I was once working with a producer on a film, and I asked her
to meet me in downtown L.A. to get her a script. She acted
shocked, and told me that downtown L.A. was ghetto, and she was
scared to go there. I told her that the city downtown had
changed, and that parts of downtown are very nice, with big fancy
hotels, and expensive restaurants. She didn’t believe it,
and refused to go, having us meet her in Century City
instead.
Little do people like this know, parts of downtown L.A. are
beautiful, full of life, great dining, and some of the best loft
dwelling since New York City. And now, downtown Los Angeles has
become one of the most exciting places on Earth. First the
Lakers, then the Michael Jackson memorial, and just last week,
Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears hit downtown in the course of two
days at Staples Center. Whether you like either of them or not is
not the point. The point is, they created major excitement.
Hundreds of thousands of pretty young people running around the
streets, amidst tall buildings in downtown L.A, almost made me
feel like I was back home in Chicago.
I once met a person on the phone who thought Chicago was a small
city, full of hicks. They had never been there, and I tried to
forgive their ignorance. Little did they know, Chicago is one of
the most vibrant, amazing, and beautiful cities in the world.
Before I moved to Los Angeles, and had been here, a friend from
New York City told me how Los Angeles was a cesspool, a sewer
dump, even, he told me, one of Dante’s levels of Hell! (He
had a flair for the dramatic). During my first six months living
in Los Angeles, I woke up with sheer excitement, massive energy,
thrilled that I was here. I would walk out doors and take walks
and be blown away by the vastness and beautiful state of such an
amazing city. I laughed to my self thinking about the comments
from this old friend, and was thankful I didn’t listen to
him.
I remember a record label publicist I once worked with told me,
‘People that live in Los Angeles started the rumors that
the city is gross, dirty, ugly, and horrible, because actually we
know it’s paradise, and we want it all to ourselves!’
I believed her, and after experiencing it for myself, I knew she
was right.
Today, with the internet, mass media is instantaneous. People can
make horrible claims about others that are often even picked up
and repeated by other valid news entities, with no fact checking
by the second media source. Journalistic standards are at an all
time low, and with blogs, public opinions are swayed at times by
people with a grade school education, and sometimes, those with a
personal grudge.
A wise philosopher once asked some one about to deliver him news,
if he knew the person directly, that he was about to tell the
story about. His answer was no. He then asked if he knew the
story himself to be true. His answer was no. He then asked if it
was good news about the person. His answer was again no. the
philosopher then told him that he did not want to hear the news.
We owe it to ourselves to ask the same questions from where we
get the information we accept in to our minds as accurate. When a
kid can go on the internet, and post on a blog that a celebrity
is dead, and major news channels run the rumor, there is
something wrong with the media. Rumors should not be given any
attention in society.
If I believed the nonsense told me by many so called friends
about Los Angeles, one of the greatest cities on this planet, I
would never have created some of the most amazing moments in my
life, here in this city. Do not let fear, failures, lies and
rumors by the ignorant stop you from enjoying and experiencing a
life of your dreams. The Hollywood Sentinel is dedicated to the
celebration of those artists who were and are brave enough to not
let any negative forces, predominantly people, stand in their
way. It takes a rare human being these days to think for
themselves and to make up their own minds about some one or
something. I dare you think for your self. Try it, and you will
see that its one of the best gifts you will ever be given, and
it’s free.
- Bruce Edwin, Editor
© The Hollywood Sentinel