The performer appears on the video call and right away starts an apology. “Apologies for the delay!” she states, sounding genuinely regretful. Despite being only a couple of minutes delayed, she wants to explain. “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!” Luckily, in this context, that’s exactly what you want to hear. Additionally, it’s fairly predictable. Those who know her unapologetically queer and brash film titled Bottoms—that Sennott penned with Emma Seligman and appeared in with her friend the talented actress—can be aware that Sennott holds plenty to say, whether on identity, intimacy, or the merits of forming a teen brawl society. And, by the end the recent eight-part show I Love LA, viewers realize that the star carries additional perspectives regarding the challenges of young adulthood (As a millennial, Sennott serves as an honorary member of the gang, straddling eras skilled for connecting millennials and Gen Z).
Influences and Artistic Direction
Parallels to Lena Dunham’s groundbreaking show can’t be avoided and Sennott admits to being an admirer, citing the show alongside the classic series, the acclaimed comedy and the innovative program as influences for her series, which follows the journey of a social media star played by Odessa A’Zion and close companion who is also fledgling representative portrayed by Sennott. Perhaps, the largest presence on the moodboard went to the HBO series, that HBO sitcom about a rising celebrity making his way in an often-seedy LA scene (notable statement: “happiness eludes everyone but failures in this city”). Sennott discovered it during COVID-19, became “obsessed”, and resolved to add a fresh perspective on it “with female and queer audiences in mind”.
“My aim was to focus on digital fame over traditional entertainment, as my own beginnings were on the web,” she notes. The concept for this project originated—partly—from firsthand, at first rocky, relocation to Los Angeles and from the saturn return, a popular occurrence for enthusiasts. It was a time that involved her understand major life lessons, professionally 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 was almost like these biblical tests …”
Early Beginnings
Raised in New England, Sennott began writing and performing comedy while pursuing performance at New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts. “Despite trying every conventional route, I couldn’t find my footing,” she explains. “Every campus humor group turned me down after tryouts.” “None of the university plays cast me either.” “It left me questioning my purpose and place.”
She decided to act independently, taking the stage at open mics with her friend and sharing hilarious (and decidedly) unconventional skits on the internet. A particular video, titled Baby Cult, followed characters intensely fixated on having babies; another portrayed working at the preppy clothing store Hollister as akin to being trapped in a thriller. By chance, she encountered Seligman through the university’s film scene and ultimately featuring in her directorial debut, titled Shiva Baby, an anxious film set at a Jewish wake with hints of Uncut Gems. A recurring idea of her path, she says, has been people her own age supporting her, instead of traditional networks. So the old guard wasn’t helpful? “Not the gatekeepers”, she repeats, stating with a laugh: “They don’t want us to win.”
Rising Success
Anyone who questioned about Sennott earlier will surely be regretting it currently. In what she describes as a “wild, full-circle” story, she appears to manifested the perfect project. Previously she shared a video called “it’s LA” on social media, in which she lampooned film promos (“Substance abuse is rampant here”). Years later, she’s executive producer (with the co-writer) of a comedy about Angelenos managing benefits of online celebrity (such as celebrating at a celebrity’s house) with drawbacks (your associate being labeled as being a intoxicated thief, and perhaps becoming a “brand unsafe” pariah). One might tempting to make a show about online fame that was horribly aspirational—or, worse, one that punched down at its subjects. I Love LA avoids both, making for a portrait of advantaged twentysomething living that’s honest about the grot and the appeal.
Nuanced Portrayal
“Many programs portray youth and online life with disdain and mockery,” she comments. “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
