Why does mainstream American Pop-Culture ignore Atlanta? (Savannah, Rome: house, movies)

[TBClub]

Has anyone noticed that Atlanta, now the 8th largest metro area, gets little to no attention from pop-culture and media?

When was the last time a major motion picture was set in Atlanta? (this does not include tyler perry films or ATL, im talking about mainstream!)

And we cannot blame it on a "sunbelt" thing. Dallas was the setting for the most popular sitcom of the 1980s, and Houston was the setting for the quintessential GenX film Reality Bites. Why hasnt Atlanta had anything???

Its never mentioned in songs...(rap songs dont count - "im goin bust a cap in yo a$$ in atlanta" is not mainstream)

Real World has never come here...

Its rarely the setting for TV sitcoms (besides Designing Women). For example, why isnt Grey's Anatomy or House set in Atlanta?

Do you think the mainstream pop culture/media thinks our city is just a joke, on the same level as Detroit, Cleveland, or Birmingham, AL?

[gaflsc]

I'd say with the amount of media BASED here....well, I'm not worried about it.

...and I don't recall "Reality Bites" being a huge film anyway.

[atlantaATL]

Plenty of Movies have been filmed here Google it and maybe you will find your answer

[RoslynHolcomb]

Matlock was set in Atlanta as well. During the late 80s early nineties leading up to the Olympics Atlanta received a lot of buzz. I'm not sure what the deal is since then. It's very hard for me to define, but I think Atlanta lacks a personality. Other cities have a vibe that defines them. Chicago, NYC even Seattle have something that they're known for, a certain characteristic that you can even use a shorthand to describe it. When I say something is so Seattle, you get a certain visual of the music scene, lots of coffee and rain. Dallas or Houston you think of oil or cattle barons. Atlanta? Money-grubbing wannabes?

I think Designing Women played off that notion of a genteel south, but that's really not Atlanta.

[Unknown Memory]

When I think of Atlanta, I think of CNN right off the bat. And then, "Gone with the Wind".

[SleeplessnATL]

I am not sure if this counts, but a few weeks ago Downtown Decatur had quite a few movie crews (i.e., Universal Studies, etc) setup at the Court house and Agnes Scott. . .they were shooting an ABC TV pilot and 2 movies (supposedly, horrors. . ."Halloween 2", directed by Rob Zombie; and "Zombieland").

[Atlantasfinest]

Originally Posted by TBClub

Has anyone noticed that Atlanta, now the 8th largest metro area, gets little to no attention from pop-culture and media?

When was the last time a major motion picture was set in Atlanta? (this does not include tyler perry films or ATL, im talking about mainstream!)



Its never mentioned in songs...(rap songs dont count - "im goin bust a cap in yo a$$ in atlanta" is not mainstream)

Does Outkast, Ludacris, T.I., Neyo, Keyshia Cole, Soulja Boy & TLC count? That's about as mainstream Pop/Hip-Hop/R&B as it gets. And yes they all reside here and cut their teeth in Atlanta. Besides NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami, DC I would have to say Atlanta is right behind them as far as media coverage. But for music Atlanta is a strong 3rd behind LA and NYC.

Also CNN is located here and why just discount the accomplishments that Tyler Perry has achieved? He is building an empire right here and all Atlantans should be proud that it's right here in our backyard.

[JasonPaul]

I believe thats there have been quite a few movies filmed in Atlanta. I'll see if I can list some of them.

The Three Faces of Eve (September 23, 1957) - Starring: Joanne Woodward - Filmed at: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta Georgia

That Darn Cat ( February 14th, 1997) - Starring: Christina Ricci - Filmed at: The film was shot in three main locations, 1) Aiken, South Carolina (considered to be part of the CSRA) 2) Augusta, Georgia and 3) Edgefield, South Carolina (considered to be part of the CSRA).

Roots (January 23, 1977) - Starring: Levar Burton - Filmed at: Savannah and St. Simons Island

The Big Chill (September 30, 1983) - Starring: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly and JoBeth Williams - Filmed at: Atlanta

Driving Miss Daisy (December 13, 1989) - Starring: Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy and Dan Aykroyd - Filmed at: Atlanta

Glory, a story of African-American troops during the Civil War (December 15, 1989) - Starring: Denzel Washinginton, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick - Filmed at: Portions of the movie had been shot in Savannah and on Jekyll Island

Fried Green Tomatoes (December 27, 1991) - Starring: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker - Filmed at: Fayetteville, Juliette, Senoia and Zebulon, Georgia

Forrest Gump (July 6, 1994) - Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Penn Wright and Sally Field - Filmed at: featured locations in Savannah

Cobb (December 2, 1994) - Starring: Tommy Lee Jones as Ty Cobb, and Robert Wuhl - Filmed at: Filming locations include Royston, GA (Ty Cobb's home town) and Athens.

Sweet Home Alabama (September 27, 2002) - Starring: Reese Witherspoon - Filmed at: Portions of the film were shot in Berry College (Rome), Atlanta, Conyers, Crawfordville, Peachtree City and Starr's Mill, Georgia

Deliverance (July 30, 1972) - Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, James Dickey - Filmed at: Tallulah Gorge near Toccoa, Georgia and on the Chattooga River, dividing the states of Georgia and South Carolina. Additional scenes were shot as well in Clemson, South Carolina and Sylva, North Carolina.

Smokey and the Bandit ( May 19, 1977 (New York City) & May 27, 1977 (United States) - Starring: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry - Filmed at: The movie was filmed primarily in Georgia in the cities of McDonough and Jonesboro. The scenes in Texarkana were filmed in Jonesboro and the surrounding area, and many of the chase scenes were filmed in the surrounding areas and in McDonough. The scene at the race track was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on the south side of Atlanta.


Some tv shows would be In The Heat of the Night, The Dukes of Hazard.
also I believe BET had a real World like show in Atlanta GA (Collge Hill Atlanta). A far as music goes The B'52's, REM, Collective Soul, The Black Crowes, Drivin and Cryin, Ludiacris, T.I., Young Jeezy, Big Boi and Andre. I don't know if they exactly name Georgia but they are from here. Georgia has it's pop culture.

[rcsteiner]

Originally Posted by TBClub

Has anyone noticed that Atlanta, now the 8th largest metro area, gets little to no attention from pop-culture and media?

The media is mainly centered on (and focused on) the coasts with lip service paid to places like Chicago, Las Vegas, and Miami.

Who cares? Too much attention is both positive and negative, and some of the negatives can be rather serious.

[Atlantasfinest]

Originally Posted by JasonPaul

I believe thats there have been quite a few movies filmed in Atlanta. I'll see if I can list some of them.

The Three Faces of Eve (September 23, 1957) - Starring: Joanne Woodward - Filmed at: Medical College of Georgia, Augusta Georgia

That Darn Cat ( February 14th, 1997) - Starring: Christina Ricci - Filmed at: The film was shot in three main locations, 1) Aiken, South Carolina (considered to be part of the CSRA) 2) Augusta, Georgia and 3) Edgefield, South Carolina (considered to be part of the CSRA).

Roots (January 23, 1977) - Starring: Levar Burton - Filmed at: Savannah and St. Simons Island

The Big Chill (September 30, 1983) - Starring: Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly and JoBeth Williams - Filmed at: Atlanta

Driving Miss Daisy (December 13, 1989) - Starring: Morgan Freeman, Jessica Tandy and Dan Aykroyd - Filmed at: Atlanta

Glory, a story of African-American troops during the Civil War (December 15, 1989) - Starring: Denzel Washinginton, Morgan Freeman and Matthew Broderick - Filmed at: Portions of the movie had been shot in Savannah and on Jekyll Island

Fried Green Tomatoes (December 27, 1991) - Starring: Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy, Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker - Filmed at: Fayetteville, Juliette, Senoia and Zebulon, Georgia

Forrest Gump (July 6, 1994) - Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Penn Wright and Sally Field - Filmed at: featured locations in Savannah

Cobb (December 2, 1994) - Starring: Tommy Lee Jones as Ty Cobb, and Robert Wuhl - Filmed at: Filming locations include Royston, GA (Ty Cobb's home town) and Athens.

Sweet Home Alabama (September 27, 2002) - Starring: Reese Witherspoon - Filmed at: Portions of the film were shot in Berry College (Rome), Atlanta, Conyers, Crawfordville, Peachtree City and Starr's Mill, Georgia

Deliverance (July 30, 1972) - Starring: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox, James Dickey - Filmed at: Tallulah Gorge near Toccoa, Georgia and on the Chattooga River, dividing the states of Georgia and South Carolina. Additional scenes were shot as well in Clemson, South Carolina and Sylva, North Carolina.

Smokey and the Bandit ( May 19, 1977 (New York City) & May 27, 1977 (United States) - Starring: Burt Reynolds, Sally Field, Jackie Gleason, Jerry Reed, Pat McCormick, Paul Williams, and Mike Henry - Filmed at: The movie was filmed primarily in Georgia in the cities of McDonough and Jonesboro. The scenes in Texarkana were filmed in Jonesboro and the surrounding area, and many of the chase scenes were filmed in the surrounding areas and in McDonough. The scene at the race track was filmed at Lakewood Speedway at the old Lakewood Fairgrounds on the south side of Atlanta.


Some tv shows would be In The Heat of the Night, The Dukes of Hazard.
also I believe BET had a real World like show in Atlanta GA (Collge Hill Atlanta). A far as music goes The B'52's, REM, Collective Soul, The Black Crowes, Drivin and Cryin, Ludiacris, T.I., Young Jeezy, Big Boi and Andre. I don't know if they exactly name Georgia but they are from here. Georgia has it's pop culture.

Stomp The Yard Stomp the Yard - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia & Drumline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drumline_(film) were both filmed in their entirety here as well. You cannot forget about the impact Jermaine Dupri has had on Atlanta as well. His "Welcome to Atlanta" song is definately a signature Atlanta track in Pop-Culture along with putting alot of talent out to the masses.

Oh...and don't forget about Lil John and Usher...How could I forgot those two? Both TREMENDOUS talents who are well known in Pop-Culture and who are known Worldwide. The Jonas Brothers are from here two as well right?