Rachel Sennott on the uproarious comedy depicting that chaotic appeal of Gen Z life
The star enters the online meeting and at once begins an explanation. “Apologies for the delay!” she says, sounding genuinely remorseful. She is only a couple of minutes late, she feels compelled to explain. “I have such a problem, because I’m a yapper on the phone. “Earlier calls made me late—I just can’t stop chatting!” Thankfully, for a writer, this is exactly what is ideal to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly unsurprising. Those familiar with her unapologetically openly gay and unapologetically crass film titled Bottoms—which Sennott collaborated on with Emma Seligman and starred in together with close companion the talented actress—can already know that she has plenty to share, be it on identity, relationships, or the appeal of starting a teen brawl society. Furthermore, once you finish her latest seasonal program I Love LA, it becomes obvious that she has even more insights on the darker side of Gen Z life (Now in her thirties, Sennott represents a bridge for this generation, on the cusp skilled for connecting different age groups).
Guiding Lights and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s Girls naturally arise and Sennott readily acknowledges enthusiastic, referencing it alongside Sex and the City, Issa Rae’s show and Donald Glover’s series as guides for I Love LA, which follows the journey of an influencer Tallulah and ally and aspiring representative Maia. Notably, the biggest presence on the moodboard was reserved for the HBO series, that program about an up-and-coming A-list actor succeeding in a corrupt LA scene (memorable line: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). She started watching it throughout COVID-19, became “captivated”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “for the girls and the gays”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The concept for the series came—in part—from her own, at first rocky, transition to Los Angeles and from her astrological phase, a frequently discussed phenomenon for followers. This represented a time that included her grasp significant truths, in her career and individually. “During my younger years, I was chaotic, often breaking down in public,” she admits. “After relocating to Los Angeles in my mid-twenties, I found stability, only for things to crumble. “It resembled a series of extreme challenges…”
Early Beginnings
Growing up in the East Coast, the star began developing and showcasing comedy while enrolled in theatre at a prestigious arts school. “I went through all the proper channels to try to perform, and they weren’t gelling,” she says. “Auditions for university comedy troupes led to universal rejection. “Theatre productions at school also didn’t accept me. And I just felt like, what am I doing here?”
Sennott seized control, taking the stage at live shows with Ayo and uploading hysterical (and very) unconventional skits on the internet. One, titled Baby Cult, centered on a group of women fetishistically obsessed with having babies; a different one portrayed working at a trendy retail outlet as like being caught in a thriller. In a neat twist of fate, she connected with Seligman through the university’s film scene and eventually starring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious comedy set at a religious event with echoes of the intense thriller. The central motif of her career, she says, has been people her own age offering opportunities, as opposed to traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “They were not involved”, she emphasizes, adding humorously: “Our victory isn’t their goal.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned regarding Sennott previously will surely be feeling foolish currently. Through she describes as a “astonishingly complete” turn of events, she seems to have achieved her dream vehicle. Previously she uploaded content named “it’s LA” on social media, in which she parodied film promos (“I’m addicted to drugs – we all are”). Years later, she’s the co-showrunner (with her partner) of a comedy about city dwellers juggling the perks of internet fame (such as celebrating at a famous actor’s house) with downsides (your friend being suspected of being a substance-abusing thief, and potentially becoming a “brand unsafe” outcast). It would be tempting to make a series about digital influence that was overly idealized—or, even less favorable, one that belittled at those depicted. The series does neither, making for a portrait of privileged millennial existence that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” 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
