BBC Learning English
6 Minute English
Sign of the times
Callum: Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English, I'm Callum Robertson and with me
today is Kaz, hello Kaz.
Kaz: Hello Callum.
Callum: Now, if I say to you 'tinsel town' where am I talking about?
Kaz: I think you're talking about Hollywood, the land of dreams.
Callum: I am indeed and if you think of Hollywood, what images come to mind?
Kaz: Blockbusters, the silver screen, but above all that strange sign in the middle of
nowhere on a scrubby hill that spells, Hollywood.
Callum: The Hollywood sign. And that's the topic of today's programme. And today's
question is about the Hollywood sign. It was first put up in 1923 but at that
time it didn't say Hollywood, what did it say? Was it:
a: Hollywoodville
b: Hollywoodtown
c: Hollywoodland
Kaz: I'm not sure but I think possibly Hollywoodville.
Callum: OK. We'll find out if you're right at the end of the programme.
Even though the Hollywood sign is so famous, it was in danger of being
demolished as there was a plan for a property company to build luxury homes
on the site. However the nine letters were saved by a donation of a million
dollars from Hugh Hefner, the man behind the Playboy company.
He spoke to the BBC about his involvement in the project and Kaz he calls the
sign an 'iconic symbol', an 'iconic symbol'. What does he mean by this?
Kaz: Something that everyone recognises, that's really famous but over all it's iconic
so it's duplicated, you see it a lot all over the place but it represents something
more than just the words or the picture that is being shown there, maybe an
idea.
Callum: Hefner had already been part of a group that had raised money to protect and
renovate the sign back in 1978. So was it an easy decision for him to write a
cheque for a million dollars this time around? In his answer he compares the
Hollywood sign to another famous man-made landmark – which one? Listen
out for that information. Here’s Hugh Hefner.
Hugh Hefner
In a real sense yes it was because quite frankly the sign is more than a sign, it is an iconic
symbol of, er, I made the comment early on back in '78 that it was our Eiffel Tower. But in
many ways it is more than that because it represents to a great many people the dreams that
are reflected in the history of Hollywood. Dreams of all things possible.
Callum: So Kaz, was he happy to put money into saving the sign again?
Kaz: He certainly was. For him it represents the American dream – somewhere or
something where all things are possible.
Callum: And what did he compare it too?
Kaz: Back in 1978 he called it 'our Eiffel tower'. Now the Eiffel Tower is of course
the iconic symbol of France, all things French. But he went on to say that it's
more than that because the Hollywood sign is more of a symbol of hopes,
dreams and aspirations because that's what Hollywood represents.
Callum: Can you think of any other landmarks that have the same kind of associations,
the same kind of iconic status? For example, what about here in Britain?
Kaz: In London we have Tower Bridge. Not London Bridge but the bridge that
opens that everyone knows about and I think that's a real icon. And of course
the Houses of Parliament and the tower of Big Ben.
Callum: These are all very famous landmarks but are they more than just tourist
attractions?
Kaz: I think they're certainly more than just tourist attractions because these things
are iconic, so everyone has seen them and the old saying is that you come and
actually look at the pyramids or, you know, you look at the Eiffel Tower and
you go "Yep, that's exactly what it looks like in the postcards." But that's not
the point. You make the pilgrimage to that thing to see and feel that special
quality that these icons have, you've actually been there and witnessed it
yourself.
Callum: Well Hugh Hefner was asked if the Hollywood sign was more than just a
tourist attraction. And he talks about how it represents the best of America.
And he said that it represented the best of America more than another
American institution – which one?
Hugh Hefner
Absolutely. Quite frankly I think that whatever America represents around the world the best
of what we are comes essentially not from government and essentially comes from the movies.
It comes from Hollywood. It's an immigrant dream. It came from the films of Frank Capra
and Ford and all the other filmmakers down through the decades and it has influenced
generations. It influenced me and hopefully it will influence many more in the future.
Callum: Kaz, what is he saying there?
Kaz: What he's saying there is that America is represented by Hollywood and not by
the American government. And Hollywood represents the dream of the
immigrant because America is, after all, a nation of people who've, one way or
another, migrated over there. But in the American dream, anyone can be
successful.
Callum: Well we're nearly out of time. Before we go, the answer to the question from
the beginning of the programme. What did the Hollywood sign originally say?
Kaz, you said:
Kaz: I said Hollywoodville.
Callum: Well you'd be wrong to say that. The original sign actually read -
Hollywoodland.
That's all from us today, but do join us next time for another 6 Minute English.
Goodbye.
Kaz: Bye.
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