America 1987

Chapter 18 The True Situation of the Lighthouse Nation

Before she could say anything, David continued speaking.

"Los Angeles is about as chaotic as here, but not as evenly distributed."

Our area is mainly chaotic in the central and southern districts, where racial conflicts are very intense. Unless there are special circumstances, the last area we enter is...

The South Central District that David mentioned is mainly composed of three races: Black, Hispanic, and Korean. These three ethnic communities are intertwined and compete with each other.

Since the 60s, Korean Americans have become the main operators in this area through a joint venture rolling development model, employing a large number of Hispanics to work for them. However, Hispanics believe that Korean Americans have not given back to the community, leading to capital outflow and deterioration of the community's economic conditions.

They believe that Koreans are the culprits behind all this, so the two sides often clash and conflict.

Black men are the most intolerant of foreign capitalists because they dare not bully their own capitalists; at the very least, they need to find fault with the capitalists' racial discrimination before they dare to shout and resist.

Therefore, in the 1992 riots, Korean-owned businesses suffered the most losses, accounting for 33.9% of the total property damage.

David was worried that she might have some kind of bias, so he had to tell her about several racial conflict incidents that he knew of that had already occurred, in order to avoid any trouble that might happen when they returned to Los Angeles.

Yes, it's all thanks to filters. David, who came to this era, gradually realized this through his interactions with people from other countries.

The concept of a "beacon of democracy" proposed during President Wilson's era remains a core narrative in the US's international image to this day.

For foreigners who had never been to the United States, America at this time was indeed a true "beacon."

After all, the alliance in the east has already started to run into problems, and a unipolar world seems to be on the verge of emerging.

Even after Jackie Chan's "Rumble in the Bronx" was released in mainland China in 1995, many viewers felt that the film was somewhat exaggerated and overly sensationalized.

Americans have always been very good at cultural promotion.

This cognitive gap will not be broken down on a large scale until the era of self-media arrives, and it may even be broken down to the point of being "overcorrected".

David's job is to correct Catherine's misconceptions about America.

"So, if you're going to develop your career in Hollywood, I suggest you don't settle in the heart of the city," David Ovitz concluded.

"While the Hollywood Walk of Fame is bustling during the day, it's quite dangerous at night; the city center, especially the area south of Third Street, and places like Koreatown are high-crime areas. Foreign actors like you, being new to the area, could easily be mistakenly rented out because you're near tourist attractions..."

"David?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

Catherine pointed somewhat awkwardly to the crew members who had already packed their things and were waving at them, "We can go now."

There was some silence on the way. David Ovitz was trying to avoid suspicion and didn't want others to see their close relationship. Although some people could already tell, they still had to do the necessary pretense.

Catherine was pondering what David had just said.

This was the first time she had heard about the safety situation in Los Angeles, since she had only been there a few days before flying to New York with the film crew to shoot on location.

But she had already decided on the perfect place for her to settle down—West Hollywood.

After successfully auditioning, Katharine began planning her long-term career development in Hollywood, and how could she not have considered the most important issue of where to live?

Studio City, located in the southeastern San Fernando Valley, is home to a large number of film and television professionals due to its proximity to Hollywood. It boasts a low crime rate, a quiet community atmosphere, and comprehensive amenities.

Compared to celebrity hotspots like Bel Air, the housing prices are more affordable, making it suitable for foreign actors in the early stages of their careers.

However, Catherine didn't like the quiet atmosphere of the community. Although she disliked noise and wasn't interested in party culture, she was still very knowledgeable about the acting industry.

For an actor to succeed in Hollywood, connections are extremely important.

In Hollywood at that time, information dissemination was far less convenient than it is today, and audition opportunities relied more on private recommendations from agents, directors, and producers than on open recruitment.

Without strong recommendations from powerful brokerage firms or industry insiders, it's difficult to stand out from numerous competitors by going it alone.

The original Catherine was very realistic. After gaining enough fame in Britain with "Flowers of May", she took the initiative to enter Hollywood.

After meeting American producer Jean Peters in 92, she starred in ABC's Indiana Jones series and the movie The Conqueror, marking her first foray into Hollywood.

However, the initial attempt was clearly unsuccessful, with a lukewarm market response. Therefore, when Jean Peters proposed to Catherine, she naturally refused without hesitation.

Although when asked about this in public, she replied that she "didn't want to become another Hollywood wife" and refused.

But this was clearly just empty talk. The fact that she later married Michael Douglas, who was 25 years her senior, shows that she didn't agree to the marriage initially simply because he couldn't provide her with quality industry resources.

How could a woman who uses marriage to build a network of connections possibly choose to settle down in such a quiet community?

Therefore, Stedio City will definitely be eliminated.

Los Felice and Santa Monica are even less of an option; the former is located in the suburbs and is too far from the center of Hollywood, while the latter is prone to traffic jams when commuting to the heart of Hollywood and has relatively high housing prices.

After much deliberation, Catherine finally chose West Hollywood.

This area not only boasts excellent public security and a low crime rate, but it's also close to the film and television industry center, making commuting convenient. While housing prices are slightly higher than in ordinary areas, they aren't exorbitantly high.

Taking all factors into account, this is the most cost-effective place and a pragmatic choice for many young actors and industry professionals.

And her ultimate goal—of course—is to move into Beverly Hills.

This is the world's most famous celebrity residential area, a synonym for fame and fortune, and even the area code "90210" is known to every household.

Expensive and luxurious celebrity mansions, rows of boutiques, and luxury hotels are enough to satisfy most people's imagination of Hollywood.

This is also the headquarters of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the area with the highest concentration of entertainment stars. Living in Beverly Hills is itself a symbol of status and prestige.

However, Catherine wasn't thinking about any of that right now; she was wondering what David's intention was in recommending Los Angeles as a place to settle down.

She was very confident in her personal charm, and through these days of interaction, she could sense that David was quite interested in her.

But judging from what he just said, it seems like the other person has no intention of living together.

David Ovitz, sitting in the front seat, is resting with his eyes closed. He was so excited after calling his uncle last night that he slept a little less than usual.

If he knew what Catherine was thinking right now, he would definitely pull her aside and give her a proper lesson on what it really means for Hollywood actresses to live together before marriage in this era.