Bakersfield as Referenced in Popular Culture

Bakersfield, even though it is less known around the world compared to other California cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, is still pretty much present in popular culture – it has been referenced in literature, music, and the like. Being a town that has a reputation for being a conservative inclination in politics while at the same time having a rather healthy concept of fun, Bakersfield has quite frankly proved itself to be a fascinating enough location to be either referenced or used as a setting.

Bakersfield has been mentioned in the Steinbeck classic, “The Grapes of Wrath”, “Daddy” by Danielle Steel, and most notably three of horror legend Stephen King's novels – “Misery”, “Desperation”, and “Rose Madder”. Buck Owens wrote a song in Bakersfield about Bakersfield (“Streets of Bakersfield”), and the incomparable Johnny Cash references Bakersfield in his song “I've Been Everywhere”.

Bakersfield is most often referenced or found in television or movies, though. “The Running Man”, starring California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, began with the Bakersfield food riots and had Schwarzenegger's character framed as the “Butcher of Bakersfield”. There is a sitcom called “Bakersfield P.D.” which was loosely based on stereotypical Bakersfield policemen. Bakersfield was also mentioned in last year's critically-acclaimed film “There Will Be Blood”, as an oil town.