Category Archives: Los Angeles

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




Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas talk about Urbanist observations from trip to San Diego

1980's, 80's music, aesthetics, American Culture, Andrew Yang, Architecture, Basic Income, Calexit, California, Cities, Class, Culture, demographics, Economics, Environment, Erasure, Historic Preservation, History, Immigration, John C. Portman Jr, Los Angeles, Malibu, Malls, Matthew Pegas, Mexico, Middle Class, Music, Politics, Postmodernism, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, SWPL, Travel, Urbanism, Wealth, Wilderness

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas talk about their recent trip to San Diego and their observations on cultural and urbanist trends.

Topics:

San Diego’s reputation as a smaller, cleaner, nicer version of LA and its unique attributes
The layout of the city with a centralized downtown near the waterfront surrounded by suburban sprawl
San Diego and Orange County among the largest areas of upper middle class sprawl in the nation
Politics of San Diego as a historically Republican stronghold that has trended Democratic in recent years
Demographics of San Diego and how they relate to overall CA trends
The most stereotypical American City located in CA while the State is culturally drifting apart from the rest of the Country
After decades of suburban sprawl, San Diego eyes big shift to dense development
The historic Gaslamp Quarter which is the one section that feels truly urban
Horton Plaza: Will this PoMo wonderland in San Diego be saved?
Architect Jon Jerde’s inspiration for Horton Plaza from Ray Bradbury’s “The Aesthetic of Lostness” extolling the virtues of getting “safely lost”
Wealthy beach community La Jolla and it’s village layout
The importance of investing in communal places that the public can enjoy, particularly in wealthy areas
Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve
The Victorian Hotel del Coronado
Friendship Park at the US/Mexico Border and political symbolism of the border wall
The Inland Empire
Heavenly Action by Erasure, the soundtrack of the trip with a message that friendship, love, and positivity can conquer anything

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




Robert Stark talks to David Cole about School Busing in LA

David Cole, demographics, education, Immigration, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Los Angeles, Politics, Race Relations

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to David Cole about the history of school busing in Los Angeles. Check out his series on the topic on Takimag.(Part I and Part II) David Cole is the author of Republican Party Animal.

Topics:

The destruction of the concept of the neighborhood school
The demographic history of African Americans in Los Angeles, peak in the 80’s, and decline due to immigration and gentrification
Court orders mandating busing programs, even in cases where segregation was never mandatory
The issue of busing brought up in the democratic debates in regards to Joe Biden
The unpopularity of busing, among both Whites and Blacks
How LA’s sprawling nature made busing worse
David’s experience going to private school in 1978 to avoid busing
Why busing fails from a leftist perspective
The select elite of Black students who did benefit from busing
White Flight caused largely by busing
Incidents of violence
The anti-busing rebellion and the formation of Bustop in 1976 by Bobbi Fiedler
How mandatory busing was ended but voluntary busing continues
How LA’s public schools never recovered from busing

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




Robert Stark interviews Filmmaker Steve De Jarnatt

1980's, 80's music, aesthetics, Brandon Adamson, Cherry 2000, Cinema, Culture, Film, Film Noire, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Miracle Mile, Sexuality, Steve De Jarnatt, Synthwave, The Cold War

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Brandon Adamson talk to filmmaker Steve De Jarnatt. Steve is best known for the film Miracle Mile.

Topics:

Plan for a website dedicated to Miracle Mile and Steve’s other films
How Steve was offered a fortune not to direct Miracle Mile
Proposal for the Miracle Mile script as “Twilight Zone the Movie” which Steve turned down
The 80’s aesthetic and revived interest in surreal 80’s visuals
The Tangerine Dream Soundtrack
The production of Miracle Mile, including blocking off Wilshire Blvd
The Miracle Mile neighborhood in LA
Why Steve thinks the likelihood of nuclear apocalypse is greater today
Why Cherry 2000 is very topical now
Whether there will be remakes of the films
Available on Kinolorber with the updated versions of the films

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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 Aesthetic Socialism

Aesthetic Socialism, aesthetics, Alt Center, American Culture, Architecture, Art, Art Deco, capitalism, Cities, conformity, Consumerism, Corporations, Culture, David Lynch, demographics, Disneyland, Economics, Eugenics, Europe, Film, Futurism, Giovanni Dannato, Globalization, History, Hollywood, Immigration, income inequality, John C. Portman Jr, Journey to Vapor Island, Las Vegas, Liberalism, Los Angeles, Marxism, materialism, Matthew Pegas, Philosophy, Politics, Psychology, Retro Futurism, Sexuality, social status, social trust, Socialism, Urbanism, Wealth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark discusses his essay Aristocratic Aesthetic Socialism with Matthew Pegas and Giovanni Dannato.

Topics:

A political ideology based on aesthetic principles
The role that aesthetics plays in shaping social and economic hierarchies
The role that capitalism plays in aesthetic innovation
The problem of markets catering to the lowest common denominator
How poor urban planning models lead to a lack of social cohesion
How architectural innovation in theme parks and resorts create a sense of escapism
How Smart Socialism can address these issues
The need to subsidize artistic endeavors that are not profitable in the short term but pay off long term
The impact that making aesthetics more accessible would have on economics and class
Creating a new aesthetic elite
How these issues relate to demographic trends
Roger Blackstone: The Politics of Aesthetics
Neonationalism

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Adam Mayer about San Francisco Architecture

1960's, 1970's, 1980's, Adam Mayer, aesthetics, Architecture, arcology, Art Deco, Beverly Hills, Brutalism, California, Cities, Culture, Danville CA, Economics, Environment, Futurism, gentrification, Historic Preservation, History, John C. Portman Jr, Los Angeles, Los Gatos CA, Mass Transit, Matthew Pegas, Mid-Century Modern, Mount Diablo, Neon, Oakland, Postmodernism, San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Silicon Valley, Skyscrapers, Suburbia, Urbanism, Wilderness, Zoning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas talk to architect Adam Mayer about San Francisco’s architectural history and current trends. Check out his Twitter, Instagram, and Architectural Portfolio.

Topics:

Robert’s meetup and architectural tour with Adam in Downtown SF
Ghirardelli Square and the Cannery
SF Neon TOURS
Beaux-Arts Palace Hotel
Art Deco highrises Sir Francis Drake Hotel, Shell Building, and Pac Bell Tower
Mid Century Modern Joseph Eichler highrises, the Fairmont Hotel, and the Hilton
William Pereira’s Transamerica Pyramid and Louis Kahn’s use of concrete inspired by ancient monuments
Underappreciated 80’s post modernism, Art Deco revival, Marriott Juke Box, and Crocker Galleria
Philip Johnson’s 101 California Street and Union Square Neiman Marcus
The John Portman designed Embarcadero Center, it’s attributes of a self contained city and urban oasis, and the JW Marriott
Portman’s uniqueness in being both an architect and real estate developer
Jonathan Segal’s project ‘Architect as Developer’
SOMA highrise boom, Central SoMa Rezone, 5M development, and, Caltrain redevelopment 
New Transbay Transit Center
SOMA skyscrapers 181 Fremont, Salesforce Tower, and Rem Koolhaas’ Tower
The end of the high-rise boom cycle
The Missing Middle Housing
Addressing the housing crisis while respecting historic preservation and aesthetics
Current trends in architecture and marriage between modernism and post modernism(meta modernism)

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Return of the Republican Party Animal

1980's, 9/11, aesthetics, Alternative Right, Ann Coulter, Art, censorship, Conservatives, Culture, David Cole, demographics, Donald Trump, Economics, Elections, Freedom of Speech, George Bush, Hollywood, humor, Immigration, Los Angeles, Matthew Pegas, Neoconservatism, Political Correctness, Republican Party, Republican Party Animal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Matthew Pegas talk to David Cole about his recent Ann Coulter event, and the past, present, and future of the Republican Party. David Cole writes for Takimag and is the author of Republican Party Animal.

Topics:

Ann Coulter “Resistance Is Futile” Full LA Event
David’s friendship with Ann Coulter
David’s reception from former Friends of Abe members in regards to the past controversy
The Neocon domination of the old Friends of Abe
Political Correctness in Friends of Abe and how that mentality led to the collapse of Conservative Inc
How Trump expanding the overtone window made David’s return possible
Ann Coulter’s criticism of Trump and the GOP on immigration
David’s soft on immigration bias as an upper class home owner
The Mid Term Elections and future of the GOP
The Proud Boys
Extending the concept of free speech to the private sector and David’s point on identity over view point discrimination
The location at an 80’s mini mall

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings, Stark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island