Renata Sellitti: If Sarcasm were Currency, I’d be a Millionaire

When Renata Sellitti began writing for Poptimal.com, this lifelong New Yorker never dreamed she’d one day be relocating “Inside the Pop Culture Beltway” too. But, since moving south for grad school, this recent transplant from the Big Apple has begun to realize that in the political fishbowl that is Washington, D.C., she is most definitely a fish out of water.

She began her television love affair at an early age, and to this day respects anyone who remembers the show Today’s Special, wore their hair like Red Fraggle or desperately wanted to be a Huxtable growing up. She also has a tendency to over-quote movies like The Sandlot, Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead and the Karate Kid (“Sweep the leg, Johnny!”). Though she made her living indulging her love of music while working for MTV and Vh1 in New York (and yes, they do still feature music), she is sometimes mortified to be associated with the network that brought the world roughly 35 Flavor of Love spinoffs.

These days, she credits her Poptimal experience for introducing her to the wondrousness of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer – see it!) but is still somewhat bitter for being forced to watch Jennifer’s Body and Love Happens – 4 hours of her life she claims she’ll never get back. Renata is also not a fan of the television generation gap which reminds her often that interns and undergrads equate Melissa Joan Hart more to Sabrina the Teenage Witch than Clarissa Explains It All (Ferg Face would be insulted). Finally, she may be getting her Masters, but she’s confident she’ll never be able to master the D.C. bus system as long as she lives here.

Her favorite movie genre: John Hughes. Granted, that’s a man and not a genre, but she would beg to differ.

Her favorite TV genre: Tim Riggins.  Again that’s a character on Friday Night Lights and not a genre, but she feels Riggins should have a planet dedicated to him, so why not a genre too?

Currently Covering: White Collar, the Real Housewives of Orange County

IN HER OWN WORDS:  RENATA’S THOUGHTS ON…

Pop culture trends she shuns: Sorcery (Harry Potter be damned), the whole Twilight/Vampire phenomenon (really? I mean, really?), science fiction/futuristic flicks in general. Except, of course, if it was a science fiction movie about people like Spencer and Heidi or anyone with the last name Lohan, Jonas or Cyrus being catapulted into space, in which case I’d be totally on board with it. And yes, I realize that rejecting Twilight and Harry Potter will make me a pariah on this website now, so be it.

Her television guilty pleasures: One Tree Hill (I know, I know) and the Real World/Road Rules Challenges. See, there are these things called jobs… those kids should look into getting some. (and yet I still watch every week…)

The show she is most excited about: Jersey Shore – even though I hate man jewelry and I’m sure I’ll be horrified that these people share my Italian heritage, I am positively giddy about the upcoming season.

The show she’d kill to review: Friday Night Lights, whoever is assigned this I’ll arm wrestle you for it. I mean it.

The show she’s glad she doesn’t have to review: Well, I would’ve said Glee, because I haven’t enjoyed a musical since the original production of Annie, but I actually watched it this week and I sort of loved it. Dammit.

The world would be a better place if: …it was run by Ellen DeGeneres, Joel McHale or Chelsea Handler. I will also add a caveat that the kids of My Super Sweet Sixteen and NYC Prep being sold to the Taliban would be an improvement as well. I’m convinced they’re the reason why terrorists hate us.

Her pop culture crushes are: They’ve evolved from Joshua Jackson as Pacey Witter to Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes), to Josh Holloway (Lost), and now to Matt Bomer (White Collar)  – but in my heart I’m still a Tim Riggins girl. I swear I watch most of my favorite shows for the leading men.

The show that never should’ve been cancelled: This one’s a throwback, but John from Cincinnati. HBO was onto something there…

She’ll never understand people who:…don’t like Johnny Drama on Entourage. Also, people who wear liquid black leggings.

She was bummed that: …my Yankees chose the year that I moved out of New York to win the World Series, and I missed it! Also, that the Real Housewives of Atlanta never revealed what’s really under Kim’s wig. I’d practically commit murder to see her real hair.

She’s often described as: …lacking a verbal filter. This tends to seep into my writing.

She’d love to see a reality show about: …my unemployed friends, they’re talented and amazing and yet everyone’s out of work. Or  maybe a show about someone who transitions from memorizing the faces in US Weekly to learning the names on Capitol Hill. I’ll let you know how that turns out.

To read Renata’s Articles, you have to make sure you visit Poptimal.com.

To Listen to Renata on Review of Extract on the Writer’s Arch.