Oh Sizzle, Part the Third

It's been a while since I've blogged about all the media attention my fair home county of Orange has gotten recently.  Starting out with the melodrama The OC, mainstream perception of the county is most fittingly that of a spoiled, homogeneous sect of Southern California more plastic than Beverly Hills, more glamorous than Hollywood, and more shallow than Death Valley.  What started with a simple show of displaced good intentions evolved into the most vapid reality show of its time, Laguna Beach: the Real Orange County.  I've talked about this show and the area it represents, but never has it been a positive viewpoint from my perspective.  At least there's one person benefiting from the semi-stardom they've received, but I do feel sorry for all those who are now stuck with the spoiled brat label many of the so-called reality stars of that show deserve.

You would think that was the end of media fascination with all things Orange County.  No sir, the second season of Laguna Beach featured more of the same vacuous conversation, insipid gossip, and bottle blonds to put Josh Schwartz' baby to shame.  It's no surprise that most of the show is in fact not that real to begin with.  Semi-staged situations, fed lines, and scheduled conversations really do make it seem akin to the drama of the Cohen family, but that's not where the line blurs.  We are now officially into fabricated reality territory with the onset of a new show called The Real Housewives of Orange County.  

Practically stapled to the coattails of some famous scripted ladies from ABC , this show is not without its controversy.  I for one, will fall into the category of one who refuses to watch the travesty.  Although I have learned to come face-to-face with the reality of homogeneity in Orange County, I still refuse to believe all its citizens tend towards the blitzkrieg superficial end of the spectrum.  Of course, as I've mentioned before, nowhere is it more apparent than South county, but being in the central part of the County I tend to be appalled by the continued exploitation of not only those who film, but those who participate.  Hearing some of the out-of-context quotations from the previous article, it's hard not to imagine many participants want fame, no matter what the cost.  Maybe what it really comes down to is how much is their dignity worth?  Most likely, they can believe in every single word they say and every action they commit to celluloid, and what could be more sad than knowing that is fact.

I'll repeat what I've said before: there are many more real people in Orange County being ignored every day.  I see them in Santa Ana, Westminster, and Costa Mesa.  The most attention I've seen there this week has news coverage of an immigration march in Costa Mesa.  There is no doubt many would say, "That's in Orange County!?" in stunned disbelief.  How many people know of the taco stands, the numerous numerated Pho restaurants, and the number of diverse kids my own dad mentors in ROP?

I'm not saying I'm without my own Orange Countiness, it has been known to rear its head once in while, but there is a need to refocus on the lesser known aspects of what the 714 can be known for.  The next time someone asks me where I'm from, I don't want any follow-up questions having to do with plastic surgery and boat parties.  For this, I have television to blame.