Is the "fakeness" really that bad in LA? (fit in, transplants)

[Jleeatl]

Maybe I can only know if I live there. Is it really that bad how superficial, fake, the people are?

I'm speaking as someone who's never even been to LA, so excuse if I seem ignorant about your city.

I ask this since I heard this about LA a lot. And I am interested in moving there, because I have a feeling maybe I will "fit in" there...since its an "anything goes" culture right? Is it more worse than this? Its a lot to read I know.

Here's my experience about where I am currently (This is about ATL, not LA):

As someone who lived in Florida previously and moved to Atlanta, I find this city a bit strange in terms of the vibe. I don't feel like I "belong" here. Lots of "shady", pretentious, cliquish, or simply questionable people. There are people where I find them very friendly on the surface but after the interaction...or often, even many many interactions, I still question who the hell the person really is and if they even enjoy my company. Everyone seemed to keep things real back where I lived in FL.

In general, people here are often passive-aggressive, and from my experience, have a fake friendliness that appears as if they try hard to avoid conflict and its hard to tell if they like you or hate you...but they act like they like you.

Also very often have I encountered this: many people act as if they want to avoid talking about anything "real", like personal opinions about issues or deep topics, and they just try to keep conversations at surface level. They flake out a lot too when you want to hang out and provide some excuse. I've seen this happen to another friend of mine as well. This behavior makes some sense, since driving here is awful with the area so spread out. (Not as a bad as LA from what I heard)

In addition, there's a keeping up with the Jones's attitude. I see this too much....people trying so hard to appear like they have status and money, and basically cover up any signs that they are, in reality, broke as hell. Recently know of a guy who lost a potential girlfriend because she saw him driving a Lexus, assumed he had money, but found out he still lived with his parents. I see so much flashiness here...professional looking people with expensive watches, driving BMWs, Bentleys, Lexuses, but actually have nothing. This place is home of the "30,000$ millionaire". Many go into debt just for the image they are trying to present.


MY POINT:
Do some of these things sound familiar?? Is it even worse in LA? I'm curious because I really am interested in moving to the West Coast but I just can't stand superficiality or fake people. Should I just choose the Bay Area, or some other place instead?

[h4ppyl1fe]

No.

[disgruntled la native]

most of the fakeness is from out of state transplants

[jkobb510]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

most of the fakeness is from out of state transplants

I noticed the same. Transplants tend to bring superficiality.

[radiolibre99]

They bring the superficiality because they think being is jerk is acting "LA". They're living out a dream and that dream is to be like the insular yuppies they watch on tv and movies.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

most of the fakeness is from out of state transplants

^^This.

[StreetLegal]

Originally Posted by jkobb510

I noticed the same. Transplants tend to bring superficiality.

Most of the fakeness is derived from the entertainment or fashion related spectrum of LA...regardless of the person's origin.

[Monkeymike]

Not at all. I'm a transplant and I deal with people in the film industry every day. I find people here to be just as real as I found them to be in the midwest.

[Mr_Geek]

I've never noticed any sort of fakeness but maybe that's because I'm not concerned about seeing it.

[MrQdotJ]

As a native, who grew up in South LA/ South Central LA I can attest that "we" are some of the most down to earth, real people you'd ever meet. Sadly, transplants bring superficiality. plastic and fakeness with them in an attempt to "be L.A." Yet, this all depends on what part of LA you're in. LA is a huge, sprawling city; much more than Hollywood, the Westside and the many beaches.