Chicago comedian Lisa Beasley struck a chord on TikTok with her “Corporate Erin” executive parody — but don’t expect the persona to break character for an interview.
In her videos, Beasley incarnates the passive-aggressive office culture and empty corporate-speak familiar to millions of workers. Erin’s distinguishing verbal tics, like the “corporate gulp” between buzzwords, are provoking traumatic flashbacks, 13 News reported.
“This is SPOT ON. The corporate accent, the nonsense, the talking for 30 min and saying nothing,” one delighted viewer commented, according to the news outlet.
Another follower said, “The corporate word salad is so accurate,” about one of her enactments.
Neither Beasley nor her alter ego Erin will elucidate the enigmatic executive’s backstory. “I’m the manager for the manager of logistics from Management MC Management,” Erin said when asked about the comedian’s sabbatical.
The brilliance of Beasley’s performance art reflects her roots. A longtime Chicago comedy scene regular from Gary, Indiana, she homed characters while contracting for corporations. “You encounter a version of me in every workplace,” Beasley told 13News. Her 2022 Chicago mayor parody likewise went viral.
Erin has struck a collective nerve as Americans grow unhappier at work, per a 2023 Gallup poll. Like “The Office”’s Michael Scott, she lets viewers cringe yet keep watching. “Even though she causes me anxiety…I’m so invested,” one confessed. Erin is a safe scapegoat who can’t actually fire anyone.
By refusing to break persona, like Stephen Colbert facing down Bill O’Reilly, Beasley leaves Corporate Erin’s reality open to interpretation — and endlessly memeable. Since there’s no clear backstory, TikTokers project their own work trauma onto the act. “This is every meeting, every day,” a veteran manager concurred.
Another trend involves duetting Erin’s speeches to act out exasperated reactions, sparking catharsis through shared camaraderie online.
While millions find humorous release through Erin’s antics, the caricature also hints at deeper dysfunction within real work culture. “Corporate Erin is a little too real for me,” one commented. “This is satire but also my corporate life. It’s fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine.”
Where she goes next depends on her audience’s reaction. For now, the creator seems content, allowing the mystery executive to take on a self-perpetuating life of her own.