Everyone Makes It in ‘Hollywood’
By: T.S. Lowry
Tags: Self, Hollywood, Television, Culture, TV Series

Contains spoilers for Hollywood.

Many people are obsessed with Hollywood. They want to live in a place where even the most outrageous dreams can come true. But this city beats the hell out of you — up, down, and sideways. People come to L.A. with a suitcase full of high hopes and big dreams, but too many angels leave dragging their broken wings in the dust.

People love Hollywood because it has the power of turning a nobody into a star. With the right combination of talent, luck, and good timing, one can go from being on the verge of eviction to thriving in the Hills. We come to this town to make it, lured in by the lights and the magic. We stay for the possibilities and rarely leave, even when faced with complete failure; we continue to cling to the illusion of hope.

Based in post-World War II Hollywood, Netflix’s new drama is a TV show for people who have big dreams and are tired of loved ones coming down on them. Just like in real life, everyone in Hollywood is trying to make it in L.A. Given the setting, many of the characters are less than privileged, to say the least, but all have a common goal — to make a movie, at all costs.

Not everyone makes it, however. Many factors — some justified, but most completely BS — keep people down. We’re faced with a cruel reality as we watch characters struggling to make it because of the color of their skin, their gender, or who they decide to bed.

There are many lessons and revelations one can take away from Hollywood. People will do anything to succeed. Although an essay can be written about how the characters’ dreams and aspirations assuredly work out, especially during the 1940s, it’s refreshing to watch people achieving greatness in an impregnable industry during a shitty time in history in regard to civil rights.

Not everything about Hollywood is believable.

Some scenarios and relationships are quite unbelievable. Take someone like Jack Castello (David Corenswet), for example. He has the unconventional profession of being a sex worker, unbeknownst to his partner Henrietta (Maude Apatow). All the while, she is also unfaithful to him and is pregnant with another man’s baby (spoiler: it’s twins!). One would imagine that trust would be hard to find for a person in his situation, and yet, he remarkably quickly falls in love again with Claire Wood (Samara Weaving). The creators take an improbable and messy plot and somehow make it seem ‘normal.’

Sure, Hollywood has rough edges and a less than desirable Rotten Tomatoes score. But when it comes down to it, it’s a show that can make people feel good, and there’s nothing wrong with enjoying something that makes you happy. No matter how cheesy or far-fetched a production is, you’re allowed to like it for the sole purpose of it making your day a little bit better.

People come to Hollywood because they aspire to become somebody. We all have that American dream, and we’ll stop at nothing to chase it. We might be afflicted with a bit too much optimism, but with the odds stacked against you, sometimes optimism is the only way to keep going.

Although Los Angeles is home to unthinkable cruelty, pretentious assholes, and a wealth gap that places homelessness next to Maseratis, Lambos, and McLarens, those of us who haven’t yet made it are rooting for one another. Hollywood does a damn good job of portraying that.

“It ain’t for you … it’s for the dream,” Ernie West (Dylan McDermott) tells Raymond Ainsley (Darren Criss), Rock Hudson (Jake Picking), Archie Coleman (Jeremy Pope), and Jack as he pledges to raise $25,000 to help make the movie Meg. Not wanting anything in return, Ernie raises the money in a week as his parting gift to Hollywood, turning down a producer credit in the film.

He is surprised, however, when he’s offered an acting role during a subsequent dinner scene. Although what we say isn’t always what we mean, Ernie knows the implications the moment the words come out of Jack’s mouth. “What are you talking about?” Ernie asks, even though he knows exactly what Jack and Archie are talking about as they tell Ernie he has a part in the upcoming Meg.

Although I’ve only been in Los Angeles for a few years and I’m struggling to succeed in a different industry, I can imagine the pure elation Ernie feels as he finally gets to realize his 30-year dream. Just like that, Ernie is going to become a legitimate actor. He’s going to be somebody.

Photo credit: SAEED ADYANI/NETFLIX

Ernie changed careers to continue living in L.A. He has no reason to believe he’s a good actor, or that he’s ready for the moment since he had all but given up on acting. But as he dusts off the acting cobwebs, he doesn’t think he needs to rehearse with Ellen Kincaid (Holland Taylor) because he’s playing a character similar to himself. He’s overly confident, which is the point. Not only is he playing a self-assured, dashing, and powerful man, but living in Hollywood comes with a bravado that screams confidence, even if it isn’t genuine. You often have to fake it until you make it.

Ellen gives him the advice every artist needs to hear: Acting (or writing, or any other creative profession) is hard and you have to work your ass off to make it, just to probably never make it.

This likely inspires viewers to continue working tirelessly toward their dreams, even as they cling to their last dime. As a writer, I’m reminded that I didn’t choose this path just to churn out the same titles as countless other writers on the internet. I moved to California to be different, and to follow my dreams.

Hollywood is a welcome change of pace from other shows and a brief escape from what’s currently going on in the world around us. Instead of no one making it — almost every character finds success.

Some of these people even win Oscars for their work in Meg, with many being groundbreaking victories.

Hollywood allows the main characters to achieve their dreams with a single swing of the bat. It isn’t always easy, as they have many obstacles to overcome, but mostly everyone’s dreams come true. It’s refreshing to see good news in action as underdogs swing for the fence and knock it out of the park.

As Ernie toasts, “To Hollywood.” To Hollywood, indeed.