Theory of why people don't like LA (Santa Monica, Beverly Hills: loft, houses)

[R-Tistic]

Originally Posted by NorCal Dude

Jim Rome, Paris Hilton, and the Kardashians are real representitives of LA. They are just as real as you or anyone elese who lives there.

What income bracket some one falls into has nothing to do with it either. I don't think the Florencia 13 gang bangers fall into the top 1%. Nor do I think they fit the sunny, happy, "everyone is friendly" LA stereotype. In fact they seem to fit the more Racewar/Gangland LA stereotype.

The fact that you admitt you fancied(and still do) yourself as being cooler than your classmates because you were from LA is another example of the superficial attitude. You probably had no clue that most of the people in the dorms thought you were the "jerk from LA".

I don't really fault transplants for having stereotypical bad LA attitudes (as munch clearly showed in another post). If LA had a reputation for having a humble population (like say St. Paul) my guess is transplants would adopt corresponding attitudes. As the saying goes, when in Rome....

It's funny to see people get all worked up and hyper defensive. I never accused ALL angelenos of being a certian way. In fact, I believe I said the number of people who were cool and who were not and who is a native or not, was not quantifiable in this context.

Stereotypes are not universal, they are generalizations and they are vague, but they exist for a reason. I'm not trying to step on anyones toes, I am just giving you my observation as to why I think people hate LA. You can take it as dogma or you can take it as fiction. Makes no difference to me. But your discussion is not really going to go anywhere if you say the stereotypical Angeleno "they're just like totally jealous dewd". You are only fooling yourself in that case.

The fact that you picked those folks there to "represent" L.A. already means that this debate is going absolutely nowhere.

[Bunjee]

I'd be careful with the "stereotypes contain truth" argument, because the finger points back, and compromises your testimony. I have no doubt you met a "jerk from L.A." in college. I've met 'em too! But what stereotypes, though, do you think exist about Northern Californians, about their self-perceptions, their attitudes, and their interactions? Is there truth to them? Was the L.A. student the only stereotypical jerk?

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Bunjee

I'd be careful with the "stereotypes contain truth" argument, because the finger points back, and compromises your testimony. I have no doubt you met a "jerk from L.A." in college. I've met 'em too! But what stereotypes, though, do you think exist about Northern Californians, about their self-perceptions, their attitudes, and their interactions? Is there truth to them? Was the L.A. student the only stereotypical jerk?

That's for sure. I've met all types in both Northern and Southern CA, but if you're looking for one "type" to fit the local stereotype you''ll find them, while simultaneously tuning out all the other people who don't neatly fit into the story line. I don't believe that stereotypes necessarily exist for a reason, at least not for any reason based on reality. In some cases, perhaps most, the stereotypes say far more about the person doing than the stereotyping than they do about the person being stereotyped.

[bradleyyo]

I agree with several posters who say that people who have never been to LA or never lived there base their opinions on stereotypes. I know people from the Midwest who think LA (and sometimes even the whole state of CA) is full of fake people, hot weather, and beaches. I think many people are envy about the weather and things to do in not just LA, but California as a whole.

Every time I visit another state and tell people where I am from (San Diego), all they do (especially in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Utah, and Missouri) is tell me how much they hate LA and the rest of California in general. It seems like everywhere you go in this country outside of California, people will go out of their way to be rude to you just because you are from California. I think that it is completely stupid that all these people think so bad of us. The truth is that most people here in So Cal and in the rest of the state are decent, hard-working, and laid-back.I found it to be a MUCH friendlier place than places like Missouri. People in Arizona especially make me sick because they are always constantly bashing California and anyone who lives here. I know that So Cal has it's share of rude superficial Moderator cut: expletive, but you can find those types of people anywhere.

I will admit I am one of those "wannabe actors" but I'm just following my dreams just like so many other people have and that's what is beautiful about places like LA. You come to try to make your life what you want and sometimes it blows up in your face, and other times things just work out the same or differently then you had planned.

I know two types of people who don't like LA/LA County. First, the people who have moved there with expectations. Second, people looking to blame a place and its inhabitants for their own problems or lack of success.

If someone doesn't like a place there is nothing stopping that person from moving on. Sure the traffic on the 405 stinks, there is smog and housing is outrageous in some areas, but that's LA. I hear people complain about the "fake people" and the "backstabbers". But look at the amount of colleges and universities in the area, the theaters, the beaches, the attractions, the diversity. The good comes with the bad.

My two cents are: If you hate something-change it or change yourself.

[Fontucky]

Bradleyyo gets it.

[New World Man]

People don't "hate"LA. They simply know the sterotypes. No different than many people on here or that I know who thnk the midwest still doesn't have electricity or indoor plumbing.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by bradleyyo

Every time I visit another state and tell people where I am from (San Diego), all they do (especially in Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Utah, and Missouri) is tell me how much they hate LA and the rest of California in general.

Of those other states:

"Frankly my dear, CA doesn't give a damn."

[New Horizons]

Originally Posted by bigdumbgod

Of those other states:

"Frankly my dear, CA doesn't give a damn."

Anyway sometimes it feels good to be hated, kind of like being a Raiders fan!

[bradleyyo]

Originally Posted by New World Man

People don't "hate"LA. They simply know the sterotypes. No different than many people on here or that I know who thnk the midwest still doesn't have electricity or indoor plumbing.

Yes, I could easily say that everyone in the Midwest are jesus loving redneck hicks.

[jambone321]

Nice place to visit but wouldn't want to live there... because there is no life there~!@#$%^&*(