By Sammy Ginsberg
Decided to watch I Love LA since my cousin is watching it and the billboards and some posts on Instagram! Also the main character lives in Los Feliz just like me!
The first episode is making me spiral. Someone said it’s supposed to be satire. Is it an exaggeration or is it just kinda true?
Are we supposed to change our ways after watching the show?
I will admit, I’m kinda jealous of her hot teacher boyfriend Josh Hutchinson and her tightknit friend group that’s like a family to her.
Other than that, it’s clear that the character is insecure, and the unhealthy friendship dynamic is so stressful to watch. It brings up past friendship dynamics that I have been in to the point that I just had to cut the friendship off and now my childhood best friend is just a hot blonde taking selfies with her cat and drinking at bars.
This is reminding me of the show my Dolly Alderton, Everything I Know About Love – but the LA version of it?
And like present day LA rather than early 2000s London.
The TV show kind of makes me hate LA. Is that the point? Like LA is so beautiful, but these people are so vapid and they are so out of touch with the majority of people who are born and bred in Los Angeles. The non-white majority that make this city rich and vibrant and actually fucking function.
Not the few people who work in the entertainment industry and hog all the resources.
I think what also makes me spiral is that I so easily could have been these girls. When people shame these girls, belittle them, and mock them for being insecure and having dumb problems – I see myself as one of them. I could have been them.
I was raised in Calabasas. For some reason instead of trying to keep up with the Kardashians, I decided to actively reject the social climbing and value placed on being hot, sexy, and rich.
Perhaps I looked in the mirror at 14 and said, “Girl – you will never be as hot and sexy as those people. You have no boobs, no butt, and you look like a little girl. But I still have value! I am still worthy of being someone’s friend, someone’s girlfriend. Aren’t I?”
What value could I offer?
I could be fun! I could be smart! I could be friendly.
I feel so much shame about my background. About being a white girl. About being a writer and creative and poet wanting to share my work and voice with society.
I fucking hate mainstream LA culture. I fucking hate influencer culture and social media. I know I’m not the only one, but what is the alternative?
How can we be seen and known for who we are without feeding into the oppressive social hierarchy and commodification of personality!
Any ideas?
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