“…a charming stroll through the ruins of late capitalism that feels real and metaphorical at once.” - Review of Lodge 49: “Lodge 49 Nails the Sad Absurdity of Modern Life” by Matt Zoller Seitz/Vulture.com

The TV show Lodge 49 is set in present-day Long Beach, California. The main characters are either looking for work or have shitty low-wage jobs. Even when one character lucks out and gets a corporate gig, the company is a sham - all smoke and mirrors. It’s a world of the corrupt rich and the struggling masses. No in-betweens here.

So what is the real Long Beach like? Some relevant stats and info:

  • As of 2010, the  population of Long Beach was 462,257.

  • Long Beach’s unemployment rate in May 2018 was 4.1%, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

  • The unemployment rate in nearby cities (within 15 miles) is even lower: Huntington Beach-2.5%; Torrance-3.4%; Lakewood-3.8%.

  • Over a third of apartments in Long Beach rent for $1500 or less per month.

  • Off-campus cost of living for college students in Long Beach is estimated to be about $1200/month.*

  • September 18, 2018 headline: “Long Beach’s economy is doing so well that small businesses can’t find enough workers”. The hospitality and tourism industry is doing particularly well.

  • Minimum wage in California is $11/hour. A college student could work for minimum wage for 30 hours a week and meet her basic living expenses. But between the tight job market, the thriving hospitality industry, and a growing skill set, it’s unlikely a college student would be stuck in a minimum wage job for long (especially if you factor in tips).

  • The average hourly wage for a business-to-business salesperson in California is $34/hour. Why am I including this random bit of info here? Because one of the main characters in Lodge 49 is a middle-aged plumbing supplies salesman, desperate to make a big sale and struggling to make ends meet.

In other words, the economic travails of the characters in Lodge 49 aren’t believable. They’ve got options.

This nonsense about “late capitalism” seems to be everywhere - as if things have gotten so bad our whole economic system is going to crumble under the strain. Keep in mind that most Americans are rather happy with their lives and prospects. For instance, 82% of the respondents in a recent Pew Research survey said that their family has achieved, or is on their way to achieving, the American Dream. And social mobility is alive and well in the US: a whopping 69.8% of US households spend at least a year in the top 20% of the US income distribution. It doesn’t look like the ruins of late capitalism to me.

Sure there’s room for improvement. Chronic poverty or near-poverty are a real problem for about 10% of the population. No doubt some residents of Long Beach (or just about anywhere else in America) are struggling, especially young adults and low-skilled workers. They need help (or simply patience). But their misery isn’t an indictment of the whole system.

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*Long Beach is home to California State University, Long Beach and Long Beach City College - where more than half the students attend for free, thanks to tuition waivers and generous state and federal grant programs. Also, few young adults or college students live alone, so their monthly expenses are lower than average. (According to Zillow Research, more than half of young adults aged 23-29 live in doubled-up households, with either roommates or family members. I certainly did, until getting married at 30).

References:

Hirschl TA, Rank MR (2015) The Life Course Dynamics of Affluence. PLOS ONE 10(1): e0116370. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0116370  

Kimberlin, Sara "The Influence of Government Benefits and Taxes on Rates of Chronic and Transient Poverty in the United States," Social Service Review 90, no. 2 (June 2016): 185-234. https://doi.org/10.1086/687306