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The Nation's Pulse
Getting to Know the City of Angels
A tourist in America’s second largest city.
Star-struck…excessive…smoggy…superficial…There’s a modicum of truth to each of the adjectives regularly applied to L.A. But Angelenos — and most objective visitors — dismiss their prevalence as signs of envy from people who hail from places less blessed with fun and sun. — Fodor’s 2011 Los Angeles
The opportunity to visit our daughter and attend WEFTEC, the largest water conference and exhibition in North America, in Los Angeles spurred my wife and me to visit this storied city for the first time. L.A., baby! Here we come.
We came, we saw, we ate well and basked in the fantastic weather while suffering the traffic and high prices. This latter problem may have been aggravated by the fact that we were spending a lot of time — and money — in Beverly Hills and the Westwood area since my daughter lives and works in the vicinity of UCLA, a pretty tony part of town. You almost forget that California’s state government and economy is suffering. But it is a big place. There are more Californians than there are Canadians.
One morning I called down to the valet service desk to have my rented Mazda 6 brought around to the front of the hotel. I saw my nice little car in the driveway, surrounded by Bentleys, Aston Martins, various high-end German models, and a Ferrari. The hotel had given me a convention rate, but I was clearly out of my league. Having forgotten my claim check, I apologized to the valet, showed him my room key and driver’s license to gain access to my vehicle without going back upstairs.
“No problem, Mr. Mehan,” said the cheerful attendant. “You wouldn’t want to steal that car.” Ouch.
California is quite a place, entirely unique in terms of geography and culture. A friend of my wife from South America, who lived in Manhattan for many years, recently moved to L.A. When asked how she liked California, replied, “It is near the United States.” Many commentators, however, argue that California prefigures what America is becoming at any given moment in time. Whether you find that a positive or negative proposition, I tend to think there is much truth in it.
Pop Culture, for instance, does permeate life in LaLaLand: a massive economy employing millions of Southern Californians is built around it.
No trip to Tinsel Town would be complete without a movie studio tour. We had booked tickets in advance for the Warner Bros. Studios “VIP Studio Tour,” to get a sense of L.A.’s premier industry. This is the quintessential tourist destination and, in truth, it is not to be missed.
Arriving in “beautiful downtown Burbank,” as Johnny Carson used to quip, we were struck by the size of the Warner Bros. corporate complex. This was a visual and useful reminder of the economic magnitude of the entertainment industry, a thought which, immediately, brought on a bout of cultural angst: Is it really a good thing that this town, this industry, these people have such a huge impact on the cultural and moral consciousness of the nation, nay, the planet? Get a grip on yourself, man. You’re on vacation.
Being intermittent, yet dedicated moviegoers, my wife and I were looking forward to a warm bath in film nostalgia. What we got was a tightly focused marketing effort promoting Warner Bros. TV shows produced for CBS, Fox, and the like. The tour guide, a young fellow who must watch television 24/7, was chock full of information, anecdotes, gossip, plot lines, recitations of past episodes and various other trivia relating to numerous prime-time shows very few of which my wife, daughter, or I had ever heard. When were we going to see where they shot scenes for Casablanca or gaze on Clint Eastwood’s Gran Torino?
Evidently, they shoot one episode of a sit-com in five days. Most of the cast make something like $300,000 per episode. Moreover, they work three weeks on, one off. Off the record, we were informed that that unfortunate man (my term, not the tour guide’s), Charlie Sheen, made millions for one show of Two and a Half Men.
Also, re-runs of Friends, worldwide, bring in a billion dollars a year. Those protesters occupying Wall Street should Occupy Hollywood next time.
We saw the sound stages for The Mentalist and a replica set for Friends. We also learned about optical illusions to create a sense of perspective on the small sets.
The studio does understand marketing. We just watched our first episode of The Mentalist, a gruesome, compelling crime show with an edgy character, Patrick Jane, played by the Aussie actor Simon Baker. He appears to emulate the great Jeremy Brett who immortalized Sherlock Holmes in that masterful, over-the-top role for PBS. Both characters are nuts — but in a good way.
Fortunately, we did get some exposure to the venerable film history of Warner Bros. We saw the Paris café where Bogart and Bergman romanced each other, a bank robbed by Bonnie and Clyde, a fire escape from Annie and the pond (sometimes a lake, sometimes an ocean) where the Budweiser frogs were created. Yes, we did get to see Clint’s Gran Torino, which he still owns but lets the studio keep for public display in the same building with other famous vehicles including one from a Batman movie. There is also a whole floor dedicated to Harry Potter costumes, props, etc. Back lot, front lot, it is all a theatrical wonderland, truly the Dream Factory.
About the Author
G. Tracy Mehan, III served at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the administrations of both Presidents Bush. He is a consultant in Arlington, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Mason University School of Law.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (25) | Leave a comment
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gearjammer| 11.2.11 @ 7:52AM
What was the occupy LA scene like ?
Tryon| 11.2.11 @ 11:29AM
The trees, shrubs, and flowering plants of Los Angeles are stunning. Magnificent! Miles and miles of tall palms, ficus trees, bouganvilia, flowering plants with blooms so brilliaint the term Technicolor comes to mind.
The natural environments of Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and surrounding areas are worth the trip.
The beauty of Los Angeles is in the landscaping. It's a natural paradise.
Forget about the hideous popular culture crap, and come look at the gorgeous trees, shrubs, flowers. You will be delighted; I guarantee.
Occam's Tool| 11.2.11 @ 4:20PM
Tryon: my advice is to forget LA and go to Mobile, Alabama. See if Quin will take you to the Bellingrath gardens. Wow!
A Janeite| 11.2.11 @ 7:57AM
What trip, Mr. Mehan!!!
Pecos Pete| 11.2.11 @ 8:51AM
Been there, lived there, done that ... wouldn't go back to Los Angeles, or California, for any reason.
jan| 11.5.11 @ 1:53PM
I would not even want to be buried there!
DTOM| 11.2.11 @ 9:14AM
Sounds like you missed one icon: the twelve foot tall statue of John Wayne at the Orange County airport. The first time I saw it, I just blurted out,
"Oh! It's life-sized!"
PS It's really named the John Wayne Airport. And the statue is only nine feet tall, ya know, big as Sasquatch!
Stormzeye| 11.2.11 @ 10:49AM
Oh great, another Ben Stein!
Seek| 11.2.11 @ 12:24PM
Clint's 2008 movie was called "Gran Torino," not "Grand Torino." Ford made 'em; Americans bought 'em.
nohussein| 11.2.11 @ 12:24PM
It's a wet back infested dump, I know, I lived there for 28 years.
PolishKnight| 11.2.11 @ 1:18PM
I lived there for 10 years. Some of them quite fond memories. Some great (reasonably priced) restaurants, 2 Opera houses, some very interesting places to shop, and near LA a great outdoor PUBLIC shooting range that Charlton Heston used to go to.
On the negative side, it's very much like Bladerunner. The ethnic diversity, and it truly is diverse with Mexican, Asian, Black, and European influences tends to produce both benefits (see above) and a drawback that most people don't have a lot in common with each other. Your friends will live several miles away from you and each mile taking about a half hour to drive in traffic. In addition, the cities roads are crumbling except for the nice, new shiny speed and red light cameras they set up.
Like NYC, it's not a place most sensible people will live in for long.
LA does have a lot of industry going through it. It's one of the top manufacturers of clothing outside of China. As a port, it's a large conduit of imports from China into the USA. These factors allow the city to have an industry besides entertainment holding it up (it needs it with all the people in it.)
Doctor Right| 11.2.11 @ 1:48PM
Does anyone else think it's kinda' dumb that their AL baseball team is called "The Angels"..???
Since "Los Angeles" means "The Angels"...?
So basically, the team is called "The Angels The Angels"...
Weird.
Occam's Tool| 11.2.11 @ 4:17PM
Well, I lived in LA for 5 years, doing an internship in Pedsa and a Residency in Psychiatry.
The place is physically painful to live in as the traffic is outrageous and the people are, to a very large extent, swine. I am glad I am gone and live in rural Minnesota. The only thing better about LA is the Thai food and the weather. Otherwise, advantage is ALL MN.
That being said, yes, the Getty is fantastic. I used to visit the earlier version in Malibu, before it moved. But it was very annoying to have to plan a visit to a museum a week ahead of time (For the reservation for PARKING!).
Except for my educational experiences at UCLA, I don't think about LA much anymore. I have been in many more interesting places since then.
Steve C.| 11.4.11 @ 8:31PM
I am stubborn and refuse to call the Angels the Los Angeles Angels. I still call them the Anaheim Angels.
They won a World Series as the Anaheim Angels.
What was wrong with that name is beyond me, but they never asked my opinion before they made the change.
jan| 11.5.11 @ 2:02PM
Just like Chai Tea or Rice Pilaf , Chai meaning tea and pilaf meaning rice in Turkish!
G. Tracy Mehan, III| 11.2.11 @ 2:49PM
Seek, good catch on the "Grand" Torino goof. Will ask Wlady to correct forthwith. Thanks.
gearjammer| 11.2.11 @ 6:51PM
So he made a little Malibooboo.
calvin | 11.2.11 @ 3:48PM
What exactly is the point? I would rather visit a rodeo in Montana for the honest Americana it could provide.
Skippy| 11.2.11 @ 5:12PM
I love L.A.
Westwood/Brentwood/anywhere west of the 405 is the civil part of town.
UCLA campus is stunning.
One of the most American cities ever, in so many of the best and worst ways.
I love L.A.!
nohussein| 11.2.11 @ 6:11PM
prog town skip, dump.
Skippy| 11.3.11 @ 12:57PM
And which American city is not?
e track from saq| 11.2.11 @ 6:40PM
Take a trip to the OC once a year,to visit relatives .
What really sticks with me is the explosion of food
coming out of the valley.The climate is unique in all the US,think Greek.And if you go and do go,try to be there in the end of May when the jacarandas are in beautiful purple bloom.
Red River Ratten| 11.2.11 @ 7:35PM
Was this an article trying to soften us up for when we'll be told that California needs its $$$gazillions bailout?
RJ| 11.2.11 @ 11:38PM
Having lived most of my life in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, I am saddened by the decline of California. It was truly the golden state in the 1950-60s. Most of the construction was new; the population was small enough so that crowds and traffic were not a problem; and the people were considered polite and friendly. The weather was great and wonderful things happened in California.
These days, the infrastructure is old and overwhelmed; crowds and traffic are everywhere; rudeness is a fact of life; the government is dysfunctional; and Californians have been leaving the state for over 20 years. How quickly the Golden State turned into the Collapsing State.
Vern Crisler | 11.3.11 @ 4:37AM
What, you didn't go to Disneyland? Well, okay, but next time. For me, the best part of visiting LA is the Reagan Library, an oasis of substance in the midst of a profoundly frivolous culture.