musings and associations, it contains a log of a man who deteriorates and dies of his injuries on his way to the top of the mountain.
99	* ''VideoGame/Doom3'' has recordings that sometimes contain door access codes and computer passwords.
100	* ''VideoGame/FrostyNights'': The horror story [[PlayerCharacter the boy]] listens to is on five cassette tapes.
101	* ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'': Logs and messages from both invading alien races can be found all over the place, often with reams of subplot, and occasionally with hints about unlocking special skills.
102	* ''VideoGame/NelsonTethersPuzzleAgent'' uses a tape recorder. He has a tendency to [[IsThisThingStillOn ramble on without remembering to turn it off.]]
103	* ''VideoGame/TheRadioStation'': There are seven casette tapes to collect in the game. At least six of them are recordings of Masaki's radio show broadcasts.
104	* ''VideoGame/Skyland1976'': One of the items [[PlayerCharacter Simon]] can pick up is a cassette tape.
105	* Done in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderUnderworld'', to allow Lara to give hints without having to use her VoiceWithAnInternetConnection, which [[TheScrappy annoyed a lot of people]] in ''VideoGame/TombRaiderLegend''.
106	* ''VideoGame/WhiteNoiseOnline'': The items the investigators have to find are eight discarded tape recorders.
107	[[/folder]]
108
109
110	[[folder:Webcomics]]
111	* ''Webcomic/GFSerendipity'': The first page of the "Fiddleford's Log" arc shows that Fiddleford is recording his narration into a cassette.
112	[[/folder]]
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114
115	[[folder:Web Original]]
116	* This is pretty much the ''basis'' of ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets''. Justified early on by the fact that most of the characters are film students, and later since [[Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos the resident]] HumanoidAbomination shows up on tape even when people can't see/remember it, so taping yourself can be a damn good idea.
117	* "[[https://youtu.be/8jjEMLhPn9M The tape recorder no one wanted to see]]," from the Website/YouTube channel Techmoan. It's about a British police interview recorder, which is a specialised twin cassette model.
118	[[/folder]]
119
120	[[folder:Western Animation]]
121	* In ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatiansTheSeries'', Cruella de Vil is often seen speaking into one: "[[MadLibsCatchPhrase Memo to myself:...]]"
122	* ''WesternAnimation/BojackHorseman'' has a more tragic example in "Out To Sea": [[spoiler:Diane resorts to speaking all of her thoughts and ideas into a tape recorder while slumping around at [=Bojack=]'s house. Unlike most examples, the situation makes the perspective bleaker: after suffering through all season and abandoning her husband to chase a bigger purpose, she has just given up. ''[[DeconstructedTrope She's spewing nonsense to avoid actually doing something and facing failure again]]''.]]
123	* Parodied in ''WesternAnimation/KingOfTheHill'', CrazySurvivalist Dale Gribble speaks into a tape recorder when he believes he's been fatally infected with rabies and proceeds to flee into the wilderness in delirium. He lists off various items to bring with him next time he flees into the wilderness, including batteries for the tape recorder. He then proceeds to toss the empty tape recorder into the forest, and finishes his diary by speaking into a pinecone about how he'll also need to bring a new tape recorder.
124	* In ''{{WesternAnimation/Metalocalypse}}'', Nathan Explosion carries a digital recording device at all times in the event that he has an idea for a song out of nowhere.
125	* In ''WesternAnimation/ReBoot'', [=AndrAIa=] blatantly {{Expospeak}}s into a cassette recorder about her and Matrix's journey through the games. Including covertly expressing concerns about Matrix's morale, even though he's standing right next to her. And then the cassette recorder is never seen again.
126	* Entrapta from ''WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower'' uses some kind of recording device to log her experiments and adventures. Also PlayedForLaughs. Entrapta tends to forget which day it is, and guess when she starts a new part of the log. Somehow, she doesn't lose the object daily and it doesn't ever seem to break.
127	* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': Bart Simpson uses one in "Radio Bart" to prank others, eventually leading to the entire town getting tricked when he pretends that a boy named Timmy fell down the well.
128	* In ''WesternAnimation/StevenUniverse'' After [[spoiler: Peridot is caught by the Crystal Gems and they work together to stop the cluster,]] Steven gives [[spoiler: Peridot]] one, which she uses constantly in the subsequent episodes. The majority of the episode Log Date 7 15 2 is told through flashbacks framed by her cassettes.
129	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBrothers'' episode "Ghosts of the Sargasso," Doctor Venture's pretentious narration gives way to panic and desperation as his underwater exploration doesn't go as planned.
130	[[/folder]]
131
132	[[folder: Real Life]]
133	* The "black box" from an airplane, often recovered when the plane crashes.
134	* A more modern version can involve podcasts, Website/YouTube channels, and the use of phones. Voice recorders are still used as well.
135	* Modern iPods can record voice memos, if you have a set of earbuds with an attached microphone.
136	[[/folder]]

Context Main / CassetteCraze