The multitalented Rachel Sennott’s latest project, “I Love LA,” aired its second episode Sunday, Nov. 9.
Many people will recognize some of the writer, actress and comedian’s previous works, which include “Bottoms,” “Shiva Baby” and “Bodies Bodies Bodies.” Sennot’s latest work, “I Love LA,” is a comedy television series about a group of friends attempting to navigate their careers in the offbeat society of Los Angeles, California. Odessa A’zion, Josh Hutcherson, Ayo Edebiri and Leighton Meester star in this new hit series, and many more familiar faces are to come.
Since the airdate of the very first episode, there has been an overwhelming amount of mixed feedback from multiple outlets. Judy Berman from “Time Magazine” has had a lot to say about the show’s “superficiality and shallow[ness].” She claims that she cannot tell if the writing of the show is purposely shallow, or if it just fails to give any deeper meaning to its subject matter. In her words, it’s difficult to tell if the show is “a commentary on shallowness or if it’s just shallow.”
After reading her take on the show, I felt a little upset – upset at the fact that the show told us exactly what it was from the very beginning, and Berman missed it completely. When you hear “Los Angeles,” most people picture a land full of gluten-free influencers with lip fillers and hot, sunny weather. The city has a reputation for being superficial and “woke,” and that’s exactly what “I Love LA” portrays.
During the most recent episode, we are introduced to Mimi Rush, a pop star trying to get Zendaya to star in a music video for her latest single. When Zendaya doesn’t respond immediately, Mimi bad-mouths her and calls her “evil.” Later, it’s revealed that Zendaya has decided to star in Mimi’s music video, which Mimi then raves about. She tells everyone that she and Zendaya are “besties,” changing her opinion when it best suits her to do so. If that doesn’t scream Hollywood to you, then I’m not sure what does.
Berman’s comment on Sennott’s inability to be “deep” offends an entire generation, especially with commentary like, “maybe existential soul-searching is too much of a luxury for a generation that will likely have to fight harder than any other still living to survive.” She speaks as if having a functional brain is some kind of rare luxury that Generation Z may never be able to obtain. Not only was her comparison of survival and deep thought insulting, it couldn’t be further from the truth. Good art does not need to be deep. Not everything is a metaphor or must have a deeper meaning. Some things, like “I Love LA,” are meant to be shallow.
“I Love LA” is a fun comedy series that mocks and praises the iconic California lifestyle. That in itself is something that must be done in a very specific way as to not offend anyone. Now that’s deep. You can watch “I Love LA” on HBO Max every Sunday at 10:30 p.m. EST.
