The podcast dives into the enduring conservative obsession with San Francisco, tackling demographic anxieties and the city's complex cultural duality. It explores the dark legacy of cults and violence, alongside the struggles of marginalized communities in the Tenderloin. Joan Didion's critique of the counterculture is contrasted with cinematic portrayals of the city. The discussion addresses socio-economic disparities, the tensions of progressivism, and the interplay of wealth and identity, revealing a city rich in contradictions amidst its vibrant history.
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Tenderloin's Lasting Legacy
The Tenderloin neighborhood originated after the 1906 earthquake to house workers cheaply and entertain them.
It became a refuge for marginalized communities and has retained its transient reputation despite its enduring presence.
insights INSIGHT
San Francisco as Performance
San Francisco is heavily symbolized by its eccentric neighborhoods and cultural scenes.
Its image is often a performance for outsiders and tourists, shaping perceptions as much as lived reality.
insights INSIGHT
Disaster as Cultural Trope
Disaster imagery is deeply embedded in San Francisco's popular media portrayals.
This enhances a cultural trope of doom combined with the city's reputation as a site of marginalized, especially LGBTQ+, communities.
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Queer Kinship and Religion in San Francisco's Tenderloin
Joseph Plaster
San Francisco
San Francisco
Michael Shellenberger
Season of the Witch
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Daniel Talbot
Hollywood's Eve
Lili Anolik
City of Quartz
Excavating the Future in Los Angeles
Mike Davis
In *City of Quartz*, Mike Davis delves into the complex history of Los Angeles, exploring how the city has been influenced by various powerful groups, including real estate boosters, the Protestant elite, Jewish Westside elites, homeowner groups, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The book critiques the city's development, highlighting issues of racial tension, economic inequality, and the transformation of Los Angeles into a 'fortress city' characterized by fear and surveillance. Davis also examines the impact of market forces on urban design and the lives of different classes, concluding with a study of the de-industrialized town of Fontana, which he terms a 'junkyard of dreams'.
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
Joan Didion
Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a collection of essays by Joan Didion that captures the essence of 1960s America, especially in California. The book includes twenty essays that cover a wide range of topics, from the counterculture movement in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury district to personal narratives and character portraits. Didion's essays explore themes such as the decline of traditional values, the disillusionment of the American Dream, and the tumultuous social changes of the era. The title essay, 'Slouching Towards Bethlehem,' is a vivid portrayal of the hippie culture and its contrast with its idealized representations, drawing imagery from W.B. Yeats' poem 'The Second Coming.' The collection also includes essays like 'On Keeping a Notebook' and 'Goodbye to All That,' which reflect on Didion's personal life and writing habits. Through her keen observations and vivid storytelling, Didion provides an unflinching and insightful overview of America during the 1960s.
Moira and Adrian tackle the longstanding conservative fixation on the city of San Francisco, its people and its mores. From demographic anxieties, via Joan Didion's hippie-hate, to disaster movies, doom loops, and progressive prosecutors -- the history of SF-hate is a history of US politics.
In Bed With The Right 
