Are people in LA really phony and pretentious? (apartment, price)

[JustPassinThru]

I don't believe that a display of wealth is pretentious. Olympic-size pool, 6 cars in the garage, weekends in Vail. I view that as someone enjoying life to it's fullest. Now, if you're always telling me how much everything cost, then I think you may be pretentious.

You don't have to be wealthy to be pretentious. I think the opposite is true.
When I was in-between jobs and short on cash, I bought several rounds for our large group at the local watering hole. My wife gave me quite a lecture on being pretentious.

Met a young guy from Oregon who moved to SoCal and did very well for himself there. When he returned home to visit, behind the wheel of a new Corvette, none of his friends would talk to him. When he asked what the problem was, he was told that "We don't need no uppity Californians coming around here."

Envy is like a thief in the night. It can rob you of a happy life.

Almost forgot. I do think that there are a lot of phony people in LA, but they usually hang with each other, so what's the problem?

[leavingtheatl]

Wow this is a fun thread.

I certainly wouldn't describe Amyluv77 as phoney. Phoney means you are trying to be someone you aren't. I don't see that. Good for her on being successful at her age. She seems grateful for what she has, that's cool. There seems to be an obsession today with people wanting to see others fail.

It's hard to be successful when you spend all of your time worrying about what other people have. As I see it what other people think of me is none of my business anyways.

I'm getting ready to move to Santa Monica from Atlanta in about a month. I'm a 28 yr old single guy, make good money am about to get a new Mercedes and live in a nice pad all that crap. Am I bragging, how could I be, you don't even know who I am. Does that mean I'm pretentious? Not in the least, I just really love cars. When I was Amyluv77's age I had a new Corvette, not because I tried to impress anyone but because I liked it and I'm a speed freak (mph not the drug!). You can't begin to understand what makes someone click just based on where they live, what they drive and how they look.

What really pisses me off though is when people think they are better because they have money. There's no fortune that can't be lost, for most it just takes a one summer, a cocaine habit and a few hookers. Your worth as a person is rooted in things like generosity, loyality, trustworthiness, sincerity and lots of other words that end in ty and ness.

I'm sure with 12 million people and the whole Hollywood influence there are a lot of phoney people here. That's ok, I'm not looking to meet 12 million people just a few good friends and one exceptional woman.

[Twinkle Toes]

Can't you people just be happy for someone who has something on the ball? hen I was just a few years older than Amy I was working in the DA's office having just passed the CA Bar Exam. Was I pretentious and phony - or just making a future for myself and my future family? It is now several years later and two children later and I am very comfortable. Am I phony? I don't think so. But if you think I am that's okay. You don't have to live with me. As for Amy - she seems like a very nice young lady who has her act together.

[Amyluv77]

Twinkle, you're the best. Thanks hun!

And seriously, when I was growing up, a lot of people (strangers) use to look at my family and I like they hated us. And of course these people were folks who didn't live in our neighborhood. They were people we would encounter at grocery stores, and places like that.

Yeah I grew up in a million dollar house, and had all of the luxuries at my disposal, but I was raised with the right values, which are "for me to make my own way in this world, work hard and smart, and learn to invest my money." My parents are great. They didn't get rich waiting for handouts!

[Amyluv77]

And leavingtheatl, that equation was funny, but girls aren't evil. Anyway, you will enjoy Santa Monica. Congrats! I'm out there almost every weekend, considering I'm just down the street from there.

[Rats]

I think this association of wealth and pretentiousness can be mostly attributed to the media's portrayal of actors, politicians, and other high-profile celebrities. The good side of the upper-class is almost never shown in mass media.

Most of the nouveau riche I know in LA aren't phony, pretentious, or snobbish at all -- and I know tons of them, particularly in the entertainment industry, since I own a computer consultation business. Sure, many of them have an extravagant lifestyle, but they don't think any less of me just because I'm not a multimillionaire and can't afford a BMW's maintenance fees.

I didn't grow up rich, and not a single person in my family is wealthy. However, rather than being jealous of people who have succeeded in life, I admire them (given they acquired their fortune in a moral way). In fact, someday I hope to lead the same type of lifestyle... by working hard, I'm slowly getting there.

[middle-of-nowhere]

This has been a real fun thread to keep track even if I don't have anything to do with California. I just read this because the first poster wanted to ask about comparing the DC area with SoCal. I've been to the DC area, and it definitely has it's fair share of pretentious people.

But with regards to having all the best things money can buy for you. I ask, why does one need to show his/her wealth? Sure, it doesn't hurt anyone. For those who get jealous, the joke's on them. But I also admire the very rich people who don't find a need to flaunt their wealth.

The ones I can think about, both young and old:
- Sergey Brin & Larry Page (Google co-founders): richest billionaires under 40 y/o, each with estimated $10+ Billion net worth... but they don't see the need to drive expensive sports cars of SUV's... in fact, they just drive $20,000+ Toyota sedans.
- Warren Buffet: 2nd richest American behind Bill Gates, worth $45 Billion, and still lives in his humble upper middle-class neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska.

Are these examples of just aspiring to be mediocre because they don't "spend what their money can afford" on material things? The last time I checked, these are some very respected individuals.

[Twinkle Toes]

Bill Gates actually has a very nice home here in Palm Desert.

[middle-of-nowhere]

Originally Posted by Twinkle Toes

Bill Gates actually has a very nice home here in Palm Desert.

Yes, he probably does. And his main house in Medina, WA is waaay too expensive and high-tech (which I wouldn't wire my house with, imagine getting a Microsoft blue screen error with your security system or your central control system??).

But anyway, I think that most of the richest people with large sums of money (like Gates) aren't pretentious or phony. They seem very genuine people who worked hard to get where they are. Also with the wealth and power that they have, really contribute to the rest of us.

[Rats]

Originally Posted by middle-of-nowhere

- Sergey Brin & Larry Page (Google co-founders): richest billionaires under 40 y/o, each with estimated $10+ Billion net worth... but they don't see the need to drive expensive sports cars of SUV's... in fact, they just drive $20,000+ Toyota sedans.

They are smart guys
Toyota sedans are much better cars than the crap Europe is pushing out! I'd rather own a loaded Camry or Solara than a Benz, BMW or Bentley.