Jenn Kaytin Robinson Brought ‘Total Request Live’ To The Miami Suburbs

In Jenn Kaytin Robinson’s hometown of suburban Miami, the bat mitzvah scene was cutthroat. “You lived or died by your theme,” the filmmaker tells me. “It was a really competitive circuit, so you really needed to stand out.” And when the time came for Robinson’s own soirée, she brought it. The theme? Total. Jennifer. Live. “I was a religious Total Request Live watcher. I would get home from school, stand in front of the TV, eat like half an Entenmann’s sheet cake, and just watch TRL,” she says. “So it was like there was no other choice. That was my theme.”

It wasn’t just Carson Daly, Vanessa Minnillo (now Lachey), and the frequent appearances from early aughts heartthrobs that kept Robinson coming back to the show — she was a real music lover, through and through. “I loved pop music. I would go to Best Buy or Barnes & Noble and cruise the CDs like every Tuesday,” she says. “I feel like it’s followed me into everything I’ve done. Whether that’s writing about music or [helping curate] the Someone Great soundtrack.” Music-heavy narratives have also become a hallmark of the now 31-year-old’s works. From her aforementioned Netflix film Someone Great — which boasted Lizzo bangers alongside classics like “Int'l Players Anthem” — to the indie leaning tracks of her debut TV series, Sweet/Vicious. 

But while Total Jennifer Live was the perfect embodiment of Robinson’s tween psyche, she credits her mother with its impeccable execution. “Every batshit thing I wanted to do, she made happen. She’s the most creative person I know. All of my creativity comes from her,” she says. Read on for Robinson’s reflections on designing a Mia Thermopolis inspired dress — and getting into a quasi dance off. 

On sending out CDs with her invites: 

All of the invitations went out with a mix CD that had a printed tracklist on it. It read, “Your presence is totally requested live at the Broward Center for Performing Arts. Black tie preferred. The party will jam on Saturday from 5:30 until 11. Until then, here are some of Jennifer’s favorites.” All of the songs that were on the mix were then the tables at the event. “Country Grammar” was on there and Destiny’s Child’s “So Good” — which is a deep cut — was my table. Then the table assignments were on backstage pass lanyards. Those said, “Total Jennifer Live, valid Saturday, March 31, 2001 only. VIP Pass for whoever’s name it was and their table.”

The aforementioned mix CDs.

On emulating Mary-Kate and Ashley & Mia Thermopolis: 

At 13, I was very small with braces and some big brows. (I’m 4’11 now.) My style was like Mary-Kate and Ashley chic. It was very Holiday in the Sun, Passport to Paris inspired. Lots of shit and clips in my hair, glitter in the wrong places. There was an incident with a crimper at one point that went really awry. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

For my bat mitzvah, I designed my dress. It was a custom periwinkle gown with rhinestone straps and a big bow. The Princess Diaries was around when I was in middle school and Mia Thermopolis was my inspiration. I wanted a princess dress. 

On her epic dance off: 

I remember that age as being one of the horniest times of my life. There was a boy who I was really deeply in love with at the time. He wasn’t the most popular or anything, he felt like an attainable goal. I would call him on his landline every single night. But my friend liked him, too. Then at my bat mitzvah “The Boy Is Mine” came on and my friend and I were both in the middle of the dance circle and this very charged, almost dance fight happened. It was like, “Ok, bitch!” That boy was a real hot commodity for us two horny 12-year-olds. 

On channeling her inner Carson Daly: 

We did some pretapes where I taped myself superimposed into the TRL studio using a green screen. I was dressed in black pleather pants and a red tank top and throughout the night a video of me would come on where I’d be like, “Hey Jenn, how’s it going down there?” Then real me at the bat mitzvah would respond to myself on the video like, “Great Jenn, I’m having such a good time!” There was an ongoing conversation between me and the videos of me in the TRL studio to guide people through the night. 

On what she wishes she could tell her 13-year-old self: 

I almost did a choreographed dance to the Britney/NSYNC VMA performance but I chickened out. I was like, “I can’t dance in front of all of these kids!” Looking back, I made a huge mistake. I’m so mad at myself because I didn’t know how funny it would be to 30-year-old Jenn. But 12-year-old Jenn was like, “You absolutely can’t do this!” I wish I could’ve told myself, “Be as weird as you want, because the weird stories are the best ones to remember when you’re older. Don’t suppress the weirdo.”

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.