““Instead, you have the personal number of facialist Iván Pol, who, even on the day of the Golden Globes, will bring his proprietary face-snatching radio frequency technology to you.””

“And of course, there’s Erewhon — the organic grocery chain that has become shorthand for LA excess —where smoothies and supplements double as social currency, even as the city has become “shrunken by GLP-1s” and longer cares about food, often preferring “legacy restaurants frequented by the somebodies of yesteryear, like the Polo Lounge.””

“The essay also zeroes in on the social paranoia baked into Hollywood culture, where even a casual coffee run at hip local mini chain Maru can feel like a high-stakes networking event.”

“Nicholson describes a world where people avoid public interactions out of fear they’ll run into someone who “needs something,” or worse, someone more important.”

“Invite only dating apps like Raya are portrayed as hyper-competitive marketplaces, where men stack themselves up against Olympians and producers, and women are up against “Former Victoria’s Secret models.””

“After shelling out thousands for access to places like the Bird Streets, the San Vicente Bungalows, and Living Room, Angelenos are left realizing “these places do not complete your life””