Everybody in the world has seen or heard one of Hollywood’s productions, scandals, or celebrities; more than that, in this day and age, people realize how strong of an influence Hollywood has upon the world. As people moved here after for opportunities at a better life after The Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression, the state of California had realized that people had moved here because they had believed that California had more and better opportunities at health, jobs, and raising families. Based in Southern California, Hollywood has capitalized upon the still-growing, always sunny California weather. Images of California circulated around the world showcasing long, lean, tan and gorgeous celebrities living in the lap of luxury, leisure, and fame. People around the world received the impression that if they too moved to California, that they too can rise to fame from nothing, just like their favorite celebrities. In this day and age now though, people understand how sad and pitiful Hollywood is now however this hasn’t prevented them from still migrating to our overpopulated and smoggy state.
One must wonder how the Red Hot Chili Peppers, a well-known band whose beginnings were established in California, can write a song that is so negative about the place that has made them so famous. However, just like the rest of the people who immigrate to California, they recognize and are willing to bear the consequences of failure because the hope of making it big is so powerful. Their song, “Californication” portrays our real-life situation in which Hollywood’s influence is so powerful that we accept their ideas as our own and even go as far as move to California to become someone that we are not in order to gain fame and fortune. Once Californication creeps into your mind, it will “try to steal your mind’s elation”. Whatever happiness you had will be replaced by Hollywood’s depiction of happiness with whatever is in trend.
The beginning of the song demonstrates how influential Hollywood can be from “Pyschic spies from China. . little girls from Sweden/ Dream of silver screen quotations.” No matter what country, Hollywood has somehow touched upon it with its glamorous and representation of California. Even young innocent girls who do not even speak the English language are captured by the beautiful actors and actresses on screens that their first phrases in English are actually movie quotations.
Hollywood would not be able to achieve its success and infamy if it were not for the celebrities. Not only are the celebrities famous for their talents on the big screen, they are more well-known worldwide for the luxurious life that tends to accompany fame hand-in-hand. The Red Hot Chili Peppers understand this influence extends anywhere from mundane as brand endorsements to plastic surgery in the name of “beauty” to even politics.
As people all around the world are continually exposed to the media there is ultimately a point in which everyone tends to follow similar ideas. Among these culturally-accepted ideas is Hollywood beauty. What people don’t realize is that is their beloved idols of beauty actually “Pay [their] surgeon very well/ To break the spell of aging”. It is impossible for everyday people to keep up with this type of “beauty” because celebrities in a way, are cheating time. This doesn’t stop young innocent people around the world from continually trying to emulate their celebrities though, however it does create a culture that believes that there should be more importance upon focusing on physical beauty instead of inner beauty.
In the lines “ Celebrity skin is this your chin/ or is that war you’re waging”, the band mocks the fact that these people who are sometimes nothing more than a pretty face is able to influence an entire country in the name of politics. In 2008, during the presidential campaigns, Hollywood was able to influence the entire youth of the United States to vote with the Democratic party by campaigning with Rock the Vote, a non-profit organization. In 2008, we all saw how influential Hollywood can be on the youth as there were astounding statistics which showed just how many young people took action in registering to vote for their futures.
While the dream to become rich and famous is all too enticing, we all must not forget to remember the dire consequences that can come from failure. Those who seek this set-produced dream of money, fame, and romance must be careful or else you will face the consequences such as being a “teenage bride with a baby inside”. While California is known for its dreamers and failures, the band still understands that “destruction leads to a very rough road but it also breeds creation”. While California holds a dream for everybody, those who don’t make it will always have an opportunity to create a new path for themselves.
Though a deadly disease once it gets under your skin, there is no cure for it, even “tidal waves [cannot] save the world.] Once it is in your mind you simply cannot keep it out, it takes tremendous effort and strength because it has so much influence in the world. Saying you are “sicker than the rest, there is no test, but this is what you’re craving” indicates that even those infected would not even see it themselves because it has assimilated so much into your mind that you don’t even know where your own wants start and where Hollywood’s ends. The only clue is closely looking at what it is that you desire and why it is that you desire it so much.Reflection
During this unit, I learned that everybody had their own, yet eerily similar version of the Californian dream. I always knew that there was the American Dream of which people come in hopes of a better life but it wasn't until this section that I realized the impact of the California Dream. In this section, I learned how damaging the California Dream is for those who have already achieved it and also for those who dream of it. It becomes a constant need for more despite what you already have.
As a reader, I’ve learned that there is a proper method in reading my texts and this method ultimately makes me a better writer as well. Among many things to read, I would first skim the piece of work that my essay would be based off in a manner of enjoyment. Then I would go over it a couple more times to find what I wanted and and then to note what I really needed for my paper. It was from this chapter that I really learned how to read texts closely for multiple times.
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