The San Fernando Valley's "claim to fame" (Los Angeles: find a job, shopping mall)

[SandyCo]

Not that this should be news to anyone, but apparently, this area is the "p****o capital"; more p****ography is filmed or taped here than anywhere else. Wonderful. This distinction was written up in the L.A. Times today in a section about what L.A. has given the world. Surely the S.F. Valley can be known for more than this! Is it any wonder I want to move away from here ASAP?

Edit: There are too many * in the above words, but it's apparently because the program will edit out this word. Anyway, I'm sure most of you know what it's supposed to be, right?!

[fastfilm]

Sandyco, some trivia. That statistic may soon be changing, because the one of the major draws here in the Valley for that industry has just closed, a certain business on Van Nuys Blvd. in Sherman Oaks that specialized in casting for that industry's needs. This is a mixed blessing: it was known far and wide as the most ethical of all that industry's casting agencies, willing to go to bat for its clients to make sure they were paid, and were kept in safe "working" conditions, all in all, good people for their clients, the top echelon in a very dicey trade. Apparently the scripted and cast with actors' genre has given way to cheapo "reality" films and "housewives gone wild" stuff. (disclaimer: my info comes from a friend who used to work in production for Russ Meyer before his writing career took off.)

Everyone else, just watch the film "Boogie Nights" for all the lurid details...

[SandyCo]

I appreciate the trivia, Fastfilm.

I have a friend who's an actor, and she's getting disgusted and burned out, because all that's out there are jobs for reality shows, etc. like you said. That's not the kind of acting she wants to do.

The "industry" will never go away completely, of course. I think I'm mostly angry that the L.A. Times decided to highlight that aspect of the SF Valley. The Valley is so much more than just that. We have movie studios, manufacturing, etc. as well. Of course, those things are not as "newsworthy". Yuck.

[kidcanaduh]

The San Fernando Valley's "claim to fame"

I've seen it referred to as the San Pornando Valley

Haha!

[Fleet]

In the 1940s and 1950s, Northridge was known as "The Horse Capital of the West."

And Iverson Ranch, in Northwest Chatsworth, is said to be the most photographed movie location in the world.

I'd rather think of the San Fernando Valley that way.

[UB50]

I can't see it totally going away. There is a lot of "post production" (if you can imagine that these films need sound and 'colorists'.) There is also a lot of duplication work and a lot of people who sell videos or DVDs or whatever they are selling now. I can't imagine the whole industry will ever vanish. I used to work across the street from some guys who just sold "toys" -- on a big scale.

At one point, a lot of years ago, I had a neighbor who was over 50 and couldn't find a job. She was good in accounting -- and hot dang! Got hired by a porn producer.

[edelweiss]

What a sad testimony to the morality of our nation and in particular of our great city of Los Angeles. How ironic that the sexual "freedom" that so many thought they were achieving back in the '60s has brought us to a place where so many are trapped and addicted to such things, divorce rates that have skyrocketed, and an overwhelming disrespect for the sanctity of marriage & sexuality. Some freedom.

I would love to hear mainstream media advocate abstinence before marriage or fidelity within marriage... what a concept!! Did you know that the "industry" about which this thread is concerned makes more money in our nation than MLB, NBA, and NFL combined?? Lord have mercy!

[goodgirl49]

Originally Posted by edelweiss

What a sad testimony to the morality of our nation and in particular of our great city of Los Angeles. How ironic that the sexual "freedom" that so many thought they were achieving back in the '60s has brought us to a place where so many are trapped and addicted to such things, divorce rates that have skyrocketed, and an overwhelming disrespect for the sanctity of marriage & sexuality. Some freedom.

I would love to hear mainstream media advocate abstinence before marriage or fidelity within marriage... what a concept!! Did you know that the "industry" about which this thread is concerned makes more money in our nation than MLB, NBA, and NFL combined?? Lord have mercy!

An excellent post and I agree with you totally. I don't think mainstream media will ever advocate abstinence or fidelity because things have gone too far in the wrong direction. Sex sells!

[straight outta camden]

It's beginning to sound a bit like a Republican town hall meeting in here.

Anyway, it's not true that the Valley is only famous for p**n. I would add:

1. Smog
2. Shopping malls

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by edelweiss

What a sad testimony to the morality of our nation and in particular of our great city of Los Angeles. How ironic that the sexual "freedom" that so many thought they were achieving back in the '60s has brought us to a place where so many are trapped and addicted to such things, divorce rates that have skyrocketed, and an overwhelming disrespect for the sanctity of marriage & sexuality. Some freedom.

I would love to hear mainstream media advocate abstinence before marriage or fidelity within marriage... what a concept!! Did you know that the "industry" about which this thread is concerned makes more money in our nation than MLB, NBA, and NFL combined?? Lord have mercy!

Edelweiss, are you sure that "sexual freedom" is actually increasing unhappy relationships (which lead to divorces)? Or is the divorce rate higher because there is less stigma against divorce and therefore more of unhappy people divorce?

Nostalgia can cloud our minds... the 1950s were not all "Happy Happy Joy Joy," folks!