Meet Aida Rodríguez: The Latina Comedian Who Turned Pain Into Laughter | Cultura Shock

Comedian Aida Rodríguez, of Puerto Rican descent, recently dropped her new memoir called “Legitimate Kid,” a memoir-in-essays that’s part heartbreaking, part comedy. It follows her personal setbacks, career highs, and everything in between. Aida stopped by to chat with us on the latest episode of Cultura Shock.

Meet Aida Rodriguez

Aida Rodriguez is more than just a comedian; she’s an actress, producer, writer, podcaster, and a co-host on The Young Turks online platform. She is best known for her appearance as a contestant on the eighth season of Last Comic Standing and as a commentator on The Young Turks.

Aida’s life story has been nothing short of challenging. Shortly after being born in Boston, Massachusetts, she was taken to the Dominican Republic. As a child, her mother took her from her father and brought her back to the US, only to be abducted by her grandmother and uncle from her mother’s home in New York, relocating to Florida to protect her from her mother’s boyfriend. Tragically, her uncle was later murdered, the victim of a hate crime.

After enduring her tumultuous upbringing, Aida enrolled at Florida State University, where she met her future husband Omar Ellison. She studied English and law, but had to quit after she became pregnant. Her marriage also faced hardships, and with her two children, Aida grappled with anorexia and homelessness, even living out of a car.

Despite all of these hardships and chaos, Aida was able to carve out her own path without ever losing hope or her sense of humor. Born with an unbeatable wit and an irrepressible spirit, Aida transformed her pain into laughter, tackling everything from misogyny and racism to the absurdity of social media and news headlines. Her hard work paid off when she released an HBO Max special that opened doors, gained fans nationwide, and revolutionized Latino representation in comedy.

Now, Aida has released her first book, “Legitimate Kid,” a memoir-in-essays that’s part heartbreaking, part comedy. It follows her personal setbacks, career highs, and everything in between.

Also Read: Hilarious Latino Comedians You Need to Watch on World Laughter Day

Bruno Romano and Kelly Arjen on Cultura Shock

But our LATV interview segments don’t end up there! We also had the pleasure of chatting with Venezuelan singer-songwriter Bruno Romano. From gaitas to verbenas, we learned all about Venezuelan slang and how he got his passion for music. With a vibe that’s “sabrosuave,” his music is making waves from Miami to Spain to Mexico and all across Latin America.

Later, we hung out with Kelly Arjen, the Honduran producer who’s leaving her mark in Hollywood. Known for her role as Mia in the crime thriller Adverse, as Amy in the thriller Strange Ones, as a demon in the horror thriller Don’t Stare, and as Livy in the mockumentary comedy Underdeveloped, Kelly Arjen is the co-founder of Black Jellybeans Productions.

In a conversation with LATV, Kelly shared some advice for aspiring producers trying to break into the industry: “Honestly, just get started. Talk to the people around you, try to network, try to see who is interested in filming and creating films around you. And see who you can put together. That is basically what a producer does, trying to get the director, the actors, the people who are going to be working on set.”

Watch the full episode of Cultura Shock on the LATV+ App.