Why in the world is Los Angeles so looked down upon (Oakland: school, living)

[evergraystate]

Originally Posted by AmongtheDogs

Why in the world is Los Angeles so looked down upon

Because it makes people feel better about the horrible dumps they live in. The further north you go on the west coast the more people feel the need to look down on LA in order to justify their own pathetic existence.

Originally Posted by sirmilton

You have lots of very affluent areas and nice beaches. A celebrity culture. You can watch the news for entertainment. A lot of people are into photography and filim. Nobody is hung up about how LA is perceived here. Every is busy doing whatever it is they are doing. If you like L.A, cool. If you don't whatever.

This is one of my favorite aspects about LA people. They really don't care what others think of their city. They have better things to worry about.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by evergraystate

Because it makes people feel better about the horrible dumps they live in. The further north you go on the west coast the more people feel the need to look down on LA in order to justify their own pathetic existence.

Residents of San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Portland, and Seattle, among many others, probably don't feel they live in dumps, regardless of what they think of L.A.

[ashpelham]

Originally Posted by evergraystate

Because it makes people feel better about the horrible dumps they live in. The further north you go on the west coast the more people feel the need to look down on LA in order to justify their own pathetic existence.

This is one of my favorite aspects about LA people. They really don't care what others think of their city. They have better things to worry about.

DITTO. I live in a red state, and all I ever hear is negative stuff about the coasts, specifically, the west one. If it's so negative, then why does my state rank 49th or 50th in everything but fatness and college football, where we OWN the US?

[BarcelonaFan]

It's because outside of a few uppity areas, no one in LA has the "keeping up with the joneses" mentality. If anything, people here almost resent anyone thinking they're better than anyone and will be glad to bring you down a notch.

People are too into their lives, having fun and enjoying LA. LA has a lot of free events, free activities, free public spaces and areas to just explore. I've never been to a city that invests a lot into it's cultural arts and public spaces. Even NYC doesn't offer this much.

Whenever you go back to red states in middle America, the first they say when you talk about LA is, "I could never live in LA, I love the coutnry or small towns, yada yada yada". Even though you meant no disrespect to small towns or anything, they just have to chime in about how wholesome their little slice of Americana is, and how LA is just a cesspool.

I really think it's an insecurity and a disdain for people (a bit of racism too) that people from middle America (mostly from red states) cannot stand major cities. They cannot fathom being small fish in a big pond. They would rather keep up with the joneses among their own small cliques and high school friends in their small towns.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

It's because outside of a few uppity areas, no one in LA has the "keeping up with the joneses" mentality. If anything, people here almost resent anyone thinking they're better than anyone and will be glad to bring you down a notch.

People are too into their lives, having fun and enjoying LA. LA has a lot of free events, free activities, free public spaces and areas to just explore. I've never been to a city that invests a lot into it's cultural arts and public spaces. Even NYC doesn't offer this much.

Whenever you go back to red states in middle America, the first they say when you talk about LA is, "I could never live in LA, I love the coutnry or small towns, yada yada yada". Even though you meant no disrespect to small towns or anything, they just have to chime in about how wholesome their little slice of Americana is, and how LA is just a cesspool.

I really think it's an insecurity and a disdain for people (a bit of racism too) that people from middle America (mostly from red states) cannot stand major cities. They cannot fathom being small fish in a big pond. They would rather keep up with the joneses among their own small cliques and high school friends in their small towns.

Well to be fair, Blue states have their share of backwater areas too - Massachusetts comes to mind with their hybrid Woodchucks / M*******s in the western end of the state.

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by munchitup

Well to be fair, Blue states have their share of backwater areas too - Massachusetts comes to mind with their hybrid Woodchucks / M*******s in the western end of the state.

Yeah it's not just red states but I have heard this from more conservative minded people.

[bigdumbgod]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

I really think it's an insecurity

I think so, too. Wait, I know so. They're a transparent bunch out there in the hinterlands.

[yamota]

nothing like a thread like this to get you people worked up and start insulting other cities talk about lowering yourselves to the same level! :lol:

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by yamota

nothing like a thread like this to get you people worked up and start insulting other cities talk about lowering yourselves to the same level! :lol:

It's not insulting when you notice that people are less into the keeping with the joneses game in LA than they are in middle America. In fact, most people would think that LA is too "slacker-ish", too "bo-heme" and too "arsty-fartsy". Others, including people within LA, might see the city as way too "prole".

Houston where I came from was a pretty bad place where keeping up with the joneses, gossip and all around vile jealousy was rampant. It's a place where they think they have to be snooty, uppity and all bougie in certain places to match LA, but LA is nothing like that for the most part.

[HaemophilusAphrophilus]

i agree with a lot of sentiments on here-- in my opinion LA is the greatest place out there but ONLY once you get to know it. Many other major cities are much much easier to "understand", while with LA it really takes some effort (well worth it). Once I truly got it, every time I am out of the city or country I find myself extremely homesick because nothing else is quite like LA