New Insights

Since I began writing, I've gained some insight about the California Dream. Most importantly, I realize more than ever that the California Dream is not reality-- people who come to California struggle a lot, and while there is lots of opportunity and beauty here, it is just like any other state in that success requires diligence, hard work, and some luck. However, I also realize that California provides great hope for people; it is a beacon for many that symbolizes progress, innovation, and success; this hope alone pushes many to pursue their dreams.

I also realize that one must not only listen to a song, but also carefully read the lyrics and watch any pertinent videos (if available) to understand its true meaning. Just listening to "California Gurls" would lead one to believe it is an extremely optimistic representation of California. But, watching the video reveals that the song really says more than it explicitly states; in this case, the video really speaks.

California Gurls - Katy Perry

I felt that Katy Perry's "California Gurls" provided a great representation of the California dream as well as the dangers of chasing it. Furthermore, I've heard this song so many times that I almost have the lyrics memorized, and as such, it was easier to relate the song to the assignment.

Before this assignment was assigned, I had rarely ever watched the video. But, upon watching it, I realized that it reinforces the ideas of the California dream and its dangers. For example, most of the video expresses California as the game of Candyland and shows the rolling of dice, thereby suggesting that California, like Candyland, is a game of chance. And, although the video is all Candyland and fun, there are gummy bears that flip Katy Perry off near the start of the video. Also, throughout the video, there are short scenes that deviate from the very happy theme of the song and portray difficulties (eg. crossing the bridge, candy canes turning into snakes, gummy bears injured and dying at the end...). Nevertheless, the song and the video still focus on the actual California dream, i.e. beautiful people, great weather, awesome scenery, fun and upbeat music, etc. The song also portrays a sense of recreating oneself (eg. "go for a journey" to California "where the grass is really greener" to become like the desired and stereotypical "California girls.")

The California Dream

The California dream represents the potential for an entirely new life, one filled with beautiful weather, impressive people, and tremendous opportunities. When my parents came to California from Bangladesh in their early twenties, they found in California the same things I see in her today-- lots of green (trees and money), lots of fascinating people, and most importantly, the ability to become one of these people. On the surface, California's environment promotes a move forward. She's the final frontier in American expansion, which may explain her image of innovation and novelty amongst people around the United States and the world. The Silicon Valley in Northern California, the birthplace of computers and other great technical inventions, is itself a symbol of moving forward. And, the people who work there, i.e. Californians, represent a people moving the entire world forward. Apart from the Silicon Valley, Hollywood, the movie capital of the world, represents a different kind of moving forward--one of moving images and stories, catapulting new ideas and theories into the general public. Of course, with places like Silicon Valley and Hollywood, people see the state as a place to redefine themselves and strive to be like the ones they hear about or see on TV-- the scientist who has just discovered a new computing algorithm or the movie star who just won two Oscars. This desire to be famous and in the spotlight (perhaps the desire to be desired), lures people to the golden state.

This differs from the American dream in various ways. The American dream is one of opportunity, yes, but more importantly of freedom and rights that are often not available in other countries. Thinking back on my parents, they've told me various times that living in America affords them so many freedoms that, while they may exist back in Bangladesh, are not actually enforced (such as freedom of speech-- in America one can burn an American flag, whereas someone burning a Bangladeshi flag in Bangladesh would have the military on their tail in no time). Furthermore, the American dream composes of having a nuclear family and living in a nice suburb, etc, and I don't believe these are tenets of the Californian dream. The Californian dream is one of independence and redefining oneself.