I love playing around with the automatic results for Google searches because they're like a window into the public's brain. Often a
terrifying window. I decided to plug in the names of Bay Area cities and see what came up. I conducted my experiment as an homage to the "name game," i.e. you type in your name followed by the word "is" and wait for hilarity to ensue. (The first thing that pulls up when you type in my name, by the way, is "Andy is a fag." I'm also fat, and a corporatist.)
I think it's safe to assume that San Francisco isn't known for
single daddies.
Oakland is the New Brooklyn? What have you wrought,
NYT fluff piece? Also: Hello, pervasive stereotypes!
Following through with the second search option takes you to the lyrics for the song
"Berkeley is My Baby (And I Wanna Kill It)" by punk band
Blatz. Here are some choice lyrics:
It's a college never-never land.
Dropping acid and starting bands,
Super liberal hypocrites, what the hell's this hippie shit?
Berkeley is my baby sparkling nice and clean.
If it's such a mellow place, why do I feel so mean?
Oh, Berkeley is my baby and I wanna kill it.
Berkeley is my baby and I wanna kill it.
So, to summarize, San Francisco is both weird and overrated, Oakland is dangerous, and Berkeley is full of irritating college students that make you feel homicidal.
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