RHOBH: Erika Girardi gave a Tedx talk on the character of Erika Jayne

The RHOBH star gave an interesting TedxPasadena talk about the character that is Erika Jayne, and how that character came about.

Erika Jayne Girardi of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills did a Ted talk, or more specifically, a TEDxPasadena talk.  The talk was titled My Unapologetic Alter Ego: Living Life as an Exaggerated Figment of People’s Imaginations.  A question is posed in the talk’s summary, “Could it be that “reality,” as it is billed to the consumer, is instead an intentional manipulation of the viewer?”  An interesting lens to watch RHOBH through.

In the talk

Erika discussed her love of theatre, acting, performing, and being on stage.  She said that when she was younger, she felt her most authentic while performing.  For her, RHOBH is a performance.  Once Erika moved from New York to Los Angeles, she eventually met her husband, Tom Girardi.  Once married, Erika became Erika Girardi, wife of Tom, a successful lawyer.

Erika said that her authentic self became hidden behind the mask of Erika Girardi, wife of Tom, a successful lawyer.  It wasn’t until she ran into someone from her past that Erika realized she was hiding behind her newest character of wife.

But that isn’t to say that all of the fragments of Erika can live together in harmony.  Erika pointed out that once she joined RHOBH, the Erika Jayne persona became larger than life.  But isn’t that the point of characters, to be larger than life and entertaining?

Erika explained that it was okay for Erika Jayne to be herself on stage, in front of the cameras, out to dinner – but it was also okay for the quiet, more poised, sweet, soft Erika to be present for appropriate occasions.

They are all a part of Erika – they can co-exist.  Erika Jayne is certainly a force to be reckoned with on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, but I think Erika Girardi would have a spot at the table, too.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills will be back in 2020!