Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://digital.greengale.com/i/67043
illustration by daniel o'leary and Finally . . . H Feud For ThoughT who you calling second!?! JOHN HUGHES'S HOLLYWOOD TREATED CHICAGO LIKE GOLD, BUT WHEN WE FOUND THAT THOSE DAYS PASSED US BY, WE MADE TINSELTOWN SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE AGAIN. by Paige Wiser ollywood claimed to love Chicago, which is understandable. We're good-looking and our extreme weather appears dramatic on-screen, adding a tempestuous passion to Hollywood projects. They can't resist our better-than-fiction brand of corruption and our mob ties, which bring a dangerous note to the relationship. Chicago also has a homespun normalcy that lends a note of comfort and domestic familiarity. But was it that Hollywood genuinely loved Chicago, or were they just in love with the idea of us? As our mothers preached, "It's not what he says to you, but how he treats you that matters." And as entertainment moguls haven't always bothered to make the trip and find out who we really are, Chicago has been left to wonder. They make a big show of their adoration, but when it's time to go the distance, they trade us in for a model that's easier, cheaper, and less challenging. The Good Wife, Mike & Molly, Happy Endings—they're all set in Chicago, but we know the truth. It's easier to film in Los Angeles or New York—or to pretend that random Canadian cities pass for us. And that hurts. Well, no more. Chicago has been working on itself and its romance with the entertainment industry, and it's finally getting its due. Last year's Transformers: Dark of the Moon proved that Chicago is a sanctuary for the film industry—with handsome tax credits and an open mind. It said to the world, "We are receptive to new ideas, like welcoming ginormous space robots—no matter how clumsy—and we won't grumble if you want to lightly bomb Navy Pier in peacetime." It was worth it: Transformers 3 generated about $20 million for the local econ- omy, created 1,200 jobs, and gave us the attention we deserve. With that, Chicago is becoming so hip that even MTV is in town filming Underemployed, a comedy about five recent college graduates who can't find jobs. Does this take Chicago into cougar territory? If so, so be it. How did we rekindle the spark with Hollywood? ● We sexed up our image thanks to Rahm Emanuel. Our new mayor is edgy, funny, and perfectly positioned with brother Ari, the super agent who inspired Jeremy Piven's character on Entourage. Rahm's already signed on to play himself on Chicago Fire, a new NBC drama about firefighters, which was filmed in Chicago. ● We gave them some space. The new Cinespace Film Studios on the West Side lured The Playboy Club here (well, briefly) and Starz's brilliant Boss, now filming its second season there. ● We couldn't beat 'em, so we joined 'em. Fans of Jerseylicious will embrace Chicagolicious, the Style Network spin-off centered on AJES in the West Loop, where Jennifer Hudson, Angela Bassett, Valerie Jarrett, and Mellody Hobson have gotten beautified. ● We played dirty. VH1's cameras have been here since December filming Mob Wives Chicago. And Fox gave the green light to film The Mob Doctor here. The lessons that Chicago learned from our neglected and taken-for-granted former self have empowered us to undergo a makeover and rekindle the spark. We made Hollywood producers take notice and ask themselves, "Why look elsewhere when you are getting it at home?" MA 160 michiganavemag.com Onward!