"If you say city to people, people have no problem thinking of the city as rife with problematic, screwed-up people, but if you say suburbs - and I'm not the first person to say this, it's been said over and over again in literature - there's a sense of normalcy"

Eric Bogosian's statement delves into societal perceptions regarding urban and suburban environments. He observes that the collective imagination easily associates cities with communities that are complex, flawed, or even dysfunctional. When urban areas are discussed, people frequently envision a population that is diverse, facing visible challenges, and marked by a variety of social issues, such as crime, poverty, and eccentric behavior. This image has been reinforced over time by media, literature, and popular culture, which often depict cities as melting pots of chaos, creativity, and struggle.

Conversely, the term "suburbs" evokes a contrasting reaction. Suburbs are typically imagined as havens of tranquility and orderliness. The prevailing stereotype is that suburban life is synonymous with normalcy, a monotone backdrop where people generally adhere to conventional social norms, live in relative comfort, and are shielded from the tumult of the city. Bogosian points out that he is echoing a recurring theme in literature, where authors have consistently contrasted the city’s perceived disorder with the suburb’s assumed calm. This dichotomy subtly upholds the idea that normalcy is more likely found on manicured lawns than in bustling streets.

Underlying Bogosian’s observation is the suggestion that these perceptions deserve scrutiny. It is not that suburbs are free from "problematic, screwed-up people"; rather, the collective narrative resists recognizing complexities outside city limits. By cloaking suburbs with an aura of normality, society may ignore or minimize the personal struggles, conflicts, and dysfunction that can exist anywhere, regardless of geography. Bogosian’s reflection invites readers to question these ingrained assumptions and to recognize that every community, urban or suburban, contains layers of reality that often escape simplistic categorization. The sense of normalcy attributed to suburban life may be more myth than fact, revealing more about societal attitudes than about the true nature of these places.