We tend to forget that comedians are often deeper than their jokes suggest. There’s truth behind the long-held theory that comedy is equal parts darkness and light. I sensed this depth in Aida Rodriguez the moment I watched her 2021 HBO special “Fighting Words.” Her ability to poetically turn trauma into art that humanizes all involved is striking to me. In her memoir “Legitimate Kid,” she trades humor for vulnerability, sharing her childhood traumas and the healing that came through writing. Now, with her new talk show “Say What You Mean,” premiering Oct. 1 and streaming everywhere podcasts are available, Rodriguez invites her fans to explore that same healing through honest conversation.
“Say What You Mean” dives into exactly that – speaking up when it matters. Rodriguez and her guests (which include comedians, actors, and other public figures) reflect on moments when they held back and the impact of not speaking their truth. She explores how fear often silences us and how suppressing emotions can even manifest as physical illness. Rodriguez’s healing journey began 20 years ago after she developed a rash on her face that would not go away and endured an entire year of suffering from bronchitis.
“I went to see an herbalist, and I started working with him and did this 21-day herbal detox where I only ate raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts for 21 days,” she shares. “He was explaining to me the manifestation of illness in the body – it all stems from an emotional root. He was like, ‘Disease in the body is dis-ease in the body.'”
That was the first time Rodriguez started to realize illness can be triggered by harbored emotions. “Then in 2008 when I started doing standup, I was really angry. I didn’t realize how angry I was until later, but I was angry. I was hurt,” she says. “I felt like I was voiceless, and I also used to get sick a lot. When I started doing standup, I started connecting what he taught me about the dis-ease in the body with using my voice. I used to get a lot of throat infections, and he would tell me, ‘That’s because you feel like you’re not heard.'”
Understanding the correlation between her emotional and spiritual state, her mental health, and her physical body became a helpful tool for Rodriguez. Little by little, she began to feel empowered and even noticed an improvement in her health.
She also began expanding a new concept of the world and learning about metaphysics in books like “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, she says. Being introduced to a whole new way of thinking was an adjustment for Rodriguez, who grew up in a Latine family where things like mental health and its impact on the body were not understood, let alone discussed.
“I started to use the principles of metaphysics to guide my life as opposed to waiting for some magical thing to happen,” she says. “I would say things like, ‘What do I want for myself? What do I want to manifest in my life?’ And watching it happen in real time was really magical for me.”
Rodriguez aims to offer her fans the chance to speak their truth – giving voice to experiences they’ve long buried. She hopes to foster this healing on her show, blending vulnerability with lighthearted comedic relief. Guests on the show include comedians Tony Baker, Tiffany Haddish, Jiaoying Summers, Maz Jobrani, actress Leslie Grace, Host of Whoreible Decisions Podcast and Fuse’s “Sex Sells” Weezy, and more. Rodriguez even gives guests an opportunity to look at the camera and say exactly what they never had the chance to say to someone who hurt them. In one episode, Weezy takes the opportunity to address a judgmental ex-boyfriend’s mom.
“I want to invite other people to speak up for themselves as well, and I feel that as vocal as I am, there’s still so much that doesn’t get said for a lot of the reasons that come with the societal implications that come with being raised a daughter, a Latina, and a woman,” Rodriguez says. “There’s not being able to say it and just always feeling shame about saying something that needs to be said, feeling that embarrassment or guilt of not wanting to make somebody else feel bad and so holding things in, and so I wanted to explore that with people.”
“Say What You Mean” highlights what Rodriguez does best – as she puts it, “using comedy to turn pain into progress, to give voice to the voiceless, and to laugh instead of cry.” While there’s still much work to be done around open conversations on mental health and emotions, it’s a good sign of progress when a Latina comedian can host a show that speaks truth and encourages others to do the same, all with a dose of humor. After all, sometimes laughter really is the best medicine.
Check out the trailer below!
Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.
