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Back to Zócalo's Connecting California

Zócalo's Connecting California

The scariest place in the state

Beachy, laidback, charming and frightening. Santa Cruz is the scariest place in California.

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KCRW placeholderBy Joe Mathews • Sep 12, 2019 • 6m Listen

Beaches, trees and surfers, oh my! The scenic coastal Santa Cruz county may not seem to be the scariest place in the California but commentator Joe Mathews disagrees. In fact, its unnerving qualities made Santa Cruz the perfect setting for Jordan Peele’s popular horror film “Us”. For Mathews, Santa Cruz represents a powerlessness and incapability to deal with larger societal dysfunctions head on. While you may not be immediately spooked when you step foot in Santa Cruz, if you look long enough, you may see the state’s deepest anxieties staring back at you.

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    Joe Mathews

    Host, "Zocalo's Connecting California"

    NewsCaliforniaLos Angeles
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