Hollywood GLAM

I am convinced Hollywood is the biggest facade in the world. My whole life, I’ve grown up knowing the fact it’s definitely got a superficial layer over it consisting of red carpets, cameras, and TMZ. I think the glamour of Hollywood comes from years and years of people faking it and the high stress that comes with their jobs. People don’t have average jobs in Hollywood. This stress combined with fame breeds a society that thrives off being false. A prime example for me is watching Harvey Weinstein at the Golden Globes before everything blew up in his face. He looked normal. He acted normal. He spoke normally. He even smiled at the camera a couple of times. It was only after that he got caught people caught on to his lies and the illusion he was creating as a director. I believe this opened people’s eyes to the world on what really goes on in Hollywood.

In Hollywood, the definition of success usually comes with having thousands of followers on Instagram and Twitter along with a massive house in Hollywood hills. Happiness is not a measure of success here. I think we can see that in the film “Sunset Boulevard”, even in the 50s as the camera pans down the street we see the massive road along with expensive trees along the perimeter of it. People in Hollywood go to great lengths when trying to achieve this. A common scam in the area is called the “Airbnb Fake Rental.” This consists of a listing with beautiful scenery and unbelievable house structures, but it’s all fake.  The “homeowner” asks for a deposit and a date confirmation and then you never see your money again. People are desperate in Hollywood to make it. The lower class wants to become the upper class FAST and will do anything it takes to get to that point.  

All this is related to Norma Desmond’s delusions because she is willing to go to great lengths to get to a point where she will never be again. A scene in this movie where this is exemplified is one of those finals scenes where she is walking down the staircase. This is iconic to the movie and shows her love for herself where she tells the cameras to “come closer.” This is humorous to me because she is not making a movie, she is in an interview. I think this says a lot about her and the influence Hollywood has had on her to continue making movies because she is out of that limelight. William Faulkner’s, “A table at Ciros” backs this theory up too. The waiters and staff all are trying to achieve the same goal which is money and fame. They described themselves as “washed up” without any big breaks and that money is equal to success. I think this is an issue that needs to be corrected in Hollywood to make it a better and more productive place.