Katzenberg - Westport, CT

[Missyboxers]

Originally Posted by chrisg

Hi Hyleri, Welcome to the FoRT. I hope you enjoy it here and thanks for jumping in to clarify some things. I haven't watched this show yet but was drawn to the thread when I saw Westport, CT. I grew up in Weston, CT. and I want to stand up for Fairfield County a little bit here based upon some of the comments earlier in this thread and how Hyleri says her family was portrayed on the show.

Westporters aren't all high maintenance people. Paul Newman was a resident of Westport for decades. And, yes, Unfortunately, Martha Stewart was too but she sold her house recently and lives primarily in Westchester County now.

The main point is, though, that there are always going to be a wide variety of personality types any place you look and there are a lot of good hearted people in Fairfield County who are deeply concerned for the welfare of others and place spiritual and emotional happiness and intellectual and creative challenges far above material wealth. I know it's easy and tempting to stereotype a group of people but those who do may miss some very important details.

I grew up in the area as well, and unfortunately, it's a place that's ripe for stereotypes, to the point where I wholeheartedly believe that the producers would have looked for any angle to make the Katzenbergs look like a rich, high-maintenance family. To appear normal, coming from a place like Westport, you truly have to watch your words and you have to be on guard, because the producers are looking to promote that story. An offhand comment is way too easily twisted. And sometimes it's hard to see the town promoted in that way. An outsider's view inevitably misses some of the little things that make the place what it is.

I know that it was a wakeup call for me when I ended up on the receiving end of some of the stereotypes, especially when they seemed so inaccurate.

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