Welcome To The O.C., bitch! No, Really! Welcome To The O.C.!

Remember last summer, when Orange County collectively scoffed at Fox's new drama "The O.C."?

Well, get with it -- that's so 2003. The land that brought us Disneyland, Wally George and No Doubt has now embraced the show, the L.A. Times reports:

This week, as the Fox network show finishes its first year, Orange County is celebrating a pop-culture phenomenon that some say has created a new image for a place once known only for Mickey Mouse and John Wayne. Like "thirtysomething" more than a decade ago, the show has been so successful that its very name has become a catch phrase. Even locals now blithely refer to their home as "The O.C." without irony.

It's not just an ego trip. Business boosters, encouraged by a buzz among young people across the country, are rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of increased tourism.