California Culture: Circa 2000

[methodwriter85]

The airing of the Unauthorized Beverly Hills 90210 Story of course made me feel nostalgic for the show:

 

 

Private Tim, Beverly Hills 90210 was "your" time, so to speak. (They were class of 1993, you were class of 1995.) How well did the show reflect the experiences of affluent SoCal high schoolers in the early 1990's, which you seem to have experienced?

 

I'm kind of disappointed that Mark never sneaked in a reference to 90210, although I get the feeling he wasn't a fan. (I once talked about Shannen Doherty's acting and how good she was, and Mark wondered if I was high. LOL.) It also kind of makes sense why he didn't- the show's zenith was around 1992-1993, which were years we didn't cover.

 

I do really, really hope he can sneak in a reference to The O.C., which was kind of the 90210 for my generation:

 

 

The show was pretty huge for about a year...it premiered on August 5th of 2003, and it was one of the few times I can remember watching a show that everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, was talking about. (I tend to favor towards cult hits.) The fad was over pretty quick, but it did have a big impact while it did...although still not quite as big as Beverly Hills 90210 did. (I'm just going to pretend the reboot never happened.)

Edited October 5, 2015 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

First Gay Kiss on Kiss Cam at LA Kings Vs. Maple Leaf:

 

 

I loved when they got to the second (gay) couple the people just cheered. As terrible as the 21st century has been in some aspects, the fact that this can happen now and the guys don't have to be worried about getting gaybashed because they were seen kissing in public is pretty cool.

 

Anyway, I thought Mark as a native Californian and a hockey fan would appreciate this.

 

On a completely different topic also pertaining to L.A., hope you guys are enjoying El Nino...you guys desperately needed it!

 

Los Angeles River Gets $3.6 Million in Funds to Shore Up Against Floods

 

Prolly a nice reminder to the Friends of the L.A. River that they do need to keep the flood mitigation aspect of the river going.

 

I wonder if there are going to be any idiots that decide it'd be fun to try and raft it.

Edited January 10, 2016 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

The L.A. Rams Are Back!

 

I know our author is a long-suffering fan of them, so I thought that might be of interest.

 

I wonder if L.A. people are going to be really that into it, because the impression I've been continually given is that this is a basketball state, save for the fans of college football. (And I guess 49ers fans in NorCal?)

 

Was there ever considerable support for the Rams back when it was a Los Angeles team? Do you see the city giving its support to the team again?

 

I do feel bad for St Louis.

[mmike1969]

Screw the Rams. F the Raiders.

 

We in Alameda County are STILL paying off Bonds bribing those losers to come back to Oakland from ungrateful LA.

[methodwriter85]

Screw the Rams. F the Raiders.

 

We in Alameda County are STILL paying off Bonds bribing those losers to come back to Oakland from ungrateful LA.

 

Isn't your county still massively wealthy from the real estate boom that Mark lovingly detailed in The Land Whore?

 

In any event, it sounds like the Raiders are trying to jump ship back to LA, too.

 

It just seems kind of dumb to spend that much to lure back some mediocre teams that the city didn't seem to appreciate to begin with, especially when you're a city dealing with a major historic drought, a cockamine plan to turn your concrete ditch into river real estate, and other things Blue has talked about that seems like there's some shakiness to the L.A. economy. 

[PrivateTim]

I wonder if L.A. people are going to be really that into it, because the impression I've been continually given is that this is a basketball state, save for the fans of college football. (And I guess 49ers fans in NorCal?)

 

Was there ever considerable support for the Rams back when it was a Los Angeles team? Do you see the city giving its support to the team again?

 

I do feel bad for St Louis.

 

Why would you feel bad for St. Louis? They stole the franchise from the Los Angeles area.

 

The Rams were not actually in Los Angeles when they left, they were in Orange County and under control of the much hated Georgia Irwin Geiger Johnson Hayes Wyler Rosenbloom Frontiere (yes, Carroll Rosenbloom, the owner of the LA Rams was her SIXTH husband). Georgia was booed so vociferously at Rams games she stopped attending.

 

The Rams were much beloved and very successful under Rosenbloom and mostly under his son Steve, who was running the team at the time of the elder Rosenbloom suspicious drowning. (Cubans, the Mob, CIA and gambling interests are the ones blamed in the better conspiracy theories).

 

The first thing mommie dearest did was fire Carroll's son Steve and take over the business she had never had any involvement in.

 

So no, no one in LA was sorry to see them leave.

[methodwriter85]

Why would you feel bad for St. Louis? They stole the franchise from the Los Angeles area.

 

The Rams were not actually in Los Angeles when they left, they were in Orange County and under control of the much hated Georgia Irwin Geiger Johnson Hayes Wyler Rosenbloom Frontiere (yes, Carroll Rosenbloom, the owner of the LA Rams was her SIXTH husband). Georgia was booed so vociferously at Rams games she stopped attending.

 

The Rams were much beloved and very successful under Rosenbloom and mostly under his son Steve, who was running the team at the time of the elder Rosenbloom suspicious drowning. (Cubans, the Mob, CIA and gambling interests are the ones blamed in the better conspiracy theories).

 

The first thing mommie dearest did was fire Carroll's son Steve and take over the business she had never had any involvement in.

 

So no, no one in LA was sorry to see them leave.

 

Do you think that there's going to be support for the team now, or not? I mean, again, aside from college football, California really does seem like a basketball state. Is there really going to be demand for an NFL Los Angeles team?

 

As for St. Louis, it's just kind of sad given what they did to get the team, and the fact that it was only successful for a very short period, but they still showed a lot of support for it. Also, that St. Louis is a struggling rust belt city. That's always sad. (Although Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are doing pretty nicely right now!)

Edited January 15, 2016 by methodwriter85

[PrivateTim]

Do you think that there's going to be support for the team now, or not? I mean, again, aside from college football, California really does seem like a basketball state. Is there really going to be demand for an NFL Los Angeles team?

 

As for St. Louis, it's just kind of sad given what they did to get the team, and the fact that it was only successful for a very short period, but they still showed a lot of support for it. Also, that St. Louis is a struggling rust belt city. That's always sad. (Although Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are doing pretty nicely right now!)

 

No offense, but CA isn't an itty bitty state like DL.

 

CA is a water polo state, s swimming state, a rodeo state, a snowboarding state, a mountain bike state and on and on and on.

 

The state is huge and diverse there is no pigeon holing it in any one category.

 

I will say that it isn't like areas like Philadelphia or Buffalo or Green Bay where people get wrapped around the axle over pro-sports teams in general.

[methodwriter85]

No offense, but CA isn't an itty bitty state like DL.

 

CA is a water polo state, s swimming state, a rodeo state, a snowboarding state, a mountain bike state and on and on and on.

 

The state is huge and diverse there is no pigeon holing it in any one category.

 

I will say that it isn't like areas like Philadelphia or Buffalo or Green Bay where people get wrapped around the axle over pro-sports teams in general.

 

Dude, it's Del. or DE. Geez. DL is a slang term for black males who live straight lives but secretly have sex with other men. LOL.

 

Philadelphia fandom is pretty crazy, but there's also a sense of humor to it. Pittsburgh people, however, are pretty damn serious. Geez.

 

Anyway, I hope this pays off for Los Angeles. Also, that St. Louis gets another team to fill their stadium.

Edited January 19, 2016 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Jason Mraz interview from 2003:

 

 

He's basically how I imagine most Californian dudes. Although he's actually a transplant.

 

Anyway, the aesthetic he's rocking is dead-on for what I used to call the Guitar God in my List of 99 Percent of the People You Will Meet At University of Delaware:

 

 

THE GUITAR GOD
Most likely to be found at some Newark bar, coffeeshop, or some fundraisier by a fraternity, he sings his heart out on a daily basis. Ususally dressed like a typical college guy in a pair of shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops, though occasionally he'll prep it up with a oxford shirt, Express jeans, and loafers. He's ALWAYS wearing a choker, either leather or hemp, though. Generally sounding like a cross between Maroon 5 and John Mayer, the GUITAR HERO has girls swooning as he does a cover of "Your Body Is A Wonderland" and "Collide". Tends to be on the short side, so he has to go on tippy-toes as he grips the mike to his face. In general, he gets more tail than you ever will, with the exception of the AMICABLE ATHLETE.

 

Was not surprised that Jason Mraz started in a San Diego coffee shop. Not at all.

 

San Diego sounds like a great place to live- people say it's very laidback and friendly. Unless you're Betty Broderick or that crazy rapist cop.

 

In any event, John Mayer was bigger back in '03, but I feel like Jason has had better staying power. Also, he's got fucking cute feet. As a guy who likes feet, I feel fortunate that my college years coincided with when every guy was basically wearing flip-flops like everywhere.

Edited January 23, 2016 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Were suede New Balance sneakers just an East Coast thing, or did they hit California too?

 

I remember these were hitting HARD circa 2004-2005.

 

Birkenstocks (but paired with Hollister preppy gear) also should hit pretty soon:

 

 

I can tooootttttalllly see Will into wearing Birks with comfortable distressed jeans and a baggy striped polo shirt.

Edited February 6, 2016 by methodwriter85

[TetRefine]

I still wear my suede New Balances. 

[methodwriter85]

I still wear my suede New Balances. 

 

Yeah, but you're from New England, where New Balance originated.

 

I do think we're hitting the time period where they became pretty popular, but I'm talking East Coast hit. Although the author of The Best 4 Years of Adam Becker, which takes place in the South, also said they hit over there, so it might have been a national thing.

[methodwriter85]

So this week, in Los Angeles news...

 

Metro Expo Line to Begin Service to Santa Monica

 

This reminded me of Private Tim's post about how his grandmother used to be able to ride the train down to Santa Monica as a young lass. Anyway, as a fan of mass transit who hates driving in traffic, I'm glad for this. (I honestly really liked my SEPTA experiences...not so sure of the LIRR, though.) Blue (where ARE you, anyway?) should be pretty thrilled.

 

And in San Francisco news...

 

Former Yelp Employee Complains About Her Minimum Wage Job, Gets Fired

 

A young woman, known as Talia Jane, wrote a lengthy diatribe to her company's CEO about how her minimum wage job made it impossible for her to live comfortably in the Bay Area. She was promptly fired, and the post has prompted both outpouring support and outrage.

 

It does raise the question of why it's so expensive to live in San Francisco. Efforts to try and improve affordability, such as adding in tall apartment skyscrapers, have been fought tooth and nail. I do think it's untenable- at some point, something has to be done. Aren't people like resorting to moving to Oakland now or something?

[methodwriter85]

Damn, Daniel. You know, watching it, it really does remind me of the plausibility that Will could look 16-17 when he was 14. That kid is pretty big for his age:

 

[B1ue]

So this week, in Los Angeles news...

 

Metro Expo Line to Begin Service to Santa Monica

 

This reminded me of Private Tim's post about how his grandmother used to be able to ride the train down to Santa Monica as a young lass. Anyway, as a fan of mass transit who hates driving in traffic, I'm glad for this. (I honestly really liked my SEPTA experiences...not so sure of the LIRR, though.) Blue (where ARE you, anyway?) should be pretty thrilled.

Busy.

 

Yeah, its pretty neat to have that open, although the line I'm REALLY interested in is the one that will stop at LAX without needing a shuttle bus. Eventually, there will be a people mover running from the train platform to the terminal areas, which will also be cool. I look forward to that line seeing a lot of use, as people opt to use Metro instead of parking near the airport. Not everyone will, but maybe enough that parking/driving in and around the airport will be slightly less insane.

 

Slightly, anyways.

[methodwriter85]

Busy.

 

Yeah, its pretty neat to have that open, although the line I'm REALLY interested in is the one that will stop at LAX without needing a shuttle bus. Eventually, there will be a people mover running from the train platform to the terminal areas, which will also be cool. I look forward to that line seeing a lot of use, as people opt to use Metro instead of parking near the airport. Not everyone will, but maybe enough that parking/driving in and around the airport will be slightly less insane.

 

Slightly, anyways.

 

Wow, it's good to "see" you. Sounds like life is good.

 

Tom Explores LA actually did an episode around a neighborhood that's emptying out because of the planned LAX expansion, called Manchester Square:

 

 

It's really interesting to see a "ghost" neighborhood in L.A., because you don't really associate the region as having large swaths of abandoned houses, like Detroit or St. Louis.

[B1ue]

Tom Explores LA actually did an episode around a neighborhood that's emptying out because of the planned LAX expansion, called Manchester Square:

 

 

It's really interesting to see a "ghost" neighborhood in L.A., because you don't really associate the region as having large swaths of abandoned houses, like Detroit or St. Louis.

 

I'm not going to watch that video, because its a nice day and there's no need to raise my blood pressure. That and I have no further desire to hear what that f**k nugget has to say on any topic whatsoever. He hates LA so much, move. He's not like me, with familial and historical ties to the area.

 

Further, remember how I said the way he presents facts and creates a narrative are often lies? Same is probably true in this case. I'm guessing that he's presenting LAX as buying up all the property in Manchester Square, and then linking it to the upcoming metro expansion? With maybe a few "Whoa"'s thrown in to bemoan the modernization that isn't taking people in consideration? Well, there's a couple problems with that.

1. LAX and MTA are completely different companies. They work in somewhat different businesses, use different unions, and fall under different oversight. They can work together, but they aren't one big company joining forces to screw the little guy. Big companies don't actually do that all that often. In my experience, big companies have trouble getting more than one of their own internal departments to join forces, let alone manage cooperation across different corporate mindsets and traditions. Publicly managed companies are usually worse about that, not better.
2. The airport has been buying up properties in Manchester Square since the 90s. The first Metro line opened in 1993. They didn't even expand in that general direction for a good decade, the funding that is making the current expansion to LAX possible wasn't even available until 2008. I'm sure the airport was on board with a possible expansion in their direction, but that early? With their own money? With the light rail and subway systems not even proven in concept yet?
3. Isn't it much more likely that the airport was slowly buying properties in order to solidify their hold on the area against possible future needs? Disneyland is an object lesson to all of Southern California business, let me assure you. When you have a project on that scale, you buy what you need, and then buy more in the areas surrounding it. Even if you don't need it today, or in the next ten years, you buy it, and hope you don't wind up needing the property across the street as well in thirty year's time. Because otherwise you wind up leasing the property from the owner forever, and that's if you're able to use it at all. The railroad I work for has an entire department that works on this. I assume that LAX is no less forward thinking than railroad companies.

I suppose I may be being unfair to this guy, since I'm guessing based on what you said and the past two videos you got me to watch. But I don't feel bad about it. He looks around LA and sees beauty in what LA can be. I look around and see beauty in what it is. How it works, despite the flaws or even because of the flaws. He reminds me actually of the apocryphal people who buy property in the shadow of an airport runway, because its cheap, and then band together to force the airport to reroute the planes. Sure, they get a nice house out of it (that they're probably going to sell anyways, because they have no real attachment to the area), but everyone else that uses that airport now has to suffer decreased safety and decreased capacity. 

Edited March 29, 2016 by B1ue

[methodwriter85]

I'm not going to watch that video, because its a nice day and there's no need to raise my blood pressure. That and I have no further desire to hear what that f**k nugget has to say on any topic whatsoever. He hates LA so much, move. He's not like me, with familial and historical ties to the area.

 

Further, remember how I said the way he presents facts and creates a narrative are often lies? Same is probably true in this case. I'm guessing that he's presenting LAX as buying up all the property in Manchester Square, and then linking it to the upcoming metro expansion? With maybe a few "Whoa"'s thrown in to bemoan the modernization that isn't taking people in consideration? Well, there's a couple problems with that.

1. LAX and MTA are completely different companies. They work in somewhat different businesses, use different unions, and fall under different oversight. They can work together, but they aren't one big company joining forces to screw the little guy. Big companies don't actually do that all that often. In my experience, big companies have trouble getting more than one of their own internal departments to join forces, let alone manage cooperation across different corporate mindsets and traditions. Publicly managed companies are usually worse about that, not better.
2. The airport has been buying up properties in Manchester Square since the 90s. The first Metro line opened in 1993. They didn't even expand in that general direction for a good decade, the funding that is making the current expansion to LAX possible wasn't even available until 2008. I'm sure the airport was on board with a possible expansion in their direction, but that early? With their own money? With the light rail and subway systems not even proven in concept yet?
3. Isn't it much more likely that the airport was slowly buying properties in order to solidify their hold on the area against possible future needs? Disneyland is an object lesson to all of Southern California business, let me assure you. When you have a project on that scale, you buy what you need, and then buy more in the areas surrounding it. Even if you don't need it today, or in the next ten years, you buy it, and hope you don't wind up needing the property across the street as well in thirty year's time. Because otherwise you wind up leasing the property from the owner forever, and that's if you're able to use it at all. The railroad I work for has an entire department that works on this. I assume that LAX is no less forward thinking than railroad companies.

I suppose I may be being unfair to this guy, since I'm guessing based on what you said and the past two videos you got me to watch. But I don't feel bad about it. He looks around LA and sees beauty in what LA can be. I look around and see beauty in what it is. How it works, despite the flaws or even because of the flaws. He reminds me actually of the apocryphal people who buy property in the shadow of an airport runway, because its cheap, and then band together to force the airport to reroute the planes. Sure, they get a nice house out of it (that they're probably going to sell anyways, because they have no real attachment to the area), but everyone else that uses that airport now has to suffer decreased safety and decreased capacity. 

 

He actually didn't go the route you're thinking about with this one. It was way more understated, but I get your adorable annoyance with him. I read him more like a guy who wants to know more about his city, and find little things that are out of the way or not really known about the place.

 

He just did a pretty cool 360 YouTube video where he gives a history lesson about the confluence of the L.A. River:

 

;media]

[/media]

 

It was actually pretty good use of the concrete banks. It took me a couple of seconds to figure out how 360 video videos work, though. LOL.

 

Anyway, it sounds like Los Angeles is abandoning its plans to turn the Piggyback Yard into the Olympic Village, because Union Pacific has flat out said they refuse to sell. Here's an article about that:

 

The Most Elusive Piece of Land in Los Angeles- LA River Adjacent Piggyback Yard Is A Super Hot Commodity No One Can Get Their Hands On

 

I feel like that's got to be strange as fuck for you that this stuff is going on. It sounds like they're not getting their way re: turning the Piggyback Yard into a desirable waterfront property, though. At least for now.

 

Anyway to switch this to something else entirely...there's absolutely no way there'd only be two openly gay guys in the upperclassmen classes at Menlo School in 2003, right? I just don't find that possible. It sounds like people have been openly gay there since at least the late 90's. I mean, I knew at least five openly gay guys at my school in 2003, and this was a TINY school even though it was a performing arts one. As Tim would put it, DL is just a tiny, podunk state. An elite high school in California...I can't really see there only being two openly gay students there, especially since I googled a little and they had a GSA in 2000.

Edited April 3, 2016 by methodwriter85

[methodwriter85]

Hank Green (brother of John) did a video where he showcases YouTuber culture in Los Angeles:

 

 

It's interesting to see how "celebrity" has been splintered by the arrival of the internet. You can have someone's who's got a massive fanbase, like Smosh, but nobody who doesn't follow YouTube would know them.

 

Blue, do you know any famous YouTubers? I think there's an accessibility to them that makes them appealing- they're "famous", but not really famous, and it makes them regular, normal people that just happen to get millions of views on their videos.

[TetRefine]

There is a semi-famous YouTuber who lives here in Philadelphia and I think goes to Temple. I would sometimes see him on the subway or out in the Gayborhood if I was going up that way. He looked like a normal 20-something, just cuter then most. He did guest appearances on a lot of gay YouTube channels too. 

[Mark Arbour]

I'm not going to watch that video, because its a nice day and there's no need to raise my blood pressure. That and I have no further desire to hear what that f**k nugget has to say on any topic whatsoever. He hates LA so much, move. He's not like me, with familial and historical ties to the area.

 

Further, remember how I said the way he presents facts and creates a narrative are often lies? Same is probably true in this case. I'm guessing that he's presenting LAX as buying up all the property in Manchester Square, and then linking it to the upcoming metro expansion? With maybe a few "Whoa"'s thrown in to bemoan the modernization that isn't taking people in consideration? Well, there's a couple problems with that.

1. LAX and MTA are completely different companies. They work in somewhat different businesses, use different unions, and fall under different oversight. They can work together, but they aren't one big company joining forces to screw the little guy. Big companies don't actually do that all that often. In my experience, big companies have trouble getting more than one of their own internal departments to join forces, let alone manage cooperation across different corporate mindsets and traditions. Publicly managed companies are usually worse about that, not better.
2. The airport has been buying up properties in Manchester Square since the 90s. The first Metro line opened in 1993. They didn't even expand in that general direction for a good decade, the funding that is making the current expansion to LAX possible wasn't even available until 2008. I'm sure the airport was on board with a possible expansion in their direction, but that early? With their own money? With the light rail and subway systems not even proven in concept yet?
3. Isn't it much more likely that the airport was slowly buying properties in order to solidify their hold on the area against possible future needs? Disneyland is an object lesson to all of Southern California business, let me assure you. When you have a project on that scale, you buy what you need, and then buy more in the areas surrounding it. Even if you don't need it today, or in the next ten years, you buy it, and hope you don't wind up needing the property across the street as well in thirty year's time. Because otherwise you wind up leasing the property from the owner forever, and that's if you're able to use it at all. The railroad I work for has an entire department that works on this. I assume that LAX is no less forward thinking than railroad companies.

I suppose I may be being unfair to this guy, since I'm guessing based on what you said and the past two videos you got me to watch. But I don't feel bad about it. He looks around LA and sees beauty in what LA can be. I look around and see beauty in what it is. How it works, despite the flaws or even because of the flaws. He reminds me actually of the apocryphal people who buy property in the shadow of an airport runway, because its cheap, and then band together to force the airport to reroute the planes. Sure, they get a nice house out of it (that they're probably going to sell anyways, because they have no real attachment to the area), but everyone else that uses that airport now has to suffer decreased safety and decreased capacity. 

 

f**k nugget

 

First time I've heard that one. 

[methodwriter85]

f**k nugget

 

First time I've heard that one. 

 

Blue is so sexy when he goes on a rant. Just like Adam! (Well, if Adam was a skinny Latino guy from SoCal with a snarky attitude instead of a former Texan 18-year old jock boy-turned-36.)

 

Ooh, interesting Tet. I wonder who it is. I also know that Prank vs. Prank is based in Philly. They're such Jersey Shore people, in the best way.

 

Anyway, back to California...

 

I might as well take this moment to mention the O.C., which premiered this month (August 2003) in CAP World. It had a very huge, if brief, social impact.

 

 

 

 

It gave us the term "rager", as in a party, and "sick", as in good. Also saying "fro-yo." The fashion was pretty influential as well, with girls wearing peasant skirts and tank tops like Marissa, and vintage stripped polo shirts (Seth's deadl) becoming pretty popular on guys as well. The real legacy of the show though is the incredible, incredible soundtrack, which included Phantom Plant, Death Cab For Cute, the Shins, the Dandy Warhols, Imogen Heap, etc etc etc.

 

I really think the show was really good at shaping the "look" and "feel" of the 2000's, and got us past the transitional phase between the 1990's and the 2000's. It also gave us a great look into the greed and ultimately empty housing wealth bubble of the 2000's. (Jimmy's storyline was eerily prescient for what would go down later in the decade.)

 

One really cool factoid- in 2004, students at UC Berkeley created a scholarship for public defenders in the name of Sandy Cohen. I hope it's still going- that's such a cool testament to just how much influence the show had.

 

I've always tended towards liking cult t.v. shows, so it was such a rare experience to be into a show that EVERYBODY was watching, at least during its first two seasons.

 

Finally..."Welcome to the O.C., bitch! This is how it's done in Orange County!"

 

So, I'm kind of curious though...the Chino as presented in The O.C. basically depicted it as a downtrodden, tough, blue-collared city that was pretty hopeless and crime ridden. (Complete with blue tinge lighting.) Was it really that bad, or was it a total exaggeration? I think the city blamed the OC for P.F. Chang's not wanting to locate there.

Edited April 26, 2016 by methodwriter85

[B1ue]

I don't recall it being all that bad, but I also didn't live in the area at the time. Chino when I was growing up was a blue collar area, though, yes.

[PrivateTim]

 

 

Blue is so sexy when he goes on a rant. Just like Adam! (Well, if Adam was a skinny Latino guy from SoCal with a snarky attitude instead of a former Texan 18-year old jock boy-turned-36.)

 

Ooh, interesting Tet. I wonder who it is. I also know that Prank vs. Prank is based in Philly. They're such Jersey Shore people, in the best way.

 

Anyway, back to California...

 

I might as well take this moment to mention the O.C., which premiered this month (August 2003) in CAP World. It had a very huge, if brief, social impact.

 

 

 

 

It gave us the term "rager", as in a party, and "sick", as in good. Also saying "fro-yo." The fashion was pretty influential as well, with girls wearing peasant skirts and tank tops like Marissa, and vintage stripped polo shirts (Seth's deadl) becoming pretty popular on guys as well. The real legacy of the show though is the incredible, incredible soundtrack, which included Phantom Plant, Death Cab For Cute, the Shins, the Dandy Warhols, Imogen Heap, etc etc etc.

 

I really think the show was really good at shaping the "look" and "feel" of the 2000's, and got us past the transitional phase between the 1990's and the 2000's. It also gave us a great look into the greed and ultimately empty housing wealth bubble of the 2000's. (Jimmy's storyline was eerily prescient for what would go down later in the decade.)

 

One really cool factoid- in 2004, students at UC Berkeley created a scholarship for public defenders in the name of Sandy Cohen. I hope it's still going- that's such a cool testament to just how much influence the show had.

 

I've always tended towards liking cult t.v. shows, so it was such a rare experience to be into a show that EVERYBODY was watching, at least during its first two seasons.

 

Finally..."Welcome to the O.C., bitch! This is how it's done in Orange County!"

 

So, I'm kind of curious though...the Chino as presented in The O.C. basically depicted it as a downtrodden, tough, blue-collared city that was pretty hopeless and crime ridden. (Complete with blue tinge lighting.) Was it really that bad, or was it a total exaggeration? I think the city blamed the OC for P.F. Chang's not wanting to locate there.

 

You watch WAY too much television and believe its characterizations.

 

I don't recall it being all that bad, but I also didn't live in the area at the time. Chino when I was growing up was a blue collar area, though, yes.

 

Chino was middle class, not blue collar.

 

Here is what is going on in LA Jeremy, not that loser guy you love to watch.

 

Highland Park Bowl

Clifton's Cafeteria