Out of Class Essay-1

Out of Class Essay-1

Image of the California Dream in Music

Kaung Myat Tun

10/16/2012

 

False Dream

           

            California is a place where people live and searching for their dreams and building up their hopes of being wealthy and healthy life which is so called 'Dreams like life'. Many people believe California as the state which represent hope, promise, happiness and opportunity for a better life or a place where dreams come true. Throughout the history, California dream has tempted not only people from other states of the USA but also people from all over the world. Hollywood creates the vision of breathtaking heaven like place where there is complete bliss, delight and peace. And people were told and read uncountable successful stories after stories and at one time people get lured California as a perfect place to build up their dreams and their tomorrows. There are many songs about California and people singing for what they see on the state. However Red Hot Chili Peppers has different vision on the California due to their own experiences and they sing a song which is about false dream over delusion called 'Californication'. The song reveals the image of California dream and troubles of the state in the artistic way to the audience.

            Red Hot Chili Peppers describe the California is an Analogy, the opening line "Psychic spies from China", an old lady in 'Auckland' yelling something about psychic spies from china which steal her happiness. The conspiracy theory that someone who believes in psychic Chinese spies would make her happy and she just want to have that spice only and she feel happiness no longer without the spice. After China spice, he talk about Sweden star to show the global extend of how Hollywood influence on the people . A Swedish little girl who moved to United States and dream to be a movie star. The fact showing the huge impact of the Hollywood across the seas around the world. Anyone who wishes to be a star is being influenced by the glamorous lifestyle that Hollywood sells out. The dream of California gives off an unrealistic and artificial flavor of real California. The song “Californication” evidences the reality and the state unrealistic perception of people over praise. The media shows successful people and famous movie stars' glamorous lifestyle. All of their big nice mansions and luxury cars  give people who are not of this stature some type of hope and dream that is not necessarily accessible to them. In James J. Rawls essay “California: A Place, A People, A Dream,” also vividly visualizes why the California Dream is so unrealistic. The promises the California Dreams is an Irony. These heightened expectation result in building up dreamers' castle just in the air.

            Although many people see the 'Californication' as California and fornication but  I believe it is a word that the song writer made up to describe the lifestyle and tradition of California in his own word. California is used as a symbol for the dream land and most associated with the sex, drugs, and celebrities' lifestyle. In the second paragraph of the song 'It is the edge of the world and all of the western civilization' and The sun may rise in the East At least it settles in the final location. This makes me understand California is the most west part of the western world and after California there is no more land to move on but only North Pacific ocean and the Asia after the ocean. So that makes them to set the final edge and last location to fulfill their dreams despite of the reality. And Hollywood manipulate the reality and portray the land as a perfect and sells Californication. It is the place where people pay plastic surgeon well to get the treatment to avoid the old age. This is the best symbols of being fake is somehow successful in the area of Hollywood. The more you pay, the younger you look and will more successful. I see other countries also follow the way of doing plastic surgery especially in Korea. If you are not being good looking, you probably will have very thin chance to get even a normal pay job. The appearance and outer beauty is getting more important than the performance and quality.  

           

            During the chorus the singer raises his voice and the music seems faster/louder on what they really want to tell us. I believe the main idea about the songs is just in the chorus and it is just a dream of false hopes. 'First born unicorn Hard core soft porn Dream of Californication Dream of Californication'. After I read some background stories about the song, the first born unicorn means the writer of 'The killing of the Unicorn' was murdered by her ex-boyfriend. Actually she is the symbol who died while enjoy living California life style. Hard core soft porn means to me that tons of people were attracted to Hollywood like a Swedish girl and dream to be a 'Movie Star' but most of them end up using in the porn movie business and become but 'Porn Stars'. That is why they transition from hard core to soft, they have been disillusioned and I consider it is as oxymoron.

This song is mainly about the dark side of California and its Hollywood, what indeed  lays underneath the surface.

It reveals the fact that whether we believe in it or not, the California Dream is ever present throughout society and in many ways shapes the way we live.