Category Archives: Los Angeles

The Starkian Bay Area

Aesthetic Socialism, aesthetics, Alt Center, American Culture, Archeofuturism, Architecture, arcology, Art, Art Deco, Asia, Asian Aryanism, Asian Culture, Baby Boomers, Berkeley, California, capitalism, China, Cities, Class, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, Danville CA, demographics, Diversity, Economics, Environment, ethnopluralism, Frank Lloyd Wright, Futurism, gentrification, Hipsters, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, income inequality, John C. Portman Jr, Lafayette CA, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Marin County, Mass Transit, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Millennials, Mount Diablo, Multiculturalism, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Neon, New Urbanism, New York, Oakland, Orinda CA, overdevelopment, Pilleater, Political Correctness, Politics, Prison, Race Relations, Retro Futurism, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, social capital, Suburbia, SWPL, The Gospel of Gibson, Travel, Urbanism, Utopia, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth, welfare state, Wilderness, Zoning

Robert Stark and Matt Pegas discuss their trip to the San Francisco Bay Area over the last Labor Day weekend, their past trips in 2018 (extended segment: 20 minutes in), and how the Bay Area relates to Alt-Urbanism and cultural, aesthetic, societal, and Alt-Center political themes from the show.

Topics:

Observations of the impact of the pandemic including an increase in homelessness
Why the Bay Area is the center of the Gray Tribe political sphere
The degree to which there is a unique and authentic regional culture and aesthetic
The John C. Portman designed Embarcadero Center, concept of Interior Urbanism, and how Portman was unique in that he was both an artistic visionary and a capitalist
The impact of wealth on aesthetics
The magic of travel and appreciating the tourist traps
San Francisco Neon
The Bay Area’s Geography, microclimates, and urban layout
Wilderness locations including Mount Diablo, Tilden Regional Park, Alpine and Bon Tempe Lakes in Marin, and the region’s extensive Greenbelts
Unique attributes of the Bay Area suburbs of Marin County, Lamorinda, Walnut Creek, Alamo, and Danville, Ski-Lodge Urbanism, and Retrofitting The Aesthetically Pleasing Suburb
Bay Area demographics trends
Does California need a rightest version of Multiculturalism?

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island.

Robert Stark interviews Delicious Tacos

American Culture, Art, Asia, Australia, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, California, capitalism, censorship, Class, coronavirus, Culture, Delicious Tacos, demographics, Despair, Donald Trump, Economics, Feminism, Gender, Hollywood, humor, Immigration, Incels, income inequality, Literature, Los Angeles, Matt Forney, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Mexico, Michel Houellebecq, Millennials, Morality, Nature, New York, Philippines, Philosophy, Political Correctness, Politics, relationships, Sexuality, Socialism, The Black Pill, Travel, Urbanism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matt Pegan talk to Delicious Tacos about his books, philosophical outlook, and life in LA. Delicious Tacos is the author of Hot Naked Kittens, Finally, Some Good News , The Pussy, and his most recent book Savage Spear of the Unicorn. You can follow him on Twitter and his books are on sale until Christmas.

Topics:

The “California Houellebecq ”
Thoughts on self-publishing and how the novel Severance is to publishing what the film Sideways is to film critics
The economics of the arts and Delicious Taco’s advice to separate one’s creative endeavors from source of income
The slave morality of work and need for a guaranteed basic income
Delicious Taco’s support for Bernie Sanders, why he’s given up hope on American politics, and advice to focus on building up one’s own wealth
Delicious Taco’s love of birdwatching
The pros and cons of living in LA
Theme of Geomaxxing in Delicious Taco’s Finally, Some Good News and Houellebecq’s Platform
Age gap hysteria and why Delicious Tacos doesn’t need to moralize his proclivities
Working in Hollywood as a development executive
Matt and Robert’s upcoming books, and Delicious Taco’s upcoming book True Love

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson.

Robert Stark interviews Peter Nimitz about LA

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Beverly Hills, Black Lives Matter, Brno, Calexit, California, China, Cities, Class, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, Czech Republic, demographics, Diversity, Donald Trump, Economics, education, Elections, energy, Environment, gentrification, Global Warming, Hollywood, Immigration, income inequality, India, Iran, Islam, Joe Biden, Los Angeles, Mass Transit, Mexico, Middle Class, Mormonism, Moscow, Nagorno-Karabakh War, neo-tribalism, Neoliberalism, Peter Nimitz, Pilleater, Political Correctness, Politics, Religion, Republican Party, Russia, Skyscrapers, social capital, technology, Ukraine, Urbanism, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to San Fernando Valley based commentator, Peter Nimitz about the demographics, culture, economy and politics of the Los Angeles region from the perspective of a transplant. Check out Peter’s interview about the Russian Revolution and follow him on Twitter.

Topics:

LA’s class structure
City-Data Forum thread on demographic trends of the past decade by city
Immigrant groups in the LA region, including from Mexico, China, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Armenia, various European nations, and more recent community from Uzbekistan
Industry in LA, including entertainment, aerospace, tech, and shipping
Unique LA tropes/archetypes
Contrasting communities that have strong patronage networks with those that are more atomized
Poll on hypothetical proposal to base immigration on a local level
America’s neo-tribal future
The Double Horseshoe Theory of Class Politics and how that impacts how different demographic groups align politically
Crucial California issues of housing (YIMBYism), energy, water, and infrastructure being neglected by a one party state focused on national issues and a GOP that’s out of touch with younger voters and urban concerns
The degree to which LA’s post pandemic exodus and urban decay is overhyped
New urban development in LA (ex. futuristic complex planned in Beverly Hills) and metro expansions
The debate about education reform,

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram,  Stark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson


Robert Stark & Matt Pegan discuss the California Ballot Initiatives

Andrew Yang, California, censorship, Conservatives, coronavirus, Corporations, Crime, democracy, demographics, Distributism, Donald Trump, Economics, education, Elections, Healthcare, income inequality, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Kanye West, Los Angeles, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Police, Political Correctness, Political Parties, Politics, Race Relations, Republican Party, Silicon Valley, Taxation, technology, Urbanism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Topics:

California’s tradition of ballot propositions, the pros and cons of direct democracy, and Christopher Lasch’s The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy
Geographic breakdown of ideology in California (political ideology map)
Proposition 14 on Stem Cell research which is no longer restricted federally (No)
Proposition 15 on taxing commercial real estate at market value which would be good for urbanism (Yes)
Proposition 16 on Affirmative Action which is divisive and a form of austerity (No)
Expanding voting:  Proposition 17 which restores voter rights for felons (Robert Yes, Matt No) and Proposition 18 (No)
Proposition 19 which would exacerbate the Intergenerational Wealth Gap (No)
Proposition 20 which restricts parole (No on one size fits all crime bills)
Proposition 21: concern that rent control could limit the supply of new housing (No)
Proposition 22 on the Gig Economy (No)
Proposition 23 on requiring physicians for dialysis clinics (No)
Proposition 24 which lacks the support from key tech advocacy groups and could be a wolf in sheep’s clothing (No)
Proposition 25: replaces cash bail with risk assessment (Yes)
California congressional elections, True Con Republicans, and notable Democratic candidates including Shahid Buttar running against Pelosi and Yang Democrat David Kim
Robert’s presidential endorsement of Brian Carroll of the American Solidarity Party and Matt’s tepid backing of Trump
Trump’s missed opportunities for another stimulus and to challenge Biden on populist grounds
Why Biden’s return to normalcy is an insult to voters

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Round Table Discussion on Urbanist Trends for the 2020s

Adam Mayer, aesthetics, Architecture, California, Cities, coronavirus, Culture, DECAY, Economics, John C. Portman Jr, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Malls, Mass Transit, New Urbanism, New York, Oregon, Portland, Postmodernism, Reno, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, Urbanism, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark is joined with San Francisco based architect, Adam Mayer, and Oregon based urbanist commentator, D E C A Y, to discuss urbanist trends that we can expect to see as a result of the pandemic and economic transformation this year.

Topics:

Whether the outdoor dining trend is permanent
The Retail apocalypse, with a decline in small businesses and foot traffic
The remote work exodus and The Rise of Work-From-Home Towns
How the urban exodus could be beneficial for the creative class
Interior Urbanism as a reaction to urban decay
Why we will see less skyscrapers and mega projects in the 2020s
The new suburbanism: learning from past mistakes by Retrofitting Suburbia
Ski Lodge urbanism: rustic charm with urban amenities
The Missing Middle trend
The need for pragmatic zoning reform, political polarization of the issue, and why YIMBYs sometimes push too far
Dead malls being re-purposed(ex. Horton Plaza)
Why Every City Feels the Same Now: Glass-and-steel monoliths replaced local architecture
Whether we’ll see a shift away from 2010s minimalism towards a regional kitsch aesthetic(ex. Rustic Industrial)
Building fire resilient communities
Whether mass transit will remain viable and Kamala Harris’ husband’s involvement in a NIMBY lawsuit to stop the subway under Beverly Hills
Conclusion that we will see a population and economic shift to 2nd tier cities but not the total demise of cities
Adam’s upcoming blog on missing middle infill

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter,  Instagram, and Stark Truth TV


Robert Stark and David Cole discuss updates on the Gospel of Gibson and the Election

2020 Riots, anti-semitism, Beverly Hills, Black Lives Matter, California, Catholicism, Cinema, Class, Conservatives, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, David Cole, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Elections, Film, gentrification, Hollywood, Hutton Gibson, Immigration, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Los Angeles, Mel Gibson, Police, Political Correctness, Politics, Race Relations, Religion, Republican Party, Sexuality, The Gospel of Gibson, Wealth, Winona Ryder

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and David Cole discuss updates on their in-progress documentary the Gospel of Gibson, directed by Robert and produced by David. Check out the Gospel of Gibson on Indiegogo and IMDb and check out David’s articles on Takimag, his Youtube Vodcast, and book the Republican Party Animal .

Topics:

Recap of the background of David’s interview with Hutton Gibson on politics, theology, and the Gibson family
Success of the Indiegogo Fundraiser as an ongoing InDemand project with perks for contributors
The recent rehashing of an antisemitism allegation against Mel Gibson from Winona Ryder
The Woke reaction to Mel Gibson in the new film Force of Nature
How the production delay due to the pandemic creates an opening for Indy Films
Kamala Harris selected as VP nominee: Her focus on identity politics while Wall Street Sighs in Relief
David’s prediction that the class based left would be thrown under the bus in favor of race based identity politics
The futility of arguing that a Democratic victory will embolden civil unrest vs. the reality Trump must defend the status quo
Why Democrats are the real racists is a foolish meme
How the pandemic ruined Trump’s strategy to focus on economic conservatism rather than immigration
David’s advice on where to look for a wife
Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 2
David’s observations on the civil unrest in LA impacting wealthier areas
Why David thinks the exodus of rich and famous out of LA is over-hyped and that gentrification is here to stay

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter,  Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island


Robert Stark talks about the symbolic vs. material causes of our Nation’s political turmoil

2020 Riots, aesthetics, Alt Center, American Culture, Architecture, Baby Boomers, Bernie Sanders, Black Lives Matter, capitalism, censorship, Cities, Class, Corporations, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, income inequality, Joe Biden, Joel Kotkin, Leftism, Los Angeles, Marxism, materialism, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Middle Class, Millennials, Morality, Neoliberalism, New Urbanism, New York, Political Correctness, Politics, Race Relations, Radical Center, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, social capital, Socialism, Suburbia, SWPL, Urbanism, Wealth, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark is joined with Matt Pegan to discuss issues relating to Robert’s Unz Review article, The Real Wealth Gap:
The intergenerational wealth gap, the housing crisis, and how “BLM vs. MAGA” poisons the discussion on every issue.

Topics:

The material vs. symbolic factors of our current political turmoil
The material based critique of woke ideology and limitations of a purely material based outlook
Comparing data on the racial wealth gap with the generational wealth gap
Millennials’ screwed economic status, the appeal of Bernie’s campaign, and an overall failure to invest in future generations
More on the motivation of corporate support for woke causes
The iconoclastic nature of neoliberalism to erase history and conceal power
Political symbolism in architecture(ex. statues, skyscrapers, single family homes, and public spaces)
Christopher Lasch’s The Revolt of the Elites and the Betrayal of Democracy
Fox News host Lara Logan compares up-zoning to agenda of Antifa
Woke urbanist thought vs. the material benefits of YIMBY polices for millennials
Whether this new generation of urban flight to the suburbs will sustain the power of Woke neoliberalism

 

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram


Robert Stark and Matt Pegan discuss the Nationwide Civil Unrest

2020 Riots, American Culture, Anarcho Tyranny, Andrew Yang, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, Beverly Hills, Black Lives Matter, California, Cities, Class, Conservatives, coronavirus, Corporations, Crime, Culture, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, income inequality, Leftism, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Media, Neoliberalism, New York, Oligarchy, Police, Police Brutality, Police Corruption, Police State, Political Correctness, Politics, Race Relations, social capital, Social Justice Warriors, Suburbia, Urbanism, Walnut Creek CA, Wealth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matt Pegan discuss the civil unrest that has occurred over the past week and the social and political ramifications. Note the show was recorded on June 3rd. Follow Matt on Twitter.

Topics:

The economic crisis due to the pandemic
How economic despair combined with identity grievance culture created a perfect storm
How in crisis people reject civility and revert to their base instincts and polarized narratives
Virtue signaling from Woke Capital
The relationship between bourgeois liberalism and the far left(see Opinion poll based on income)
How the civil unrest is a shock to many but shows the long time social breakdown of our society
How this hits close to home for Matt as an LA resident
How, unlike in past riots, looting was in wealthier areas such as LA’s Westside and Midtown Manhattan
Unrest spreads to Bay Area suburbs
How the pandemic made it hard to jail looters
Narratives about law enforcement
Trump’s handling of the crisis, and how he’s in the worst possible situation
Comparisons with past media narratives when dealing with right wing extremism
How the worst of rioting has been quelled but we could see long term urban decay

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, and Instagram




Robert Stark interviews Rich Houck

1980's, aesthetics, American Culture, Animal Cruelty, animals, Archeofuturism, Architecture, arcology, Art, Cities, Class, Communism, coronavirus, Crime, Culture, demographics, Diversity, Economics, education, Environment, Fascism, Futurism, gentrification, Historic Preservation, Immigration, income inequality, Japanese Culture, Journey to Vapor Island, Los Angeles, Malls, Mental illness, Nationalism, Neoliberalism, Neon, New Urbanism, New York, Philadelphia, Photography, Political Correctness, Politics, Psychology, Retro Futurism, Rich Houck, Robert Putnam, San Francisco, Skyscrapers, social capital, Social Isolation, social trust, Toronto, Traditionalism, Urbanism, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Rich Houck about urbanism, aesthetics, and the need for social capital. Rich is a recent law school grad and you can check out his blog on Patreon and his Twitter account.

Topics:

Rich’s interest in photography
Rich’s patronage of independent artists
Interest in both traditional and Retro-Futurist aesthetics
Neon nationalism: reclaiming the future we should have had
80s nostalgia: the 80s as a going away party
The Last Mall Rat OR The Decline and Transformation of The American Mall
The importance of communal spaces, whether it’s Interior Urbanism or a traditional village space
How urban planning models and density relate to social cohesion
Does Diversity Create Distrust?
Crime prevention through environmental design and A New Way of Understanding ‘Eyes on the Street‘ 
Impression of San Francisco, how it could have been an American Paris with a uniquely American European aesthetic
The spring COVID-19 took from me
How the pandemic is exposing a wide range of problems from open borders to factory farming
Robert’s novel Journey to Vapor Island’s lesson about taking the best from all sides
Symbolism of the Neon-Raccoon

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Catching up with Matt Pegan in Quarantine

alienation, Alt Center, Alternative Left, Alternative Right, Architecture, automation, Basic Income, Bernie Sanders, Cities, Conservatives, coronavirus, Corporations, counterculture, Culture, David Cole, Donald Trump, Dragon Day, Economics, education, Elections, Healthcare, Hollywood, Immigration, Incels, income inequality, Joe Biden, Journey to Vapor Island, Los Angeles, Malls, Matt Pegan, Matthew Pegas, Media, Mental illness, Music, Nationalism, NEETs, Politics, Psychology, Sexuality, social capital, Social Isolation, social status, social trust, Socialism, TFW NO GF, The Perfume Nationalist, Urbanism, Vice

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matt Pegan returns to talk with Robert Stark about the social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and some of their upcoming projects. Follow Matt’s new account on Twitter.

Topics:

Why Matt decided to go under his real name
The new Weird Right cultural scene, with more freedom to be creative without guilt by association, and cross pollination with the Dirtbag Left
The TFW NO GF documentary
The impact of the pandemic on mental health
How the quarantine proves the value of leisure and whether it will spark a cultural renaissance
Transitioning into a new era after a long era of stagnation since the last election
How Covid-19 narratives are creating new political paradigms
How the quarantine vindicates nationalist policies with a safety net
The political impact of States re-opening
The pandemic’s long term impact on social bonds
The economic impact of the pandemic and how inequality will likely get much worse
Robert’s upcoming sequel to his novel Journey to Vapor Island and Matt’s novel Dragon Day(excerpt from Terror House)
Robert and Matt’s LA nostalgia series with David Cole(Part One: Westside Pavilion)
Will public spaces survive the pandemic?


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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island