Brandi Rhodes Discusses ‘Going To 100’ In Promo Against Jade Cargill, Concept Of Code-Switching

Jade Cargill made her AEW debut on November 11, 2020 when she confronted Cody Rhodes and teased he had awoken the beast known as Shaquille O’Neal.

Immediately after Cargill ran down Cody in the ring, she was confronted by Brandi Rhodes on the ramp, he laid into her for disrespecting her husband. The promo caused controversy as it was a side of Brandi people hadn’t seen before, with some labeling it was “code-switching.”

Speaking to Renee Paquette on Oral Sessions, Brandi discussed the promo and how it was her turning up her character.

“I hate when I spill over into multiple stories, but it happens a lot because you start something and then they figure out that the logical person to bring in is Brandi or Cody or the girl who pitched something with me, not knowing I was already doing something else. I didn’t want to get into two things. I wasn’t supposed to do the promo that night,” she said. “Jade is such a great person to play off because she had not done anything yet. I was saying to her, ‘Don’t get thrown off by me. I’m gonna go to 100. Don’t take anything personally.’ She was perfect. Nobody had seen that yet. When they see personal stuff with me, I’m always calm. I’m always at like 60. It opened up a conversation about code-switching, which I don’t think is a conversation people should have if they’re not black. When it comes to me, when I’m actually mad, [code-switching] doesn’t exist and is not real. 100 is high for me, nothing matters except what I have to say and think. That’s what I did. I didn’t know anything she was saying and that’s by design, I didn’t want to know her promo. She’s touching my husband, saying he has a small dick, and I’m getting amped up. I knew I was going to cut her ass up. I was so glad she was doing that because it made it easier for me. I went out there with real anger and emotion and said a bunch of stuff. They forgot to bleep a lot of it and were behind. You can’t call someone out for code-switching unless that’s what they’re doing. I thought it was unfair for people who have never seen that side of me to coin it that way and I thought it was unfair for a white man, who is a reporter, to say ‘she better talk like that all the time now.’ Who are you to tell me what I better do, ever?”

Brandi clarified that she believes “code-switching” for her would be when she does “News Brandi,” where she drops her midwest accent, does a different dictation, and enunciates every word.

The promo was nominated for Best Moment on the Mic in the first-annual AEW Dynamite awards.

The promo seemed like it was setting up Brandi and Cody taking on Shaq and Cargill, but Brandi announced her pregnancy on December 16 during AEW Dynamite. Red Velvet will now team with Cody against Shaq and Cargill on the March 3 AEW Dynamite.

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