From impersonating celebrities and politicians like J.Lo and AOC, Christina Igaraividez is a bag full of talent and surprises. She is a writer, performer, producer and storytelling coach. She has trained in comedy across Chicago, New York and Los Angeles at places like Second City, iO, and UCB.
Her YouTube channel has received notoriety from outlets such as HuffPo, Perez Hilton, LA Weekly, Upworthy and was a finalist for the Sundance YouTube New Voices Lab. She is also a creative producer at Studio Luna, formerly known as Teatro Luna in Boyle Heights.
She is also a co-producer of an Audible Original titled Talking While Female & Other Dangerous Acts that features 25 stories from Latinas across the U.S. on the themes of risk and resilience.
Follow her at @chrixtinai or @latinaish.tv
You can also follow the WOC collaborative theatre, Studio Luna at @holastudioluna
Naibe Reynoso is the Host and Executive Producer of Latinas Take the Lead.
Production Assistant is Anna Sophia Monzon.
Follow Latinas Take the Lead on Instagram
If you loved this episode please follow us, subscribe and leave a review!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
I don't know how flexible you are to show us
some of your impressions right now.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Sure, let's see. Would you like to ask Jlo anything? Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yes, let's see, Jlo. Is your relationship with Ben gonna last?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
You know, frankly, that's none of your business, but it is.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
It is my business because you're a public figure.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Let's get one thing straight, Lenny, get out of the freezer, kid,
What did I tell you about this?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
No popsicles until that is six.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Welcome Christina igar Avidees to Latinas.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Take the lead. Awesome and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Of course, And we just listened to that awesome interpretation
of j Lo that you do. Is this kind of
a new act or is this something that you've been
doing for a while.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Oh yeah, I've been doing this for a while.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Here's another bit of Christina's j Lo impression show.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I love my Mencito.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I love my Mencito Canco Puccino.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You know I love him more than I love reminding.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
People that I'm fifty three. Why don't wait? Did you
know I'm fifty three? Please clat? Okay, So I'm here
to do.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Some stand up because I only have thirty nine jobs
right now waiting for my jobs.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I took a character class at UCV about five years
ago now and playing with different characters, and this was
one of the fan favorites in class. So I did
it at a student show and then I just started
doing my own JLO shows at different venues who would
accept me. And it's just kind of been fun to play.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And you do her voice so well, like what's the
formula of figure out like a different person's intonation and
voice and all of that.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, so I've actually been trying to imitate. I do
other impressions too, but I've been trying to imitate people
since I was a little girl, Like it's just always
been my thing, and mostly with singers because that was
the most accessible. So I always used to record myself
(02:24):
on a cassette tape, like an old recording cassette type thing,
and I used to record myself singing Selena and I
try to sing it exactly how she sounded, and I'll
never forget. One time, one of my uncles who's a musician,
found my tape listened to it and I didn't know
and he told me afterwards, hey, you know, you don't
(02:47):
have to try to sound just like her. You know,
you could add your own like vibe to it. And
little did he know, I wasn't trying to become a singer.
I was trying to be an impressionist.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I love it. Who are your other impression?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I try to do AOC two. She's a little hard
because you know, she's very like to the facts and
on September sixth, nineteen ninety four, you said, you know,
and very like tries to over enunciate things, but also
like there isn't like a lot of AOC things outside
(03:23):
of when you hear her uh in, you know, on
TV and stuff. Just really focused on the point she's
trying to get across. So it's like very subtle. So
that's another one I've been trying to do.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
So if you were impersonating Selena, I'm assuming you have
a really really good voice. Oh my god, can you
bust out a little beaty beaty bum bum?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I don't know, No, I'm not a good singer. I
just I don't know anything about singing. I'm not trained
at all. But she just she had such a specific voice,
like I didn't even know like all the words to
her songs. But you know, when she would just be like, yo,
(04:07):
you know, like I have a very like deep have
deep sounds, and then like there was just always so
much passion in her voice that it was easy to
to try to mimic just just the ending of some
of her verses or the beginnings of them. You know,
(04:28):
I can't think of yeah, I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Putting you on the spot.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I know, I'm trying to think, Okay, name is Alena song?
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Now I'm like blanking out, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Right, Well, any other impressions that you're working on her
that you would aspire to like perfect.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I love to do unexpected people like Gavin Newsom, you
know that you wouldn't who's you know, very California figure,
but people who you wouldn't expect. So sometimes on my
IG stories, I do like, you know, Gavin Newsom unveiling
his new wine collection, you know, and you know, and
(05:18):
just show show my wine and be like, uh hey,
it's Gavin Newsom and here is my new wine. Okay,
you know. And he's very like, very breathy and very
like Bruce Wayne, like Batman type of boys. So I
like to do people who who you just wouldn't expect
(05:38):
from a Latina, you know, outside of Latina characters. But
I also just love doing my own characters too. I
do like this spiritual influencer character who just gives terrible advice,
you know, based on your horoscope and the moon and
things like that, just gives you very bland advice.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I'm a Libra, for example, what advice would you give me?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Okay, so Libra, Yes, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
The thing Libras really need to understand is that.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
We're all going to die. It's just inevitable. Yes, it's
so inevitable. So live your life, yes, no matter what,
and wash your hands.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Amazing And as a Latina comedian, talk to me about
your journey as When we were young, we kind of
didn't really see certain careers as accessible or as possibilities
for us as Latinas. But what was your experience like,
did you have any Latinos like Ricky Ricardo or any
other Latinos that you're like, yeah, I can do that,
or did this kind of come out of nowhere? Talk
(06:50):
to me about that beginning of your childhood when you
kind of started feeling maybe this is what I want
to do.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yes, no, no figures to look up to. My aspirations
were mostly influenced by white males, you know, like Jim Carrey,
Chris Farley. I just love very physical comedy, and I
never thought I couldn't do it, you know. I always
had this conundrum because I did deep down feel like, well,
(07:19):
you know, I could always do it on my own,
by myself behind closed doors, but you know, in front
of people on an audience, like no, you know. So
I was always like, man, Jim Carre, I don't know
if I want to date him or be him, And
it always ended up being wanted to be him. But
I was fortunate enough when I started college, I started
(07:40):
getting a lot of just friends support like, oh, you
should try doing improv classes. I didn't even know what
improv was, you know, and when I was nineteen or twenty,
And I didn't actually start doing improv until I graduated college.
And was also supported by my boss, who was a
woman at the time, because she told us that the
(08:00):
ad agency that we worked at would actually cover tuition
for improv because it was considered public speaking. So I
just took advantage of every opportunity around that and started
just kind of doing it on the down low while
still holding up my corporate job. And I was just
fortunate enough to, you know, the support I didn't find
(08:22):
in mass media, I found in the community that I
started becoming part of. So in my first second city class,
I was very fortunate and had a very unusual experience
then most people in that My class was very diverse,
and we had Latinos, we had black women, I have
(08:44):
Muslim women, we had yeah, everything in between. All of
course white men were there too, because they're everywhere. And
I just became very supported in what I was doing
because it was the first time I was tasting that
freedom of just being in my skin and my body
and taking risks and doing things without repercussion, you know,
(09:09):
because it was just for fun and it was in class,
which I encourage everyone to take an improv class at
some point in their life. I don't care what you do.
It really just helps you become fearless. And becoming fearless
just started getting ingrained because I went through the whole improv,
the whole sketch, whole writing classes and I was able
to just practice and practice and practice that, and the
(09:31):
more I did, the more I was supported and was told, Hey,
why don't you do this stand up show? Hey, why
don't you join this Latina theater company. I think you'd
be good for it. And I've just been lucky enough
to have been pointed out these opportunities, you know late,
you know, in my twenties, but nonetheless, you know, still
(09:52):
being told. So I also encourage folks all the time.
If you see something in someone, let them know, because
sometimes they don't know they can do it until someone
else reminds them and points it out in them.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Time for a quick break, but before we go, take
a listen to another skit that Christina does called Things
that White Girls say to Latinas are you Spanish?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
I can't even tell your Spanish? You don't even look Spanish.
Where were you born? You are so dark? Do you go, Tanny?
I love Chalupas your hair is so curly. I love Mexico.
I've been in Cancun like five times.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
We'll be right back and we're back to Latina's take
the lead. And I think your husband's British.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah, yeah, he's Indian and British.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
And you kind of make fun of the British accent
as well, right.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
My god, don't you The hardest accent for me is
British accent because you think it's easy, but it's really not.
When we play around with it, it sounds pretty silly,
or you know, when the typical person is doing a
British accent. But I've been watching a lot of Love
Island and I have Love Island British accent down, but
definitely not you know, regular British, and I could only
(11:10):
say things that they say on Love Island, like he
would make me ice coffee every morning, and today he
didn't make me my ice coffee and now my dad's ruined.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Were there any kind of cultural clashes between his family
and your family?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
All of his family is pretty much in London. You know,
a lot of people asked to me, are his parents
going to be okay because you're not Indian? Are you
sure you're going to even be accepted? And that thought
never even crossed my mind, And I never even thought
to ask him that their parents never or family never
made me feel unwelcomed at all or weird or anything.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
What about your side, oh my mom?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
I mean, it's really just my mom and my grandparents.
You know, I was my immediate family. I've gone out
with the whole rainbow girl. So my mom was just like,
as long as he makes you happy, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
And now you're also like pursuing this untraditional career. Tell
me how it's going for you. What kind of leaps
or accomplishments have happened for you.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah. So I stayed in my corporate advertising career actually
till twenty nineteen. And what I always told myself, I'm
going to wait until I absolutely cannot do both anymore.
And I just kept waiting because I was again fortunate
enough to have I don't want to just say fortunate enough.
I also made my own luck because I was doing
(12:27):
a great job at my corporate work that I and
I created really strong relationships that I built so much
trust that I was okay going to auditions at three
o'clock in the afternoon. Nobody batted an eye if I
was late because I had to go finish filming something.
You know, as long as I got my work done,
(12:48):
that's all that mattered. And I worked around my schedule too,
that's all that mattered. And I was able to do
that across Chicago, New York, and LA, which is like wild.
We even lost a client and at an agency I
was working here in LA, and I wasn't going to
go with them to the new place until my boss
told me, if you come with us, because I was
(13:09):
such an asset to the team, and I worked in
multicultural advertising, so I was specifically working on appealing to Latino, Black,
and Asian audiences and it was such a niche that
I was doing that. I proved my worth in that
niche that my boss was like, if you come with
us to this new company, you could do your YouTube's,
(13:31):
you could do your auditions. I don't care, you know,
I just really need you to come with us. Like Okay,
I'm like done. Obviously, I also still ask for promotions
and raises along the way, because listen, I'm not just
going to sit back either. But in twenty nineteen or
prior to that, I started my storytelling journey and started
reducing hosting our own storytelling show with the after Luna
(13:54):
and Boile Heights here in La called Talking While Female,
and it was just such a beautiful experience because the
only requisite was that you had to identify as a
woman of color or Latina, and you just came up
and told your six minute story on any theme and
anyone could do it. You didn't have to be a writer,
actor or anything. Then we wanted to create this experience
(14:17):
on a different platform, so we pitched to Audible to
create an audio book based on this format, and we
won the pitch, and we set out to record twenty
five Latinas across the US to tell their stories and
the themes of risk and resilience. So that project. Getting
that project was my exit out because I knew I
(14:39):
couldn't go and produce this thing, not even it wasn't
even a written book. It was purely audio from front
to end, and also do my job. So that was
it for me.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
So people can listen to it, buy it, rent it,
or how can people have access to it?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yes, it's an Audible original, so you could only access
it on an Audible and it's free for Audible users,
but if you could also buy it if you don't
want to sign up for Audible either. And it's called
Talking while Female and other Dangerous Acts by theath Luna Amazing,
and it's it's just so many different stories from a
(15:16):
wide range of diversity, from in all aspects you could
think of. There will definitely be a story for it,
at least one story for any of you.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Does Audible like, was it a competition they announced or
was it you just like googling and researching and going,
this is the person I need a pitch to. How
did that happen?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah? So I actually had a friend who was working there,
and through that connection I was able to get in
because they were just launching their like audible Latino category
within Audible, so it was just perfect timing. They needed
content to launch with, and you know, ours sounded appealing
(15:55):
enough and interesting, so that's how it came about.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
And then you also have have like a YouTube channel
or is it just Instagram?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Yes. So my comedy writing partner and I Diana Kabuto,
who is also hilarious, we met, I don't even know,
I think twenty eighteen and we started just doing sketch comedy.
Our sketches are really just buy Latinas for everyone. Our
goal is to really just bash Latina stereotypes and just
(16:24):
show up as we are however we are. So sometimes
we talk about being Latina, other times we talk about
wine and macha and it's everything in between our little experiences.
We do a lot more reels now, I'll be honest,
but we're writing sketches again and we're going to put
on more content, but we're everywhere on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,
(16:44):
Latina is TV.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Latina is TV. And then you mentioned that you're trying
to bash Latino stereotypes. So I want to ask you.
A while ago, Melissa vi Signor, who was a comedian
cast she was cast on and No, she had been
there for many years. She and Selena Gomez did a
skit about them being Cholas. The skit took place in
(17:06):
Picco Riberta. Some Latinos loved it, some hated it, and
as a comedian, as a Latina comedian yourself, I'm curious
to know your perspective on that skit.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, for me, Melissa Vicegnor is actually the person who
inspired me to start doing impressions. And I studied her
because she used to be on YouTube on masmejor, this
YouTube channel that had up and coming you know, Latinos
on there, and I get that not everyone knows what
(17:39):
Cholas are. I think to me, like, regardless of whether
it was a Chola or something else, I think there
could have been more depth to it, just as a
sketch in itself. The Toola thing didn't bother me as
much as what they did with those Chila characters. I
don't know. At the end of the day, you write
what you know, and if that's what she grew up with,
I don't know, right, So I can't criticize that.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
No, I hear you. And I have so much admiration
for Melissa Yesenjod so much. I've seen a lot of
her YouTube impressions and I just think she's a badass.
I mean, I really love Melissa Visenjod, and I was
so saddened to know that she was one of the
comedians let go from SNL. But I think as Latinos,
we have the right to have opinions and not you know,
(18:26):
even if we don't agree with people we admire, that's okay,
Like we need to vocalize what we feel and there's
no wrongs and there's no rights, it's just what we feel.
I kind of agree with you as far as the
cholo tropes didn't bother me because, like Hulu, for example,
their show This Fool Like, that's all about solo culture,
and I enjoy it so much, and I have family
(18:48):
members that are in that culture, and I'm around that culture.
You know, throughout my life, I've been around that culture
through friends or family, et cetera. So that doesn't bother me.
What bothers me is when you dumb down the characters
and when you make other races more smart in a
specific character. And I feel like that's what happened in
that specific skit where the only dumb ones were them
(19:08):
right right to Latinas. I still admire her, and I
still hope to see her and watch her succeed, and
I'm going to support her in any way I can
with any project that comes out. She's amazing woman that
comes from the same area that I come from. Yeah
here Los Angeles, right, So kudos to her. But like
I said, we can still have opinions. Yes, I agree, Christina,
(19:30):
So that Atro Luna in Los Angeles tell me everything
about that Throw Luna.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Right now, we're rebranding, We're cleaning up everything we have it.
We're launching a new website and new offerings. Right now,
we're not as focused on live performances as we are
on continuing our tradition of also being educators and creating
a community however we can. So we are going to
(19:56):
keep focusing on talking while female as well, and creating
more books too, and helpful tools for what we need
in the present moment. Because this company has been around
for over twenty years now and it's never looked the same.
(20:17):
It's constantly been transforming. I've been in it since twenty
ten and there have been a multitude of transformations to
adapt to the current climate and the current culture. And
I think that's the best thing any company can do,
no matter you know, you know, whether you're creative or not.
And that's something that I've always admired about this group
(20:40):
of women. And so I can't say too much, but
we're slightly changing the name too, but our space is
called Studio Luna, so that's a hint. And we are
still based in Loyal Heights physically, but we are everywhere digitally,
and I still encourage everyone to follow us on social
(21:02):
media at least for more updates and more and more
to come.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
So I always ask my guests, what is something you're
doing listening to reading that you're completely obsessed with and
you want to recommend?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
My initial inclination is therapy. Nice I've been on and
off the therapy wagon, and I realize consistency has really
helped me. So shout out to therapy because even when
you don't feel like you need it. It's good to
just keep doing it as a habit because you don't
(21:36):
really know what's happening sometimes until you release it and
speak it to the universe and say it out loud.
That's one thing. And also just plain exercising is going
to sound so boring. So I work out now five
times a week thirty minutes at least.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
What kind of workout?
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I just do? Free YouTube videos? Honestly, Like I am
all about taking advantage of free stuff, y'all. Like, if
it's out there on the internet, use it and abuse it.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I would love to see you do a spoof on
like a workout.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Oh oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I just couldn't picture it. You know, that is a great.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Idea now, even because they're always supposed to be like
positive and like helping you get to your goals. But
I just imagine a workout instructor just like trying to
hide a mental breakdown or like any kind of breakdown
during this workout, and that show was happening with her
but still being positive.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
And then another question I like to ask my guests
is the name of the show is latinas take the lead?
How are you taking the lead.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
I am taking a lead by being intentional and deliberate
with the things that I say yes to. So I'm
not following a traditional Hollywood path. I'm not, you know,
rushing out to auditions every week. Nothing wrong with that,
but right now it's not my path. I most enjoy
(23:01):
writing and producing my own stuff, and I'm working on
making more of that happen and realizing, you know, Hollywood
is about connections, but it's also about the connections you
build as you go through the journey and really reaching
out to folks. So I'm really focusing on giving the
projects that I've been working on for a long time
(23:23):
finally a home, you know, now that things have opened
up more and there's hope again that you can still
create and get stuff out there. So that's how I'm
taking the lead.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And where can people find you?
Speaker 2 (23:36):
My website is meet Christina dot com with ach and
there are all my socials. I'm pretty active on Instagram mostly.
My YouTube is around too, but everything is connected to
that website, Meet Christina dot com. Check it out. I
do a lot of reels, mostly because I'm restless and
need to get stuff out there, even if it sucks.
(23:58):
I don't care, all.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Right, Christina. Well, I met you a few years ago
at that thro Luna doing a reading of my book,
and I've been following you ever since, and I think
you're hilarious and I've reposted your stuff a bunch of
times because I just think you're so funny and authentic.
And I hope to see you sore and shine, and
I hope we can collaborate in some way, shape or
(24:19):
form again. I would love for you to like say
goodbye in j Loo style.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
First of all, naima, yes to all of that, and
thank you so much for having me, you know, ask
Christina first, but thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
And you know, one last thing I want to say
to everyone out there is Jalo beauty is available. You
know every way you could find the words j Loo beauty.
And yeah, I hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
But you know, not better than mine.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Thank you, Thank you, Christina, Thank you so much for listening.
Please subscribe and give us a review, Tell your friends
and go mads about our our podcast, and hope you
join us next week. Latinus Take the Lead is executive
produced by Hodston Reinoso Media Group LLC and hosted by
(25:10):
me naive Reinoso. Production assistant is Ana Sofia Monson. Latinus
Take the Lead is a production of the Seneca Women
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, check
out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows. Asta Lapproxima
I don't know how flexible you are to show us
some of your impressions right now.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Sure, let's see. Would you like to ask Jlo anything? Oh?
Speaker 1 (00:17):
Yes, let's see, Jlo. Is your relationship with Ben gonna last?
Speaker 3 (00:22):
You know, frankly, that's none of your business, but it is.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
It is my business because you're a public figure.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Let's get one thing straight, Lenny, get out of the freezer, kid,
What did I tell you about this?
Speaker 2 (00:37):
No popsicles until that is six.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Welcome Christina igar Avidees to Latinas.
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Take the lead. Awesome and thank you for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Of course, And we just listened to that awesome interpretation
of j Lo that you do. Is this kind of
a new act or is this something that you've been
doing for a while.
Speaker 2 (00:56):
Oh yeah, I've been doing this for a while.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Here's another bit of Christina's j Lo impression show.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I love my Mencito.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
I love my Mencito Canco Puccino.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
You know I love him more than I love reminding.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
People that I'm fifty three. Why don't wait? Did you
know I'm fifty three? Please clat? Okay, So I'm here
to do.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Some stand up because I only have thirty nine jobs
right now waiting for my jobs.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
I took a character class at UCV about five years
ago now and playing with different characters, and this was
one of the fan favorites in class. So I did
it at a student show and then I just started
doing my own JLO shows at different venues who would
accept me. And it's just kind of been fun to play.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
And you do her voice so well, like what's the
formula of figure out like a different person's intonation and
voice and all of that.
Speaker 2 (02:04):
Yeah, so I've actually been trying to imitate. I do
other impressions too, but I've been trying to imitate people
since I was a little girl, Like it's just always
been my thing, and mostly with singers because that was
the most accessible. So I always used to record myself
(02:24):
on a cassette tape, like an old recording cassette type thing,
and I used to record myself singing Selena and I
try to sing it exactly how she sounded, and I'll
never forget. One time, one of my uncles who's a musician,
found my tape listened to it and I didn't know
and he told me afterwards, hey, you know, you don't
(02:47):
have to try to sound just like her. You know,
you could add your own like vibe to it. And
little did he know, I wasn't trying to become a singer.
I was trying to be an impressionist.
Speaker 1 (02:57):
I love it. Who are your other impression?
Speaker 2 (03:01):
I try to do AOC two. She's a little hard
because you know, she's very like to the facts and
on September sixth, nineteen ninety four, you said, you know,
and very like tries to over enunciate things, but also
like there isn't like a lot of AOC things outside
(03:23):
of when you hear her uh in, you know, on
TV and stuff. Just really focused on the point she's
trying to get across. So it's like very subtle. So
that's another one I've been trying to do.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
So if you were impersonating Selena, I'm assuming you have
a really really good voice. Oh my god, can you
bust out a little beaty beaty bum bum?
Speaker 2 (03:46):
I don't know, No, I'm not a good singer. I
just I don't know anything about singing. I'm not trained
at all. But she just she had such a specific voice,
like I didn't even know like all the words to
her songs. But you know, when she would just be like, yo,
(04:07):
you know, like I have a very like deep have
deep sounds, and then like there was just always so
much passion in her voice that it was easy to
to try to mimic just just the ending of some
of her verses or the beginnings of them. You know,
(04:28):
I can't think of yeah, I'm.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
Putting you on the spot.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
I know, I'm trying to think, Okay, name is Alena song?
Speaker 4 (04:34):
Now I'm like blanking out, oh yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:47):
Right, Well, any other impressions that you're working on her
that you would aspire to like perfect.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
I love to do unexpected people like Gavin Newsom, you
know that you wouldn't who's you know, very California figure,
but people who you wouldn't expect. So sometimes on my
IG stories, I do like, you know, Gavin Newsom unveiling
his new wine collection, you know, and you know, and
(05:18):
just show show my wine and be like, uh hey,
it's Gavin Newsom and here is my new wine. Okay,
you know. And he's very like, very breathy and very
like Bruce Wayne, like Batman type of boys. So I
like to do people who who you just wouldn't expect
(05:38):
from a Latina, you know, outside of Latina characters. But
I also just love doing my own characters too. I
do like this spiritual influencer character who just gives terrible advice,
you know, based on your horoscope and the moon and
things like that, just gives you very bland advice.
Speaker 1 (05:55):
I'm a Libra, for example, what advice would you give me?
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Okay, so Libra, Yes, you know.
Speaker 3 (06:04):
The thing Libras really need to understand is that.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
We're all going to die. It's just inevitable. Yes, it's
so inevitable. So live your life, yes, no matter what,
and wash your hands.
Speaker 1 (06:28):
Amazing And as a Latina comedian, talk to me about
your journey as When we were young, we kind of
didn't really see certain careers as accessible or as possibilities
for us as Latinas. But what was your experience like,
did you have any Latinos like Ricky Ricardo or any
other Latinos that you're like, yeah, I can do that,
or did this kind of come out of nowhere? Talk
(06:50):
to me about that beginning of your childhood when you
kind of started feeling maybe this is what I want
to do.
Speaker 2 (06:55):
Yes, no, no figures to look up to. My aspirations
were mostly influenced by white males, you know, like Jim Carrey,
Chris Farley. I just love very physical comedy, and I
never thought I couldn't do it, you know. I always
had this conundrum because I did deep down feel like, well,
(07:19):
you know, I could always do it on my own,
by myself behind closed doors, but you know, in front
of people on an audience, like no, you know. So
I was always like, man, Jim Carre, I don't know
if I want to date him or be him, And
it always ended up being wanted to be him. But
I was fortunate enough when I started college, I started
(07:40):
getting a lot of just friends support like, oh, you
should try doing improv classes. I didn't even know what
improv was, you know, and when I was nineteen or twenty,
And I didn't actually start doing improv until I graduated college.
And was also supported by my boss, who was a
woman at the time, because she told us that the
(08:00):
ad agency that we worked at would actually cover tuition
for improv because it was considered public speaking. So I
just took advantage of every opportunity around that and started
just kind of doing it on the down low while
still holding up my corporate job. And I was just
fortunate enough to, you know, the support I didn't find
(08:22):
in mass media, I found in the community that I
started becoming part of. So in my first second city class,
I was very fortunate and had a very unusual experience
then most people in that My class was very diverse,
and we had Latinos, we had black women, I have
(08:44):
Muslim women, we had yeah, everything in between. All of
course white men were there too, because they're everywhere. And
I just became very supported in what I was doing
because it was the first time I was tasting that
freedom of just being in my skin and my body
and taking risks and doing things without repercussion, you know,
(09:09):
because it was just for fun and it was in class,
which I encourage everyone to take an improv class at
some point in their life. I don't care what you do.
It really just helps you become fearless. And becoming fearless
just started getting ingrained because I went through the whole improv,
the whole sketch, whole writing classes and I was able
to just practice and practice and practice that, and the
(09:31):
more I did, the more I was supported and was told, Hey,
why don't you do this stand up show? Hey, why
don't you join this Latina theater company. I think you'd
be good for it. And I've just been lucky enough
to have been pointed out these opportunities, you know late,
you know, in my twenties, but nonetheless, you know, still
(09:52):
being told. So I also encourage folks all the time.
If you see something in someone, let them know, because
sometimes they don't know they can do it until someone
else reminds them and points it out in them.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
Time for a quick break, but before we go, take
a listen to another skit that Christina does called Things
that White Girls say to Latinas are you Spanish?
Speaker 2 (10:14):
I can't even tell your Spanish? You don't even look Spanish.
Where were you born? You are so dark? Do you go, Tanny?
I love Chalupas your hair is so curly. I love Mexico.
I've been in Cancun like five times.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
We'll be right back and we're back to Latina's take
the lead. And I think your husband's British.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Yeah, yeah, he's Indian and British.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
And you kind of make fun of the British accent
as well, right.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
My god, don't you The hardest accent for me is
British accent because you think it's easy, but it's really not.
When we play around with it, it sounds pretty silly,
or you know, when the typical person is doing a
British accent. But I've been watching a lot of Love
Island and I have Love Island British accent down, but
definitely not you know, regular British, and I could only
(11:10):
say things that they say on Love Island, like he
would make me ice coffee every morning, and today he
didn't make me my ice coffee and now my dad's ruined.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
Were there any kind of cultural clashes between his family
and your family?
Speaker 2 (11:21):
All of his family is pretty much in London. You know,
a lot of people asked to me, are his parents
going to be okay because you're not Indian? Are you
sure you're going to even be accepted? And that thought
never even crossed my mind, And I never even thought
to ask him that their parents never or family never
made me feel unwelcomed at all or weird or anything.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
What about your side, oh my mom?
Speaker 2 (11:44):
I mean, it's really just my mom and my grandparents.
You know, I was my immediate family. I've gone out
with the whole rainbow girl. So my mom was just like,
as long as he makes you happy, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
And now you're also like pursuing this untraditional career. Tell
me how it's going for you. What kind of leaps
or accomplishments have happened for you.
Speaker 2 (12:04):
Yeah. So I stayed in my corporate advertising career actually
till twenty nineteen. And what I always told myself, I'm
going to wait until I absolutely cannot do both anymore.
And I just kept waiting because I was again fortunate
enough to have I don't want to just say fortunate enough.
I also made my own luck because I was doing
(12:27):
a great job at my corporate work that I and
I created really strong relationships that I built so much
trust that I was okay going to auditions at three
o'clock in the afternoon. Nobody batted an eye if I
was late because I had to go finish filming something.
You know, as long as I got my work done,
(12:48):
that's all that mattered. And I worked around my schedule too,
that's all that mattered. And I was able to do
that across Chicago, New York, and LA, which is like wild.
We even lost a client and at an agency I
was working here in LA, and I wasn't going to
go with them to the new place until my boss
told me, if you come with us, because I was
(13:09):
such an asset to the team, and I worked in
multicultural advertising, so I was specifically working on appealing to Latino, Black,
and Asian audiences and it was such a niche that
I was doing that. I proved my worth in that
niche that my boss was like, if you come with
us to this new company, you could do your YouTube's,
(13:31):
you could do your auditions. I don't care, you know,
I just really need you to come with us. Like Okay,
I'm like done. Obviously, I also still ask for promotions
and raises along the way, because listen, I'm not just
going to sit back either. But in twenty nineteen or
prior to that, I started my storytelling journey and started
reducing hosting our own storytelling show with the after Luna
(13:54):
and Boile Heights here in La called Talking While Female,
and it was just such a beautiful experience because the
only requisite was that you had to identify as a
woman of color or Latina, and you just came up
and told your six minute story on any theme and
anyone could do it. You didn't have to be a writer,
actor or anything. Then we wanted to create this experience
(14:17):
on a different platform, so we pitched to Audible to
create an audio book based on this format, and we
won the pitch, and we set out to record twenty
five Latinas across the US to tell their stories and
the themes of risk and resilience. So that project. Getting
that project was my exit out because I knew I
(14:39):
couldn't go and produce this thing, not even it wasn't
even a written book. It was purely audio from front
to end, and also do my job. So that was
it for me.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
So people can listen to it, buy it, rent it,
or how can people have access to it?
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Yes, it's an Audible original, so you could only access
it on an Audible and it's free for Audible users,
but if you could also buy it if you don't
want to sign up for Audible either. And it's called
Talking while Female and other Dangerous Acts by theath Luna Amazing,
and it's it's just so many different stories from a
(15:16):
wide range of diversity, from in all aspects you could
think of. There will definitely be a story for it,
at least one story for any of you.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Does Audible like, was it a competition they announced or
was it you just like googling and researching and going,
this is the person I need a pitch to. How
did that happen?
Speaker 2 (15:33):
Yeah? So I actually had a friend who was working there,
and through that connection I was able to get in
because they were just launching their like audible Latino category
within Audible, so it was just perfect timing. They needed
content to launch with, and you know, ours sounded appealing
(15:55):
enough and interesting, so that's how it came about.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
And then you also have have like a YouTube channel
or is it just Instagram?
Speaker 2 (16:03):
Yes. So my comedy writing partner and I Diana Kabuto,
who is also hilarious, we met, I don't even know,
I think twenty eighteen and we started just doing sketch comedy.
Our sketches are really just buy Latinas for everyone. Our
goal is to really just bash Latina stereotypes and just
(16:24):
show up as we are however we are. So sometimes
we talk about being Latina, other times we talk about
wine and macha and it's everything in between our little experiences.
We do a lot more reels now, I'll be honest,
but we're writing sketches again and we're going to put
on more content, but we're everywhere on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter,
(16:44):
Latina is TV.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Latina is TV. And then you mentioned that you're trying
to bash Latino stereotypes. So I want to ask you.
A while ago, Melissa vi Signor, who was a comedian
cast she was cast on and No, she had been
there for many years. She and Selena Gomez did a
skit about them being Cholas. The skit took place in
(17:06):
Picco Riberta. Some Latinos loved it, some hated it, and
as a comedian, as a Latina comedian yourself, I'm curious
to know your perspective on that skit.
Speaker 2 (17:16):
Yes, for me, Melissa Vicegnor is actually the person who
inspired me to start doing impressions. And I studied her
because she used to be on YouTube on masmejor, this
YouTube channel that had up and coming you know, Latinos
on there, and I get that not everyone knows what
(17:39):
Cholas are. I think to me, like, regardless of whether
it was a Chola or something else, I think there
could have been more depth to it, just as a
sketch in itself. The Toola thing didn't bother me as
much as what they did with those Chila characters. I
don't know. At the end of the day, you write
what you know, and if that's what she grew up with,
I don't know, right, So I can't criticize that.
Speaker 1 (18:02):
No, I hear you. And I have so much admiration
for Melissa Yesenjod so much. I've seen a lot of
her YouTube impressions and I just think she's a badass.
I mean, I really love Melissa Visenjod, and I was
so saddened to know that she was one of the
comedians let go from SNL. But I think as Latinos,
we have the right to have opinions and not you know,
(18:26):
even if we don't agree with people we admire, that's okay,
Like we need to vocalize what we feel and there's
no wrongs and there's no rights, it's just what we feel.
I kind of agree with you as far as the
cholo tropes didn't bother me because, like Hulu, for example,
their show This Fool Like, that's all about solo culture,
and I enjoy it so much, and I have family
(18:48):
members that are in that culture, and I'm around that culture.
You know, throughout my life, I've been around that culture
through friends or family, et cetera. So that doesn't bother me.
What bothers me is when you dumb down the characters
and when you make other races more smart in a
specific character. And I feel like that's what happened in
that specific skit where the only dumb ones were them
(19:08):
right right to Latinas. I still admire her, and I
still hope to see her and watch her succeed, and
I'm going to support her in any way I can
with any project that comes out. She's amazing woman that
comes from the same area that I come from. Yeah
here Los Angeles, right, So kudos to her. But like
I said, we can still have opinions. Yes, I agree, Christina,
(19:30):
So that Atro Luna in Los Angeles tell me everything
about that Throw Luna.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Right now, we're rebranding, We're cleaning up everything we have it.
We're launching a new website and new offerings. Right now,
we're not as focused on live performances as we are
on continuing our tradition of also being educators and creating
a community however we can. So we are going to
(19:56):
keep focusing on talking while female as well, and creating
more books too, and helpful tools for what we need
in the present moment. Because this company has been around
for over twenty years now and it's never looked the same.
(20:17):
It's constantly been transforming. I've been in it since twenty
ten and there have been a multitude of transformations to
adapt to the current climate and the current culture. And
I think that's the best thing any company can do,
no matter you know, you know, whether you're creative or not.
And that's something that I've always admired about this group
(20:40):
of women. And so I can't say too much, but
we're slightly changing the name too, but our space is
called Studio Luna, so that's a hint. And we are
still based in Loyal Heights physically, but we are everywhere digitally,
and I still encourage everyone to follow us on social
(21:02):
media at least for more updates and more and more
to come.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
So I always ask my guests, what is something you're
doing listening to reading that you're completely obsessed with and
you want to recommend?
Speaker 2 (21:16):
My initial inclination is therapy. Nice I've been on and
off the therapy wagon, and I realize consistency has really
helped me. So shout out to therapy because even when
you don't feel like you need it. It's good to
just keep doing it as a habit because you don't
(21:36):
really know what's happening sometimes until you release it and
speak it to the universe and say it out loud.
That's one thing. And also just plain exercising is going
to sound so boring. So I work out now five
times a week thirty minutes at least.
Speaker 1 (21:55):
What kind of workout?
Speaker 2 (21:56):
I just do? Free YouTube videos? Honestly, Like I am
all about taking advantage of free stuff, y'all. Like, if
it's out there on the internet, use it and abuse it.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I would love to see you do a spoof on
like a workout.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Oh oh my gosh.
Speaker 1 (22:11):
I just couldn't picture it. You know, that is a great.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Idea now, even because they're always supposed to be like
positive and like helping you get to your goals. But
I just imagine a workout instructor just like trying to
hide a mental breakdown or like any kind of breakdown
during this workout, and that show was happening with her
but still being positive.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
And then another question I like to ask my guests
is the name of the show is latinas take the lead?
How are you taking the lead.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
I am taking a lead by being intentional and deliberate
with the things that I say yes to. So I'm
not following a traditional Hollywood path. I'm not, you know,
rushing out to auditions every week. Nothing wrong with that,
but right now it's not my path. I most enjoy
(23:01):
writing and producing my own stuff, and I'm working on
making more of that happen and realizing, you know, Hollywood
is about connections, but it's also about the connections you
build as you go through the journey and really reaching
out to folks. So I'm really focusing on giving the
projects that I've been working on for a long time
(23:23):
finally a home, you know, now that things have opened
up more and there's hope again that you can still
create and get stuff out there. So that's how I'm
taking the lead.
Speaker 1 (23:35):
And where can people find you?
Speaker 2 (23:36):
My website is meet Christina dot com with ach and
there are all my socials. I'm pretty active on Instagram mostly.
My YouTube is around too, but everything is connected to
that website, Meet Christina dot com. Check it out. I
do a lot of reels, mostly because I'm restless and
need to get stuff out there, even if it sucks.
(23:58):
I don't care, all.
Speaker 1 (23:59):
Right, Christina. Well, I met you a few years ago
at that thro Luna doing a reading of my book,
and I've been following you ever since, and I think
you're hilarious and I've reposted your stuff a bunch of
times because I just think you're so funny and authentic.
And I hope to see you sore and shine, and
I hope we can collaborate in some way, shape or
(24:19):
form again. I would love for you to like say
goodbye in j Loo style.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
First of all, naima, yes to all of that, and
thank you so much for having me, you know, ask
Christina first, but thank you so much.
Speaker 3 (24:32):
And you know, one last thing I want to say
to everyone out there is Jalo beauty is available. You
know every way you could find the words j Loo beauty.
And yeah, I hope everyone has a great week ahead.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
But you know, not better than mine.
Speaker 1 (24:50):
Thank you, Thank you, Christina, Thank you so much for listening.
Please subscribe and give us a review, Tell your friends
and go mads about our our podcast, and hope you
join us next week. Latinus Take the Lead is executive
produced by Hodston Reinoso Media Group LLC and hosted by
(25:10):
me naive Reinoso. Production assistant is Ana Sofia Monson. Latinus
Take the Lead is a production of the Seneca Women
Podcast Network and iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, check
out the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen
to your favorite shows. Asta Lapproxima
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