Abstract
When one hears “Los Angeles,” a variety of different images tend to form in the mind’s eye. Ranging from images of beaches thronged by surfers and dreams of Hollywood stardom made into reality to endless traffic jams, clouds of noxious smog, and violence within impoverished localities such as Compton and Inglewood; the sheer variety of mental images associated with the “Southland” is enough to boggle the mind. There simply is no single, iconic image associated with Los Angeles as there is with other cities. Rob Sullivan, in his work Street Level: Los Angeles in the Twenty-First Century, makes the argument that a city so large, diverse, and vibrant as Los Angeles can be associated with any number of distinct, contradictory images, and that these images can all be justifiably true despite contradicting each other because of the sheer size and variety contained within the city of Los Angeles.
Clearly demonstrating his intimate knowledge of Los Angeles and its development throughout the twentieth century, Sullivan examines various perspectives on Los Angeles. Ranging from the viewpoint that Los Angeles, as a city, is a completely artificial construct akin to a movie set or theme park, to the viewpoint that Los Angeles’ lack of a clearly defined “core” prevents Los Angeles from being a “true” city, Sullivan analyzes and deconstructs these various theories on Los Angeles.
Noting the influence of “boosters” in convincing potential residents to a place such as Los Angeles, which as Sullivan notes in the first line of the first chapter “had to be sold,” the influence of various sales pitches, ranging from “strawberries so big that they could only be consumed by three large bites” to the “seemingly miraculous health- and wealth-inducing properties” of Los Angeles, are discussed in detail. Despite the often contradictory nature of these various sales pitches, the fact that these different sales pitches have since combined into a gestalt unique to Los Angeles was also noted.
While the often artificial nature of Los Angeles, as symbolized by the Bonaventure Hotel and Disneyland, is cited by critics as a reason for it being a post-modern city, Sullivan deconstructs these arguments. Although acknowledging the differences between the skillfully managed artificiality of the Bonaventure Hotel and other areas of Los Angeles, Sullivan counters the argument that all of Los Angeles is an artificial construct by noting that the city has always been filled with “real places,” such as South-Central Los Angeles, inhabited by “real people.”
Similarly, Sullivan notes the wide-ranging influence of Los Angeles on the nation and, indeed, the world. Ranging from legal battles waged over issues, such as racial and social injustice, police brutality, and human rights abuses resulting from corporate operations to cultural elements and indeed the built environment (as found in suburbia), the influence of Los Angeles in multiple areas, societal and cultural, are widespread. Thus, artificiality notwithstanding, Los Angeles exerts a very real and tangible effect on society.
Although some may argue that Los Angeles does not have culture in comparison to cities with a denser, more traditional form, Sullivan argues otherwise. Indeed, he makes the argument that the lack of “culture” present in Los Angeles throughout the twentieth century was a key factor for the rise of unique artistic styles, ranging from experimental styles of painting and the iconic Watts Towers, to indeed, “gangsta” rap. Free of the stifling artistic norms present elsewhere, artists such as Jackson Pollock and Andy Warhol were able to experiment with new and untested modern styles of art. Sullivan postulates Simon Rodia and his work, the Watts Towers, to be emblematic of the freedom provided by Los Angeles to artists during the twentieth century; the logical conclusion is that, without the artistic freedom provided by Los Angeles’ lack of established, stifling cultural norms, the Watts Towers could not have been constructed.
Similarly, Sullivan notes the influence of gangsta rap, a musical style with deep roots in Los Angeles, on culture both within the United States and throughout the world. Directly influenced by the conditions found within Los Angeles during the late twentieth century, inclusive of poverty, racial injustice, police brutality, and drugs, gangsta rap was a brutally frank, candid expression about life in the ghetto. While originating from the streets of Los Angeles, gangsta rap has long since entered the mainstream of musical expression. Given the popularity of gangsta rap and the associated “thug” culture, these cultural elements, which originated in Los Angeles, can now be found worldwide, in a graphic demonstration of the cultural and societal effects exerted by Los Angeles.
The most important point made by Sullivan is that despite the plethora of seemingly larger-than-life images that are associated with Los Angeles, the city is like any other, inhabited by people no different than those elsewhere. Images of dystopia or paradise notwithstanding, Sullivan argues that Angelenos, like New Yorkers, San Franciscans, or residents of any city or town, are people like any other living ordinary lives. For every larger than life actor residing in Beverly Hills, there are far more ordinary people working ordinary jobs and living in very ordinary residences throughout the “Southland,” something that cannot be lost amid the vivid imagery depicting Los Angeles.
Given the sheer size and diversity within Los Angeles, no single theory or image can describe such a city; if nothing else, Sullivan imparts this on the reader, along with the fact that Los Angeles will continue to make its mark on culture and society, regardless of the form that influence takes. To conclude, I found this book to be quite insightful and fascinating regarding the city of Los Angeles and its effects on culture and society throughout the twentieth century and would recommend it to those seeking to glean a greater understanding of Los Angeles or its cultural and societal effects.