One of my favorite things about living in a climate where it’s warm enough for people to keep their front lawns going all year round is the crazy things they stick on top of them. I’m a strong believer in your house, your lawn, your car, your clothes, your hair, your anything being a canvas for self-expression. I’m fascinated enough when people dress up concrete penguins or make picnic areas for plaster frogs and the like. But sticking a giant Statue of Liberty on your front lawn is a statement that only some are bold enough to make. This is one of my favorite things about Beverly Hills.
In the New York harbor Lady Liberty welcomes all who pass her with “Give me your tired, your poor/ your huddled masses yearning to breathe free”. But west coast Lady Liberty only welcomes the masses huddled in their cars crawling over Coldwater Canyon, especially in rush hour when most of them are tired, poorer than they used to be, but can at least be thankful they’re not nose to nose on a freeway and are free to look at something this ridiculous on their long trek home.
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Categories:
Architecture,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Los Angeles,
Sculpture,
Travel souvenir
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Heading out of LA last Thursday on the 5 was a mess. An overturned 20-wheeler heading south spilled oranges, lemons and an entire tank of fuel, cloggin up both sides of the freeway like cholestrol in arteries. My travel mate, Snappy P, and I almost had an anuerism baking in the 106 degree sun at a standstill on the fuel-with-lemon-zested highway. So we cut over on 126 to the 101, which added a couple hours onto the trip but also took us past one of the most blessed sights in California, The Madonna Inn, in San Luis Obispo.
Categories:
Architecture,
Art,
Bar accessory,
Bathroom,
Furniture and Housewares,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Place,
Self expression,
Travel
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As we are oft to do, Charles Phoenix and I took another one of our kitsch spins around LA and environs this past weekend. We were dressed smartly for the occassion, at least from the ankles down:
Categories:
Architecture,
Clothes,
Food,
Hats,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Los Angeles,
Sculpture,
Sign,
Transportation,
Travel
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LAX last Friday morning, with people leaving for 4th of July, was like D-Day at the stockyards. My whole morning had been like that. Snappy P and I were flying to Chicago to go to friends’ wedding in Kenosha, WI. We figured we’d beat the holiday traffic and take an early flight, but by 7am. the pigs were chomping full force at the trough. I’ve never traveled on prime getaway day for a holiday before in my life and now I know why.
Categories:
Architecture,
Consumer Alert!,
Food,
Hair,
Holidays,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
People,
Sign,
Technology,
Transportation,
Travel
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Bleary eyed from chasing a friend’s cat through the hills above the Hollywood Bowl all night last night – finally captured I’m happy to say! – I had to get up bone-breakingly early this morning to pick up a keyboard in Hollywood. My eyes were still practically glued shut but there’s so much kitsch along the roadways in this city, I can always deal with a situation as long as I remember to bring my camera. In addition to the above mural painted underneath the 101 on Argyle, here are but a few of the gems that crossed my car and eyeballs as I made my tired trek this morning.
Categories:
Architecture,
Art,
Celebrity,
Film,
Forgot to Categorize,
Hollywood,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Los Angeles
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Last Saturday night my friend, Chris Nichols, threw a party at The Wigwam on Route 66 in San Bernadino, CA.
Categories:
Architecture,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Los Angeles,
Nature,
Party,
People,
Place,
Sculpture,
Sign,
Travel
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Nice, big, fat story in the Times on me today + 12 photos. Thank you, Bob Morris, for seeking me out (no press agent involved here!) and writing such a heartfelt, spirited, and happily long piece. My house thanks you too (at least the part of it that made the photo)!
Categories:
Architecture,
Art,
Awards,
Creativity,
Fashion,
Furniture and Housewares,
Hollywood,
Kitchen,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Los Angeles,
Music,
Painting,
Press,
Sculpture,
Self expression
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Burk’s Igloo in Hamtramck, the once Polish center of Detroit, not only has KILLER ice cream but is famous now for being in the opening titles of HBO’s Hung.
Categories:
Animals,
Architecture,
Art,
Detroit,
Food,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
People,
Place,
TV/Radio
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An important part of any urban experience is where and what you choose to eat. Anyone who knows me knows that no money needs to be wasted on the fanciest or trendiest restaurants in town. I wanted to hit the institutions in Detroit that not only involved the excitement I had as a child driving to them but that have proven to be quality enough (or, preferably, kitschy enough) to live on, restaurants whose very presence defines the personality of the city. Most of my all-time favorites have long since succombed, like Dinah Inn, Jerry’s, both great steakhouses off Woodward, and my all-time favorite deli, Darby’s. Even Carl’s Chop House closed a few years ago.
Categories:
Architecture,
Celebrity,
Detroit,
Food,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Mumford high school,
Place,
The Color Purple
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Wednesday, April 6, had tremendous potential. (L-R) Mark Blackwell and Laura Grover, both of whom worked on putting the whole Detroit extravaganza together with me, and I were being driven around the city by Michael Poris, one of the architects leading the charge to rebuild Detroit. The Majestic Theater is one of his projects.
Categories:
Architecture,
Creativity,
Detroit,
Earth Wind & Fire,
empowerment,
Financial,
Kitsch,
Kitsch O' The Day,
Music,
People,
Place,
School,
Sculpture,
Self expression,
Sign,
Songwriting,
The Color Purple,
Transportation,
Travel
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