Why do Californians have a tendency of getting mad if you say anything negative about California? (rent, school)

[Fiddlehead]

First off, California is huge, with a lot of subcultures. Folks from Bakersfield and Marin County and East LA are likely to have a quite different views of their state.

I will speak to the Bay Area culture, which I experienced a lot in Oregon. It seems to reek of superiority, and has a notable lack of self-irony and humor. All the charm of a broccoli salad. I assume that much of this comes from the Brahmin class of NE Yankees that helped found the Bay Area, bringing their humorless self-satisfaction along. Wealthy, private school kids who created their own utopia on the west coast. Their achievements are impressive, for sure, by any measure, but it sure would be nice if they had a softer touch, and did not rub your face in it. It is not helped by the housing bubble, so those annoying vegans are also richer than you, and able to buy all up the nicest homes in your area, take over the city governments, etc. Texans at least usually have a wink in their eye when they brag (endlessly).

But being from the Central Valley, I never detected much of that superiority in my peers. We knew the place was heaven and hell rolled into one enchilada, and having traveled quite a bit, I recall things from home that stacked up against the best of the world (Yosemite, a Tule River swimming hole, a Tulare carne asada burrito) and lots of idiots and reprobates and just hell hole places. So, on balance, I could sure see why some would love, and some hate, the place.

I think the main thing Californians need to do is to listen and show curiosity about other folks from other places, and laugh along with them when they fling a little dirt on the Golden State. We can deal with it, and some of it is deserved. That said, I do think a lot of the trash talk on California is simply a stupid political ploy. California is the librul state, just as Texas is the conservative state, so endless stupid conversations ensue. Thankfully, folks in California, Texas, and just about every place else are far more interesting than those dumb clichés.

[joeyg2014]

Originally Posted by Snort

Try this topic in the New York forum and see what kind of reaction you get.
I'll guess that the response would be less muted than here.

Of course people on City Data people would be defensive but City Data is filled with boosters and is not the general public. I am a native NYer and I know NY is a real cesspool. Almost everybody in NY could go on for hours complaining about NY and talking about how much of an armpit it is. Complaining about how much of a cesspool NY is is pretty much a sport there.

[PDF]

At least on this forum, they are extremely defensive.

[Mini-apple-less]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

First off, California is huge, with a lot of subcultures. Folks from Bakersfield and Marin County and East LA are likely to have a quite different views of their state.

I will speak to the Bay Area culture, which I experienced a lot in Oregon. It seems to reek of superiority, and has a notable lack of self-irony and humor. All the charm of a broccoli salad. I assume that much of this comes from the Brahmin class of NE Yankees that helped found the Bay Area, bringing their humorless self-satisfaction along. Wealthy, private school kids who created their own utopia on the west coast. Their achievements are impressive, for sure, by any measure, but it sure would be nice if they had a softer touch, and did not rub your face in it. It is not helped by the housing bubble, so those annoying vegans are also richer than you, and able to buy all up the nicest homes in your area, take over the city governments, etc. Texans at least usually have a wink in their eye when they brag (endlessly).

But being from the Central Valley, I never detected much of that superiority in my peers. We knew the place was heaven and hell rolled into one enchilada, and having traveled quite a bit, I recall things from home that stacked up against the best of the world (Yosemite, a Tule River swimming hole, a Tulare carne asada burrito) and lots of idiots and reprobates and just hell hole places. So, on balance, I could sure see why some would love, and some hate, the place.

I think the main thing Californians need to do is to listen and show curiosity about other folks from other places, and laugh along with them when they fling a little dirt on the Golden State. We can deal with it, and some of it is deserved. That said, I do think a lot of the trash talk on California is simply a stupid political ploy. California is the librul state, just as Texas is the conservative state, so endless stupid conversations ensue. Thankfully, folks in California, Texas, and just about every place else are far more interesting than those dumb clichés.

I agree with you, as a Californian by birth and a Bay Area native.

[Mini-apple-less]

Originally Posted by joeyg2014

Of course people on City Data people would be defensive but City Data is filled with boosters and is not the general public. I am a native NYer and I know NY is a real cesspool. Almost everybody in NY could go on for hours complaining about NY and talking about how much of an armpit it is. Complaining about how much of a cesspool NY is is pretty much a sport there.

Exactly. In real life, if you ever say anything bad about California people tend to get defensive too. I don't think people back East or in the central states are really the same way. They have a bit more of a sense of self-depreciation. Just think about how many more comedians come from the East vs the West. Westerners, particularly in the cities have this idea that their poo poo smells like roses.

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less

Yeah, California is very much a "me" culture and people are generally only interested in what they can take from you. That's why people in California/the West Coast get so furious if you approach them in public to ask them a question or make niceties ... they assume you want something from them or want to harm them, because that's the only reason THEY would ever approach a stranger.

As a California born, living in Colorado, I fully agree.

People really help each other here. Even in Cherry Creek North, I saw a Mexican guy in the middle of the street with a broken down car and people were stopping in BMWs to help within seconds...

Conversely, My wife broke down in Newport and someone yelled if she spoke English and honked at her. Nobody helped and I had to come get her.

[Mach50]

Originally Posted by Mini-apple-less

I'm not saying EVERYONE in California is like this, but I've noticed if you say anything critical about California, aside from the typical ranting about illegal Mexicans or socialists, people will shun you or resent you for your "negative attitude". Whether it's the drought, the poor schools, the unaffordability of housing and everything else. It seems like if you don't think California is Heaven on Earth people think you are crazy there.

Why? I have friends from states in the South, Midwest and Northeast and while most of them have some pride in where they live and still support their sports teams, they are willing to admit that their home state sucks or is below par in some regards. One of my good friends is from Indianapolis and he's more than willing to admit that Indiana kind of sucks in many ways. I have another friend from Ohio who also hated it there even though he is still a fan of all the Cleveland teams.

Californians on the other hand seem to feel a need to be #1 in everything. It's really like "America's America".

I think California's know all the negatives and choose to ignore them in order to justify living there in their mind.

Once you start admitting the negatives and accepting them, you'll move out.

[theraven24]

This is one of the most ignorant threads I've read through. Good job for stereotyping, generalizing, and grouping a whole bunch of people.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by incognitoe

People from the south aren't as educated and are more easily controlled by Govt. The Govt can shut these sheeps up by simply waving a flag and promoting Patriotism. People from the South and East Cost are also the most racist and hateful people you will ever meet.

CA, the most populated and most diverse State in the US.... If there is one thing we aren't #1 in is HATE. The only people crying about CA are Republicans and idiots who never visited CA and depend on the Retardican controlled media for their bias opinion on CA.

Hate Map

Really dumb statements.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Kobe25

Well Cali is #1 & the criticism is really jealousy.

Number 1 in what? Ego, COL, traffic congestion, bad roads, excessive fees ... well the list is pretty long. I am not jealous of any of it, I am sad because it used to be soooo much better.