April 7, 2020 • 30 mins
Aida Rodriguez, el papel más importante en Hollywood, “Ser Tú”
En este episodio de “Hola, My Name Is” hablamos con la actriz, escritora y comediante Portorriqueña-Dominicana, Aida Rodriguez. Aida nos cuenta cómo combate los estereotipos en Hollywood y cómo representa su identidad Afro-Latina en todo lo que hace. Con su estilo sin filtros ha conquistado a Hollywood e hizo historia al ser la primera Latina con dos especiales de comedia al aire simultáneamente. De manera muy abierta, Aida nos muestra como ella convierte los momentos más difíciles de su vida en aprendizajes y empoderamiento.
Aida Rodriguez, the most important role in Hollywood, “Being You”
In this episode of “Hola, My Name Is” we chat with Puerto Rican-Dominican actress, writer and comedian, Aida Rodriguez. Aida tells us about how she handles stereotypes in Hollywood and how she represents her Afro Latina identity in everything she does. With her unapologetic comedy style, she has conquered Hollywood and has made history by being the first Latina airing 2 comedy specials simultaneously. In a very open conversation, Aida shows us how she has turned the most difficult moments in her life into growth and empowerment.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
This is Allah. My name is Diandriquez, a Thos podcasts
okay Na Puerto Rico Repulica do is mother Latina TOA
and she's made history as the first Latina to double
(00:33):
dip and appear in two specials airing in one month,
both on HBO and Showtime. It's called double dipping. Uh
huh at Quentino King edis all out. My name is
either Rodriguez. You guys can It's okay. I have a
studio audience. Okay, when my TV show comes out next
(00:54):
year and I come back, they'll be clapping. Talk to us.
What is the TV show going to be about? Actually
it is. It's based here in Miami because that's where
I'm from. And it's a story. It's a it's two
timelines in my life, my childhood in Miami and my
adulthood in Miami, and the evolution, the evolution of Miami
from when I was born. When I'm not born, but
(01:16):
when I was growing up here my stepfather came here
in the Mario boat lift, and the the you know,
the cultural differences between Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, the reality
that is Miami that people think of South beach. My
show is like the reality of what Miami really is,
the people who work here and really make the city
what it is. What's home now for you? I live
(01:37):
in Los Angeles, but mommy lives here, so that is
from Cuba. My stepfather is stepfather, yeah, my my real
father is my biological father is from the Dominican Dominican
Republican and the Puerto Rican blood and my mom. So
I single handedly represent the entire Spanish speaking career. You yes,
(02:00):
And I know how to talk United Sations and the
mobile the United Nations with it makes sense? Not really
it does? You know? Us it's a movie. You know,
there's such a reality of we we think we're so different.
You know, I'm not. I'm not Cuban and Puerto Rican
(02:20):
I'm not. But are we really that different? We're all
like just results of who raped our grandmother? Oh my god,
how how sad? But truth, yeah, it's a colonialism, like
we're all If you look at the people of all
three islands and you just shut them up, do you
really can you really tell the differences? You can't. Although
between the islands and with US Latinos there is a
(02:43):
lot of even racists just very uh racist ourselves. Unfortunately. Yeah,
it's internalized. I mean we've we've been socialized to be
racist everybody the world, right, we we we were taught
you're better than somebody because of the color of your skin,
because that's how you condition poor people to hate each
other so you can keep them down. So I think
(03:05):
we're all we all have that in us. So when
we start pointing it out in others, we just set
ourselves back because everybody has a little bit of that
in them. My mom told me when I was little
that all Chinese people a cats, and I believed there
because that was a little you know, and I used
to be like, I used to have this stigma in
my head about Asian people. But we do what, we
all do it, so I don't know. I think, um,
(03:26):
we should focus on the things that make us similar,
which are Um, we're all we all love our grandmother's, right,
your grandma? Yeah, except rich white people. They locked them up, right,
they locked their old people up. Latinos who are aware
of their grandmothers to the wheels fall up. You're like,
you got Latino's house, and you'll be like, yo, you
(03:48):
got a skeleton, and like like that's not a skeleton.
That's my I wear la pancha. We love our grandparents.
I mean I think people love their families. I think
people all want to live, to see their children to
do well. Everybody wants to be healthy. Um, we just
want we just want to live comfortable lives. And I
think that they have instilled the fear in us that
(04:09):
other people that don't look like us are threatening us
to live comfortable lives. And we get so caught up
with that that that's when the stuff really happens to us.
It's such a you know, a distraction. Um. And in comedy,
like I have a different reality because I do talk
about these things, and when out as a Latina, they
expect me to be naayasa because a lot of us
(04:31):
perpetuate the stereotypes about Latiniva because it's easier and you
get the easy laugh when we are the butt of
the joke. Comedy is more of a man's world. It is,
it is, but so is most so or most things.
So when we focus on that, you know, like, yeah,
comedy is mainly dominated by men. But I think that
if you make a decision to go through there and
(04:51):
bust the doors down, as any woman, anywhere. I think
you can do it. The other thing is I'm Latina,
and see I claimed my African roots, and I was
raised by women that you couldn't tell no. They would
be like, oh see, I don't I've been saying, you know,
you know, like they're just I don't know what it
is about Latina women have feminism embedded in them. And
(05:15):
it's not even a movement. It's not feminism, it's just
who they are. They're like, guess that strength, yeah, absolutely,
and it's undeniable strength, and they're unapologetic about it. So
why wouldn't I take that to comedy. My grandmother was
like the funniest person ever on the planet. What happened
(05:35):
to her? She passed away from cancer? Um she died
in but she was diagnosed with cancer in two thousand
and one and I called the crying and I said,
I will wait by I'm I'm coming home, and she goes,
I mean hate that one. I'm getting ready to die.
I'll let you know. Because they told her she was
gonna die in nine months. She died thirteen years later.
That's how strong she was. Like you couldn't tell her no,
(05:58):
you know, And so I just feel like women, are
we having a revolution in comedy? Hollywood is finally starting
to see Latinos as people, not you know, a monolith,
not a stereotype. We have shows that are on the air.
Um I think I'm one of three Latinos on Netflix
doing stand up Congratulations. Talking about strengthening of strength. What
(06:21):
is either's biggest strength, um mine is my ability to
use my voice to speak up for those who can't.
I think that's my biggest strength. I've always done it
since I was little. I've always been the anti bully.
I've always been when those I remember the kids coming
from who were in my school that whose parents came
(06:41):
from the Mario botelest right, my stepfather was one of them. Um.
They would be ashamed of telling people and people they
were getting bullied, you know, like because everyone has had
their season, right, so now Cubans are on top in
Miami or whatever, but everyone has Hadden, I know, but
they had their season and where and there was so
much descent between the people who were like, oh, you
(07:04):
guys are not like us. You're the other Cubans, right,
We're all Cubans, right, at the end of the day,
We're all Puerto Rican we're all Dominican, we're all Haitian
because that's how they see us, you know. So um,
I think that you know, I love this city and
I want people to see it for what it is.
So when we when we took to writing that show,
(07:25):
we took into consideration. It's how we're lucky want on
us that you hear making love fly holess with l
you know, it's the Puerto Rican poppy that has the
Puerto Rican socks on and loves level and always has
a flag on no matter where he is, there's a
Dominican with the white shoes and broad daylight with no
(07:47):
socks on. Yes, with him with the earring and the chain,
like I just want yeah, And that's all in there too.
That's we are. We are. We are going all the
way there with our culture. Flaws or weaknesses that you
see in yourself, so, um, you know what flaws. Sometimes
(08:09):
I listen a little too much to what other people say,
so I have to take up social media fast because
I'm empathic. So if you know, they say there are
only two kinds of people, impacts and narcissists, and I'm
definitely not a narcissist, So I have to be careful
with what I let in my orbit because at all
I like attention, but I want healthy attention. I want
(08:29):
attention for doing stand up. I want attention for writing
a good script. I want attention for being a good
actress in a movie. I don't want attention for what
I ate for breakfast. What you know, what kind of
shirt I have on? Like? That kind of stuff doesn't
move me. You know what shoes I'm wearing? That's not
my thing. Who are you a fan of? Are your
friend with Tiffany Hattish? That's one of them? Yeah, And
(08:50):
I'm a fan of hers because of who she's evolved
in Hollywood, who she who she evolved to as a
Hollywood celebrity, Because she's like a mentor. She has been
a mentor to me. Yeah, because when I started doing
stand up, Tiffany had been doing it for ten years.
She's been doing it twice as long as me. Um.
I love UM. There are people that I love that,
(09:11):
you know. I love Alejandre al Casio Cortez regardless of
you believe what she believes. You like her, believe she's
unapologetically hers and she really cares about the people, and um,
you know, she's got so much to live and go,
so just watching her evolve has been fascinating. I love
Muhammad Ali was my hero. I got to meet him
and I spent an afternoon with him. So after meeting him,
(09:34):
everybody else became really small because he was like a
citizen of the world and really wanted to do things.
When you got to meet him, was he still in
his Was he really advanced in his disease or he was,
but his brain was there, Like we had a conversation
like what was what was gone with his motor skills,
but his brain was so like we He was so
witty and funny, and he proposed to me in front
(09:55):
of his wife. That's really his wife was like comedy
and his wife was like everybody should get a chance.
And I was like it was great, it was it
was sweet, but yeah, it was just you know, amazing.
I'm a I'm a fan of the people that I
love are just people you you don't even you know,
(10:18):
don't see. But I'm I'm a fan of j Lo
and Shakira right now. And you can keep all your
signatures and with that, Bunny as well, those are my boy.
You're listening to Ola. My name is the and Ricus,
those podcasts This is Ola, my name is and Riquez,
(10:55):
and those podcasts and in the you know, you're a
young lady that that dream of what you have, what
you have now? Okay, look at mass sacrifical about lower
what have? What's spent your biggest sacrifice to be able
to attain where what you have and where you're at
now leaving here, leaving Miami and leaving my family. Really
(11:18):
love Miami, girl, I swear you know, Miami is where
I learned how to fight, you know, how to where
I became a fighter. And I don't mean that in
the in the physical sense, but I did learn how
to fight. Just you know, leaving my family. It's I
love my family and this is nothing without them. So
you look at j Lo and she everywhere you go
(11:39):
you see her and there's her family. That's the dream
for me. It's not making it by myself, is taking
the village with me. So the sacrifice has been having
to leave the village to go get it so that
I can come back and bring it here, which is
why I am going to bring my TV show here,
so that people here get jobs and you get to
(11:59):
see the beautiful city that made me. That's awesome. Anything
that's uh plus in your life that you say I
can I can. I can do without that. I can
do without your corny as comments on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
It's a bunch of people who don't do always criticizing those.
(12:21):
This is one thing that I will always say everywhere
I go. Don't ever invalidate somebody's struggle because it doesn't
look like yours. Even j lo Um, halle Berry, Kim Kardashian,
They're still human beings and they cry, and they struggle
and they're in pain. And even if you think that
their their life is what you think it is, you
have no idea what human beings are going through. So
(12:42):
for me, what I can do without is people always,
you know, spreading negativity about others, and when they shoot
it towards me, it's like it hurts because I actually
stand on the front line. You know, I'm not just
a comedian. I'm also a political commentator. So I'm always yeah,
and I'm human, but I'm I'm like, you know, my
uncle was murdered here in a hate crime for being gay,
(13:04):
So I yeah, I'm writing a movie about it. I'm
actually we just closed the deal. We're actually telling the
story about his life, and he was killed in Liberty City.
This was not in not in nineteen nineteen. This was
just this, you know, in this era, which is unheard of.
So for me, it's it's you know, it hurts when
(13:25):
people are so mean and so hateful they have no
idea what I'm going through. And even still I wake
up in the morning and I go sit on that
desk with the young Turks, and I fight for my
Latinos and for people of color on a daily basis.
So when they when they're mean and hateful, I don't
think they've take into account that we're human beings too.
You know. Let's go back to this, because it's not
everybody that has a family member that was murdered. Um,
(13:48):
that is horrible. With the fact that you're able to make,
you know, turn that negative into a positive and now
put it into this to this project that that you have.
What were the circumstances around his his murder, Well, he
was beat to death in Liberty City. Um. I believe
that what happened was that they thought they found out
(14:09):
that he was gay because he was he was not
on the download, but he had been in church and
became a church person trying to pray the gay away
because that's what we do to gay people and it
drives us all crazy. And so for me, it's very
important to tell the story about how Latinos process, you know,
people from the l g B, t q I A
(14:31):
plus community, and how toxic we can be based on
the things that we've been taught in socially, so for me,
and how dangerous it's how dangerous, well the damage that's done.
So it has to be a man, has to be
a macho and that's okay, you can be tough, doesn't
matter if you're a man or a woman. But the
you know, all the stigmas that come with that and
(14:53):
and with those pressures as well. Yeah, and all the
little boys and little girls who hurt themselves because they
feel bad about themselves because they know that the social
consequences within our own communities. And I think so you
see Moonlight, and you see a lot of movies in
the mainstream, very well done Moonlight, but you don't see
Latinos telling the stories about this because it's still such
(15:14):
a hush hush thing. And so I'm gonna I'm gonna
kick that door down, and we're gonna tell these stories
because it is important that we, you know, we restore
faith in our children. We have. There's a there is
an abundance of eleven year olds, like I don't know
why that age who commits suicide, and it's a lot
of them. Is a lot of those kids. That's because
(15:36):
they're battling with sexualities unacceptable and it's even more unacceptable
that we don't talk about it. Yeah, so we're gonna
talk about it. Well, congratulate you on that and looking
forward to to hearing more about it. I can't moment, Yes,
replay what moment of your life? Would you hit that
replay button and like to relive again? I would love
to replay. I would say when my daughter and my
(15:58):
son were probably four and eight, Um, when we first
moved to Los Angeles, because um, I had moved there
and I was really I was very young and very unhealthy.
And I think that if I if I knew then
what I knew now, Um, they're amazing, Like they're both like,
I have no complaints about them. I have the complaints
(16:20):
about myself, you know, And I wish that I could
have been a little more whole for them, but you
were unhealthy. You know, I come from that toxic um
Latin family. You know, my my boyfriend I had, I
got pregnant. My parents they made me get married to
the person because I got pregnant and I lost my virginity.
And they were like, the people, what are the people
(16:40):
gonna say? The people? I've been trying to find the
people for so long. People are these people that matter?
That matters so much? Yeah they were. There were church people,
but not really, but only church when occas they don't
know yall, like eight oh yeah. And to add to
(17:02):
add insult to injury, he was black, so so you
already know. So it was like Latino part, It's just
that your yeah, because I'm supposed to supposed to like
dark Latinos are not supposed to light Latinos are not
supposed to go light. Afro Latinos are not supposed to date.
Darker afric Latino does not even make any sense, absolutely not.
(17:23):
But because of the discrimination inside our own culture and
in our own families and homes, didn't want that. They
didn't like that. No, But what I found, what I
figured out was getting pregnant from a black dude was
the easiest way to get out of that house. Really,
it was the fast fast out for women. I don't
know if I would rather get pregnant by a black
(17:44):
dude or white dude of Latino. I don't know. My
mind somewhere else. Never mind, I love it. Well, you know,
it was just it was it was just interesting the
white guy. Uh. And it was funny because nobody it
was was good enough because they would say it was
(18:05):
good enough for the equation because it's really not about you,
because if it was about you, they wuldn't tell you
to settle right, So it's it's about the equation. But
even going Blanco and I had the song we Lose,
you know, like I'm like, well, which one is it?
What do you want? You want me? But then my
(18:25):
mom would say, like the stereos were supposed to get
but no money elito. But it was like generation, you know,
like these people are all crazy. Like I'm so glad
I was gone. When I left, I was like, and
(18:46):
I found I came to myself. I was like, what
was I doing? Delete? What moment of your life? Would
you erase a few if you could? Oh? Man? I
dated this actor for six years and los Angeles and
I not only would delete the moment, I would delete
him like yeah, I was like, he's probably the worst
(19:08):
human being I've ever met in my life. And I
speak of I don't say his name because he is
a known actor, but he knows who he is. He's black,
he's black, black Native matter. I don't know, you know,
one of those people that just is everything, but he's no.
People want to know what movie he was in. No,
I won't say I'm not one of those people. No,
(19:28):
I made that. I like that. I like that about you.
I've seen you in your interviews and when when when
you talk to people and you don't like hand people
up or start just talk to talk or for or
you know, to make it on TMZ or the tabloids. Uh,
you know, print something about you. TMC catches me at
the airport and they're like, they asked me about Tiffany,
(19:48):
and then they put that mic in my face and
they're never gonna get you know, even if we stopped speaking,
Oh my god, that's a Chunkolet can I have a
big I have a big clatter in the studio. Even
if we fall out, I would never tell were you
hit all Latinos and they see this thing, They're like,
(20:09):
oh ship, I'm taking a chunk this is this is
a Latinos California. They call him chunk class class. Yeah,
where did you get with these chunk class as kids?
When we misbehave, We're gonna put that on the in
the TV show Look Families from the Caribbean too, they
(20:33):
got hit with the chuncolate that too. Who's who? Where
is she from? St? Croix Beautiful? You're listening to My
name is THEOS podcast? Welcome back to Ola. My name
(21:20):
is the Ambiguos Podcast. What what is? What are you
missing to? You know? On your as an artist? To
accomplish what's missing for you? So that movie that I've
been a role is um is very important to me.
(21:41):
What I want to do is I don't ever, I
don't want to maintain the status of employee in Hollywood.
I think as Latinos, it is very important for us
to be the content creators when it comes to our
own stories. Why are other people telling our source? Yeah,
and then they penalize us for not showing up when
they tell our stories the wrong way? Right, So they
do Latino TV shows, they make us by assos and
(22:02):
then they say, look, the Latinos are not watching, but
there are no writers in the rooms. We don't have
showrunners in Hollywood. Those are the people who make the
TV shows, who run it from the top to the bottom.
So for me, my goal is not just to be
it's not about me, it's it's about us, right. So
for me, my production company is my goal is to
create a universe where we're telling our stories and we
(22:25):
have we have a village of people who are involved,
from the people that do set design, to the people
who write the scripts, to the people who make the music,
and to keep that going so that when I'm gone,
that continues to go because we don't have that. So
Tyler Perry has it now right, and we need that
in the Latinos. So for me as an artist, it's
(22:45):
about creating culture beyond myself because the problem with us
is that when we make it, we forget to throw
the rope back. And and I'll tell you it hasn't
been easy as a Latina. It took Tiffany Hattrish, Wanda Sykes,
and Shaquille Only or are the ones who've created the
opportunities for me? Three black African American people in this country. Um,
(23:05):
we have so much um embedia and fear within our
culture that we don't know how to throw the rope
back to one of each other. So if I have
to be the one to start it so that people
can see that it's okay for you too. You know,
Little Wayne made sure Drake made a way for Drake
and Drake you know that that's that's a plus on
the Little Wayne County. Yeah, so that's what I want
(23:28):
to do. I want to create a world where we have,
you know, everything, because we don't have set designers, we
don't have costume people, we don't have the sound people.
You know, and I love Gloria and Emilia Stephen, but
they can't make all the music for everything, right, we
got to have other people too, so we got to
create more opportunities. That my last guest was and I
(23:51):
always have them. I always have. That wasn't lustful, that
was just appreciation. He's single right now. It's okay, you're
single now I am okay, okay, just two single awesome latinos.
Jay Balding had this question for my next guest, which
happens to be you. So here's the question. Do you
feel that you're famous. I do not feel like I'm famous,
(24:15):
and I never want to feel like I'm famous, because
I am a stand up comedian before anything, and what
I am is a voice of the people and for
the people, and I always want to stay on the
ground so I can tell those stories. When I see
my favorite comedians get famous and rich, and then they
go on stage and they start talking about being famous
(24:36):
and rich, you lose so much because what what people
adored about you was listening to you tell their stories.
And and if you think it can't be done, all
you gotta do is look at George Carlin, who died,
you know, being a stand up comedian who was still
an active voice of the people. So no, I don't
(24:57):
feel famous. I do feel grateful that people recognize as
me and know who I am. Um, it happens more
than it used to before, more for my political stuff
than comedy. I'm thankful for the people who do support
me and show up for me. But famous is not
something I ever want to refer to myself, as I
think that you get you get lost there and I
(25:18):
want to just always stay on the ground. We have
another question from J Baling Cee Humbo can't kick care
boo complata. That's not that's so Puerto Rico. It's so
funny because um so fia like, yeah, those are the
(25:48):
same Bobo uhambo umbobo. And your question, if you could
heal one of the social ills of the world, which
(26:12):
one would you do? What would it be? Always good
to see you. Yeah, the last time I saw you
was World AIDS Days. Mayor Cruz was there, so she
came in from Puerto Rico was there and yeah, it
was singing. Yeah, they were great. They were great. I
had never seen Becky g before in person. Never had
(26:33):
I met someone in life that made me feel so big,
And I was like, she's so little, Like I was like,
she's shorter, and you were a taller today when you
walked in you had high heels so tall. No, I
took him off. I got all my vans, my California vans.
(26:54):
So yeah, but I just want to say to you
because the way you handled that ups situation and ups
I have a situation. You make me proud every day.
That's why I follow you obsessively because in Miami, where
I'm from, when you hear Florida in California, people are
always making fun of Florida because they say that we
(27:14):
always have the most ridiculous stories. So every time I
tune into you, you are always exemplifying what's the best
parts of us. And I just really think that you know,
you're standing up and standing for who you are, especially
because of what happened to my uncle. I just respect
you so much and I appreciate you making us look good.
(27:36):
So I wanted to say I appreciate that because you know,
we get stuck in these in these walls in the
studio and we get the microphones and we're talking, and
I just try to always connect the tongue with the
with the heart right, but sometimes you don't. You don't
know what if you're saying the right thing. It's hard
to gauge that. Of course, on social media, like you said,
you're always people are quick to get those thumbs going
(27:56):
and to insult and and and uh divided and say
her ful things. But sometimes you don't know what you're
connecting with. And in that case, in particular for those
that I mean, it made international headlines. Frank o'donis was
the ups driver that was taken at gunpoint and unfortunately
died in a very tragic situation caught in the cross
fair crosshairs of fire between the police department and uh,
(28:19):
these these two assholes that decided to go out that
day and you know, shoot up the town and and
take this poor guy that was working his first day
on the drive that route, his first day, you know,
and then we got to see him killed on live,
live TV. And and I'm torn. You know, have my background,
I'm a reserve police officer, and and so I'm torn there.
(28:39):
I understand where the police is coming from. I understand
where the family is coming from. I hurt for the family,
hurt for the victim, the people that were there. We
were live here at the radio station. We went live
and telling people as we saw it live on TV,
telling people just get the hell out of the way,
because I know how more than likely, for my law
enforcement background, how that could have ended up, and it did,
unfortunately end up on exactly what on the perfect nightmare
(29:00):
scenario for everybody involved. Um, none of those cops that
were there that they wanted to kill anybody. Uh, they
wanted to stop that situation. But these guys went on
for twenty something miles, for thirty forty minutes at higher
rate of speed with this, with with poor Frank the
ups driver, you know, at gunpoint there inside the inside
(29:21):
that that that van and it was just a horrible situation.
But it's it's beautiful to hear and thank you for
that because the times you don't know who you talk.
You know again, people know who you are because they
tune in. And but what you do with humanize him. Yeah,
that's the only thing I think we can do. But
the thing is the press, and we can we can
all be him. That could be any of us today tomorrow,
(29:42):
and so the mainstream press sometimes he's the victim, the
alleged victim. But you gave him a name, you gave
him a face, you gave him a story, and that
um that traveled. You know. We were in l I'm
in l A, and I was like, this is how
you handle this kind of stuff because you remind people
that these are humans. Yep, you know which I could ask. Yes,
(30:04):
thank you funny Ida dot Com funny, I've been funny
all day, but listen, promise I'm funny. It should be
uh funny real. The order is kind of it's gonna
be real tough, um, very real, real and funny. How
about real and funny, messing up your whole website, funny
I com. You have the whole tour there and and
(30:26):
all the city and the city is just where she's
touring in and you can go and have a good time. Yeah,
and just and my hour special is going to be
on HBO Max, so I'm working on that too. So
I want to wrap Miami. I want Miami to have
a Kanye that doesn't act crazy.
This is Allah. My name is Diandriquez, a Thos podcasts
okay Na Puerto Rico Repulica do is mother Latina TOA
and she's made history as the first Latina to double
(00:33):
dip and appear in two specials airing in one month,
both on HBO and Showtime. It's called double dipping. Uh
huh at Quentino King edis all out. My name is
either Rodriguez. You guys can It's okay. I have a
studio audience. Okay, when my TV show comes out next
(00:54):
year and I come back, they'll be clapping. Talk to us.
What is the TV show going to be about? Actually
it is. It's based here in Miami because that's where
I'm from. And it's a story. It's a it's two
timelines in my life, my childhood in Miami and my
adulthood in Miami, and the evolution, the evolution of Miami
from when I was born. When I'm not born, but
(01:16):
when I was growing up here my stepfather came here
in the Mario boat lift, and the the you know,
the cultural differences between Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Cubans, the reality
that is Miami that people think of South beach. My
show is like the reality of what Miami really is,
the people who work here and really make the city
what it is. What's home now for you? I live
(01:37):
in Los Angeles, but mommy lives here, so that is
from Cuba. My stepfather is stepfather, yeah, my my real
father is my biological father is from the Dominican Dominican
Republican and the Puerto Rican blood and my mom. So
I single handedly represent the entire Spanish speaking career. You yes,
(02:00):
And I know how to talk United Sations and the
mobile the United Nations with it makes sense? Not really
it does? You know? Us it's a movie. You know,
there's such a reality of we we think we're so different.
You know, I'm not. I'm not Cuban and Puerto Rican
(02:20):
I'm not. But are we really that different? We're all
like just results of who raped our grandmother? Oh my god,
how how sad? But truth, yeah, it's a colonialism, like
we're all If you look at the people of all
three islands and you just shut them up, do you
really can you really tell the differences? You can't. Although
between the islands and with US Latinos there is a
(02:43):
lot of even racists just very uh racist ourselves. Unfortunately. Yeah,
it's internalized. I mean we've we've been socialized to be
racist everybody the world, right, we we we were taught
you're better than somebody because of the color of your skin,
because that's how you condition poor people to hate each
other so you can keep them down. So I think
(03:05):
we're all we all have that in us. So when
we start pointing it out in others, we just set
ourselves back because everybody has a little bit of that
in them. My mom told me when I was little
that all Chinese people a cats, and I believed there
because that was a little you know, and I used
to be like, I used to have this stigma in
my head about Asian people. But we do what, we
all do it, so I don't know. I think, um,
(03:26):
we should focus on the things that make us similar,
which are Um, we're all we all love our grandmother's, right,
your grandma? Yeah, except rich white people. They locked them up, right,
they locked their old people up. Latinos who are aware
of their grandmothers to the wheels fall up. You're like,
you got Latino's house, and you'll be like, yo, you
(03:48):
got a skeleton, and like like that's not a skeleton.
That's my I wear la pancha. We love our grandparents.
I mean I think people love their families. I think
people all want to live, to see their children to
do well. Everybody wants to be healthy. Um, we just
want we just want to live comfortable lives. And I
think that they have instilled the fear in us that
(04:09):
other people that don't look like us are threatening us
to live comfortable lives. And we get so caught up
with that that that's when the stuff really happens to us.
It's such a you know, a distraction. Um. And in comedy,
like I have a different reality because I do talk
about these things, and when out as a Latina, they
expect me to be naayasa because a lot of us
(04:31):
perpetuate the stereotypes about Latiniva because it's easier and you
get the easy laugh when we are the butt of
the joke. Comedy is more of a man's world. It is,
it is, but so is most so or most things.
So when we focus on that, you know, like, yeah,
comedy is mainly dominated by men. But I think that
if you make a decision to go through there and
(04:51):
bust the doors down, as any woman, anywhere. I think
you can do it. The other thing is I'm Latina,
and see I claimed my African roots, and I was
raised by women that you couldn't tell no. They would
be like, oh see, I don't I've been saying, you know,
you know, like they're just I don't know what it
is about Latina women have feminism embedded in them. And
(05:15):
it's not even a movement. It's not feminism, it's just
who they are. They're like, guess that strength, yeah, absolutely,
and it's undeniable strength, and they're unapologetic about it. So
why wouldn't I take that to comedy. My grandmother was
like the funniest person ever on the planet. What happened
(05:35):
to her? She passed away from cancer? Um she died
in but she was diagnosed with cancer in two thousand
and one and I called the crying and I said,
I will wait by I'm I'm coming home, and she goes,
I mean hate that one. I'm getting ready to die.
I'll let you know. Because they told her she was
gonna die in nine months. She died thirteen years later.
That's how strong she was. Like you couldn't tell her no,
(05:58):
you know, And so I just feel like women, are
we having a revolution in comedy? Hollywood is finally starting
to see Latinos as people, not you know, a monolith,
not a stereotype. We have shows that are on the air.
Um I think I'm one of three Latinos on Netflix
doing stand up Congratulations. Talking about strengthening of strength. What
(06:21):
is either's biggest strength, um mine is my ability to
use my voice to speak up for those who can't.
I think that's my biggest strength. I've always done it
since I was little. I've always been the anti bully.
I've always been when those I remember the kids coming
from who were in my school that whose parents came
(06:41):
from the Mario botelest right, my stepfather was one of them. Um.
They would be ashamed of telling people and people they
were getting bullied, you know, like because everyone has had
their season, right, so now Cubans are on top in
Miami or whatever, but everyone has Hadden, I know, but
they had their season and where and there was so
much descent between the people who were like, oh, you
(07:04):
guys are not like us. You're the other Cubans, right,
We're all Cubans, right, at the end of the day,
We're all Puerto Rican we're all Dominican, we're all Haitian
because that's how they see us, you know. So um,
I think that you know, I love this city and
I want people to see it for what it is.
So when we when we took to writing that show,
(07:25):
we took into consideration. It's how we're lucky want on
us that you hear making love fly holess with l
you know, it's the Puerto Rican poppy that has the
Puerto Rican socks on and loves level and always has
a flag on no matter where he is, there's a
Dominican with the white shoes and broad daylight with no
(07:47):
socks on. Yes, with him with the earring and the chain,
like I just want yeah, And that's all in there too.
That's we are. We are. We are going all the
way there with our culture. Flaws or weaknesses that you
see in yourself, so, um, you know what flaws. Sometimes
(08:09):
I listen a little too much to what other people say,
so I have to take up social media fast because
I'm empathic. So if you know, they say there are
only two kinds of people, impacts and narcissists, and I'm
definitely not a narcissist, So I have to be careful
with what I let in my orbit because at all
I like attention, but I want healthy attention. I want
(08:29):
attention for doing stand up. I want attention for writing
a good script. I want attention for being a good
actress in a movie. I don't want attention for what
I ate for breakfast. What you know, what kind of
shirt I have on? Like? That kind of stuff doesn't
move me. You know what shoes I'm wearing? That's not
my thing. Who are you a fan of? Are your
friend with Tiffany Hattish? That's one of them? Yeah, And
(08:50):
I'm a fan of hers because of who she's evolved
in Hollywood, who she who she evolved to as a
Hollywood celebrity, Because she's like a mentor. She has been
a mentor to me. Yeah, because when I started doing
stand up, Tiffany had been doing it for ten years.
She's been doing it twice as long as me. Um.
I love UM. There are people that I love that,
(09:11):
you know. I love Alejandre al Casio Cortez regardless of
you believe what she believes. You like her, believe she's
unapologetically hers and she really cares about the people, and um,
you know, she's got so much to live and go,
so just watching her evolve has been fascinating. I love
Muhammad Ali was my hero. I got to meet him
and I spent an afternoon with him. So after meeting him,
(09:34):
everybody else became really small because he was like a
citizen of the world and really wanted to do things.
When you got to meet him, was he still in
his Was he really advanced in his disease or he was,
but his brain was there, Like we had a conversation
like what was what was gone with his motor skills,
but his brain was so like we He was so
witty and funny, and he proposed to me in front
(09:55):
of his wife. That's really his wife was like comedy
and his wife was like everybody should get a chance.
And I was like it was great, it was it
was sweet, but yeah, it was just you know, amazing.
I'm a I'm a fan of the people that I
love are just people you you don't even you know,
(10:18):
don't see. But I'm I'm a fan of j Lo
and Shakira right now. And you can keep all your
signatures and with that, Bunny as well, those are my boy.
You're listening to Ola. My name is the and Ricus,
those podcasts This is Ola, my name is and Riquez,
(10:55):
and those podcasts and in the you know, you're a
young lady that that dream of what you have, what
you have now? Okay, look at mass sacrifical about lower
what have? What's spent your biggest sacrifice to be able
to attain where what you have and where you're at
now leaving here, leaving Miami and leaving my family. Really
(11:18):
love Miami, girl, I swear you know, Miami is where
I learned how to fight, you know, how to where
I became a fighter. And I don't mean that in
the in the physical sense, but I did learn how
to fight. Just you know, leaving my family. It's I
love my family and this is nothing without them. So
you look at j Lo and she everywhere you go
(11:39):
you see her and there's her family. That's the dream
for me. It's not making it by myself, is taking
the village with me. So the sacrifice has been having
to leave the village to go get it so that
I can come back and bring it here, which is
why I am going to bring my TV show here,
so that people here get jobs and you get to
(11:59):
see the beautiful city that made me. That's awesome. Anything
that's uh plus in your life that you say I
can I can. I can do without that. I can
do without your corny as comments on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
It's a bunch of people who don't do always criticizing those.
(12:21):
This is one thing that I will always say everywhere
I go. Don't ever invalidate somebody's struggle because it doesn't
look like yours. Even j lo Um, halle Berry, Kim Kardashian,
They're still human beings and they cry, and they struggle
and they're in pain. And even if you think that
their their life is what you think it is, you
have no idea what human beings are going through. So
(12:42):
for me, what I can do without is people always,
you know, spreading negativity about others, and when they shoot
it towards me, it's like it hurts because I actually
stand on the front line. You know, I'm not just
a comedian. I'm also a political commentator. So I'm always yeah,
and I'm human, but I'm I'm like, you know, my
uncle was murdered here in a hate crime for being gay,
(13:04):
So I yeah, I'm writing a movie about it. I'm
actually we just closed the deal. We're actually telling the
story about his life, and he was killed in Liberty City.
This was not in not in nineteen nineteen. This was
just this, you know, in this era, which is unheard of.
So for me, it's it's you know, it hurts when
(13:25):
people are so mean and so hateful they have no
idea what I'm going through. And even still I wake
up in the morning and I go sit on that
desk with the young Turks, and I fight for my
Latinos and for people of color on a daily basis.
So when they when they're mean and hateful, I don't
think they've take into account that we're human beings too.
You know. Let's go back to this, because it's not
everybody that has a family member that was murdered. Um,
(13:48):
that is horrible. With the fact that you're able to make,
you know, turn that negative into a positive and now
put it into this to this project that that you have.
What were the circumstances around his his murder, Well, he
was beat to death in Liberty City. Um. I believe
that what happened was that they thought they found out
(14:09):
that he was gay because he was he was not
on the download, but he had been in church and
became a church person trying to pray the gay away
because that's what we do to gay people and it
drives us all crazy. And so for me, it's very
important to tell the story about how Latinos process, you know,
people from the l g B, t q I A
(14:31):
plus community, and how toxic we can be based on
the things that we've been taught in socially, so for me,
and how dangerous it's how dangerous, well the damage that's done.
So it has to be a man, has to be
a macho and that's okay, you can be tough, doesn't
matter if you're a man or a woman. But the
you know, all the stigmas that come with that and
(14:53):
and with those pressures as well. Yeah, and all the
little boys and little girls who hurt themselves because they
feel bad about themselves because they know that the social
consequences within our own communities. And I think so you
see Moonlight, and you see a lot of movies in
the mainstream, very well done Moonlight, but you don't see
Latinos telling the stories about this because it's still such
(15:14):
a hush hush thing. And so I'm gonna I'm gonna
kick that door down, and we're gonna tell these stories
because it is important that we, you know, we restore
faith in our children. We have. There's a there is
an abundance of eleven year olds, like I don't know
why that age who commits suicide, and it's a lot
of them. Is a lot of those kids. That's because
(15:36):
they're battling with sexualities unacceptable and it's even more unacceptable
that we don't talk about it. Yeah, so we're gonna
talk about it. Well, congratulate you on that and looking
forward to to hearing more about it. I can't moment, Yes,
replay what moment of your life? Would you hit that
replay button and like to relive again? I would love
to replay. I would say when my daughter and my
(15:58):
son were probably four and eight, Um, when we first
moved to Los Angeles, because um, I had moved there
and I was really I was very young and very unhealthy.
And I think that if I if I knew then
what I knew now, Um, they're amazing, Like they're both like,
I have no complaints about them. I have the complaints
(16:20):
about myself, you know, And I wish that I could
have been a little more whole for them, but you
were unhealthy. You know, I come from that toxic um
Latin family. You know, my my boyfriend I had, I
got pregnant. My parents they made me get married to
the person because I got pregnant and I lost my virginity.
And they were like, the people, what are the people
(16:40):
gonna say? The people? I've been trying to find the
people for so long. People are these people that matter?
That matters so much? Yeah they were. There were church people,
but not really, but only church when occas they don't
know yall, like eight oh yeah. And to add to
(17:02):
add insult to injury, he was black, so so you
already know. So it was like Latino part, It's just
that your yeah, because I'm supposed to supposed to like
dark Latinos are not supposed to light Latinos are not
supposed to go light. Afro Latinos are not supposed to date.
Darker afric Latino does not even make any sense, absolutely not.
(17:23):
But because of the discrimination inside our own culture and
in our own families and homes, didn't want that. They
didn't like that. No, But what I found, what I
figured out was getting pregnant from a black dude was
the easiest way to get out of that house. Really,
it was the fast fast out for women. I don't
know if I would rather get pregnant by a black
(17:44):
dude or white dude of Latino. I don't know. My
mind somewhere else. Never mind, I love it. Well, you know,
it was just it was it was just interesting the
white guy. Uh. And it was funny because nobody it
was was good enough because they would say it was
(18:05):
good enough for the equation because it's really not about you,
because if it was about you, they wuldn't tell you
to settle right, So it's it's about the equation. But
even going Blanco and I had the song we Lose,
you know, like I'm like, well, which one is it?
What do you want? You want me? But then my
(18:25):
mom would say, like the stereos were supposed to get
but no money elito. But it was like generation, you know,
like these people are all crazy. Like I'm so glad
I was gone. When I left, I was like, and
(18:46):
I found I came to myself. I was like, what
was I doing? Delete? What moment of your life? Would
you erase a few if you could? Oh? Man? I
dated this actor for six years and los Angeles and
I not only would delete the moment, I would delete
him like yeah, I was like, he's probably the worst
(19:08):
human being I've ever met in my life. And I
speak of I don't say his name because he is
a known actor, but he knows who he is. He's black,
he's black, black Native matter. I don't know, you know,
one of those people that just is everything, but he's no.
People want to know what movie he was in. No,
I won't say I'm not one of those people. No,
(19:28):
I made that. I like that. I like that about you.
I've seen you in your interviews and when when when
you talk to people and you don't like hand people
up or start just talk to talk or for or
you know, to make it on TMZ or the tabloids. Uh,
you know, print something about you. TMC catches me at
the airport and they're like, they asked me about Tiffany,
(19:48):
and then they put that mic in my face and
they're never gonna get you know, even if we stopped speaking,
Oh my god, that's a Chunkolet can I have a
big I have a big clatter in the studio. Even
if we fall out, I would never tell were you
hit all Latinos and they see this thing, They're like,
(20:09):
oh ship, I'm taking a chunk this is this is
a Latinos California. They call him chunk class class. Yeah,
where did you get with these chunk class as kids?
When we misbehave, We're gonna put that on the in
the TV show Look Families from the Caribbean too, they
(20:33):
got hit with the chuncolate that too. Who's who? Where
is she from? St? Croix Beautiful? You're listening to My
name is THEOS podcast? Welcome back to Ola. My name
(21:20):
is the Ambiguos Podcast. What what is? What are you
missing to? You know? On your as an artist? To
accomplish what's missing for you? So that movie that I've
been a role is um is very important to me.
(21:41):
What I want to do is I don't ever, I
don't want to maintain the status of employee in Hollywood.
I think as Latinos, it is very important for us
to be the content creators when it comes to our
own stories. Why are other people telling our source? Yeah,
and then they penalize us for not showing up when
they tell our stories the wrong way? Right, So they
do Latino TV shows, they make us by assos and
(22:02):
then they say, look, the Latinos are not watching, but
there are no writers in the rooms. We don't have
showrunners in Hollywood. Those are the people who make the
TV shows, who run it from the top to the bottom.
So for me, my goal is not just to be
it's not about me, it's it's about us, right. So
for me, my production company is my goal is to
create a universe where we're telling our stories and we
(22:25):
have we have a village of people who are involved,
from the people that do set design, to the people
who write the scripts, to the people who make the music,
and to keep that going so that when I'm gone,
that continues to go because we don't have that. So
Tyler Perry has it now right, and we need that
in the Latinos. So for me as an artist, it's
(22:45):
about creating culture beyond myself because the problem with us
is that when we make it, we forget to throw
the rope back. And and I'll tell you it hasn't
been easy as a Latina. It took Tiffany Hattrish, Wanda Sykes,
and Shaquille Only or are the ones who've created the
opportunities for me? Three black African American people in this country. Um,
(23:05):
we have so much um embedia and fear within our
culture that we don't know how to throw the rope
back to one of each other. So if I have
to be the one to start it so that people
can see that it's okay for you too. You know,
Little Wayne made sure Drake made a way for Drake
and Drake you know that that's that's a plus on
the Little Wayne County. Yeah, so that's what I want
(23:28):
to do. I want to create a world where we have,
you know, everything, because we don't have set designers, we
don't have costume people, we don't have the sound people.
You know, and I love Gloria and Emilia Stephen, but
they can't make all the music for everything, right, we
got to have other people too, so we got to
create more opportunities. That my last guest was and I
(23:51):
always have them. I always have. That wasn't lustful, that
was just appreciation. He's single right now. It's okay, you're
single now I am okay, okay, just two single awesome latinos.
Jay Balding had this question for my next guest, which
happens to be you. So here's the question. Do you
feel that you're famous. I do not feel like I'm famous,
(24:15):
and I never want to feel like I'm famous, because
I am a stand up comedian before anything, and what
I am is a voice of the people and for
the people, and I always want to stay on the
ground so I can tell those stories. When I see
my favorite comedians get famous and rich, and then they
go on stage and they start talking about being famous
(24:36):
and rich, you lose so much because what what people
adored about you was listening to you tell their stories.
And and if you think it can't be done, all
you gotta do is look at George Carlin, who died,
you know, being a stand up comedian who was still
an active voice of the people. So no, I don't
(24:57):
feel famous. I do feel grateful that people recognize as
me and know who I am. Um, it happens more
than it used to before, more for my political stuff
than comedy. I'm thankful for the people who do support
me and show up for me. But famous is not
something I ever want to refer to myself, as I
think that you get you get lost there and I
(25:18):
want to just always stay on the ground. We have
another question from J Baling Cee Humbo can't kick care
boo complata. That's not that's so Puerto Rico. It's so
funny because um so fia like, yeah, those are the
(25:48):
same Bobo uhambo umbobo. And your question, if you could
heal one of the social ills of the world, which
(26:12):
one would you do? What would it be? Always good
to see you. Yeah, the last time I saw you
was World AIDS Days. Mayor Cruz was there, so she
came in from Puerto Rico was there and yeah, it
was singing. Yeah, they were great. They were great. I
had never seen Becky g before in person. Never had
(26:33):
I met someone in life that made me feel so big,
And I was like, she's so little, Like I was like,
she's shorter, and you were a taller today when you
walked in you had high heels so tall. No, I
took him off. I got all my vans, my California vans.
(26:54):
So yeah, but I just want to say to you
because the way you handled that ups situation and ups
I have a situation. You make me proud every day.
That's why I follow you obsessively because in Miami, where
I'm from, when you hear Florida in California, people are
always making fun of Florida because they say that we
(27:14):
always have the most ridiculous stories. So every time I
tune into you, you are always exemplifying what's the best
parts of us. And I just really think that you know,
you're standing up and standing for who you are, especially
because of what happened to my uncle. I just respect
you so much and I appreciate you making us look good.
(27:36):
So I wanted to say I appreciate that because you know,
we get stuck in these in these walls in the
studio and we get the microphones and we're talking, and
I just try to always connect the tongue with the
with the heart right, but sometimes you don't. You don't
know what if you're saying the right thing. It's hard
to gauge that. Of course, on social media, like you said,
you're always people are quick to get those thumbs going
(27:56):
and to insult and and and uh divided and say
her ful things. But sometimes you don't know what you're
connecting with. And in that case, in particular for those
that I mean, it made international headlines. Frank o'donis was
the ups driver that was taken at gunpoint and unfortunately
died in a very tragic situation caught in the cross
fair crosshairs of fire between the police department and uh,
(28:19):
these these two assholes that decided to go out that
day and you know, shoot up the town and and
take this poor guy that was working his first day
on the drive that route, his first day, you know,
and then we got to see him killed on live,
live TV. And and I'm torn. You know, have my background,
I'm a reserve police officer, and and so I'm torn there.
(28:39):
I understand where the police is coming from. I understand
where the family is coming from. I hurt for the family,
hurt for the victim, the people that were there. We
were live here at the radio station. We went live
and telling people as we saw it live on TV,
telling people just get the hell out of the way,
because I know how more than likely, for my law
enforcement background, how that could have ended up, and it did,
unfortunately end up on exactly what on the perfect nightmare
(29:00):
scenario for everybody involved. Um, none of those cops that
were there that they wanted to kill anybody. Uh, they
wanted to stop that situation. But these guys went on
for twenty something miles, for thirty forty minutes at higher
rate of speed with this, with with poor Frank the
ups driver, you know, at gunpoint there inside the inside
(29:21):
that that that van and it was just a horrible situation.
But it's it's beautiful to hear and thank you for
that because the times you don't know who you talk.
You know again, people know who you are because they
tune in. And but what you do with humanize him. Yeah,
that's the only thing I think we can do. But
the thing is the press, and we can we can
all be him. That could be any of us today tomorrow,
(29:42):
and so the mainstream press sometimes he's the victim, the
alleged victim. But you gave him a name, you gave
him a face, you gave him a story, and that
um that traveled. You know. We were in l I'm
in l A, and I was like, this is how
you handle this kind of stuff because you remind people
that these are humans. Yep, you know which I could ask. Yes,
(30:04):
thank you funny Ida dot Com funny, I've been funny
all day, but listen, promise I'm funny. It should be
uh funny real. The order is kind of it's gonna
be real tough, um, very real, real and funny. How
about real and funny, messing up your whole website, funny
I com. You have the whole tour there and and
(30:26):
all the city and the city is just where she's
touring in and you can go and have a good time. Yeah,
and just and my hour special is going to be
on HBO Max, so I'm working on that too. So
I want to wrap Miami. I want Miami to have
a Kanye that doesn't act crazy.
Host
Enrique Santos
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.