The OC

Over the last five years or so, Orange County, or specifically coastal southern Orange County, has become a favored place for projecting an idealized life by television executives. Those of us who grew up there have to confront this in a myriad of ways, to question whether we wish to adopt the rhetoric of the fantasy or take up debunking of the myth.

On Saturday, me and three of my high school girl friends met for lunch in Newport Beach, where we dined outside, feeling the warm ocean breeze, had some margaritas, and talked about my appearance on a TV program recently (a documentary about the Vikings), my friend greenlighting a film at her production company, the advantages of living in OC over living in Hawaii, and the great business opportunities in the recession.

Um, so, I guess I have to admit, that although it all seemed perfectly normal to us, there may be some reality to the OC myth. But I'm still not quite ready to say it is the place where "dreams really can come true."

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