Rachel Sennott joins the digital interview and at once launches into an apology. “Oh my God – I’m sorry!” she exclaims, sounding really regretful. Although she's only slightly behind, she feels compelled to clarify. “My phone conversations always run long.” “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is precisely what one hopes to encounter. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those familiar with her boldly LGBTQ+ and unapologetically crass project Bottoms—which Sennott co-wrote with Emma Seligman and featured in together with her friend the talented actress—would already know that Sennott has plenty to discuss, be it about identity, relationships, or the appeal of creating a youth combat group. And, after watching the new multi-episode program titled I Love LA, it becomes obvious that the star holds further insights about the struggles of modern youth (As a millennial, she is a relatable figure to younger audiences, a tale-end millennial with a knack for connecting both generations).
Influences and Storytelling Approach
Parallels to the iconic series Girls can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being a fan, naming the show in addition to the classic series, Issa Rae’s show and the innovative program as guides for her series, which tracks the travails of an influencer played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also aspiring representative Sennott’s character. Perhaps, the biggest presence on the moodboard belonged to the popular sitcom, the HBO sitcom depicting a rising Hollywood star making his way in a gritty Hollywood (choice quote: “only the unsuccessful find joy here”). Sennott began viewing it throughout the pandemic, became “hooked”, and resolved to put her own twist on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“I wanted to make a show where the internet, not Hollywood, was the industry, because my career started online,” she notes. The inspiration for this project came—partly—from firsthand, at first difficult, relocation to LA and from the astrological phase, a frequently discussed event for followers. It was a time that involved her grasp significant insights, professionally and personally. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “In my mid-20s, I moved to LA and got settled. And then I felt like everything started to just fall apart. “The struggles felt almost mythic in scale…”
Humble Origins
Raised in Connecticut, Sennott commenced writing and performing stand-up while pursuing performance at NYU’s Tisch. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she explains. “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. “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
Sennott decided to act independently, performing at amateur nights with her friend and posting uproarious (and very) bizarre comedy videos on the internet. A particular video, Baby Cult, followed several females intensely drawn to pregnancy; a different one portrayed being employed at a trendy retail outlet as akin to being stuck in a horror film. Interestingly, she encountered Emma through the university’s film scene and ended up featuring in her first film, Shiva Baby, a stressful dramedy set at a religious event with shades of the Safdie brothers’ movie. A recurring idea of her career, she explains, has been peers giving her a shot, rather than the industry at large. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Definitely not them”, she repeats, stating humorously: “They don’t want us to win.”
Manifesting Dreams
Anyone who were skeptical about Sennott earlier will certainly be feeling foolish now. In what she labels a “astonishingly complete” development, she appears to achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded a clip called on LA life on social media, in which she mocked film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Six years on, she’s the co-showrunner (with the co-writer) of a series about city dwellers balancing the perks of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with downsides (your friend being accused of being a intoxicated criminal, and possibly becoming a risky outcast). One might tempting to produce a series about digital influence that was horribly glamorous—or, more problematic, one that mocked at those depicted. This show avoids both, making for a depiction of privileged millennial existence that’s frank about the grot and the appeal.
Empathetic Approach
“Numerous series present younger generations and digital culture in a derogatory manner,” she says. “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
