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Los Angeles Commercial
Introduction
Deepak Narang Sawhney’s essay “Journey Beyond the Stars” tracks a lot of tensions and perceptions about Los Angeles, but one of his main points seems to be that LA is portrayed in specific ways through commercial texts or mainstreams. The reader is made to understand this when the author writes, “though a common dialogue, collective vision, and share perspective may not be present in contemporary Los Angeles, the city nevertheless sells itself extremely well (Sawhney 7).” To understand L.A’s dynamics, the author brings to the reader the countless films, journals, websites, radio programs, and books that people are eager to consume and consequently get to know the position of most of the things in the city. It is the analytical and scripted perspective on what it appears to be that makes Los Angeles unique (Sawhney 8). The essay seeks to establish how Los Angeles sells itself in contemporary society through commercial texts and the essential elements that these commercial representations leave out or ignore.
Ever since time immemorial, Los Angeles has, over the years, influenced or defined both the spiritual and material force of America’s growth and development. Through his essay, Sawhney alludes to the fact the American dream is conceptualized, conceived, experienced, and lost in the city of Los Angeles. There are photographs, dialogues, and other commercial texts that attempt to reveal the city’s culture, geographies, and population. By uncovering the various forces that manipulate and marginalize Los Angeles, Sawhney is keen to unmask the raw contradictions, the grim paradoxes, and understated ironies of the global city.
One of the questions that we seek to answer is how Los Angeles sells itself. In the “Journey beyond the stars,” one of Sawhney’s main points is that L.A commercial is portrayed in stereotypical ways through mainstream or commercial texts. The city of Los Angeles is characterized by many distinctions. It is the center of the entertainment and a cultural mecca that boasts more than 100 museums (Sawhney 12). To sell itself, the city has most of the things a top-notch. It is characterized by a paradise of idyllic weather.
From the many career opportunities, like the ones in the tech industry to the tourist attraction sites like the Walk of Fame’s collection of stars which are at the tune of 2600 and increase by two or more every month, Los Angeles provides an environment plenty of what all humankind looks or aspires to have. As such, the city sells itself by offering a lot of fascinating opportunities and recreational facilities (Fraley 1). Of paramount importance is that Los Angeles remains one of the cities that have held or hosted the Summer Olympics twice with the aspiration to host the same event for the third time in 2028 (Discover Los Angeles para 2). As such, the city is considered one of the most sought-after in the United States.
In the “Journey beyond the stars,” Sawhney portrays the city as the only remaining wooden lighthouse and the most extensive historical theater district on the National Register of Historic Places. Los Angeles leads in terms of technological advancement and mechanization. The city offers more than 24,000 art jobs, which surpasses New York (Discover Los Angeles para 3). That is, the city is the country” leading artistic center with a more significant absolute number and concentration of artists than New York. In his essay, the reader is in a position to note the social, political, and cultural diversity of the city that brings together diverse responses to the complexities facing Los Angeles from high profile and reputable individuals, writers, intellectuals, and artists such as Gayatri Spivak, Mike Davis, and Deepak Chopra.
It is noted that the city’s five-county area is also a major tech center. Thus, the city offers more than 700,000 jobs in health services/biomedical activities. Also of importance is the large number of people working in the aerospace. Even though it was a shantytown on the outskirts of the American’s manifest destiny, Los Angeles has climbed very many floors to become the leading into the pacific century (Discover Los Angeles para 4). This one can be noted from the fact that the city’s financial, digital, and cultural preeminence appears to be unchallenged in contemporary society.
To help understand the dominant narratives of Los Angeles, we choose the Westside of the city. The film and other tourist attractions guide reveal breathtaking beautiful places and sunny skies. For instance, the People’s guide to Los Angeles depicts the west side as having beautiful beaches and young tanned bodies glistening on the sand. This offers the iconic images of Los Angeles broadcast to the world every day by social media, television, and films.
The sun and blue skies represent the fantastic all-year-round weather and comfortable, good life. All these attractive images and commercial representation of the Los Angeles offers a spark that attracts migrants into the city with expectations of good health, fortune, recreation, and fame in the Westside’s sunshine (Pulido et al., 110). As such, the iconic images and many facilities that offer the most relaxing moments and memories along with everyday celebrity encounters are what many people associated with and look forward to from Los Angeles.
In the “People’s Guide to Los Angeles,” one can note the eye-opening alternatives to the city’s interventions and usual tourist destinations. The reader is taken aback to realize that while the city experienced struggles related to sexuality, class, race, and gender, it led to many societal values and considerations (Pulido et al., 108). The guide introduces readers to people and events ignored by mainstream media and are in the line of creating and developing the history of Los Angeles.
The book offers the reader with fascinating facts. For instance, the city is divided into six regions, therefore, the North Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, the Eastside, San Gabriel Valley, and the San Fernando Valley. This depicts the extreme to which the city goes in terms of size and how power operates in the shaping of places. Los Angeles does brag not only the various museums and exhibits but also inspiring art and diverse cultural experiences. It provides a perfect place for one to be immersed in the culture and the arts (Pulido et al., 109). The city holds 225 theaters, 105 museums, and 55 magnificent structures by the top-notch architects. Besides, the city is characterized by 17 of the world’s most beautiful gardens.
Conclusion
By uncovering the various forces that manipulate and marginalize cities, Los Angeles commercial is portrayed in stereotypical ways through mainstream or commercial texts. As such, the city sells itself by offering a lot of fascinating opportunities and recreational facilities. Los Angeles leads in terms of technological advancement and mechanization. The city offers many opportunities ranging from art and aerospace to health. It is interesting to realize that a city that once experienced struggles related to sexuality, class, race, and gender is now leading to world-class services and opportunities.
References
Discover Los Angeles. Facts about LA. Retrieved from https://www.discoverlosangeles.com/media/facts-about-la
Fraley, J. (2019). ‘Ad Astra’ stars Brad Pitt in sci-fi journey to the stars. Retrieved from https://wtop.com/entertainment/2019/09/movie-review-ad-astra-stars-brad-pitt-in-sci-fi-journey-to-the-stars/
Pulido, Laura, Laura Barraclough, and Wendy Cheng. A people’s guide to Los Angeles. Univ of California Press, 2012.
Sawhney, Deepak Narang. “Journey Beyond the Stars.” Unmasking LA. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2002. 1-20