The star appears on the online meeting and right away begins an explanation. “I can’t believe I’m late!” she says, seeming genuinely apologetic. She is only a bit delayed, she wants to justify. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. I had two calls before this, and I’m like, I’ve gotta stop talking!” Fortunately, for a writer, that’s just what one hopes to experience. Moreover, it’s fairly predictable. Viewers familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which she penned with Emma Seligman and featured in with collaborator the talented actress—will understand that Sennott has plenty to share, ranging from on identity, sex, or the merits of starting a teen combat group. Furthermore, after watching her latest seasonal show I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star has even more insights about the darker side of modern youth (Now in her thirties, Sennott is a relatable figure for this generation, on the cusp adept for connecting different age groups).
Inspirations and Artistic Direction
The comparisons to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott readily acknowledges a fan, referencing the show together with Sex and the City, Insecure and Atlanta as influences for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and her friend who is also fledgling agent Maia. Perhaps, the biggest presence on the moodboard was reserved for Entourage, that HBO sitcom depicting an emerging celebrity making his way in a gritty LA scene (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it amid COVID-19, became “hooked”, and chose to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she explains. The concept for the series originated—to some extent—from personal, initially fractious, transition to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a frequently discussed event for enthusiasts. That period marked a time that included her understand major truths, in her career and in private life. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she recalls. “Settling in LA during my mid-twenties brought calm, but soon everything unraveled.” It was almost like these biblical tests …”
Starting Out
Growing up in Connecticut, Sennott began developing and showcasing stand-up while studying theatre at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she states. “I tried out for all the NYU comedy groups, and got rejected from all of them. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and decidedly) weird online content digitally. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed characters fetishistically obsessed with having babies; another portrayed being employed at the preppy clothing store Hollister as like being trapped in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Seligman through campus film circles and eventually appearing in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful film set at a religious event with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her career, she notes, has been people her own age offering opportunities, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she emphasizes, adding with a laugh: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Individuals who questioned about her then will surely be regretting it now. As part of she describes as a “incredibly circular” development, she has manifested the perfect project. A few years back she uploaded content called about Los Angeles online, in which she lampooned Hollywood trailers (“Everyone’s hooked on something”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers managing advantages of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your associate being accused of being a drug-addled criminal, and possibly becoming a “brand unsafe” persona non grata). Some could easy to create a program about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, more problematic, one that punched down at the characters. This show does neither, creating a portrait of affluent young adult living that’s honest about the mess and the glamour.
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
