Eloquence: noun – the quality of delivering a clear, strong message:
She was renowned for her eloquence and beauty.
Her wit and eloquence made it a joy to be around her.
I should hate on Erica Rhodes because she reminds me that I don’t matter and that tomorrow I will matter less than I do today. It’s impossible to hate on her, or even not like anything she does in performance though, whether in acting or standup comedy. (note: I recently found out she’s not accepting any new compliments at this time so before I publish this piece I’m going to try to find something not to like about her.)
Erica’s comedy is proof that a woman doesn’t have to be like male comics to make men laugh. In a world that talks a “woke” game, standup comedy, women still are under-appreciated, underpaid and under valued by both the industry and many of their male counterparts. The result of that is often, women comics go for the testosterone in comedy. Ms Rhodes shows us the power of femininity in humor through eloquence, economy of words, impeccable timing, and a trained actor’s use of subtle gestures and facial expressions.
Thoughtful and reflective pieces about relationship, aging and examination of language that would make George Carlin stand up and applaud are the main ingredients in her comedy set. She can be sneaky funny in setting the audience up into believing she’s delivering some enlightening insight, with a perfectly timed pause reminds you that you’re at a comedy show.
The first thing that will strike you at an Erica Rhodes show is her voice, pitched-high with a California accent, (I understand she’s not from there), which she is quick to point out in case you aren’t the least observant. I can be a bit psycho-analytical and that is something I have to remind myself to avoid, but as someone who hated my own voice for most of my life, her self-deprecating and self aware take on her voice is inspiring. My guess would be she understood, far younger than most of us, how to turn a perceived negative into a super-power. Indeed, it’s hard to imaging her comedy being as effective or endearing in any other voice. Once you get used to it, you have to be careful not to fall too much in love with it that you start talking like her….especially if you’re a big, ugly, old man.
The world of comedy needs more Erica Rhodes. She is also an accomplished actor and the ability to charm audiences into fully accepting the character she portrays as a real relatable human being instantly disarms any barriers to suspension of disbelief.
I know I’m late to the game in being an Erica Rhodes fan. I chalk that up to the sheer number of people working in comedy and my not having television of any kind in my home. Obviously, from the tone of this piece, she has made a huge fan of me in the short time I’ve known about her.
As I struggle to find something negative to say about her, I tweeted at her I would, I guess the fact that she never accepted an invitation to be on the minddogTV podcast makes her a little evil, but that is something that is understandable and forgivable.
If you’re not yer an Erica Rhodes fan: Go here and thank me later
