Porn Billboard on Sunset: Scandal, or Yawn?

The porn site Porn Hub is making a big deal about its first-ever billboard on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood. But this billboard is mighty tame compared to plenty of billboards we've seen on the Strip over the years. Big yawn?

Try A Little Harder, California, And One Day We'll Be Number One

This billboard has started popping up over town, and it always gives me pause. C'mon, California, we can do better! We shouldn't rest until California is No. 1!

Weird Billboard Alert: This Samsung Ad Gets A Tragic Makeover

My apologies, this is a bit hard to read, but it was the best I could do as I drove up Virgil. Spotted at the corner of Virgil and Santa Monica Blvd., this billboard for the Samsung Galaxy took on a tragic tone after some artist added their own extra touches.

Specifically, someone glued an actual text message conversation to the phone in the ad. So now, the billboard features a strangely sad text message that reads, "your father passed away last night." The response is "OMG, what?" Clearly, a strange conversation to conduct over text, but perhaps that was the point of the artist who posted it.

Why I *Definitely* Won't Be Attending This Renaissance Faire

You may have seen these billboards popping up around town for the "Renaissance Pleasure Faire." Yes, this is real, not a parody. But I mean... that guy. Urging you to "Join Us!" I had no desire to attend a Renaissance Faire, and this billboard just cements it.

Fox's Cory Monteith Billboard on Pico

Tonight, Fox's "Glee" airs its farewell tribute to Cory Monteith; here's the solemn black-and-white billboard the network erected on Pico outside its offices to promote the event. (And below, here's a cleaner idea of what the billboard says.)

Separated At Birth?

Separated at Birth: Mexican TV and "Instructions Not Included" star Eugenio Derbez...



... and "New Girl" star Jake Johnson?

Flashback to the Sunset Strip's Rock 'n' Roll Billboards

Growing up off Sunset Boulevard (above Tower Records, RIP) in the 1960s and 1970s, a young Robert Landau was taken by the amazing rock 'n' roll billboards stationed up and down the Sunset Strip. They were monuments to rock star egos and homages to the explosion of rock as a modern social and cultural movement -- starting with The Doors.

A photography hobbyist, Landau grabbed his camera and chronicled these billboards. Landau eventually became a pro photographer -- but decades later dusted off his Kodachromes and hosted a slide show of his Sunset Strip pics. Countless people suggested he turn it into a book -- and after conducting interviews with artists, record producers and the designers who constructed the billboards, he has put together Rock 'n' Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip, a new coffee table book out on our fave imprint, Angel City Press.



What's fascinating about the book is the wild art work of these billboards -- all hand painted, by the way -- but also the snapshot of a bygone era on the Sunset Strip. The pics include long-gone businesses, signs and autos.



I got a chance to meet Landau (above) at a party for the book release a few weeks ago, and it was clear that this was truly a labor of love. The book is beautifully designed by Frans Evenhuis, who previously worked with Landau on another Angel City Press book, "Hollywood Poolside."

Landau has produced several L.A.-centric books, including 1984's "Outrageous L.A." (I also have a copy of that in my L.A. book collection). Watch this promotional trailer about the book. Priced at $50, it's a great holiday gift, and on sale now.

KLOS Rolls Out "Heidi & Frank"

The billboards have started popping up all over town for "The Heidi & Frank Show," KLOS-FM's new morning drive time program hosted by Heidi Hamilton and Frank Kramer. Hamilton and Kramer are familiar to L.A. radio listeners from their stints (with Frosty Stilwell) on the old 97.1 FM Talk station and for their brief stint on KABC-AM. More recently, the duo (minus Stilwell) have gone the podcast route. But with the end of the 25+ year run of KLOS' "Mark & Brian Show," KLOS decided to bring Heidi and Frank back to radio.

The duo recently spoke to the L.A. Times:

"We're the new couple who moved in, and we're bringing by the bottle of wine and the six-pack, and we're making that neighborhood as friendly as it used to be," Kramer said. "We understand they've been sharing their life with Mark and Brian for a very, very long time. They're family. But we will do our best to embrace them, if they'll embrace us."

Hamilton added, "We're there to make the day go by a little faster. We're all about having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously, and everybody is welcome."

"It's hard to follow a show like 'Mark & Brian,'" said John Dickey, chief operating officer of Cumulus Media, the radio chain that owns KLOS. He said Hamilton and Kramer "have their own style; they're not trying to be Mark and Brian. They can appeal to a broader and, in some ways, younger demographic."

Have you listened yet? Any early reviews?

Meanwhile, speaking of billboards, you've probably seen those CBS signs around town touting their investment in the Los Angeles economy. The L.A. Times' Joe Flint has the backstory on what those billboards are truly for. Read it here.

The Tagger Movie Critic: Not a Fan of Tyler Perry

The Typo Terrorist is behind the tagging on this Silver Lake billboard for "Good Deeds." "Stop letting him make movies," the TTT pleads. Here's hoping somebody listens.

Is McDonald's New Salad Racist?

Whomever added a bit of graffiti to this billboard -- perhaps questioning what makes a salad "Asian" -- sure does think so. (Billboard found at the corner of Fairfax and 6th.)

It's Time For the Voice of Summer: The Dodgers' Outstanding Billboard Campaign

This billboard almost makes you forget about all the drama surrounding the Dodgers. I see it every day on my drive home from work, and every day I admire the beauty and simplicity of it. The back of Vin Scully's head. (Plus, the fact that you don't see his face -- and you don't need to.) The use of that classic-seeming font. The smooth design.

It's part of this year's well-done Dodgers billboard campaign, as chronicled by the Vin Scully is My Homeboy blog, where we also found an excellent photo of the billboard (as seen on Beverly Blvd., near Virgil).

Some Good News For a Change: Billboard Ban Upheld; and the Angeles Forest Will Rise Again

(Photo collage via Public Ad Campaign.com.)

With so many outdoor advertising companies slapping billboards all over town -- and in many cases, ignoring city ordinances (not to mention spitting in the face of a billboard ban), it seemed like a losing battle for Los Angeles. Not so: According to the L.A. Times, a federal judge declined to halt enforcement of the city's ban against the installation of supergraphics and new digital billboards:

In a tentative ruling, U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins said Liberty Media had failed to show a likelihood that it would prevail with its procedural arguments against the month-old ordinance.

Liberty had asked Collins to issue an injunction and force the city’s Building and Safety Department to allow 16 new signs to go up. One billboard foe had feared that a ruling against Los Angeles would have had greater ramifications, opening the door to scores of new signs by other advertising businesses.

“My feeling was that if she ruled in favor of Liberty Media, the sign companies would be lining up outside the Building and Safety Department to get permits,” said Dennis Hathway, president of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight.

City officials said all 16 signs sought by Liberty Media were supergraphics, which can cover the entire side of a building.

Los Angeles is fighting more than 20 legal challenges from the billboard companies opposed to its efforts to regulate outdoor advertising. The council approved a temporary sign ban in December, hoping to buy itself time to craft a new ordinance that would withstand a court challenge.

(Pic by the San Gabriel Valley Tribune.)

MEANWHILE, with most of the news coming out of the Angeles National Forest pretty depressing (the Station fire isn't even 100% contained), people are angry over L.A. Times reports that the fire could have been contained within a day or two of ignition, with little damage -- but that authorities didn't call out the big guns, figuring the fire wouldn't expand. Boy, were they wrong.

It's pretty depressing to realize that the once-vibrant forest to the north of Los Angeles is now nothing more than an ashy pit. But scientists hold out hope that the forest can eventually restore itself (as long as heavy rains, which could further the ersion, don't happen). The L.A. Times writes that we'll once again enjoy the forest... one day:

Where some see withered plants and scoured hillsides, (Forest Service plant ecologist Jan Beyers) sees decades of patient aspiration come to fruition -- the "shooters and seeders."

Trees that have lost limbs to fire will grow new, sturdier arms. Plants that have been annually depositing seeds in subterranean "seed banks" will be rewarded with young growth rising out of soil rejuvenated with nitrogen-bearing nutrients.

"There are seeds in the soil here that have been waiting decades for this chance," she said wistfully.

Indeed, for some growing things, fire is a bonanza. Certain species of conifers require heat to release seeds from their tightly closed cones. Some plants need the fire's heat to crack hard seed coatings in order to sprout. Some plants thrive on the chemicals produced from ash leaching into soil. Smaller bushes, crowded out by larger neighbors before the fire, flourish afterward in their newfound elbow room.

The seed caches of ground-dwelling rodents will be disinterred, and the still-viable seeds dispersed by ants and birds, everyone pitching in to repair their habitat...

Then there is the profusion of wildflowers that will debut in the spring. The fire followers: purple lupines, morning glories, California poppies, larkspurs, wild sweet peas and snapdragons.

"Ten years from now," Beyers said, taking in the charred hillside and smiling, "you can come back here and never know there was a fire at all."

I guess we'll check back in 2019. But more immediately, I wonder when the Angeles Crest Highway will re-open -- and whether we'll be able to make our annual drive into the Angeles forest this winter to play with the snow.

Shots of Old Time Billboards on Display at Gary Leonard's Take My Picture

Local photographer Gary Leonard has been chronicling the people of Los Angeles for decades. Now, the photog has opened up a gallery in downtown Los Angeles to show off some of that work, and showcase others.

Take My Picture Gallery -- the name is based on the title of his long-running alt weekly photo feature, "Take My Picture" -- is currently showcasing the exhibition "The Billboard Show: Selling to SoCal Lifestyle."

The photos consist of billboards in Los Angeles, mostly in the 1950s and 1960s, and are remarkable for what is and isn't included in these ads. It's a must-see for anyone fascinated by mid-century Los Angeles, mid-century advertising... and well, the mid-century in general. You can almost image the Mad Men-style folks who came up with these larger-than-life advertising messages.

We stopped by Take My Picture on a Saturday afternoon, and were the only people there. The friendly folks there (including Gary himself) took the time to show us around and screen a slide show of even more prints from his collection.

Now, a few shots:















A "Valley News" section in the Los Angeles Times? Wow, this really is ancient history!

Bloody Cheetos Man vs. Blair Underwood's 'Stache

A week or so ago on Twitter (yes, I just seriously started off a sentence with the phrase "A week or so ago on Twitter"), I asked a rhetorical question: Which ubiquitous billboard seen around town is odder -- the Spanish-language ad for new... what, Blood-Flavored Cheetos? Or the one featuring Blair Underwood, sportin' a porn 'stache and telling us to "Man up"?

The Blair one at least has a strong message -- get tested for HIV. The Cheetos one... well, what is that smeared all over that guy? Red Cheetos goop? Plasma? Either way, why does that make me want to race out and snarf down such a snack? Uh, yuck.

So anyway, imagine my surprise when I got a message on Twitter from Blair Underwood himself. He sent a link and said: "Love your sense of humor @franklinavenue - This post is for you. And thanks for bringing attention to the campaign, it's for a great cause."

OK, chunky bloody Spanish-language Cheetos guy. It's your move.

L.A.'s Hottest Realtor

Now that "I Love You Man" has finally hit theaters, motorists passing by this billboard in West Hollywood can now get the joke. Peter Klaven is the name of Paul Rudd's character in "I Love You Man." And yes, I'm assuming that's not really Rudd's body.

Thanks to Beth, who snapped a shot of the billboard while traveling east on Beverly Blvd. toward Robertson.

The L.A. County Fair's Got Gas

I know, it's a play on the current astronomical price of gasoline. But hmm, it also looks like the L.A. County Fair's latest ad campaign was inspired by a certain local radio DJ's quite controversial billboard:

Ryan Seacrest's New BFF, Rocky Delgadillo

Quote of the week has to come from this excellent piece in the L.A. Times about a lobbyist who's helping throw a big party for City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo.

Ken Spiker and Associates also just happens to be the lobbyist that represented Clear Channel Outdoor as it fought the city over billboard regulation -- and ultimately managed to stop the city from investigating illegal billboards. Not only, in a joke of a compromise, were those billboards grandfathered in, but Clear Channel was allowed to turn 420 of its signs into those big, flashing, dangerous LED billboards you're now seeing all over town.

Coincidentally, Clear Channel Outdoor gave $425,000 to promote Rocky's candidacy on billboards. Rocky -- the guy who represented the city in its fight against... yes, Clear Channel Outdoor (and the other billboard companies). Cozy, no?

So back to that quote of the week. Reporter David Zahniser points out that critics of Delgadillo are calling this party a not-so-subtle "thank you" from the lobbyist for being such a good pal.

Ryan Seacrest -- who hosts mornings on Clear Channel's KIIS-FM -- will emcee the event.

Delgadillo's people say it's actually Seacrest who's spearheading the event, Zahniser writes:

Delgadillo spokesman Nick Velasquez also downplayed the significance of the event, saying it is not a fundraiser but a "meet and greet."

"Apparently, Mr. Seacrest heard some good things about Rocky and wanted to hold a 'meet and greet' to introduce him to some of his friends," he said.

Hey, that makes perfect sense to me!

Big Boy's Got Gas, and One Westsider Is Offended

You've seen these tacky (yet clearly memorable) Power 106/Big Boy billboards throughout town all summer: "Big Boy's Got Gas."

Juvenile way to promote KPWR's free gas campaign? Perhaps. But that's no surprise: Big Boy has starred in many slightly tacky billboard campaigns through the years (remember his "Morning Obsession" Calvin Klein parody, when Big Boy -- then over 500 pounds -- was naked, sprawled across the billboard?)

Nonetheless, WestLAOnline blogger Jim Bursch, who somehow had never heard of or seen Big Boy before (even though the guy has hosted one of L.A.'s top-rated morning shows for ten years) registered his offense:

Context counts, and in this case, the context is a predominantly non-black neighborhood where referring to an adult black man as "boy" is wrong and racist. Also, there are contexts in which fart jokes are funny, but not on a public street where you see the same offensive "joke" every day, day after day.

This is just wrong.

Help us to get this bigoted blight removed by spreading the word that this is offensive and unwelcome.

That led to a series of comments from readers, most of whom tore into Bursch like this:

Big Boy is not a racist caricature, yet to find this offensive that must be how you are viewing him. If it was a white man it would just be a crude fart joke. Even a white man named "Big Boy." You are the one attaching any sort of racial connotation here. You are the one paying attention to the fact that he is black and not just a human being. You are looking for the racial subtext when there is none. It is just a crude fart joke with a man who just happens to answer to the self-chosen name "Big Boy" and just happens to be black.

So, I guess my point is, you are an idiot.

Blogging.la also got into the act, posting a take from contributor Kent Nichols, who wrote:

Jim, stop being scared and drop the white man's burden. You don't need to be offended on behalf of other people, especially not millionaire radio personalities.

Bursch ended the chain of emails yesterday by at least admitting that he enjoyed the exchange. Today, he adds:

So, the billboard has accomplished its primary mission: it has drawn attention to itself. I now know who Big Boy is, and I am actually kind of curious to listen to him to find out why he is so popular.

On the point that the billboard seemed to achieve its goal, I think we can all agree.