Another '80s to '00s parallel...it strikes me that the super-affluent area where everything takes place to symbolize suburban teen wealth is Orange County, the way the San Fernando Valley was to the '80s. Desperate Housewives, The O.C, Laguna Beach and others use the O.C. as a symbol of the '00s: real estate nuts, berserker overprivileged yuppie teens, etc. The Valley, with its valley girls and entertainment executives and celebrity homes, was an '80s equivalent.

Now, Fairfield County is getting called the F.C., for example. The '80s places seemed to either be the San Fernando Valley or the Chicago suburbs to symbolize teen affluence.

Makes sense to me.  I think the movie Orange County is what started the whole OC thing.

Another '80s to '00s parallel...it strikes me that the super-affluent area where everything takes place to symbolize suburban teen wealth is Orange County, the way the San Fernando Valley was to the '80s. Desperate Housewives, The O.C, Laguna Beach and others use the O.C. as a symbol of the '00s: real estate nuts, berserker overprivileged yuppie teens, etc. The Valley, with its valley girls and entertainment executives and celebrity homes, was an '80s equivalent.

Now, Fairfield County is getting called the F.C., for example. The '80s places seemed to either be the San Fernando Valley or the Chicago suburbs to symbolize teen affluence.


Yeap, I see what you mean. Fast Times at Ridgemount High was a perfect example of 80's culture in the Valley, and a lot of 80's movies were also set in the Chicago suburbs (Risky Business, Ferris Bueler's Day Off). In the 90's it was Beverly Hills (because of 90210 and Clueless) and Seattle (because of grunge of course and movies like Sleepless in Seattle). Now it's the O.C. I also think the Atlanta scene will gain popularity (the movie ATL opened some door for that possibilty).

Yeap, I see what you mean. Fast Times at Ridgemount High was a perfect example of 80's culture in the Valley, and a lot of 80's movies were also set in the Chicago suburbs (Risky Business, Ferris Bueler's Day Off). In the 90's it was Beverly Hills (because of 90210 and Clueless) and Seattle (because of grunge of course and movies like Sleepless in Seattle). Now it's the O.C. I also think the Atlanta scene will gain popularity (the movie ATL opened some door for that possibilty).


Atlanta is a very, VERY '00s city.  New York was the '70s, LA is always an influence, Chicago is the '80s, Seattles is the '90s, Atlanta is the '00s.

New York-of course very '70s and early '80s but also a very, very '00s city. Williamsburg and NE Brooklyn as a whole, along with the Times Square area, is now pretty '00s.
Philadelphia-very '70s and '60s.
Chicago-'20s-'40s and '80s (for its suburbs, very typical American.)
San Francisco-'60s and '70s, also '90s to an extent but not an '80s city or an '00s city, really.
Los Angeles-Always an influence as DD said, but specifically sort of '80s and '90s. SF Valley was big in the '80s, Beverly Hills in the '90s, and the suburban outskirts in the '00s.
Seattle-'90s.
Portland-'90s and '00s.
Atlanta-VERY '00s.
Detroit-'60s and '00s.
Jersey-'80s all the way.
Dallas-'80s.
The O.C.-Way '00s.
St. Louis-'00s and pre-'50s.
Minneapolis-'80s/'90s.
Boston-'60sish and '90sish.
Miami-'80s and '90s.

New York-of course very '70s and early '80s but also a very, very '00s city.
Philadelphia-very '70s and '60s.
Chicago-'20s-'40s and '80s (for its suburbs, very typical American.)
San Francisco-'60s and '70s.
Los Angeles-Always an influence as DD said, but specifically sort of '80s and '90s.
Seattle-'90s.
Portland-'90s and '00s.
Atlanta-VERY '00s.
Detroit-'60s and '00s.
Jersey-'80s all the way.
Dallas-'80s.
The O.C.-Way '00s.
St. Louis-'00s and pre-'50s.
Minneapolis-'80s/'90s.
Boston-'60sish and '90sish.


Sounds right to me.

To get off topic, speaking of Boston do you feel Cheers was kind of the first 1990s style show?  It started in 1982, but the style of the show seems very '90s to me.

What do you think makes Atlanta so '00s? The nouveau riche vulgarity, real estate development, and omnipresence of glam rap?

What do you think makes Atlanta so '00s? The nouveau riche vulgarity, real estate development, and omnipresence of glam rap?


Yeah.  Also I think the South is very '00s in general.  Aside from Crunk, the hurricanes, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, the blaxpoitation, George Bush, all come from the South.  Probably explains some of the meteocrity of this decade (no offense to people in the South).

Yeah.  Also I think the South is very '00s in general.  Aside from Crunk, the hurricanes, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, the blaxpoitation, George Bush, all come from the South.  Probably explains some of the meteocrity of this decade (no offense to people in the South).


The South is sort of what dominates America right now. A very southern corporate mindset. Now, what do you think the next district that will come back is....I'm guessing Chicago, again. It's the antithesis of the South and the Northeast in various ways, is less flashy and pretentious than the O.C. And cities seem to come back like every three decades or so. Like the South was sort of '70s with Jimmy Carter and all.

The South is sort of what dominates America right now. A very southern corporate mindset. Now, what do you think the next district that will come back is....I'm guessing Chicago, again. It's the antithesis of the South and the Northeast in various ways, is less flashy and pretentious than the O.C. And cities seem to come back like every three decades or so. Like the South was sort of '70s with Jimmy Carter and all.


I'd say the tens will be Midwestern.  I think the Midwest is going to have a renaissance during the early 21st Century, because of global warming, ethanol and the fact that they're (sort of) in the middle of the country.  Actually, most of the Midwest is in the northeastern quadrant, but from what I've heard it feels a world apart.

I'd say the tens will be Midwestern.  I think the Midwest is going to have a renaissance during the early 21st Century, because of global warming, ethanol and the fact that they're (sort of) in the middle of the country.  Actually, most of the Midwest is in the northeastern quadrant, but from what I've heard it feels a world apart.


Yeah, I agree. Which is why I think Chicago will PROBABLY be the next big cultural city, or maybe Minneapolis.

Yeah, I agree. Which is why I think Chicago will PROBABLY be the next big cultural city, or maybe Minneapolis.


Do you think the Pacific Northwest is Midwest influenced? For instance, even as far west as central Montana people will identify with Minneapolis as "their city", and we say "pop" instead of soda here (except me, because I'm a Bay Area native).  The Southwest also seems to be Southern in some ways.  I wonder if the North/South boundary will someday be noticeable in the West also; I have to say the Northwest and Southwest are different animals.

It's definitely true as we're saying that certain areas seem more OF that decade. Like NYC right now is extremely '00s, with the nutsy real estate development and megalomaniac speculation, invasion of fashionista hipsters, 9/11 and the terrorism anxiety, emo produced by weird suburban kids, and gentrification. But there are so many hipsters in NYC right now that it's disgusting.

Yeah, it's pretty German. But do you agree with me about Chicago or Minneapolis getting big again?

It's definitely true as we're saying that certain areas seem more OF that decade. Like NYC right now is extremely '00s, with the nutsy real estate development and megalomaniac speculation, invasion of fashionista hipsters, 9/11 and the terrorism anxiety, emo produced by weird suburban kids, and gentrification. But there are so many hipsters in NYC right now that it's disgusting.

Yeah, it's pretty German. But do you agree with me about Chicago or Minneapolis getting big again?


Definitely.  Prince is very Minneapolis, and almost seems like a '00s sort of guy even though he's '80s and early '90s mostly.

Definitely.  Prince is very Minneapolis, and almost seems like a '00s sort of guy even though he's '80s and early '90s mostly.


Prince and Soul Asylum are probably the definitive Minneapolitans.

Prince and Soul Asylum are probably the definitive Minneapolitans.


And Atmosphere.

Another '80s to '00s parallel...it strikes me that the super-affluent area where everything takes place to symbolize suburban teen wealth is Orange County, the way the San Fernando Valley was to the '80s. Desperate Housewives, The O.C, Laguna Beach and others use the O.C. as a symbol of the '00s: real estate nuts, berserker overprivileged yuppie teens, etc. The Valley, with its valley girls and entertainment executives and celebrity homes, was an '80s equivalent.

Now, Fairfield County is getting called the F.C., for example. The '80s places seemed to either be the San Fernando Valley or the Chicago suburbs to symbolize teen affluence.


I wouldn't call it that b/c the O.C. is a separate area from L.A. It has its own flavor in a sense. These are two different arenas of Southern CA.

Isn't the favourite show of the character of Summer Roberts 'The Valley' (never heard of the show, not having really grown up in the 80s)? That may offer a clue. I used to have a partial interest in the O.C....but over time, I kind of got sick of it - just felt I'd seen it all before. And Marissa annoys me; so never seems to learn from her mistakes...

I also think Phoenix, Vegas, and maybe Denver will grow in popularity. Well, Vegas has always been popular since "Viva, Las Vegas."

Beverly Hills was an icon of wealth and glamour not just in the 90s, with "Beverly Hills 90210", but also going back to the 60s, with "The Beverly Hillbillies".

To people from up north, where the winters are cold and harsh, warm and sunny places by the beach like southern California and Florida will always have the allure of "fun in the sun." That's part of the reason for all these shows set in SoCal, like "The OC", "Beverly Hills 90210", "Melrose Place", etc. It's also part of the appeal of shows like "CSI: Miami" now and "Miami Vice" in the 80s.

And the LA-area is the home of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, so it'll always have the allure of glamour as the place where people go to be famous and as the place where the culture is created. That's kind of what the song and video "Californication" by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers from 2000 is about.

Yeah.  Also I think the South is very '00s in general.  Aside from Crunk, the hurricanes, Hilary Duff, Britney Spears, the blaxpoitation, George Bush, all come from the South.  Probably explains some of the meteocrity of this decade (no offense to people in the South).


I'm sorry, but you can't say something like that and then claim you didn't mean to offend anyone... ???

I'm sorry, but you can't say something like that and then claim you didn't mean to offend anyone... ???


I don't think everyone in the South sucks, but I think in general it's the most messed up region of the US.

I don't think everyone in the South sucks, but I think in general it's the most messed up region of the US.


What about the 'Rust Belt' states of the Great Lakes region; i.e. Michigan, Ohio, Indiana. They're pretty economically depressed; don't know if they have as many cranks as the south though.

What about the 'Rust Belt' states of the Great Lakes region; i.e. Michigan, Ohio, Indiana. They're pretty economically depressed; don't know if they have as many cranks as the south though.


Oh, there's certainly other messed up areas of the country, I just think the Southeast is the quadrant of the country with the most problems.

The rural Midwest has the crystal meth epidemic. I would say the area stretching from Upstate New York and Pittsburgh through say Detroit and NE Ohio has alot of problems, though Detroit has a growing service economy.

To think they were once the industrial/commercial heartland of the country. In the 50s and 60s they were seen where it was all happening. Now it's the 'culturally rich' areas like California and New York which are prospering.

To think they were once the industrial/commercial heartland of the country. In the 50s and 60s they were seen where it was all happening. Now it's the 'culturally rich' areas like California and New York which are prospering.


Not quite true. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Omaha, Madison, Kansas City, Wichita, Columbus, and St. Louis are all doing pretty well, and Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Detroit are on their way back up. And NYC and California's economies aren't that great at the moment.

Yeah, maybe Michael Moore may not be telling the whole story  ;).

I do know the American Car Industry is in a major slump, with the Japanese now dominating the international market in most everywhere but Europe.

Yeah, maybe Michael Moore may not be telling the whole story  ;).

I do know the American Car Industry is in a major slump, with the Japanese now dominating the international market in most everywhere but Europe.


Yeah, don't totally trust Michael Moore. Alot of the smaller cities there (Youngstown, Johnstown, Utica, Flint, Fort Wayne) are up the creek, though.