Silence is golden

Or should I say, silents are golden? Lately, I've been on a sort of mini-binge of watching old silent films on DVD. Huzzah for Buster Keaton and D.W. Griffith! Unfortunately, I didn't find out about the Great Lakes Cinephile Society and their annual silent-film convention until just now. Oh well, maybe next year, if I'm still in the area.

I wonder -- If I listen to radio programs that feature sound-without-sight, and watch movies that feature sight-without-sound, do the two cancel each other out?