An island is anything surrounded by difference
May 17, 2018 10:46 AM Subscribe
Know, that on the right hand of the Indies there is an island called California very close to the side of the Terrestrial Paradise; and it is peopled by black women, without any man among them, for they live in the manner of Amazons. They had beautiful and robust bodies, and were brave and very strong. Their island was the strongest of the World, with its steep cliffs and rocky shores (Rodríguez de Montalvo, 1510).European explorers knew California was not an island as early as 1529, so why did they resume depicting it as one on their maps around 1622?
Further reading: Spain's fantastic vision and the mythic creation of California.
Gold Rush, the psychedelic era, the silicone boom.
It's not wrong, but I think author meant something else.
posted by GuyZero at 11:10 AM on May 17, 2018 [14 favorites]
It's not wrong, but I think author meant something else.
posted by GuyZero at 11:10 AM on May 17, 2018 [14 favorites]
Because they were 'meh' about flyover states even then.
posted by Damienmce at 11:11 AM on May 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
posted by Damienmce at 11:11 AM on May 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
Should be silicone boom boom, I think you mean?
posted by Rumple at 11:12 AM on May 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by Rumple at 11:12 AM on May 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
So what you're saying is that California was named after fanfiction.
posted by KChasm at 11:35 AM on May 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
posted by KChasm at 11:35 AM on May 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
I knew nothing about this pseudomythic history of "California" until I picked up the unjustly ignored Nintendo 3DS game Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. a couple of years ago.
Queen Califia shows up as a playable character that you can add to your squad (made up entirely of characters from mythology and public-domain lit), and is appropriately depicted as a Wonder Woman-esque warrior queen.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:03 PM on May 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Queen Califia shows up as a playable character that you can add to your squad (made up entirely of characters from mythology and public-domain lit), and is appropriately depicted as a Wonder Woman-esque warrior queen.
posted by Strange Interlude at 12:03 PM on May 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
So what you're saying is that California was named after fanfiction.
It was a bit like when Brandon Sanderson wrote the end to The Wheel of Time (except that books 4 and 5 of the Amadís were written by the editor himself rather than a pro autor) or Christopher Tolkien's more blatant cash grabs if he had made it all up instead of working from dad's writing, but after Esplandián more unrelated people in Spain, Italy, Germany and France wrote lots of mediocre books with their Amadís OCs.
posted by sukeban at 12:38 PM on May 17, 2018
It was a bit like when Brandon Sanderson wrote the end to The Wheel of Time (except that books 4 and 5 of the Amadís were written by the editor himself rather than a pro autor) or Christopher Tolkien's more blatant cash grabs if he had made it all up instead of working from dad's writing, but after Esplandián more unrelated people in Spain, Italy, Germany and France wrote lots of mediocre books with their Amadís OCs.
posted by sukeban at 12:38 PM on May 17, 2018
In 2018, nearly 400 years after the Island of California first appeared on a map, tens of thousands of Californians are supporting “Calexit” – the secession of the Golden State from the United States. As far as we know, none has advocated digging a mighty trench along the state borders and flooding it with Pacific moat water.
However, when I was a kid, way back then, the idea of the San Andreas fault letting go in the great earthquake to end all earthquakes had a surprising amount of cultural heft, with the idea of California breaking off and "sliding into the sea." It was like everyone just assumed it was going to happen someday and hoped it wasn't anytime soon. I haven't noticed that concept floating around the zeitgeist in a long time.
posted by Naberius at 1:29 PM on May 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
However, when I was a kid, way back then, the idea of the San Andreas fault letting go in the great earthquake to end all earthquakes had a surprising amount of cultural heft, with the idea of California breaking off and "sliding into the sea." It was like everyone just assumed it was going to happen someday and hoped it wasn't anytime soon. I haven't noticed that concept floating around the zeitgeist in a long time.
posted by Naberius at 1:29 PM on May 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
with the idea of California breaking off and "sliding into the sea."
Learn to swim
Learn to swim
posted by tclark at 2:42 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Learn to swim
Learn to swim
posted by tclark at 2:42 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
See you down in Arizona Bay.
posted by signal at 2:57 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by signal at 2:57 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
See you down in Arizona Bay
See you down in Arizona, bae.
FTFY
posted by evilDoug at 4:51 PM on May 17, 2018
See you down in Arizona, bae.
FTFY
posted by evilDoug at 4:51 PM on May 17, 2018
Mom’s gonna fix it all soon.
Mom’s coming round to put it back the way it ought to be.
Fantastic article, but I wish they hadn’t included Calexit in that way. I loathe the idea and it’s stubborn genesis. The idea of California and an island apart ignores how connected we really are, not only through shared resources but also culturally. This drive to separate California out always seems like it’s trying to narrow down America to exclude its weirdnesses.
posted by Deoridhe at 6:11 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Mom’s coming round to put it back the way it ought to be.
Fantastic article, but I wish they hadn’t included Calexit in that way. I loathe the idea and it’s stubborn genesis. The idea of California and an island apart ignores how connected we really are, not only through shared resources but also culturally. This drive to separate California out always seems like it’s trying to narrow down America to exclude its weirdnesses.
posted by Deoridhe at 6:11 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Quien es mas macho? Gene Hackman, o Clancy Brown?
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:46 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Slap*Happy at 6:46 PM on May 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
tens of thousands of Californians are supporting “Calexit” – the secession of the Golden State from the United States.
More likely "tens of Californians". And a bunch of Russiabots of course.
posted by happyroach at 6:52 PM on May 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
More likely "tens of Californians". And a bunch of Russiabots of course.
posted by happyroach at 6:52 PM on May 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
Yes, I also wonder if this is the genesis of the whole "California will slide into the ocean" meme. I wonder how far back that goes; like, were people joking about it during the gold rush?
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:07 PM on May 17, 2018
posted by Joe in Australia at 7:07 PM on May 17, 2018
> This drive to separate California out always seems like it’s trying to narrow down America to exclude its weirdnesses.
I thought it was mostly driven by people in California who want to get away, not other Americans who want California to leave?
That's definitely true for the Cascadia movement, at least.
posted by scose at 7:43 PM on May 17, 2018
I thought it was mostly driven by people in California who want to get away, not other Americans who want California to leave?
That's definitely true for the Cascadia movement, at least.
posted by scose at 7:43 PM on May 17, 2018
Otisburg?
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:03 PM on May 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 10:03 PM on May 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
And when California slides into the ocean
Like the mystics and statistics say it will
I predict this motel will be standing
Until I pay my bill
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:00 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Like the mystics and statistics say it will
I predict this motel will be standing
Until I pay my bill
posted by Faint of Butt at 7:00 AM on May 18, 2018 [1 favorite]
Shango "Day After Day" charted #7 in LA in 1969.
Day after day, more people come to L... A...
Don't you tell anybody, the whole place's slipping away
Where can we go, when there's no San Francisco?
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Do you know the swim, you better learn quick Jim
Those who don't know the swim, better sing the hymn
Tuna at the bowl
Find fillet of much sole!
Ooooo what can you do
With a bushel of wet gold?
Day after day, more people come to L... A.
Don't you tell anybody, the whole place's shaking away
Where can we go, when there's no San Francisco?
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Where can we go, when there's no San Diego
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Do you know the swim, you better learn quick Jim
Those who don't know the swim, better sing the hymn
Tuna at the bowl
Find fillet of much sole!
Ooooo what can you do
With a bushel of wet gold?
Day after day, more people come to L.A.
Don't you tell anybody, the whole place's shaking away
Where can we go, when there's no San Francisco?
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
posted by blob at 8:23 AM on May 18, 2018
Day after day, more people come to L... A...
Don't you tell anybody, the whole place's slipping away
Where can we go, when there's no San Francisco?
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Do you know the swim, you better learn quick Jim
Those who don't know the swim, better sing the hymn
Tuna at the bowl
Find fillet of much sole!
Ooooo what can you do
With a bushel of wet gold?
Day after day, more people come to L... A.
Don't you tell anybody, the whole place's shaking away
Where can we go, when there's no San Francisco?
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Where can we go, when there's no San Diego
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Do you know the swim, you better learn quick Jim
Those who don't know the swim, better sing the hymn
Tuna at the bowl
Find fillet of much sole!
Ooooo what can you do
With a bushel of wet gold?
Day after day, more people come to L.A.
Don't you tell anybody, the whole place's shaking away
Where can we go, when there's no San Francisco?
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
Better get ready to tie up the boat in Idaho
posted by blob at 8:23 AM on May 18, 2018
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By the way, Las Sergas de Esplandián is the fifth book in the Amadís de Gaula "series" (not a series. Back then everyone wrote their fanfiction and published it). One of the most famous passages in Don Quixote is when the village notables break into Don Quixote's library and sort the books into burnable and worthy of being saved. Sadly, Esplandián goes to the bonfire.
posted by sukeban at 11:05 AM on May 17, 2018 [3 favorites]