culture change in 1960s LA

[freepcrusher]

I'm taking a class on urban history and I'm thinking about writing a paper on Los Angeles in the 1960s.

I've been under the impression that that era was one of massive change for the city. It seems like when the decade begins it was all dick dale, beach boys, jan and dean, car hops, drive thru movies, beaches etc. But it seems like that whole mentality died with Manson and by the early 1970s, LA was close to unrecognizable then it was ten years earlier.

I'm a beach boys fans and one thing i notice about their work is that it follows this trajectory. Most of the stuff in their first few albums is all "summer is fun" garbage but as time goes on, it becomes more of a downer/cynical, especially by the time of "So Tough" and "Holland".

But anyways my theory or thesis is that whenever someone tries to create an Eden then it will eventually be lost some way or another. Los Angeles was originally seen as the place for rural protestants in the southwest to find good jobs (as opposed to going to icky grimy northeastern cities). It was the embodiment of the American Dream so to speak with new homes, new freeways and new cars.

One interesting thing I found is that the non-hispanic white population of Los Angeles County dropped by a million people between 1970 and 1980. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with that, but that from the late 1960s to mid 1970s, the "plainfolk Americanism" that had characterized Los Angeles died off.

So my question is, for those who know anything about this (Torie I'm looking at you), does my theory have any factual basis/truth to it or is it excessive hyperbole?

[memphis]

Stop doing history Naso style.