What Being From Los Angeles Means To You and Others
During a jam packed fun weekend, I had the chance to meet a number of different individuals. A question that is usually, if not always brought up in the conversation you have with a new person is the question “where are you from”. As I say LA like I usually do if the person is not from here, one of the first things you hear from there afterwards is wow, or lucky! I am curious in determining why this is? Is there anything special about Los Angeles or anything about me from LA that is worthy of a wow or lucky? I would also love for the class to also reflect on their experiences with living in LA and if there has been anything they have done or want to do that they couldn’t do anywhere else but Los Angeles. Thanks!
I have also observed this in similar experiences. One time I was in Las Vegas and a girl asked me where I was from and I said LA, and she responded with asking me if I lived near Hollywood. I think this goes back to our past conversations on the associations people who aren't from here have with LA, whether accurate or not. I think for some, once they find out that someone is from LA, a multitude of expectations, stereotypes, and associations cross their minds. As far as my experiences, I think because I've lived here my whole life, I don't idolize LA or anything within LA. For example, I don't go to Hollywood very often and the last time I walked on Hollywood Blvd was when I was like five years old, and I hardly remember it. Yet, the girl from Las Vegas who asked me where I was from immediately associated Hollywood with being from LA. Other experiences I've had in LA haven't necessarily been anything that couldn't be done anywhere else; hikes, new food, shopping, etc) I mean, there are certain landmarks unique to LA, like Disneyland or The Griffith Observatory. Or the coast (beaches), if you live in a landlocked state. So, especially in places where many people from all over gather, such as Las Vegas or even Coachella lol, you get more of a "wow" reaction to LA.
ReplyDeleteGetting clout for being an Angeleno is definitely a thing. Its something perpetuated by media, the first thing that came to mind was that scene in Parent Trap when the twin from LA is bombarded with questions about "meeting celebrities" or going to Hollywood. To be honest, it is something I sometimes prefer saying. I say, "I am from LA" rather than from "Pasadena" because 1. it saves me from any chance of having to explain what/where "Pasadena" is and also because I guess I feel the "coolness" of being from LA... in the beginning of the year we listed out all the stereotypes that shape our vision of Los Angeles and a lot of them create an all encompassing stereotyped energy of LA. I think I am definitely influenced by the LA popularized by general media but LA is thriving right now as a sort of idealized metropolitan paradise. The issue with this is that it fails to acknowledge the realities of a city trying to reinvent itself.. the realities include displaced people, changing demographics and to only accept the "coolness" of being an angeleno perpetuates a dangerous lack of self and communal awareness.
ReplyDeleteI think this ties in nicely with the list of stereotypes that we compiled at the beginning of the year. If I am remembering correctly, almost all of our stereotypes were positive, and I think that is something that is unique to LA. When I get to div meets, I meet kids from all across the country and when I say that i'm from LA, I get a similar reaction as Christian. The first thing that people ask me is how often I see famous people. When I talk to other kids about where they are from, they always have something to negative to say about the town that they live in. Maybe this has to do with bias. Obviously I can find something negative about LA since i've lived here for practically my whole life, but someone who's never been here may not be able to find anything negative because of the overwhelmingly positive stereotypes about it.
ReplyDeleteSince LA is such a cultural hub and cosmopolitan place, there are few things that aren't possible here. La is also in a very unique geographical area, being under 4 hours away from beaches, mountains, deserts, and a big city. This is one of the things that differentiates LA from other big cities like New York or Chicago.
I have experienced similar situations in which it is seen as extremely exciting or lucky to live in Los Angeles. I went to camp in West Virginia for 5 years of my life and I was also known as the girl from Los Angeles and everyone thought that it was really really cool that I was from LA. I often got questions like “Do you see celebrities often?” or “Do you go to the beach everyday?” or “Why would you go to camp in WV if you live in Los Angeles?!” I think this ties back to some of our conversations earlier in the year about the stereotypes of Los Angeles. For those who are not familiar with Los Angeles, this is the celebrity-filled city of mansions and fame where the sun never stops shining and the beach is everyones backyard. However, this is clearly a misconceived notion of our city but one that has been consistent for many many years. I have lived in Pasadena, in the same house, going to school in the same 5 mile radius for all 18 years of my life. I do not wish to have another life but as you can see I have lived a very sheltered, un-adventurous life within my own city. I rarely leave Pasadena and when I do it is considered an “adventure”. I do think that living in Los Angeles is special and there is such diversity and culture here. I will probably end up back here when I am older. I wish I had taken more advantage of this awesome city because I honestly do think there is something special about Los Angeles. Maybe not the constant celebrity spottings but more about the way in which LA “moves” and lives within itself. I feel lucky to live in LA.
ReplyDeleteMost of the time when I tell someone that I am from Los Angeles, the person I am talking to is not from California or is not too familiar with it. For example, if someone in the area asks me where I am from, I say Pasadena, because most people in Southern California knows where it is. On the other hand, if I am in a different state and a person asks where I live, I am more than likely going to answer Los Angeles, which usually stirs a negative reaction. I think this negative reaction happens because most of the people I talk to outside of California live in a small and rural town named Osceola, Iowa (where most of my family lives). This may be surprising to some, but most people in Osceola do not like Los Angeles. Their perception of Los Angeles is that it is snobby, filled with pricks, and is overly liberal. These perceptions definitely arise from a difference in values between small towns and Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteI think that people’s first associations with LA are Hollywood and movie stars. People from out of state and different countries ask if i’ve seen movie stars or been to Hollywood. When it’s snowing somewhere else, they say they wish they were in “Cali” where the sun is. If they’re from the countryside, the idea is that LA has a ton of things to do all the time. I’d say the weather is something that makes LA unique. The fact that we can go to the beach right next to the city during all times of year is unique. We also have great Mexican food, not to mention various types of Asian food.
ReplyDeleteWoah dude did you go to Chellllllllla? On a more serious note, I believe people go "wow" and "lucky" because Los Angeles is one of the best places in the world live (particularly if you're upper-middle to upper class). People can always point out the negatives of Los Angeles in the form of gentrification, poverty, and disease, but I feel that this class tends to forget about the positives of Los Angeles. LA is one of the most popping cities and provides endless activities for everyone to take part of. This has been said a lot, but Los Angeles is one of the few places in the world where you can go skiing in the morning then go surfing at night. I believe that LA is one of the most amazing and unique places that we live. On that note, outside viewers see Los Angeles as such paradise, but they don't get to experience it every day, so they tend to think higher about Los Angeles than we do because we get to see LA every day and we forget how amazing it really is.
ReplyDeleteLike we have addressed in the beginning of the year, Los Angeles has many stereotypes and expectations associated with it from outsiders. From the pervasive movie culture to being a surfer, there are many positive assumptions outsiders make about our city. Obviously they are not all true, but really only we can attest to that. I think angelenos are normal people but with many opportunities surrounding us, making it seem like every angeleno does all of the possible things offered. I think that indulgences in Los Angeles are very extensive. For instance, we have a fantastically diverse food scene. I think there is also an aspect of the sheer amount of people in Los Angeles that can only be found in other large cities. Living with millions of other people is a very interesting experience. I think it may look like we are a certain type of person to outsiders, but we just happen to reside in Los Angeles.
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ReplyDeleteI feel as though I’m very lucky to live somewhere like Los Angeles. Just like many cities, obviously LA has many issues but I think there are many reasons why people consider you lucky to live in LA. First of all, it’s a city with so much opportunity. LA has the reputation of being the city of show business as far as the music and production industry and I do think that’s true. I also think it’s true that LA offers a lot of opportunity elsewhere to pursue as a career or as far as just something to do. You can never get bored in this city which I believe is very important to think about as well. Another thing that I believe makes LA such a great place is how diverse it is as far as race, socio-economic status, culture, religion etc There are so many different types of people to interact with and learn from. These among many other reasons, I believe LA is a great city but I do think that the stereotypes kind of contribute to this falsified idea that Los Angeles is some kind of superior city. I don’t think there is anything necessarily special about Los Angeles but I do believe that there are many factors that make it a great city. If I lived somewhere maybe in the South that wasn’t as liberal or somewhere in the northeast with less desirable weather than obviously I would want to move to somewhere like LA. I would really love to travel around the world and maybe even live in a few different states for some time but I know that I will end up back in LA because not only does it feel safe and familiar but if I settled somewhere else I would be craving and missing certain aspects of LA.
I have definitely noticed this a lot! Last year in Spain when I would tell people I was from Los Angeles they would usually proceed to ask if i surf everyday or hang out with the Kardashians. This was something I noticed basically every time I told someone I was from L.A. It was like they immediately saw me differently and assumed I was much more aware and involved with pop culture/media than my friends from Georgia or Seattle. I remember a moment when I was speaking with my host mom and she was telling my how one of her friends was depressed and then she stopped and looked at me and explained what depression was. She told me that I probably wasn't aware of the definition of depression because people where "I live" can't suffer from depression since it is always sunny. It was like weather was no longer a factor for depression but the primary reason and the presence of sun can remove an entire mental illness from a city. Anyways, I feel like this ties in to one of the very first activities we did in this class where we examined the stereotypes of Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteWhen people ask me where I’m from, I also say LA. When I was at SDLC, I knew that NO ONE knew where Altadena was and I had no intention of explaining to people where it is. So, I say LA because it is so well known. But I think it’s funny how only the wealthy part of LA is known- Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Calabasas, etc. The reason people say “wow” or “lucky” is because they associate only those places with LA and not place like Skid Row. Like, imagine if you were talking to someone and they were like “HUUUGHHH you live in LA oh my god you’re so lucky!!!!!" And you’re like “well…I grew up in Compton so..not really”
ReplyDeleteHonestly, maybe it’s because I’ve grown up here, but when I go downtown, I’m bored. Like sleeping honestly and maybe it’s because I expect more than what is given because it’s so overly hyped by people who believe LA to be this paradise, when in reality it’s just a big area of smog…that has been my experience here (I haven’t done a lot in LA, so that’s probably why). As for what people couldn’t de anywhere else but LA? Constantly inhale excessive amounts of polluted air.
I think what's special about Los Angeles is the same reason we are able to have a class devoted to it. Los Angeles is a large, diverse city with a rich history (both good and bad). As a result, Los Angeles has an image that is presented to the country and world. When people are in awe because I say I am from Los Angeles, it is probably a result of media representations. Los Angeles is portrayed as the place where actors live and there is always something to do. But, it is not constrained to that. As we have talked about in class, Los Angeles' appeal changes from person to person. But, simply as a result of its size and impact on the United States, people are going to respond a certain way when you say you are from Los Angeles.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of experiences I could only have in Los Angeles, the biggest one is probably the weather. The fact that it is almost always sunny, dry, and around 70 degrees is an awesome and unique aspect of Los Angeles most cities cannot experience.
I have had literally 0 experiences with people where they asked me if I regularly see celebrities because I live in Los Angeles. Like quite literally 0. Los Angeles is constantly portrayed as being a city of stars that is most well known for the sheer number of celebrities which Hollywood has produced. However, this one industry city actually holds nearly every single industry, and is a bustling metropolis with a gdp that is higher than a decent amount of countries. It's odd that California seems like a liberal state that is at the forefront of progress, yet at the same time, Lockheed Martin, a weapons development firm for the military, is the second largest employer in the state. We also have the LA port which brings in huge amounts of revenue and trade.
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