Funny Ladies of Color

Funny Ladies of Color was a comedy group in the 1990s formed by comedians Lydia Nicole and Cha Cha Sandoval-Epstein. The group was several women of varied ethnic backgrounds- African American, Latino, Armenian, Chicana-Jewish, South Korean, black Puerto Rican, and Filipino. Their popularity grew out of the uniqueness of their brand as a strictly minority crew.
Cultural significance
The group formed out of response to their lack of steady work in Hollywood in correlation with their ethnicity. Their mission was to make a statement about diversity and minorities in the comedy industry. Each comedian capitalized on their ethnicity through their sketches commenting on their families, upbringings, and stereotypes they've experienced. This route was uncommon mainly because popularity among minorities was virtually nonexistent in the comedy community at the time. The group began a movement of change for all women in comedy, but especially women of diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Sketches
* Funny Ladies' South Korean comedian Alexis Rhee would bring her violin on stage and play a note or two between lines, such as, an excerpt of Madonna's "Like a Virgin". Rhee would follow up saying "Madonna and I have something in common. Neither one of us is Chinese".
* Lydia Nicole, known for being brought up in New York City between the corner of Harlem and Spanish Harlem, says that in L.A., being half black and half Puerto Rican makes her a Mexican. In Miami, a Cuban, and in Mississippi, dead.

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu