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Dichotomy Of California Culture Summary

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As a native born Californian, a person would be able to view both sides of how California culture is expressed. They see the good, and the bad. Mostly, you would see the middle. However, the sunny glamour and ghoulish noir is such a powerful dichotomy that expresses California culture because it is gives us an insight of both the good, and the bad in California. Umberto Eco views places like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm as a hyperreality. The thought that everything is perfect. It is nothing like the real world. Disneyland is viewed as the “Happiest place on Earth” where people go to get away from reality, and play along with the story. In a sense, this displays exactly what people see in California, a place to get away from every day …show more content…

The one that is not so perfect or glamorous. He describes how Mulholland drive becomes a dirt road for nearly 8 miles with empty hillsides and not much of the glamour is left. He describes how the water is being taken from the Owens Valley. For me this shows the hardship that California faces when it comes to having water, especially when there is a drought. It shows the part of California that is not perfect. The part that still needs saving. It shows the selfishness and cruelty of the people trying to get what they want, who cares more about nourishing the idealized society than taking care of what really needs to be done. In “City of Robot”, it is described that people fall into the spell and care about nothing else. They begin to go with the flow of things and get stuck in a rut. They do not have a grasp of reality and get caught up in the moment without ever realizing that they are going down the wrong path. These are the hopeful dreamers who eventually become the people we find drunk along side the road, never quite achieving their dream. This all displays the California that is unsuccessful. And the sad, but very real truth that California is sometimes hidden under a …show more content…

On shows such as “Laguna Beach” and “The OC”, it is a place for the rich and famous. Commercials that are trying to attract tourists essentially make California look like the place to be. You see the lifestyle that most could only dream about, and want a little piece of it. It shows us the so called glamour that is related to California. On the darker scale of things, the media also brings out the worst in California. With shows like “Cops” that always show the criminals of San Bernardino, to the documentaries on the gangs of California. They make some people believe that California is a terrible place that is full of hooligans and hood rats. The music industry has a huge role in what California culture is seen as too. It gives the vision that Los Angeles is the place to be in order to make it big. It also makes people think that California is a state full of stoners and alcoholics. There is really no in between in the media to show people what life in California is actually like. It is most definitely part of the reason for the dichotomy that California culture is viewed

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