Reflection

Since I began writing, my view of this song has completely changed. Before I even looked at the lyrics, I listened to the song and watched the video, which depicts the song as another superficial pop song and entertainment for the sake of entertainment. Once I analyzed the words, my interpretation of the song took on a whole new meaning. While I was writing my essay, I discovered deeper meanings to the lyrics that influenced my understanding of the song and therefore the dream.

One new meaning I found was related to the line “looking for the golden light” (line 8). At first, I thought this just meant searching for happiness or gold (whatever that would mean to you). I thought about this image for a while and realized that if Marina believes the dream is like light, than to her it must be impossible to obtain because light is intangible. Light is impossible to hold, contain, or claim as your own, so if this is how your dream is physically represented then there is no way for you to capture it; it is simply an illusion.

Because I am not from Los Angeles, I did not understand the importance of Vine Street. My professor told me Vine is notorious for having prostitutes lurk on corners and the area in general is extremely sketchy. So Anya, the character in the song, does not want to end up living in this area, which obviously makes sense, but her means to protect herself are shallow and repugnant. Instead of working hard by creating her own business or working twelve-hour days, she just wants to marry into money and take the easy way out. This is where the California Dream differs from the American Dream; the American Dream is about earning your success where the California Dream is about simply finding it. Marina seems frustrated with this method, because she is an example of working hard to earn success. To her, this lifestyle has no meaning behind it and therefore is detestable.

The Academy Award nominations were announced on Monday and while I was stalking the website and magazines, I stumbled upon the Oscar’s ad campaign this year: “Celebrate the Movies.” The advertisements that went with this show famous movies accompanied with the saying, “We showed you how to…” For example, Gladiator is one of the posters and it says, “We showed you how to…be a hero.” This tag line suggests that films are the only reason why people know how to act a certain way in their lives. I would never have even considered how this is similar to what the boosters of the 1800s did, but in a sense it is.

Now instead of viewing this song as simply a pop song, I realized that it truly has meaning and its “poppy” sound is mocking American pop culture. I have way more respect for the song and Marina and the Diamonds as I saw that they didn’t want to just make money off of a track; they actually wanted to make art for the sake of art.

Video

I posted the video last week, but I might as well post it again! I don't think the video has anything substantial to write about in it as the video is very "pop-y." Let me know if you have any ideas by watching it!

"Hollywood" by Marina and the Diamonds

Well I had one crazy weekend at home, but the plane ride allowed me to sit and brainstorm for an hour an thirty minutes about how this song relates/supports/refutes the American Dream.

Marina's song mocks the dream in a sense exposing the ridiculous nature of dreamers and the manufactured dream. The song begins with the story of a polish girl "Anya" who blends in with Californians and is in search of a "golden light." One aspect associated with the California Dream is taking a short cut around the American Dream and finding success much more easily. Anya dreams of fame and fortune, and instead of earning it on her own she wants to become a "Hollywood wife." The "golden light" she is searching for could be a trophy wife as she isn't searching for happiness but money. Anya says she wants to become a "Hollywood wife" so she doesn't have to "end up living in a dive on Vine," which seems justified as Vine is infamous for prostitutes lurking on corners. Despite her rationality for wanting to marry into money, the idea refutes the classic California Dream of obtaining succes through your own hard work. 

The rest of the song resembles this first part as it tears apart the dream. Marina compares Hollywood to an infection as they are responsible for the desire to live romantic, compelling, interesting lives. People see movies to escape from their own realities, but sometimes the adjustment back to life is so difficult that people refuse to leave their dreamland. The 84th Academy Awards' theme this year is "Celebrate the Movies." Their advertisements consist of memorable movie posters with the phrase "We showed you how to..." suggesting that people learn how to live through movies. 

"Hollywood" mocks the California Dream by bringing dreamers back to reality. It supports the dream of wanting to move out here to become rich and famous, but refutes it by exposing the way in which people do so. People believe Los Angeles holds their dreams, but once you get here it is just like any other place. 

American dream is the American queen

American queen is the American dream

She is a polish girl in America
Tall, tanned hot blonde called Anya
I asked her “Why would you want to be a Hollywood wife?”
“Because I don’t wanna end up living in a dive on Vine”
Do anything for a dime
Looking for the golden light

Hollywood infected your brain
You wanted kissing in the rain
Living in a movie scene
Puking American dreams
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America

A fat security making plays for me
soon as I touch down in old L.A.
He says “OH MY GOD, YOU LOOK JUST LIKE SHAKIRA
NO, NO! YOU’RE CATHERINE ZETA!”
“Actually, my name’s Marina”

Hollywood infected your brain
You wanted kissing in the rain
Living in a movie scene
Puking American dreams
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America

Your mind is just like mine
All filled up with things benign
You’re looking for the golden light

Hollywood infected your brain
You wanted kissing in the rain
Living in a movie scene
Puking American dreams
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America
I’m obsessed with the mess that’s America

American dream is the American queen
American dream is the American queen 

My California Dream

I am a Midwesterner. No my family does not farm and yes I have neighbors. Growing up I despised being entrapped in a maze of corn, hearing all about NASCAR, the monotony of towns and people, and the brutally long winters. People seemed to live the same lives as their neighbors and eventually their children would grow up and repeat the lives their parents led. California always represented an escape for me; away from the judgments, strip malls, cold, and corn stalks. I was always different from the kids at my school, as they didn’t think about breaking the small-town glass ceiling, whereas I wanted to shatter it. My “California Dream” is coming out here to find myself and live a more substantial life as well as making it in the film industry. From the moment I took my first breath, I knew I wanted to be an actress. Movies served as one method of escape for me while I was growing up, and I decided I wanted to escape reality as a career. Los Angeles is the place that holds everything I’ve dreamed about since I was five. I look at the Hollywood sign everyday and know I am meant to be here. 

The word California just represents something that is almost impossible for me to explain. My dream is to be an actress. I came here to pursue my love of film and make a career out of it, and this state, this town holds the answers to my prayers. I feel whenever I see that Hollywood sign or drive past the Kodak Theatre that eventually I will get to where I want to be. I dream of one day sitting in the audience at the Academy Awards with my name up for the award, and the only way that is possible is if I establish myself here. No other place seems as capable of making my dreams come true.









Despite the newfound happiness I have obtained while living here, I fear this dream is impossible to achieve. Films are what inspired me to come here, and I realize now that Hollywood is responsible for these images I have in my head of my hopeful future. The movies leave out the part of struggling actors working as waiters for ten years and being turned down from every audition. I try to keep the positive images of California in my mind, but now I need to stay in reality.