Rachel Sennott exploring her hilarious show portraying that grotty allure of younger generation lifestyle
The performer enters the digital interview and right away launches into an apology. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, seeming genuinely regretful. Despite being only slightly delayed, she needs to clarify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Previous discussions went over, and I realized I talk too much!” Luckily, in this context, this is exactly what one hopes to experience. Besides, it’s fairly unsurprising. Viewers who have seen her boldly queer and unapologetically crass project titled Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and appeared in together with her friend Ayo Edebiri—can already know that Sennott possesses much to say, ranging from about identity, sex, or the merits of starting a teen brawl society. And, by the end her latest eight-part show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has further thoughts regarding the challenges of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for bridging different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Likenesses to the iconic series Girls are inevitable and Sennott admits to being a fan, naming the show together with the HBO hit, Issa Rae’s show and Atlanta as inspirations for the project, which follows the struggles of an influencer Tallulah and her friend and new talent manager Maia. Notably, the biggest presence on creative vision belonged to the HBO series, that program depicting a rising celebrity succeeding in a gritty entertainment industry (choice quote: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott started watching it during the pandemic, became “captivated”, and decided to add a fresh perspective on it “targeting women and LGBTQ+ viewers”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The concept for this project came—partly—from personal, originally fractious, transition to Tinseltown and from her saturn return, a frequently discussed event for followers. That period marked an era that included her learn some big insights, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Brought up in the East Coast, Sennott started developing and showcasing humor while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. “I wondered why I was even there at all.”
Sennott seized control, appearing at live shows with Edebiri and uploading hysterical (and distinctly) bizarre comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, depicted a group of women intensely fixated on motherhood; a different one portrayed working at the brand Hollister as akin to being stuck in a scary movie. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Emma through the university’s film scene and eventually appearing in her initial project, titled Shiva Baby, a stressful comedy set at a funeral gathering with shades of Uncut Gems. The central motif of her journey, she says, has been contemporaries giving her a shot, as opposed to the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she confirms, adding amusedly: “They don’t want us to win.”
Career Breakthrough
Individuals who had doubts regarding Sennott then will certainly be regretting it now. As part of she calls a “incredibly circular” development, she appears to manifested an ideal role. Previously she posted a video titled “it’s LA” on social media, in which she mocked Hollywood trailers (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Now, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a series about Angelenos balancing advantages of internet fame (such as socializing at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and possibly becoming a risky pariah). Some could simple to create a program about online fame that was extremely idealized—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, resulting in a portrait of advantaged millennial living that’s honest about the grot and the shine.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she observes. “I think that young people have been through a lot – I’m mostly thinking of people younger than me, like my little sister, who went to college during Covid, so she had to come home, or my other sister who was doing school online.”|“The younger generation has faced significant