Taylor LaVie is an American beauty with an impressive career as a model, comedian, and content creator with an enviable 1.3 Million followers on Instagram. This comedic bombshell defies stereotypes with her razor wit, creative prowess, and mantra, “Have fun and be yourself.”
We enjoyed talking to Taylor about her passion for comedy, her ability to break into the male-dominated industry, and her goals of getting people to see others for more than just skin deep.
So tell us, when did you first know you were interested in comedy? Has it always been a passion of yours?
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved making people laugh. This time in second grade, the school was having a play, and the principal asked if any of the students wanted to get up on stage and tell a joke. I ran up there and saw a concerned look on my mom’s face because she had no idea what I was going to say. I got to the front of the stage, told a joke, and I still remember that feeling of adrenaline of being on stage in front of a bunch of people and hearing them laugh at what I said. From that day on, I knew I wanted to be in entertainment. But as I was growing up, working in entertainment didn’t seem realistic. So, I went through life and worked hard because I wanted to be successful, but in the back of my head, I knew I wanted to work in modeling, acting, or comedy.
How did social media help you break into the entertainment industry?
I am super grateful that social media has helped to give me a platform to break into the entertainment industry. I went to school for marketing, so I knew the importance of marketing yourself. So, I started posting on Instagram a lot and paid attention to algorithms and the things that would get great engagement. Eventually, I just started making viral videos, and during the pandemic, they just really hit. The responses encouraged me to keep making more content, and my account grew crazy. And then from there, I think the thing that made me stand out is I always added a little bit of humor and tried to make things funny. One of the things I love to do is create and post memes. Eventually, I realized I was making enough money from social media to be able to quit my job and pursue my entertainment passions full-time.
You mentioned you create memes; how did that come about?
My involvement in the world of meme-making began with my background in marketing, and I found it interesting how memes possess the ability to provide commentary on both popular culture and significant global events. Their incredible shareability on social media platforms creates a sense of relatability and fosters a community by incorporating humorous or absurd content into random images that resonate with others. This comedy connection allows memes to serve as a coping mechanism or source of solidarity, enabling people to navigate their own life experiences. The essence of great comedy lies in its ability to address harsh realities in a more digestible manner, often leading to those “aha” moments where people gain new perspectives. Memes possess a similar power by highlighting truths and encouraging contemplation. What fascinates me about memes is their seemingly silly nature combined with their astonishing impact. The fact that major brands utilize viral memes as a marketing strategy demonstrates their effectiveness, and we’ve witnessed how a meme can catapult individuals to unexpected fame and career opportunities, just like the Walmart yodeling kid. So, they are kind of this silly internet thing yet remain very powerful, and I relate to that.
Those are such good points about memes and comedy in general. You’ve briefly touched on this already, with memes being a social commentary and observational comedy, but how would you describe your comedy style?
I would say that I tend to focus on observational comedy and either making fun of myself or just talking about the things in my life. I found that people are often interested in the influencer life or aspects of my modeling life. There are so many stories from my life that are random and weird, and those are the most funny things people can relate to.
You have already accomplished so many great things as a model and a comedian, but what are your goals as an entertainer?
I’ve done some stand-up, and I would like to continue doing that on a larger scale. I love stand-up comedy and open mics because I like doing crowd work, and I like how quick you have to be, and the fact that it is life gives me such an adrenaline rush. I also want to do a lot more comedy skits online, too, not necessarily just live comedy. I have some skits that I’ve written, and I’ve been looking for more people to collaborate with in that aspect. Skits are something completely new to my audience, but I think it is a fun way to expand creatively and do things that wouldn’t work in stand-up.
What do you want people to take away from your content:
As you know, breaking into comedy as a female performer is already challenging, and people tend to judge me pretty heavily when they find out I am also a model. I think just being a woman in an industry where it’s focused on your looks, a lot of people are always like; there’s not much more to you. I get a lot of the “Oh, you’re actually funny.” And I’m like, what does that mean? What do you mean by that? And so that’s something I’ve always tried to bring out in my acts, “there is more to people than what meets the eye.” And I even shove it down my followers’ throats where I’m like, yes, I might be a model, but there’s so much more, and you have to see those parts as well. If you’re going to be a follower of mine, you have to see that there’s more to me, and not just me, but all girls and women.
One thing that I always say and focus on in my content is to “have fun and be yourself.”
When you are yourself, you seem to get farther and are more well-received.
We’ve talked a lot about your comedy career, but is there anything else you’re working on?
Yes! I love comedy, but I’m a creative person and want to continue exploring all entertainment areas. I am still actively working on my modeling career; I was invited to Miami Swim Week this year. But I am also exploring some work in acting as well. I would love to combine my experience in comedy and modeling and do some presenting or hosting work.
We love that you have such a positive attitude and are a role model for other women trying to break into this tough industry. Are there any other charities or causes close to your heart?
A cause near and dear to my heart is vision loss. I have a super rare genetic eye disease called Stargardt. A close family member also has the disease and is partially legally blind. I am really lucky because I don’t really have a lot of issues with my vision now, but it is the kind of disease that can get worse without much warning. When I was first diagnosed, I was like, what do I do? Have these dreams and these goals? After taking some time to come to terms with my health, I was like, I have to just go for it because I never know if my eyes may start regressing one day. Even if I lose my vision one day, it will not stop me from performing and doing the things I love.
Thank you so much for chatting with us, and we can’t wait to see more from you! Where can we follow you?
You can follow me on my Instagram @tayylavie and follow my meme page @tayylameme
Photo Credit: Gregorio
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