Well, the new television show Hidden Palms has been on the air for a while now, and you may or may not be the demographic for the program (Toto, we aren’t in Dawson’s Creek anymore!). Initially, it was touted as doing for Palm Springs what the OC had done for… uh, uh, where was that place anyway? (You can see I was a big fan.)
I observe a little different slant on things like this, because many years ago when I worked for the City of Las Vegas, Nevada. The local officials had a group media mantra which went, “say anything you want about us, as long as you spell the name right.”
It has been a long time since Palm Springs and the Desert resort communities have been in the same type of national spot light they once had. Charlie Farrell, the father on My Little Margie has long since hung up his tennis racket, and the show has been off the air for the better part of 50 years. Ed Sullivan no longer introduces acts on his television variety show as, “Direct from the Chi-Chi Club in Palm Springs…” Elvis doesn’t live in his honeymoon house anymore, Lucy no longer resides at the Thunderbird County Club, Red Skelton doesn’t Grand Marshal our local parades these days, we can only thank Bob Hope for the memories, old blue eyes has closed his, and even our beloved Sonny has left us all too soon.
These days we have to rely on such things world class televised sporting events, unique stage productions, musical concert events, best selling author’s books, and an international film festival (Sonny’s legacy) to get the word out. Now that I think about it, all of the exciting events we have here (just hiding in the Palms) are probably more than the OC ever had going for it.