AEW Chief Brand Officer Brandi Rhodes has recently been involved in a storyline rivalry with AEW Star Jade Cargill after Cargill decided to target the Rhodes family and attack Cody Rhodes. Brandi took to a recent episode of the Oral Sessions podcast with Renée Paquette, where she talked about a promo AEW President and CEO Tony Khan asked her to do. Brandi talked about the promo being inspired by her most favorite television show, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
This is what Brandi Rhodes said:
“I wasn’t supposed to do that promo that night.” “I was like, ‘I can’t wrestle.’ So, Tony was like, ‘Yeah. I want you to have an interaction there and have this promo. I said, ‘Ok.’ And then, he was like, ‘[Have you] ever seen Curb Your Enthusiasm? Where Vivica Fox is with Larry [David], and Susie comes up acting crazy, and Vivica takes the door, curses her out and slams the door in her face?’ I said, ‘Of course. I love Curb Your Enthusiasm!’ And he was like, ‘Then do that.’ It was the funniest thing ever. I would love to do that again.”
Brandi Rhodes then responded to criticism she received from fans and reporters on her promo for code-switching.
This is what Brandi Rhodes said:
“It opened up a conversation about code-switching, which I don’t think is a conversation people should have if they’re not Black. I really don’t.” “I’ll be honest; I have what they call an announcer’s voice, which is my professional voice. But that’s not my in-ring persona unless I’m announcing. When I cut promos and stuff as just Brandi, that’s not even that. That’s what I would consider code-switching; like Brandi on the news, [it’s] totally different diction, every word enunciated just trying to get rid of the Midwestern accent; [just] straight delivery.”
“I thought it was a little unfair for people who’ve never seen that side of me to coin it that way. But I definitely thought it was really unfair for a white man to say – I won’t say who it was, but it was a reporter – ‘Well, she better talk like that all the time now.’ And I’m like, ‘Who are you to tell me what I better do, ever?’”
Brandi Rhodes then talked about what exactly her Chief Brand Officer position in AEW entails, and how she feels about playing such a huge role in the company.
This is what Brandi Rhodes said:
“Day-to-day, it’s a lot of PR. That’s the biggest thing that encompasses the role.” “I have a whole PR team that works with me, and we do a lot of setting up and pitching interviews to garner partnerships…In a small way, I have some marketing efforts.”
Brandi Rhodes then talked about where the company will go from here on out, including looking forward to having a third hour of programming each and every week.
This is what Brandi Rhodes said:
“I’m looking forward to that third hour popping up. I think we really need it.” “Tony has been very forthcoming that it’s not going to be an extension of Dynamite, it’s going to be something else. We’ve got so much talent that you just can’t get into two hours; it’s just impossible. You’re missing a lot of stories and things, and that’s why a lot of things happen on Dark; [it’s] trying to keep things going. But I think that third hour is going to be important because it’s going to help a lot of people who casually watch and don’t watch Dark be able to connect the dots on a lot of things.”
“I’m on the entertainment side of things, and I love when entertainers want to do stuff with us. Like when Snoop [Dogg] came in and did his little doggy splash. I’m looking forward to seeing what Shaq is going to do because it’s been so many years of us hearing Shaq wanting to get in action in the ring. Is he going to put his money where his mouth is? I hope more synergy moments continue to happen.”
