I Used to Be Charming

1. Eve Babitz: A Voice of Los Angeles and the Sixties Counterculture

"I have always loved scenes, bars where people come in and out in various degrees of flash, despair, gossip, and brilliance, and the scene at Barney's was just fabulous—better than Max's in New York, which I thought was too mean and too dark."

A keen observer. Eve Babitz emerged as a unique voice capturing the essence of Los Angeles and the 1960s counterculture. Her writing style blended memoir with cultural commentary, offering readers an insider's perspective on the city's vibrant scene.

Hollywood roots. Growing up in Hollywood, Babitz was immersed in a world of artists, musicians, and film industry figures from an early age. This upbringing provided her with a rich tapestry of experiences and connections that would later inform her writing.

Counterculture chronicler. Babitz's work often focused on the intersection of art, music, and celebrity in Los Angeles during the 1960s and 1970s. She had a talent for capturing the energy and spirit of the era, from the Sunset Strip music scene to the emerging art world centered around the Ferus Gallery.

2. The Troubadour: Epicenter of L.A.'s Music Scene

"Monday nights, 'Hoot Nights' leftover from the folk-club hootenanny days, were the most insane evenings, because the Troubadour's stage was flung open to any kid or band determined to wait in line Monday morning and pass the audition, and the audience only had to pay a dollar to get in."

Musical melting pot. The Troubadour emerged as a crucial venue for both established and up-and-coming musicians in Los Angeles. It served as a launching pad for many careers and a gathering place for the city's musical community.

Cultural significance. More than just a music venue, the Troubadour became a symbol of the 1960s and 1970s Los Angeles music scene. It hosted performances by artists such as:

• The Byrds
• Joni Mitchell
• Jackson Browne
• Linda Ronstadt
• Neil Young

Behind-the-scenes drama. Babitz's insider perspective provided readers with glimpses of the personal lives and interactions of the musicians and scene-makers who frequented the Troubadour, adding depth and color to her portrayal of the era.

3. Hollywood High and the Birth of a Cultural Observer

"When you say Beverly Hills High School, no matter how you say it, it sounds obnoxious."

Formative years. Babitz's time at Hollywood High School played a crucial role in shaping her perspective on Los Angeles culture and society. Her experiences there provided her with a unique vantage point from which to observe and comment on the city's social dynamics.

Outsider's perspective. Despite growing up in Hollywood, Babitz often felt like an outsider at school, which honed her skills as an observer and critic of the culture around her. This outsider status would later inform her writing, allowing her to offer both insider knowledge and critical distance.

Early artistic influences. During her high school years, Babitz began to develop her interests in art, music, and literature, laying the groundwork for her future career as a writer and cultural commentator.

4. The Impact of the Beatles and the Changing Face of Cool

"Everything went OK until the Beatles' amphetamine skinniness. Then I stopped eating candy. But by that time it was too late because, to be Beatley enough, you had to have been raised on English boiled cabbage and milky tea."

Cultural shift. The arrival of the Beatles in America marked a significant turning point in popular culture, influencing fashion, music, and attitudes. Babitz observed and chronicled this shift, noting how it impacted Los Angeles and its youth culture.

Changing ideals. The Beatles' influence extended beyond music, affecting:

• Fashion trends
• Hairstyles
• Body image ideals
• Social attitudes

Los Angeles perspective. Babitz's writing offered a unique West Coast perspective on the British Invasion, exploring how these cultural changes played out in the context of Los Angeles' sun-soaked, laid-back atmosphere.

5. Navigating Love, Sex, and Relationships in 1960s L.A.

"I mean, to be Cher, all in black leather riding a Harley down the Pacific Coast Highway. Let's face it, if she were in New York, she'd have to be attending those loathsome Upper East Side dinner parties or charity balls to meet cute guys, and except for John Kennedy Jr., there isn't that much of a selection."

Sexual revolution. Babitz's writing candidly explored the changing attitudes towards sex and relationships during the 1960s, often focusing on her own experiences and observations.

Hollywood dynamics. Her work offered insights into the unique dynamics of love and sex in Hollywood, where fame, beauty, and power intersected in complex ways. Babitz's accounts often highlighted:

• The allure of rock stars and artists
• The transient nature of relationships in the entertainment industry
• The blurred lines between personal and professional connections

Gender roles. Through her writing, Babitz challenged traditional notions of femininity and explored the evolving roles of women in society, particularly within the context of Los Angeles' countercultural scene.

6. The Manson Murders: The End of an Era of Innocence

"The enchantment had fled in the night. The charm had broken; we had heard the screams, and they were ours."

Shattered illusions. The Manson murders marked a turning point in the cultural landscape of Los Angeles and the nation as a whole. Babitz's writing captured the sense of shock and disillusionment that followed these events.

End of an era. The murders symbolized the end of the 1960s' idealism and the "peace and love" ethos that had characterized much of the counterculture. Babitz observed how this tragedy affected:

• The music scene
• Social dynamics in Los Angeles
• Attitudes towards hitchhiking and communal living

Personal impact. Babitz's accounts of the aftermath of the Manson murders offered a deeply personal perspective on how these events affected individuals within her social circle and the broader Los Angeles community.

7. Fashion as Identity and Rebellion in Los Angeles

"If today the women who lunch in New York are going to begin having dinner parties wearing long fringe, platform shoes, low-slung bell-bottoms, and headbands, or cut-velvet vests, brocaded-satin jacket lapels, tons of colors, tons of bracelets, and Cher-type short-skirted dresses with full sleeves and a renaissance flavor (Cher avec Bob Mackie), if thirties-style dresses by Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis cut on the bias with tons of sequins and transparent blouses, if faux-fur vests and crushed velvet from Betsey Johnson and turquoise blue gloves, if Janis Joplin–type floppy hats with ridiculous feathers return, then it's happening, it's happening."

Fashion as expression. In Los Angeles, fashion served as a powerful form of self-expression and rebellion. Babitz chronicled how clothing choices reflected and shaped cultural identities.

L.A. vs. New York. Her writing often highlighted the distinctions between Los Angeles and New York fashion sensibilities, emphasizing the more relaxed, eclectic style of the West Coast. Key elements of L.A. fashion included:

• Bohemian influences
• Rock and roll aesthetics
• Beach culture inspirations

Cultural significance. Babitz recognized fashion as a key indicator of social and cultural shifts, using it as a lens through which to examine broader changes in society.

8. The Evolution of Women's Roles in Hollywood and Beyond

"Until Los Angeles, where women not only captured people's imaginations as stars but also wrote movies, were editors, and otherwise jumped into full-time, highly paid, marvelous occupations that required brains and fast minds but no social connections."

Breaking barriers. Babitz observed and chronicled the changing roles of women in Hollywood and the broader Los Angeles culture. Her writing highlighted women who broke traditional molds and forged new paths in the entertainment industry.

Hollywood pioneers. She drew attention to women who made significant contributions to the film industry, such as:

• Mary Pickford, who co-founded United Artists
• Anita Loos, a prolific screenwriter
• June Mathis, an influential figure at Metro Studios

Broader impact. Babitz's work explored how the evolving roles of women in Hollywood reflected and influenced broader societal changes, particularly in terms of women's professional and personal autonomy.

9. Los Angeles: A City of Reinvention and Cultural Significance

"Los Angeles has always been a city fueled by fame; its current underground scene, lorded over by a tight-knit group with hopes of stardom, is no different."

Cultural melting pot. Babitz portrayed Los Angeles as a unique cultural landscape, where diverse influences converged to create a distinctly Californian aesthetic and attitude.

Reinvention and opportunity. Her writing emphasized L.A.'s reputation as a place of reinvention and opportunity, where individuals could redefine themselves and pursue their dreams. This was evident in:

• The music scene
• The film industry
• The art world

Mythmaking. Babitz's work contributed to and critiqued the mythology of Los Angeles, exploring how the city's image was constructed and maintained through popular culture and media.

10. The Art Scene in L.A.: From Ferus Gallery to Andy Warhol

"Walter Hopps did a lot of weird things in his life—things that came as rude shocks, in fact. The first incident I remember is the one where suddenly Irving Blum was running the Ferus and Walter had this job as a director of the Pasadena Art Museum, which was shaped like Grauman's Chinese Theatre, only it was in Pasadena."

Emerging art scene. Babitz chronicled the development of Los Angeles' art scene, particularly focusing on the Ferus Gallery and its role in promoting local artists.

Key figures. Her writing highlighted important figures in the L.A. art world, including:

• Walter Hopps, co-founder of the Ferus Gallery
• Irving Blum, who later took over management of Ferus
• Ed Ruscha, Billy Al Bengston, and other artists associated with the gallery

Andy Warhol's impact. Babitz's famous photograph of herself playing chess with Marcel Duchamp became an iconic image of the 1960s L.A. art scene. Her writing also explored the influence of Andy Warhol and Pop Art on the city's cultural landscape.

11. Babitz's Literary Style: Merging Memoir and Cultural Commentary

"I love other cities—I do. Whenever I go to San Francisco or New York, I wonder what I'm doing in the land of smoggy freeways, earthquakes, fires, and floods. Still, when I get back to L.A. I'm always glad."

Unique voice. Babitz developed a distinctive literary style that blended personal memoir with sharp cultural observations. Her writing was characterized by:

• Witty and often irreverent tone
• Vivid descriptions of people and places
• Keen insights into social dynamics

Insider perspective. As both a participant in and observer of L.A.'s cultural scene, Babitz offered readers an insider's view of the city's most exciting and tumultuous years.

Cultural significance. Her work has come to be recognized as an important chronicle of Los Angeles during a pivotal time in its cultural history, offering a unique perspective on the city's evolution from the 1960s through the 1980s.

Last updated: October 26, 2024