so if it is fingers in ears only then it wouldn't pay to start a conversation out there near the back end, would it?
Where one is stuffing things in one's ears or putting on a head clamp, one isn't necessarily in a place where one is carrying on a conversation in the first place. Wait until you're back up by the nosewheel. Or better yet, in the cockpit. Trying to block sound by covering your ears, you see, then trying to hear better...is somewhat in opposition. You can see that, can't you?