“You sound like a valley girl”

Stephanie is back and listens to America discuss the Writer’s Guild of America strike.  Then they, like, talk about what being a valley girl is and the misrepresentation in the media. 

Help shape future episodes!

Leave a voicemail or shoot us a text. I actually wanna hear from you! I like constructive criticism.

Follow along on TikTok and Instagram: @la_ameriquita, @lachismosadelvalle

Help shape future episodes!

Leave a voicemail or shoot us a text. I actually wanna hear from you! I like constructive criticism. 

Follow along on social media.

IG: @lachismosadelvalleoffical, @la_ameriquita 

Tik Tok: @lachismosadelvalle

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:09

Hi, I'm Fredrika Castillo, a story that just must have the device, a first generation DACA recipient with just enough journalism training that make me sound legit. Here I want to have honest conversations and make it a space to learn and connect about everything from culture and entertainment to tech and politics. So let's just start talking. Hello. Hi. Hello, sis. Welcome back. Thanks. That was very exciting. Okay. Um, so how was your trip? I know you went on a little trip. It was fun. Yes. Where did you go? How'd you get there? Um, we went to Illinois and we drove there. That's exciting. Anything fun on your road trip there? No. That's exciting. Well, that was um okay, so today this episode is about Valley Girls. A little bit, a little bit about it. Because I kind of like struggled a little bit. I ended up finding somebody that I wanted to bring in and interview, but obviously with time, I was like, this would be fun for either a longer episode or maybe do like something now and then a bonus episode in the future if they agree to come out. That sounds fun, right? It sounds fun. Okay, cool. Okay, so a little bit of news first. So the Writers Guild of America is entering their third week of strike. Basically, the Hollywood writers are asking for more compensation. Many have pointed out that with the rise of streaming, um, it has had negative effects on their earnings. Uh, this is uh because TV writers are usually paid by episode and the length of shows have changed. Uh, for broadcasts, they use up to 22 episodes, and with streaming, it goes up to 8 to 12 episodes. Residuals and royalties are also lower on streaming than broadcasting. For screenwriting, they're asking for a standardized compensation regardless of whether the film goes on streaming or in theaters, and to increase contribution on their pensions and health plan. Another thing writers are also worried about is AI. I know in a way we're all kind of worried about that. Maybe not uses because in your industry you kind of need p humans, but this would kind of be the scenario. AI would generate new ideas, and then writers would come in and then rewrite it. That would kind of cut the budget for a lot of productions, and then you wouldn't have to pay writers for ideas because it would be quote unquote adapting to an idea. So that's kind of crappy. The last time that they went on strike was in 2007 and 2008, and it lasted for a hundred days. And if you're wondering why the Kardashians are so famous, it's basically because reality TV became so popular during that time. Oh, yeah, I didn't know that. Well, there's been a lot of articles, or at least a lot of people write about usually when I'm like talking to people about like what are your college yesterday about? They're like streaming and the writers' guild and stuff. Um so yeah, it actually it's just kind of a good culture where there was nobody writing at the time, so reality TV was just kind of what kept us entertained. So for now, they will be they will stop writing like late night TVs or any scripted shows and movies will probably be delayed. So this would be a good time to listen to our podcast. I say delay those late-night talk shows. Yeah. Why are they still a thing? Well, it's just it's just like a TV history thing. In a way, we've all kind of need it. I don't know, it's weird, but we'll see how this affects us. I mean, how the what the impact will be in the future. Yeah. Um, it's kind of ridiculous that some people don't find writers like important because hello they're literally writing the shows and the scripts. Not even that, like everything like requires writing, you know. Um, so I mean, I'm I'm okay with this. You'll be hearing from me because I'm not in the guild yet. Yeah, girls. So, you know, so you'll still be hearing from us and uh probably a lot of broadcasting shows too, and apparently some streaming uh shows are still writing as well. So we'll see. So now on with our topic, Valley Girl. Okay, have you guys noticed maybe in the last two episodes that I sound a little like this? No, not on purpose. I don't mean it on purpose. It's just kind of an accent. My student is shaking her head. She's like, no. Why are you shaking your head? Because you sounded that's I don't know. That was exaggerated, right? Yeah, yeah. We don't really sound like that. That's just what people think we sound like. So, Sammy, what is a valley girl to you? Valley girl is a girl who lives in the valley. Amen, right? I mean, that's what I thought too. I mean, yes. Uh, but basically there's a stereotype. Uh the valley girl stereotype is usually a girl who is a little ditzy, materialistic, upper middle class, and usually from Southern California, who loves them all and Starbucks, and thanks to the media, apparently also white. Do you agree with that?

unknown 5:48

No. No.

SPEAKER_00 5:50

The term Valley Girl became popular in the 80s when Deborah Foreman and Nicolas Cage movie Valley Girl came out. I've not seen that yet, but it was on my list. Um, but then Clueless came out and Cher Harwitz, I don't think I'm saying her last name right, I'm sorry, uh, became the Valley Girl image. However, the only thing the movie got right about the Valley is that everything does take 30 minutes to get to. If you really pay attention to her friends, they represent the valley a little more. Like Cher is more of the outside Beverly Hills of the Valley. No? You don't agree with that? I don't think it's in the I don't think like Calabasas are like that's LA. That's LA, yeah. That's LA, that's not the valley. That's not the valley. People get that confused. People will say the Kardashians are from the valley, they're from Calabasas. They're in the 818 area code, but they're in the they're in the rich areas.

unknown 6:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

I remember the first time someone called me a valley girl. Now I had just moved to a suburban town right outside of San Fernandei. San Fernandei. San Fernandei. Uh I just moved from a town right outside of San Fernando Valley when he called me that. And in my head, I was like, yes, that makes sense because I am from the valley and I'm a girl. Uh, but then I realized I think he was trying to insult me and was trying to say that I was like whitewashed, and you know, that was just never my representation of a valley girl. I don't know, he was from the valley too, so I was kind of confused on what he meant by that. But at the time I was like, Yeah, I'm definitely a valley girl, like that just makes sense to me. Now, if you've ever heard someone say the term fresa, like call a girl fresa, that would be the equivalent of a valley girl. Shayla Yasmin Mackie's, she wrote an essay called Redefining the Like Idea of Valley Girl notes, that there is no valley boy. Um, it suggests in it There is now. There is Edwards. Oh Edwards. Edgars. Oh. You can call them Edgers. Okay. Uh basically she was just kind of suggesting that that kind of suggests that women are just airhead and stupid, and it's just kind of gender stereotype and dis you know like regards our intelligence, but I guess now there is Edgar's. I didn't know that. Yeah. And they say no que maka. Um in linguistics, uh, we speak in higher tones, and apparently we use words like like like and totally as filler words. Um, but they call it valley speak. Yeah, nothing to say. I just say uh George Bush failed me. Why? The common core system that he in placed. How didn't the education system just failed me? It was teaching me how to speak. Oh yeah. Okay, that's for sure. I was at first I was like, what do you what does this have to do with it? Okay, yeah, true. Um thank you for putting us in like ELD and stuff like that. ELD. Or Engl English learning development. English English learning development. I also speak two languages. Well, we both speak two languages. Yeah, that's why they put it hard for me. Yeah, they put us on that. It's just hard. It's just I don't like mean it. It's what I grew up with. It's just how I talk. I know. Um, I actually went to Universal like last year, and before I even pull out the ID, the guy was like, You're from California, huh? And I was like, Why would you go to Florida in the first place? I had free tickets. I had free tickets. I don't, I wouldn't go now. I had free tickets. Um it's just so funny that people associate white girls with the San Fernando Valley because if you go to the San Fernando Valley, there's no white there is no white people. They all live in where? Calabasas, Aurora, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, like that area. Okay, it's completely different. It's uh as we moved from there, like we there was a complete like culture shock. Like when we grew up in the valley, like our friends were black and brown, they were listening to Spanish music growing up. Yes. Um, you know, there was a lot of culture. We moved here, and we were like a meatloaf with ketchup from the bottle. And um, you know, sorry that you know at the mall, like there's just Starbucks everywhere, and there's a lot of malls too. Like, that just kind of happens to be a chain, you guys. You know, can't help it. I know, but the famous mall Tabanga, did you know that Topanga, the character Topanga was named after Topanga Canyon? From Boy Me's from Boy Meets World. I'm sorry on your story. I I love that character. I I mean I love Boy Meets World. Boy Meets World. Uh, let's not talk about Girl Meets World. Um, you know that I feel like that show started all the reboots though. It really did, because that's when I or Fuller House. Yeah, no, Fuller House came after Girl Meats World. Girl Meats World came out first, and then they started all the reboots. Oh. From what I didn't pay attention. Um, okay, but anyways, uh going back to the valley, sis. Yeah. I love the valley. Yeah. It's my home. I know. I don't consider where we live now our home. I consider the valley our home. Me too. I feel safer there. Is that no weird to say? No. Remember when remember when dad like moved us here and then he would be like, lock the doors in the valley, be like, I don't know why, but I feel so much more safe around my people. Like, I don't like why people oh can I say that? Yeah. Okay, why people are the ones who are girl, look at the news. It's all Caucasian men. But yeah, and like you'd be surprised how many people actually complain uh about the valley when they are when they move out of the valley, then then they're like, oh my god, like the business is so many people. First of all, the bus system there is better than the bus system. Every 30 minutes. Yeah, okay. The bus system there is better than the bus system. I mean, the transportation sucks in general, but do you remember when we first moved here and we went to the bus stop? And mom was like, What the hell? Yeah, like it was like an hour between every bus that we were like, Well, we're just gonna have to walk everywhere. I know, and we were not used to people walking here, and like in the valley, everybody walks. Everybody, everybody walks. They got their little baskets with wheels. I know, it's great. I want to get one. I know uh so okay, so we're kinda having to wrap up our session. So I hopefully we can get deeper uh into this topic when I interview the person that I want to interview. Part two, you guys. Part two. We're gonna have a bonus special for this one, okay? I'm really excited. Um, I'm lining up my guests for the semester. So for the I'm lining up my guests for the I'm still in school mode. I'm lining up my guest for the season. But in the meantime, think about everything you love about the valley. Because the raspado man. The raspado man, you guys, when you you know what was my favorite thing as a kid? Whenever I like was so lost, I didn't know where I was going. And we were going the freeway. Thanks, shout out to my friend who reminded me about the galleria. You know, the g the big the big G and Sherman Oaks. Yeah! Like that's when I knew I'm home. Like, I'm almost home. You know how I knew the Budweiser? The Budweiser. Yes! The Budweiser, the Budweiser factory. I would wake up and I would turn and I would see like the bright red light saying Budweiser. I'm like, oh yeah, yes, we're almost home. We've the smell of disgusting factory, factory beer and smog. I love it. I love it. It's so diverse, it really builds character because you meet all sorts of people because since we're so close to Hollywood, like you really meet everybody at all walks of life, all walks of life. Um, yeah, but you can also get swamies there, taqueria's literally on the street, every corner, every corner. You guys, we want to hear from you for this bonus episode. Think about your favorite spots, think about what the valley means to you. And if you guys know, I think it's a mechanic shop with that scary statue of a mechanic. You know where it is. I think it's on Van Nuys. Van Nuys and I think Sherm Sherman Way. Yeah. Man gave me nightmares. You know what? And then since we're like just talking about the Valley Las Fuentes, shout out. And I know that we're not gatekeeping because I know it's packed because we go there all the time and we're gonna be there. There's no gatekeeping that. I want to keep that in I want to keep that place open. Yeah, there's another one. What's it called? Melodies. The melodies. Yeah, that's where I I ate my first chips and salsas, right? Yeah, was it there? Yeah, that it was it. Oh my god. Ugh I don't remember, but mom and dad would bring it up all the time. And then my favor I'm sorry, I'm going off topic. My favorite line when mom and dad try to talk about memories that I have with that you guys have with me, they're like, No, it is much chiquita. I'm like, then why are you asking me? That's funny. Um, but yeah, and I love that just like in any corner you can just find like Italian, Mexican, Mediterranean, freaking Taco Bell, all in one corner. Like, I just love that. I love how diverse it is. Like, I don't know. So we're gonna wrap things up for now. And bonus episode to come throughout the season. Yeah, guys, in the meantime, have a good one and drink your water. That's for me, but yes. Wear sunscreens, wear sunscreen because it's summertime. And we don't want to have wrinkles. That's true. She's an esthetician. I would like or she's studying to be an esthetician, so wear your sunscreen and drink your water. Yeah, that's all you need. Okay. Alright, bye. Thanks for tuning in. If you enjoyed the cheese mate, share it. Send it to a friend, post it online, or just talk about it with someone. However, you spread it, I appreciate it. And if you want updates behind the scenes cheese met or to stay in the loop, keep an eye out for my email newsletter. Follow or subscribe for more episodes of Let You Smoke of the Video. Catch you next time.