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Think that poverty couldn't possibly exist in the west coast because it doesn't match their misguided MTV-inspired views of rosy, sunny LA? Normally I would view this as somewhat of a positive but it's actually becoming more annoying than anything... people saying how "nice and sunny" Watts looks when they've never set foot there and likely never would even if they were in LA because it has a murderous reputation...
I don't want this thread to go into the "my part of town that I've only seen on google images/from a car seat looks more ghetto than yours" direction. This is an honest question... is it impossibly difficult for non-west coasters to realize that there *is* poverty (and lots of it) on the west coast? Is it impossibly difficult to realize that the worst parts of LA/the Bay/Las Vegas etc are no different than the worst parts of the rest of the country? I'm curious.
EDIT: Obviously I don't mean that *everybody* in the rest of the country thinks this... I've just happened to run into a lot of people from the rest of the country that do.
Last edited by Nineties Flava; 05-25-2010 at 07:46 PM..
Up until recent years L.A. was known in the media for gang violence and South Central (now South L.A.) was often exploited in films as being a giant ghetto slum.
What are you talking about? I'm pretty sure LA's "ghetto" areas are very well known, for example, the "sensationalized" Compton. For all the talk of how great Portland is, I think it's also pretty well acknowledged that place is suppose to be a sort of a hot bed for racism (white power type groups) and crime, even if it is suppose to be perfect. Oakland is suppose to be all ghettos and crime too isn't it? Aren't places in the central valley (excuse me if I'm wrong on names, I don't know one from the other) full of poor farmers, poor immigrants picking fruit for cents, and towns without clean drinking water?
California in particular has a hugely popular image of an huge underclass of Mexican immigrants, LA ghettos full of blacks and latinos, all the gangs. And now, with the budget crisis and all, plenty of people think CA's run outta cash and is falling apart. All I read about is state employees and others facing massive layoffs. Lets not forget the horrible smog and endless traffic, fires, mudslides, and earthquakes that everyone always brings up (whether or not it's anything like they think it is). Hardly sounds like a paradise. I think there's only very few people who think Cali and LA are some perfect "sunny, rosy" place. If anything, they might not be thinking of the whole coast, but lottsa people do have the image of the perfect beaches and rich places like Beverly Hills, a perfect Portland, SF, Seattle whatever. I'm sure even most of the people that idolize those places realizes the whole coast isn't some rich fantasy land.
If you think I'm way off on some of this stuff, well that kind of proves my point. It's stuff I've heard and seen on TV and online, so you know, stereotypes.
Up until recent years L.A. was known in the media for gang violence and South Central (now South L.A.) was often exploited in films as being a giant ghetto slum.
This is true... the Hood genre of the 90's (BITH and Menace 2 Society in particular) was instrumental in giving south central one of the worst reps in the country at the time... a lot of people I know that are not from the west still find it hard to believe that it can be like that here though... I just find that interesting that the same doesn't apply to NYC or Chicago... I would never have thought that Chicago had a pretty large crime problem until I went there...
What are you talking about? I'm pretty sure LA's "ghetto" areas are very well known, for example, the "sensationalized" Compton. For all the talk of how great Portland is, I think it's also pretty well acknowledged that place is suppose to be a sort of a hot bed for racism (white power type groups) and crime, even if it is suppose to be perfect. Oakland is suppose to be all ghettos and crime too isn't it? Aren't places in the central valley (excuse me if I'm wrong on names, I don't know one from the other) full of poor farmers, poor immigrants picking fruit for cents, and towns without clean drinking water?
California in particular has a hugely popular image of an huge underclass of Mexican immigrants, LA ghettos full of blacks and latinos, all the gangs. And now, with the budget crisis and all, plenty of people think CA's run outta cash and is falling apart. All I read about is state employees and others facing massive layoffs. Lets not forget the horrible smog and endless traffic, fires, mudslides, and earthquakes that everyone always brings up (whether or not it's anything like they think it is). Hardly sounds like a paradise. I think there's only very few people who think Cali and LA are some perfect "sunny, rosy" place. If anything, they might not be thinking of the whole coast, but lottsa people do have the image of the perfect beaches and rich places like Beverly Hills, a perfect Portland, SF, Seattle whatever. I'm sure even most of the people that idolize those places realizes the whole coast isn't some rich fantasy land.
If you think I'm way off on some of this stuff, well that kind of proves my point. It's stuff I've heard and seen on TV and online, so you know, stereotypes.
I would disagree about Portland... I barely even hear anything about Portland and I'm in the bay. Also, people don't know about Oakland unless they've been to the bay or if they're constantly looking at US crime statistics... the most visible places in the west coast by far are San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas and Seattle. The only one that has any real long-standing association with being "less than glamorous" is Las Vegas, which is mainly due to the high levels of prostitution. Obviously this is a good thing, but most people I meet tend to think that the bay area is one giant rich enclave... LA does have a gang stigma but most people I know think it's all peaches and cream compared to the rest of the country, which is what I don't get...
I would disagree about Portland... I barely even hear anything about Portland and I'm in the bay. Also, people don't know about Oakland unless they've been to the bay or if they're constantly looking at US crime statistics... the most visible places in the west coast by far are San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas and Seattle. The only one that has any real long-standing association with being "less than glamorous" is Las Vegas, which is mainly due to the high levels of prostitution. Obviously this is a good thing, but most people I meet tend to think that the bay area is one giant rich enclave... LA does have a gang stigma but most people I know think it's all peaches and cream compared to the rest of the country, which is what I don't get...
Well, I got that idea of Portland from Gangland on History, and a few who say they know what their talking about, so you know, could be just talk.
I think you're way off about Oakland though, plenty of people here know about it. And I don't think the "bay area is one giant rich enclave" image is as popular as you think it is either.
This is all based on what we know personally, like you said "most people I know", so evidence for either of us is shaky at best anyway. But think of it this way, aren't the people who think of LA that way the ones most likely to end up as tourists there? Just because alotta of em show up there doesn't make em the representative. It could just be really skewed.
Well, I got that idea of Portland from Gangland on History, and a few who say they know what their talking about, so you know, could be just talk.
I think you're way off about Oakland though, plenty of people here know about it. And I don't think the "bay area is one giant rich enclave" image is as popular as you think it is either.
This is all based on what we know personally, like you said "most people I know", so evidence for either of us is shaky at best anyway. But think of it this way, aren't the people who think of LA that way the ones most likely to end up as tourists there? Just because alotta of em show up there doesn't make em the representative. It could just be really skewed.
lol let me guess, the Hoover st. one? I caught that on TV when I was bored... lol at Gangland. Talk about one-dimensionalizing people who end up in gangs... its far more complicated then "needing chrome rims and a platinum chain".
I'm sorry, but Oakland is always portrayed negatively in the media.
lol really? The rest of the country talks about Oakland? SF must have a big ass influence on the national media... **** SF's need to secure its tourist dollars... lol
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