Rhonda Sweat

Rhonda Sweat is a Nashville comedian, producer, and standup instructor.  In this interview we chat about teaching comedy, weirdest gigs ever, and go into a deep dive of the psychology behind the middle aged professional white woman heckler.

Follow Rhonda on instagram here!

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:17

Welcome back to the Clean Comedy Chats podcast. I'm your host, Drew Davis, and I'm with another Clean Comedy Collective comedian. That's what we do every week. I'm here with Rhonda Sweat. Yeah. It's not a Zoom. We're in my house. Your last name is fitting because I don't have any AC right now.

SPEAKER_02 0:33

So no, he doesn't. So so uh we are literally sweating, but you're sweating you you sweat all the time because it's I you know I naturally glisten, you know, so uh it might be an extra gliss on the glisten today.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

It looks yeah, it looks like we're we're we're both glistening a lot, and that's okay, you know, mostly because most people are just listening to this. Perfect. But uh if you if you this is your first time with us on this podcast, first of all, thanks for joining us. Thanks for listening. You're probably a fan of Rhonda, and that's how you ended up here. Uh just to let you know kind of what we're all about. Uh, this is the Clean Comedy Chats. Uh, we interview a different comedian from the Clean Comedy Collective every week, and we just get to know them. It's a way for me to highlight their accomplishments as a comedian. It's a way for you to get to know them, maybe discover your favorite comedian. And I'll be honest with a lot of the comedians from across the country, it's just a way for me to make new friends, honestly. That's just that's the big thing. As I thought to myself, I need more people, so let me schedule comedy.

SPEAKER_02 1:24

I'm an old friend though. But yeah, I've been around.

SPEAKER_00 1:26

Yeah, you have been around. Actually, I was gonna tell you this. This is really cool. That when I moved back to Nashville, so I'd been doing comedy for a while, and then I moved away, then I moved back to Nashville and I was like doing more comedy. Um, you were like my first friend in the scene for like round two, if that makes sense. Like you were like it was at Mad Town Coffee when they used to do um uh open mic there. And uh, I don't know if you sat down next to me or I sat down next to you, but like I didn't know any of these new natural comedians that I was seeing, and you were just a really friendly, nice person. And so thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:57

I were I was raised that way.

unknown 1:59

That's good.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

And that is the correct way to raise um to be nice to people. Yeah, it would be weird if you were like, actually, I was raised to be terrible to people. And I was like, you never mind, I'm gonna be nice to people instead. So so Rhonda, you um you're a Nashville comedian. We're both we're both in the Nashville comedy scene. So and anyone on our website, cleancomedycollective.com, if you hit Tennessee under the comedian section, you can find both me and Rhonda there and learn more about us. Um, so I guess my uh I'm really excited about my first question for you, which is um, you just were like published and talking about the Nashville comedy scene. Like there's an article out there. Um, I think, and I'll hit this out if I change my mind, but I think I'm gonna post like a link to that article on any of our episode notes. So if people want to check it out later, they can. But uh tell me about like tell me about uh because I haven't read it yet. Tell me about that article.

SPEAKER_02 2:52

Thank you, friend. Thank you so much.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

So good friends. You were the first my first natural comedy friend when I moved back to Nashville, and I still haven't read your stuff yet.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Yes. So I was contacted uh by the Tennessean and uh the young lady, she wanted to talk about the comedy scene and how it has changed in Nashville. And so uh that's what we talked about. So of course I talked from my perspective. I'm not a full-time comedian, those listening, but if you would like to make me one, um you are more than welcome to help. Um, but uh so she wanted to talk about my perspective and kind of what I noticed about the scene.

SPEAKER_00 3:32

So yeah, it's been good. So what um what I mean, feel tell us about what your perspective and what you know about. I don't, you know, I I we could still read the article, but like give us what what are your thoughts on this?

SPEAKER_02 3:43

So I told her one, it has grown uh from when I started to now. I think maybe my my example was maybe it was 30 comedians signing up for open mic uh at the East Room. Yeah, and now it's like 60, you know, so so it is definitely grown. Um, I just kind of reiterated she asked, you know, if money uh comes into play, and I just uh made it very clear that open mics don't pay money. Absolutely not, yeah. And so don't expect that if that's what you you're wanting to do immediately. Money comes later. And I kind of explained the difference uh in just being a female comedian versus what I see uh for males. And unfortunately, I still see the same thing. I think people really struggle with listening to women still.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Right.

SPEAKER_02 4:33

Uh I think you know, they're not, you know, they don't boo us and throw tomatoes or anything, but uh you can kind of see people's faces and kind of their like the math problem, like that meme with all the math.

SPEAKER_00 4:46

Right, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 4:47

I'm like, oh, what's happening? This lady's funny. So yeah, so just kind of my experiences there.

SPEAKER_00 4:53

And um you have like more barriers from the minute you get on stage, being a woman. Like it's not impossible to break, you know, to connect with them, but it's like it's like you have a couple extra steps that maybe we don't always have as guys.

SPEAKER_02 5:05

So yeah, it's not impossible, and and you can do it, and we've done it uh well. A lot of women have done it extremely well, but it's still there. And uh also we talked about, let's see, just as a woman, my experiences are different from uh maybe the my audience, especially since I'm an older uh individual.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

She's like 27, 28, right?

SPEAKER_02 5:30

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'm 48, and if I get famous, they might get out and be like, never say your age. Like, so that's fine.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

But um Or that will be like absolutely part of it, is like she is a hiss, she is a legendary 48-year-old kid. Right. Like yeah, it's it's it's whatever direction you go, they're gonna be like, man, she's her a it's like age will be part of what makes you wonderful, whether you're a young girl. Yeah, she's so young or like she's old, like and she's great.

SPEAKER_02 5:57

So it's exactly. So I was just you know explaining to her that you know, just kind of coming from different angles. I have to, you know, you you gotta kind of be creative because I it's I can't come as a mom talking about being a mom in front of people with no children. That's a good point. I can talk about a mom or you know, just kind of switch the roles a little bit, right?

SPEAKER_00 6:22

Because everyone's had a mom, so everybody's had a mom.

SPEAKER_02 6:26

So they understand, but they don't understand like chasing your kids down the street, or you know, so whatever you have to do as a mom. So just those little nuances.

SPEAKER_00 6:35

Yeah, that's cool. Well, I I'm so glad that you got to do that interview, and I'm so glad that's that you did it as well. So um, and and so when did you when did you start doing comedy again?

SPEAKER_02 6:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

Put a sigh.

SPEAKER_02 6:50

That was a sigh. Okay, so um let me just tell the story. I love it. So I had this boyfriend once upon a time, once upon a time, not long ago, in Nashville, Tennessee. Rhonda was connected with a nice young man, and this young man thought that I was so hilarious. He would laugh and laugh and laugh and say, you know what, Rhonda, you have really missed your calling. And he would say this consistently throughout our seven-year-long relationship. So somewhere along the way, I said, You know what I should do? I should take a class and surprise him with it. Yeah. So I looked into it, and Third Coast Comedy Club had a class, and um the showcase for that class was actually on Valentine's Day.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

That's so cool.

SPEAKER_02 7:40

So cool. So I took the class in secret, it was six weeks long, I think. Yeah, six weeks long. Sean Parrot was my instructor, and so I took the class and I surprised him, and it went really, really well.

SPEAKER_01 7:54

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:55

So that was February 2020, and everybody knows what happens March 2020. Yeah, the world shut down. So the world shut down, and I figured everything did shut down, so I didn't pick up comedy for another year and a half. But this time around, um I felt God tapping me on the shoulder and saying that um, you know, you you have a lot of prayers, you have a lot of requests. This is my avenue to answer some of those. Absolutely. So I had to get back up and I decided to take the class again. I took uh level one again with Mark Nunson, and he was like, Ronda, you don't need this class. And I was like, you know, I'm I'm gonna do it. And so I took level one, level two, and after that, I have been doing comedy ever since.

SPEAKER_00 8:51

Yeah, that's great. And also me and you both teach at Thurcoast Comedy Club. So you know where so um I I whenever I talk to people who like teach or do classes or have done classes, I this is a question I ask about. Um, because there's like you know this, um, there's like the debate as to like what's better, just doing open mics or just going to class, or like, is there a space for both? Or I've heard plenty of people, you know, I've heard plenty, especially you hear a lot of people like, oh, classes are useless. That doesn't help with stand-up comedy at all. And and I've heard I've heard from comedians who like not especially in doing this podcast, a lot of the people I interview, because I feel like it's the case with a lot of clean comedians, like, oh, you don't need open mics. I don't get anything from open mics, and it's because usually most open mics are dirty and they don't want to go do their clean stuff at a dirty side note. I think if you're gonna like if you're gonna work at open mics as a clean comedian, go to the dirty ones. If your stuff works there, it probably works in other rooms, you know.

SPEAKER_02 9:43

I agree. Very good advice.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Um, but so I guess where do you stand on the great debate of what's better classes or open mics? Is there a space for both or like yeah, what are your thoughts on all that?

SPEAKER_02 9:59

I think you can definitely there's definitely space for both. I'm gonna say uh open mics are more important. My my mic is cutting in and out.

SPEAKER_00 10:11

It is cutting in and out.

SPEAKER_02 10:12

Do you want me to back it up?

SPEAKER_00 10:14

Back up, back it up a little. Back it up.

SPEAKER_02 10:17

Just told me to back it up. Y'all hear that? I did back it up a little, man. So um I think that uh open mics, let me answer it this way. If you want to get good, you need op you need mics. You can be a wonderful writer, but not necessarily a wonderful performer. And open mics is what helps you connect the dots between your writing style and your performance style. So uh if you had to choose one, get get to the mic. I don't recommend that anyone just do one, you know, just uh you need to have some type of writing style. You something you need to be able to put put a joke together and know how to carry it to the next, to the end, to improve it, to what happened when it didn't go right.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Right.

SPEAKER_02 11:09

And some of those things uh, you know, usually are in the writing, not you standing up there talking.

SPEAKER_00 11:16

Yeah, and the because there is such a skill and craft of comedy, and I do believe that some of it is really hard to teach. It's just you gotta learn through experience. And every there's no there are no two comedians that are exactly the same. So what works for me might not work for you, and vice versa. So like I know, especially when I first started, and it's something I try to do in my class, like I tried all the different styles of writing, and some of them helped, and some of them were like awful for me. Oh okay, and and and so like when I teach now, like I have like a joke writing exercise at the beginning of a class that we do, um, and I tell them, like, you probably won't love every single one we do each week. But but the hope is that like there's one that really connects, and you're like, Okay, well, this is gonna be part of my joke writing process, you know.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Okay. Um I don't have to know what that style is. I don't teach that way. I I just go in uh immediately and tell them there are certain things I cannot teach you. I can't give you stage presence, I can't really give you timing. Um, I can't some some things I cannot teach you. That's just not how it goes.

SPEAKER_00 12:21

You just have to develop through experience.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

I cannot give you likability. Yes. I can't make people like it.

SPEAKER_00 12:26

Some of us just are unlikable. There's nothing you can do.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

Uh so I just, you know, I try to paint that picture very clear that hey, this is really just about uh, you know, I the skill of writing, yeah, and getting and making it funny and however you want to apply that. A lot of my students don't even want to do stand-up, they just want to be funnier uh in in at work.

SPEAKER_00 12:47

Yeah, I see that a lot with the the in-person classes, and oddly enough, when I find clients um online who find me, oftentimes it's like frat bros are I just want to use this to pick up women. I'm like, I don't I I want their paycheck, so I don't tell them that comedy isn't really great at picking up the ladies. But I'm like, yeah, I'm sure that'll work out.

SPEAKER_02 13:07

Yeah, sure.

SPEAKER_00 13:09

Absolutely. So I will say, I um I subbed for you last Sunday or the Sunday before for your class, and uh they were really good. And I'm telling myself it's just from your phenomenal teaching. I don't I couldn't tell whether it's like was it natural talent? I was like, or maybe it's just Rhonda's amazing teaching.

SPEAKER_02 13:26

Thank you. I really, really put a lot of time into them. I I I go over the skills and kind of the mechanisms of um teaching or or comedy or just how to write it. But the most, the majority of my class time is really just diving into them, their style, their voice, and kind of just kind of giving them a little boost because I want them to do well, even if they only do it one time. I don't want them to be like, this lady set me up for failure. Right.

SPEAKER_00 13:57

So that's yeah, it is funny. I always do give them a disclaimer in the classes because like the class is a very nice supportive setting, and a lot of folks who take the class love the community aspect of it. Like we're in this together. After after each routine, you know, you get the instructor's critique, but then you also get the encouragement from your classmates and stuff like that. And I and I'm always like you said, I'm always encouraging go to open mics, get that, you know, get the the more experience, the better, the more stage time. But I always have to be like, also, open mics are not like stand-up class, like they do not pause after you're set to be like, okay, let's talk about all the nice things about your routine. Like it's just let them know. Like now, um, I have a twofold question for you. Uh, one, because because you're an educator of comedians, I'd love to hear if you you know, because we have a lot of new comedians that listen to this podcast or people getting into it. So you know, so so um I'd love to hear kind of if you had any good piece of advice for ever and anyone starting comedy, that'd be like what would be your one good piece of advice. I think it also would be fun to if there was one thing you could go back in time and do differently when you were a new comic, what would that be? So those those are the two take them however you will.

SPEAKER_02 15:03

Let me start with what I would do differently, and maybe that'll spark an idea of one piece of advice. I would go back and record every set. That's a good one and record every show. Because I've had some really good shows and some really good sets and that I don't have uh evidence of. And now five years in, I think I need I need that, yeah, I need that documentation that I actually am funny. So that's uh what I just gotta prove it to yourself. So um that would be what I would do differently. My advice to someone new coming in is um okay. Question to your question. Okay. Is this someone that wants to do it full time or is this someone that just is picking it up as a hobby?

SPEAKER_00 16:00

That's a good question. I feel I always feel like when people start, they're not like necessarily like, oh, I'm gonna become full-time. Like I like I I know like in my class I talk about how like, hey, for me, when I started, it started as a hobby or just something fun, and then it developed into more of a side hustle, and then it developed into like a job. And I don't I don't know. Sometimes you have people, I guess you might have people that like start on week one, like this is gonna become my job. It's like, but I feel like there's a lot of hoops we have to get through before the before we're like people should pay me to do this.

SPEAKER_02 16:31

I think it is. I think ultimately, I guess my and this is gonna sound so so cheesy. I apologize up in front up front, but uh the best advice is be funny and have fun. Even if you're not as funny, people can feel when you're having a good time. Yes, and that can sway an audience. Um it makes it such a difference.

SPEAKER_00 17:01

That's a difference. Have fun is like the first thing I tell them in my class. And it's because it was the first thing that I right before I did an open mic for the very first time ever, I went to a comedy show and then I met the comedian afterwards. Um, and I was like, Hey, I'm trying this for the first time. He's like, and I was like, What what advice do you have? And that's what he said. He said, Had fun. And his reasoning was uh if you're having fun, they're having fun. And then he's like, and if you're not having fun, or if they're not having fun, F them, you're still having fun. That's what like he told me. And like it's like stuck with me. But then as I've done this more, I also realized it's when you're on stage having fun, your performance is better, like you were saying.

SPEAKER_02 17:40

And and that's you're looser, it feels more like a conversation, which is which appears more professional. Yeah, it did it again.

SPEAKER_00 17:48

And I also liked uh that you talked about recording all that's all that could have been your like good advice for new comics record, everything. Um, yes, and I I think that's very good. Um, and you mentioned because you've had good shows, but I know me and you have done shows together, and um, I think about how we've had like weird shows together.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Very weird is a really nice way.

SPEAKER_00 18:09

Yeah, we've we've done some strange shows, and that's part I feel like that's part of comedy. I also feel like, especially when I book I do find the weird ones. Um, I I enjoy the weird places. I it's I mean, don't get me wrong, a comedy club, a theater, they're fun too, but there's just something about going home and be like, I just did comedy from the bed of a pickup truck in a dog park. Like there's just like like no one when you go to work the next day, no one's gonna be able to top that story, you know.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Right.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

So but um um we did a show one time where uh you had to deal with a a person like proposing during the Yes.

SPEAKER_02 18:43

Yes, someone proposed with no words.

SPEAKER_00 18:46

It was such a letdown.

SPEAKER_02 18:48

It was a point came out. First of all, they told us ahead of time and asked us how you know, and I'm like, Cool, all right, we're gonna do it. Give me the nod.

SPEAKER_00 18:55

I feel like you when you said ahead of time, they literally told you slash us as the comedian before you was performing.

SPEAKER_02 19:02

You know, at least they didn't come out and be like, excuse me, ma'am, can you stop talking, ma'am? Yeah, I have something to say, but he said nothing. The plate said it all. The plate said, Will you marry me? She looked at the plate, she she answered the plate, and I'm looking at the man like, Hey, you're gonna you're gonna say you gotta say something, say something to her. I love you. Uh yeah, I'm glad you came, glad you said yes.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

He just like grunted.

SPEAKER_02 19:25

He said nothing. He was like, I don't have to answer to you.

SPEAKER_00 19:29

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

The plate said it all. So it was very weird.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

I also think this is a great place for me to make the public service announcement of anyone listening, don't do your proposal at a comedy show.

SPEAKER_02 19:40

I I it was a Valentine's Day weekend thingy thing.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

Okay, so maybe that's okay. So that that's I just think it's like, hey, you know how the tensions on you all? Let's take that and put it on me for a second.

SPEAKER_02 19:53

It was very, it was strange, but that was a fun show. It was a really fun show.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

That was a that was a good one. That was a good one. I it's made me have done no effort to this, um, but it's made me think about how the like a good business plan for comedy is reaching out to some of these hotels and like because I've done since then I've done a few different hotel shows and I'm like, oh, there's a market for this.

SPEAKER_02 20:12

People you know, so yeah, people are there.

SPEAKER_00 20:15

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

So so um, but I haven't actually now well let me know when you're ready.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

Yeah, we'll do it. Yeah, we'll do it. Um, so uh I I that was a tangent to my question I was gonna ask you, which is like, what is maybe one of the weirdest shows you've ever done?

SPEAKER_02 20:32

Hmm. Weirdest show. Oh my goodness, it is so many of them. You at least have at least three to four a year. You have one each quarter. Let me just think of something real fast. Let's see.

SPEAKER_00 20:48

Yeah, as you're thinking, uh, that's something for com new comics to understand is like you when you get into comedy, you think like Netflix, you think comedy clubs, you think that maybe you think like bar shows, but like when you start out, you're no one's hiring you on Netflix, no one's hiring you at a comedy club. You're going wherever some random person is putting on a show, and it it could be at an arcade, it could be at a juice bar, it could be in a living room, honestly.

SPEAKER_02 21:11

Right, it could be the bubble factory, it could be anywhere.

SPEAKER_00 21:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:15

Funeral, you just never know. Uh, I think one of the weirdest shows I I did, okay. So I was hired for a birthday party. It was some Clarksville, somewhere kind of out of the city limits a little bit.

SPEAKER_00 21:30

Yeah, those and the weird shows are always out in the middle. It's never like New York City.

SPEAKER_02 21:34

It's like so what they didn't tell me about this comedy show is that the lady I was performing for, her nickname was also Mean Ass Betty.

SPEAKER_00 21:48

I love that.

SPEAKER_02 21:50

So I'm performing in front of Mean Ass Betty, and this is my first 45 minute set. So I'm excited. I have my friend there clocking my time just so again, because This is, I guess, a separate conversation. You know, as you kind of climb and and build your routine, you need to know where you are. Whether you need to, you know. So I'm doing a lot of stuff at the same time in my set. And mean ass Betty is right there, not cracking, no smiles. And is is this all audio or do they get to see me?

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Um, if they're watching on YouTube, they get to see you. Okay, so if you keep so and if you're not watching on YouTube, you might want to watch us on YouTube to get yes, go watch.

SPEAKER_02 22:29

Because I am not a thin woman. Let me say this. I am a little, I have a man has called me Big Juicy before. Okay. So Big Juicy is performing in front of mean ass Betty, and then her husband is on the other side of mean ass betty having the time of his life, right? So he is cracking up. And every time I look at the person I'm there for, she gives me the stone cold get out my face look. Like it is the craziest thing happening. So eventually I wrap up my set probably early, probably about 15 minutes early. And I just turn it into um a host. I just turn into the host. I'm like, hey, play me this song, get up and dance with me. You know, I just start the party because mean ass Betty was not happy to hear me. She was bad. Because I have a joke about, you know, kind of working out and and and the body yada yaddy joke and all that. And I was doing, I mean, I was just I was performing and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

She wasn't having it.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

She was not.

SPEAKER_00 23:37

I was really hoping for like a great resolution at the end. And then after the show, me and Ass Betty came up to you and was like, hey, that was so much fun.

SPEAKER_02 23:46

No. No. I left. I don't think I even ate. I got myself together. I got them up dancing, and I was I I let the lady know I was leaving. She enjoyed it.

SPEAKER_00 23:58

Yep.

SPEAKER_02 23:59

But I left.

SPEAKER_00 24:00

That happens. You can't you can't entertain everyone. You can't please everyone.

SPEAKER_02 24:04

No, you cannot.

SPEAKER_00 24:06

But I'm sorry. Oh, that's on her then. Everyone else, I'm sure, had a great time.

SPEAKER_02 24:11

That was the that was one of the weirdest shows.

SPEAKER_00 24:13

That is a weird one. And sometimes it's uh sometimes the weird ones can be the most fun because and then like a fun story later, but sometimes the weird ones make you think like, why am I doing this?

SPEAKER_02 24:23

Like what was the why are we here right now? Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:27

What's your what's your why for comedy? I feel like everyone has like a they have to and sometimes they don't realize it when they get into it, like why they're actually doing it. But like I feel like as you develop, you figure out like what motivates you with comedy.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

I'm gonna say I did not have a why in the beginning. I just felt like I was good at it and it was like, cool, go for it, you know. And like I said, I did feel like guy was like, hey, you know, do this. Um, but as time has gone on, I have a couple of whys. One is to invest in me and and bet on me. Um, growing up as a woman, you might not know Drew.

SPEAKER_00 25:05

Well, I know you're a woman.

SPEAKER_02 25:07

But as a woman though, we we pour into other people so much. And uh and sometimes we never really get an opportunity to do that for ourselves. So one of my whys is you know, Rhonda, at least bet on yourself. Take the time to at least try. Yeah. And then the second why is um, I think one of my gifts is to uh a gift of encouragement. And uh it's just to make people laugh and smile and feel welcomed. Like a lot of people, you know, you just seem really nice and da-da-da. And um, and so I just want to exercise the gift that has been given to me. Yeah. So those are my whys.

SPEAKER_00 25:53

And your welcomingness really comes out on stage too. Like I've seen that before a lot. You um I do I run a monthly coffee shop show, and Rhonda is like a solid, solid pick for that show. Like uh, you just you br bring in the energy, and you know, coffee shops lend themselves to like welcoming, friendly, nice guy vibes, or you're not nice. Thank thanks for your nice guy vibes.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Thanks. You're welcome. I tried, oops, sorry, that was me.

SPEAKER_00 26:20

That one was on her. Um, but in her defense, the the microphones deserve occasional abuse um because they've been shortened. So um, and then a kind of a similar question what are some what are some comedy goals you have for yourself, whether it's long term or short short term, you know, just in general, what are some hope, like what are some things you're trying to make happen?

SPEAKER_02 26:44

I would like uh a good special or two. That would be nice. HBO, Netflix, uh, Showtime, Peacock, I don't know, where wherever they happen. I would like Disney Plus. Okay, if you want to bring me in Disney outcome. Um, I would like a special or two. Um, I would like to, I do like to write. I am uh so I think I want to try my hand at maybe sitcoms, writing, things like that. I don't know if I want to act or just you know, which way, but I do have a lot of ideas, so I would like to get all of those out of my head.

SPEAKER_00 27:20

Have you ever written for another comedian before? Is that an experience you've had so far?

SPEAKER_02 27:25

No.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

It's weird. It's it's weird. It's not I I think I think for some people it's very fulfilling because like you give a good joke and then especially if you get to hear it later, you get to hear it do well. Um so I like it when it works well, but I've I've been hired to write for comedians before, and the weirdest part is like you're not you're not like I'm not writing in Drew Davis's voice. I have to learn about the comedian and kind of see what what what their style is and then pretend to be that person and write. And it's like if it's it's a weird exercise, like of I'm gonna try to write something funny and not my voice.

SPEAKER_02 27:58

I think it's a cool exercise though. I definitely would if somebody wanted me to. Yeah. Um, I give a lot of advice, obviously, as a teacher, and just people kind of asking on the side. People want to write with me a lot, but um nope, never been paid for, Drew.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

Uh hey, well, you know, you start giving me some good jokes and we'll see what happens. Once I after I have I'll I'll instead of getting podcast equipment, I'll maybe I need some better jokes.

SPEAKER_02 28:26

Right. But maybe I'll invest. I'll invest in you. Put put my logo behind something right there.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Right there, yeah. So well then let's get into um our three questions that we have from this is our ask a comedian section. So if you're listening and you've never heard about this before, uh you can reach out through the podcast or anything you're listening. You can send us mail on YouTube, you can make a comment. Um if uh if you follow on Instagram or our or what's the other on Facebook, Threads, uh Drew Davis Comedy is Quinn Comedy Collective. Uh, you can send us messages there. And um I've even had someone just randomly email me questions before. So I've always made the joke like if you just see me out in public and you have a question you'd like me to ask a comedian, let me know. I'll I'll put it in the notes app.

SPEAKER_02 29:09

Right, pigeon carrying.

SPEAKER_00 29:11

Yeah, send but basically put it on his car. Well only if it's like dirty and you can like write it on the like that. That I think would be okay. But like if you have to like get your key out to key it in, please don't do that. Um, but uh so we this is a game called Ask a Comedian. Uh I say it's a game, I don't know, it's just an activity.

SPEAKER_02 29:31

Do you have like music to start it?

SPEAKER_00 29:33

I don't. That would be that would be great. Maybe I'll add maybe I'll add I can I can comedian. That's the there we go. That's the track. That's I'm just gonna take that and play it before each section. Um and uh so yeah, so if you have a question you'd like me uh to ask a future comedian, um let me know by giving somehow giving the question to me. I've very frequently at put statuses out like, hey, let me know if you have any questions, but you don't have to wait for that. You can just let me know. Um, and so here are questions that we have for Rhonda today. Um, so this one uh comes from Bo Cowan on Instagram. Um, and I believe uh I believe we've already talked about this a little bit. Um, but um, but maybe we can get specific details on the place because he said, What was your very first time doing comedy? So, like, do you remember the place? Do you remember the Yes?

SPEAKER_02 30:21

It was Valentine's Day uh 2020, uh at Third Coast Comedy Club. And uh I was the headliner, I was uh the best in my class. Nice. Uh, you know, side note, I'll explain. I don't know.

SPEAKER_00 30:36

But uh but as two people that teach that class now, you do make sure you end with you start and end with your strong.

SPEAKER_02 30:43

You want to start and end with the strong. If if nothing else, if the meet the middle falls, then hey, you get your best. Um, but yeah, that was my class. I don't even use those jokes anymore. I I remember saying that uh I date younger men, um, but I'm not a I'm like a middle-age cougar. And something like my jokes are really good though. I had a good little solid five, six minutes.

SPEAKER_00 31:11

It's funny that you have cougar jokes because in one of the things that uh we cast you for it was for Jim Cougar.

SPEAKER_01 31:18

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 31:19

That was so weird to like um come up to like, hey Rhonda, I have I have a part.

SPEAKER_02 31:26

I was the cougar. So for what he's talking about, people. So check out his website, I'm sure it's somewhere on there. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 31:33

So he does these videos for uh it was uh it's now DD Entertainment, it was DD Fitness for yeah.

SPEAKER_02 31:41

Okay, yes. So I was the Jim Cougar, and so he had me harassing this young man in the gym. I still wear my t-shirt around. I I get compliments from that t-shirt. I love that.

SPEAKER_00 31:52

I love that.

SPEAKER_02 31:53

So I was the actual Jim Cougar harassing this 20-something year old man in and it's it's funny.

SPEAKER_00 32:00

I would I I was uh my character was just lonely, um, and it was hard to tell where it where Drew ended and where lonely began. So this next question uh comes to us on Facebook from John uh Oriver, and uh he's got the most cynical questions, but they're always fun for fun combo. Uh so who should a club book instead of you?

SPEAKER_02 32:24

Who should a club book instead of me? Amber Autry.

SPEAKER_00 32:29

She's she's a solid pick.

SPEAKER_02 32:30

She's a solid pick, but uh generally they're looking for okay. This is how it works. So if somebody like Amber or somebody else like they're they're busy now, right? So if somebody's looking for a Drew or you know, a Bernard or something, you're usually looking for someone kind of sort of like them to give them because that's what they're looking for, they're looking for that style. So I'm a little high energy, friendly, yeah, you know, so that's who how who I would say. Instead, if you're looking for somebody like a Rhonda-like guy, Rhonda-like, and then that's and she's much better than me, but so depends.

SPEAKER_00 33:12

I mean, the one thing I learned in comedy is humor is absolutely subjective. So yeah, there is there's, I mean, she is she is hysterical, and you're hysterical, so it's nothing to each or uh either of you, but you understand what I'm saying.

SPEAKER_02 33:23

Yeah, there is some like for like is kind of the absolutely usually that's what uh they're looking for.

SPEAKER_00 33:29

Especially when you produce shows. So we both produce shows, like you don't you it you I you know I definitely I always look for funny comedians, but sometimes it unless you because some people book only like the for lack of better words, the same looking comedians. Like that's the vibe, they know that's the vibe for their audience, they know maybe that's their personal preference, like anyway and and and comedy's not fair. Whoever's producing the show, you know, it's their they make the rules kind of thing, right? But like I know like like we I do this, and I feel like you do this because I've seen I've seen the shows that you book too, like you put like a diverse cast, like the the idea is like there's gonna be something for everyone, yes. Um, but when you do that, it is tempting to start you start having like your um well, I need this kind of comedian, so here are my three options. So like so, even though you're you're still like I've you still kind of cast people, you know.

SPEAKER_02 34:17

Yeah, but I think a well-curated show has several tones of comedy. So you might have somebody that is um a little dark, you might have someone that's a little dirty, you might have someone that that's high energy and kind of bubbly, you might have someone that's clean, you know, like if you if you just had to do it, I think that is just a well-curated show. So when I'm thinking of that question, I I'm thinking about literally how to how do I make the audience walk out and be like, man, that was a really good time. Absolutely. And and it was a well-rounded time. They laughed at something that they wouldn't have never considered.

SPEAKER_00 34:55

Yeah. And I like, I like I like it when even because some I mean a showcases are fantastic when you have because you can if everyone's doing 10 minutes, you can have 10 minutes of very different comedy, you know, four or five times there. Um, but even when you have like a traditional show where you have the headliner doing the bulk of the time and then a feature and maybe an opening spot, like it I do like it when the feature and headliner are different. Right.

SPEAKER_02 35:19

Like so um I'm thinking it has to, it needs to be. I think uh I I've opened for a few people that I normally don't, um, but the booker didn't think it through because we both basically got up and talked about our lives, right? And so if it's another black woman or even an older black woman, then we're basically talking about the same similar jokes throughout the way. Of course, we have different ways of getting to the joke, but the premise is the same.

SPEAKER_00 35:48

And there is there is like a for an audience member, you can hear uh jokes about the same topic enough, like where it gets to a point where you're gonna be able to do it.

SPEAKER_02 35:56

Yeah, you don't wanna yeah. So if I had someone opening for me, they would probably be a little more deadpan, uh uh not necessarily a male, but just kind of a different wave. You know what I'm saying? They don't bring the same energy.

SPEAKER_00 36:10

I occasionally am at a point where people ask me to bring a feature and I I look for um I don't want to say I look for, but the what works best for me are like married females. Like married women, like that that because they're gonna have jokes that like have nothing to do with the what I have joked about as a right.

SPEAKER_02 36:28

And it's not again, it's not a you just want to give the audience a good show. Yep.

SPEAKER_00 36:32

Um I have found though, I do grab I I I hate this about me because I used to not I used to swear that I would never do this. I do if I'm booking someone, if I get to pick the people on the show, if I'm headlining, I will gravitate to more clean cleaner comedians, even if it's not a clean comedian or a clean show. Um that makes sense because it just with my overall act, it's it's better that if they hear more clean before it's just a weird vibe. If um, but as a clean comedian, you have to I feel like if you want to excel, you have to be good and confident enough where you can follow a dirty act and not let it like throw out your I feel I feel comfortable enough being like no matter who goes before me, I'm gonna win the back over. I think that's important. Okay, third question. Um, this comes from Threads, which has an whole assortment of people. So this was uh West Side 1068.

SPEAKER_02 37:21

Okay, West Side?

SPEAKER_00 37:22

Okay, here we come. Um this is I I'm excited to hear your answer on this one. And we kind of talked about it a little bit at the beginning where of the topic of hecklers. He said, Why are 90% of hecklers middle-aged professional white women? What do you think, Rhonda?

SPEAKER_02 37:43

Since I am not a white woman, I truly cannot speak for them. But I think I love this.

SPEAKER_00 37:57

Every moment of this is fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 37:58

I just really enjoying this uh because that woman probably loves my comedy um and enjoys seeing me and comes up to me after the show and whispers, you were my favorite. I just want to let you know.

SPEAKER_00 38:14

As she was talking to you during your entire set.

SPEAKER_02 38:16

The entire set. I think there are a variety of things going on. They with who what was the white woman?

SPEAKER_00 38:24

Um middle-aged, middle-aged professional white woman.

SPEAKER_02 38:28

Okay, so let's make let's let let's make this woman a person, okay? So she's middle-aged, she's 40. She just got off from work and she's white. Um chances are she's drunk. She has come to the comedy show to have a good time, and and doggone it, she had a good time, okay. So she had uh she pre-game before she came. She had some wine on her way out the door, okay, and she got to the comedy show, and now you're in front of her, West Side, and and she and you seem friendly because you know, most comedians, our number one goal, our second goal after being funny is being likable. So she really likes you and she wants to talk to you. So, and then she has been uh talking to people or being talked at all day because she's a professional. And so, what I'm gonna say for uh um, let's see, Bethany is that I was feeling Susan, but Bethany Bethany works. I I work with a Susan and she's gonna Susie. No, you know what? Let's go with Susan. What I'm gonna say for Susan is Susan is just drunk, okay. Just chances are Susan is drunk, and and she is just letting loose, and she she's used to talking, she is used to talking, and she probably is used to having her way a little bit and not being told to shut up. So that's what's going on with Susan. So give Susan some grace and let her chatter a little bit. Now shut her down now, especially if you're the host. Don't let her, don't let her ruin everybody's night. Don't let her do any of that because that is rude to everybody in the room.

SPEAKER_00 40:12

What a good point that not enough people talk about. Sometimes as a host, it's your job to be the bad guy.

SPEAKER_02 40:18

It is your job to shut Susan down.

SPEAKER_00 40:21

Yeah, like people will hate you, maybe, possibly. Actually, the rest of the room will probably like you.

SPEAKER_02 40:25

The rest of the room will love you. Susan is mad and probably calling the cops if she's also a Karen. But hey, Susan, this is a public place. It might not be, it might be uh the park, and she didn't know you was gonna be there, right? But we have the right to tell comedy today, and we're gonna do it. So um, that would probably be my answer of why.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

That's a good that's a very good answer. That was a strange curveball question, and you handled it like a champ. Because I am a black middle-aged professional woman, and I know how to let me tell you something about black prof women. I'm just kidding.

SPEAKER_02 41:08

I know how to handle you. What you do is you glad, be glad that it is a white professional middle-aged woman and not a black professional middle-aged woman because that that role's gonna be different.

SPEAKER_00 41:21

It is a different, it is a different atmosphere, it's gonna be a different energy. Yeah, it is something listen room full of black middle-aged women, they are either the most supportive audience member of the world. Absolutely, you know, like church potluck ladies or like the voice judges. Like we'll let you know right then and there.

SPEAKER_02 41:44

But it's probably still gonna be a good time, though. Like, like we're just usually a little kinder, you know. Now, granted, the that kindness might come out, may seem roast-ish. Is that a word? Yeah. But usually we're we're a little kind.

SPEAKER_00 42:00

Well, uh, Rhonda, this is the point where you get to give us any shout-outs and plugs. Uh this episode, in case you're wondering if it helps you with what you want to plug, will be coming out the second weekend in August, second Saturday in August. So uh I don't know what the date actually I I this is weird that I know this, but that's August 8th, is is when it's gonna be coming out.

SPEAKER_02 42:18

So August 8th, what do I have going on? See, this is when you should you Drew should have told me that, so I could have thought about it.

SPEAKER_00 42:26

So sorry. Uh you can also tell them where to find you on social media. And we also will be we'll in our notes section, we'll let everyone like we'll have where people can click to your stuff and follow you, and and maybe I'll maybe I'll find the article, maybe I'll read the article and then share that down there. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 42:41

If not, it's fine. Friends. Um, let's see. On Facebook, I think I'm Rhonda Sweat. On Instagram, I'm R Sweat Comedy. That's R-S-W-E-A-T comedy. I have a TikTok. Uh, I don't know what it is because I don't post to it, but maybe one day I will.

SPEAKER_00 42:59

So that's a that's a true you have to find it. That's the game. Is she has a TikTok? Can you find it?

SPEAKER_02 43:05

Can I find it? Can you find it? If you find it, say something to me.

SPEAKER_00 43:08

Comment below what her tick tock is, and we'll comment below Rhonda now.

SPEAKER_02 43:13

Let's see here. What does it say? Oh, Rhonda Sweat Comedy. So my full name, R-H-O-N-D-A-S-W-E-A-T comedy. There I am.

SPEAKER_00 43:24

There it is.

SPEAKER_02 43:25

Yeah, look at me. Um, let's see. In August, I'll be in Chattanooga. There's some type of competition going on. Cool. At the Comedy Catch.

SPEAKER_00 43:38

It's a good place. I enjoy. Have you have you so have you worked with the The Comedy Catch before?

SPEAKER_02 43:43

I have. I've I've gone down and uh maybe two, three times. And I don't know exactly what this is, but this is again why people should tell you.

SPEAKER_00 43:54

I'm so sorry. Well, in my defense, I do this with every single episode. So if you'd listen to an episode before you came here.

SPEAKER_02 44:00

So that's August the 12th. So if you're in Chattanooga, come see me August 12th at the Comedy Catch. Um on August the 15th, I'll be at Land of A Thousand Hills.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

And I think I might be on that show too.

SPEAKER_02 44:16

Yes, maybe. I don't know. August 28th.

SPEAKER_00 44:20

You might see both of us.

SPEAKER_02 44:21

You might see both of us. August 28th. I'm also in Clarksville at Jokers for uh she hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 44:28

She hilarious.

SPEAKER_02 44:29

She hilarious.

SPEAKER_00 44:30

So that is I like jokers. Uh I I know we've we've done jokers before together at the same time. Um, I that's a cool, it's a cool place.

SPEAKER_02 44:41

Yes, I'm sorry. Got me on my social media.

SPEAKER_00 44:44

So catching up response.

SPEAKER_02 44:48

People talk to me, and I'm like, oh, I should read that. I love people. I do. I just have ADHD.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

So the people that send you reels every day, I'm like, I'm not gonna watch all those. Thank goodness for emojis.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

People like you. You're like, did you watch it? Did you watch it? Nah.

SPEAKER_00 45:07

Nope. Um, well, and then after you follow Rhonda on all of her things, uh, you can uh check out the Clean Comedy Collective. So we have our website, cleancomedycollective.com, and on that website you can find all of our comedians. I believe we're about uh we're at somewhere uh like 245 comedians from 39 different states. So you can come check them out. Uh maybe whatever state you're from, she's go go find your new favorite comedian in that state, or come to Tennessee and check me and Rhonda out. Um, you can also listen to previous episodes. We interview a different comedian every week. Um, and we're we're gonna be doing that until I run out of comedians. So and then I'll do a season two where I re-interview the comedians. Um, so that'll be fun. And um, you can donate to our podcast. We have a Patreon where you can get early access to longer episodes uh if you want, or you're just donating to a good cause. And if you're a comedian and you're interested in working with us, uh there's like a submission form and an application, and you can uh do that all on our website. Um, and thank you, Rhonda, for being on the show.

SPEAKER_02 46:06

Thank you for having me. I enjoyed this. This was fun.

unknown 46:08

Good.

SPEAKER_00 46:09

Well, you were a fantastic guest, and I enjoy glad I had you. Um, and then so everyone else, uh, we'll be bringing a different comedian next week. So come back and chat with us and thank you so much. Have an awesome day.

SPEAKER_02 46:22

Bye.