On the news today that John McCain's campaign has been using robocalls questioning Obama's patriotism and charging him with putting "Hollywood above America," I thought I'd take a moment to offer a defense of my beloved city and industry. People are quick to defend San Francisco (and rightfully so) by offering lists of great "San Francisco Values," but I never really see a spirited defense of SF's neighbor to the South. I know Northern Californians and us Angelenos have had our differences, but it's high time we defended Hollywood for what it is - a creative and vibrant community with tons of diversity, an absolutely insane work ethic, and a place where anyone - ANYONE - can be successful if they try hard enough.
I've had it up to here with people using Hollywood as the stereotypical Hellmouth. Hollywood isn't just a great place, it's an embodiment of those quintessentially American values. Cheney said we don't represent America. I say hell yes we do. And here's why:
UPDATE: This diary has been rescued by the Rescue Rangers! Thanks so much!
1 - Hollywood is a union town where people work hard - VERY HARD.
Most people who live and work in the film industry are not million dollar employees living in Beverly Hills with designer chihuahuas. We're dedicated union employees who work our butts off for a basic middle class salary. Our working hours are at minimum 10/day, at maximum 16-18. We work 5-6 days a week without fail, sometimes 7. People have died driving home from work because they fell asleep at the wheel after a grueling day with very little turnaround for sleep. We don't have set vacations, our vacations are the periods where there's no work, and even then we're looking for more.
Hollywood's work ethic is second to none. Every set you're on, every post production facility worth its salt works tirelessly. People are dedicated to the quality of their work. This is why studio movies have absolutely astronomical production value - they look that good because people have spent tireless hours crafting the sets, perfecting the sound, making the shot look amazing. Whether it's the next Oscar winner or a piece of trash that'll be gone in a week, our workers put their best foot forward no matter what.
And unlike many communities ravaged by Reagan and Bush, Hollywood is still one of the few places with a vibrant union presence. In a country where less than a quarter of the workforce is organized, Hollywood represents one of the largest concentrations of union workers in the country. And it's not passive unionism either. Anyone following the news this year has followed the story of the Writer's Guild of America strikes - strikes in which ordinary workers organized to fight against corporate greed - and refused to be broken. The vast majority of the Hollywood community stood up with the striking writers and understood that although they might be out a significant amount of work, it was important and right to support them because we're all in this together. Hollywood understands this better than many places John McCain prefers to visit.
2 - With a few notable exceptions, Hollywood is a meritocracy.
Contrary to popular belief, Hollywood is not a community where everyone is somebody's son or uncle or whatever. That may get you in the door, but like any job once you're in its your responsibility to get things done and to work hard. I know tons of people who got into this business thinking it would be a cakewalk. They don't work much anymore. Hollywood is a community that respects results over anything else. If you're not successful it doesn't matter whose son you are or how successful you were last week. Hollywood is the embodiment of capitalism in this way - an impartial market with no mercy for failure and rewards for the successful.
3 - Hollywood, like San Francisco, is one of the most diverse communities in America.
Gay people, straight people, black people, brown people - it doesn't matter who you are or where you're from. If you've got the goods you can make it in this town. Hollywood is the embodiment of the American Dream - founded by pioneers who saw a business opportunity to make movies out here in the middle of nowhere and send them all over the country. Now those little fledgling pioneer companies have spawned half a dozen massive movie studios and media companies, joined by a small army of independent production offices, any one of which could be the Next Big Thing. This community respects quality and success over anything else - we gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in the 30's - the 30's! - before anyone else even bothered to recognize an African American in any field. We shined a light on AIDS and the gay community before people were even comfortable shaking hands with gay people. Our successful ranks include men and women of different backgrounds and life stories who all came here with a dream and succeeded when other communities would spit at them. Like San Francisco, Hollywood is a cultural melting pot - Indian food is just as popular as American food. We have a "Little Ethiopia." We have completely disparate communities of people living side by side.
4 - Hollywood is one of the most environmentally conscious communities in the country.
Once the capital of "car culture," now we drive more Prius cars than anyone else. We recycle EVERYTHING. We donate to environmental causes. We have more vegans and vegetarians than most other places. We get green energy from wind farms and solar power. We have a dozen great farmer's markets and a commitment to sustainably raised locally sourced food. Hollywood is passionate about its environmental advocacy. They're passionate about a LOT of issues, and they're not afraid to voice that passion and support who they need to support. And most importantly, we're the ones spreading the message that being green and being cool go hand in hand, through TV, music, and movies. Which leads me to my final point...
5 - Hollywood and the rest of America need each other.
This is an important point. People criticize Hollywood for shoveling a ridiculous amount of horrid pop culture into our lives - reality TV, Paris Hilton, High School Musical, the Saw movies, you name it. I'm not going to defend all the crap we put out there, because yes it is crap. What I will say is that that crap is only out there because that's what America likes to watch. And by "America" I mean the same people that hold their nose at Hollywood and decry us as an evil place. They're the ones tuning into Deal or No Deal and paying 10 bucks a pop to go see Saw VI. They're the ones buying Miley Cyrus tickets and wearing the clothes they see on those TV shows. It's not like Hollywood forced a bunch of teenage girls across America to start wearing Ugg Boots, they bought them on their own.
What I'm saying is that Hollywood and the rest of the country need each other. Hollywood has a ton of original ideas but there's also a lot of following that happens. We don't make a lot of trends, we follow them, and usually by the time Hollywood makes a major motion picture about the latest dance craze or musical trend it's old hat. We make what you want to watch, not the other way around. But people need Hollywood too. They need entertainment of all varieties. They need to see gay people and straight people coexisting on a regular basis. They need to see different types of families on TV aside from the traditional. They need us. We still have the ability to make thoughtful, coherent, culturally valuable material, whether it's a feature film like Good Night and Good Luck or a TV show like The West Wing. The market is so fragmented with cable TV and DVD and video-on-demand that the complaint that people watch crap because it's on TV is no longer valid. You can get ANYTHING you want to see on your TV at almost any time. You want good stuff on your TV? It's there - just change the channel to it. If we're so awful, why do people invite us into their living rooms every night for a few hours?
Conclusion
Hollywood is a pretty easy whipping boy. We're quirky, to be sure. We have our faults. But Hollywood has things that no other city has, things a healthy and vibrant country needs. We have strong progressive values and the means to get our message out to the rest of the country. We have a commitment to hard work and organized labor. We have a state where an Austrian bodybuilder and actor can run and win the Governor's mansion. Only in Hollywood is that story possible.
So the next time someone around you decries Hollywood, the next time a politician uses Hollywood as a spectre of evil against the good, value-driven (read: Republican) communities he's campaigning in, remind them about all the good things Hollywood has to offer. Like we did with "San Francisco values," let's embrace "Hollywood values" too - tolerance, diversity, passion, community, hard work, and success.