June 5, 2026 • 53 mins
Comedian and Emmy award–winning actor, Wanda Sykes joins Angie Martinez to talk how she found out she was funny, working the comedy circuit in Washington D.C. on her way to the big screen in movies such as ‘Monster In Law’ and ‘Down To Earth,’ what she thought of ‘The Roast of Kevin Hart,’ and how she keeps her private life out of the public eye.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
What are your real life pet peeves. Whenever I see
lobster mac and cheese on a menu, I'm like, I
don't want to eat here. Why it shouldn't exist. It's
not a thing. When I see lobster mac and cheese,
it makes me think, one, you don't know how to
make mac and cheese, that you need to put a lobster,
and you're ruining lobster. Hey, guys, this episode is brought
(00:24):
to you by boost Mobile.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Trail blazing comedian, Emmy winner, she is a fearless voice
in entertainment Today's Guests has spent nearly four decades redefining
comedy through sharp wit and cultural commentary. She is now
back with her newest Netflix special, Legacy, Wanda Sykes in
Real Life Today.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for this. Oh,
thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I went down to Wanda sikes rabbit hole the other day, okay,
and I want to thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
All right because I had a really good times.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Funny, because I know you for so many years, watching
your work for so many years, you just seem like
this staple in our lives. But then I realized I
don't really know, like, but you're also private.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
In a weird way.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, you walk this fine line of like, y'all know me,
you know exactly who I am, right, but so y'all.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Don't know shit. At the same time, I feel like
you walk that line. I'm somewhat you know, introverted also,
And yeah, yeah, how does that happen? As a comedian,
we are where we can? Yeah. I think it's because
we're always observing, you know, so we kind of like
(01:42):
sit back and just and just watch instead of uh,
you know, running the room or whatever. So yeah, and
I can get a little awkward too. I guess it's
social settings. Yeah, I do not like the schmooths and
mingle and.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
All that I enjoyed comedians so much on the pot
because because of that reason exactly, because you are observers
and so you sit Do you judge us a little bit?
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You do? I'm getting better with it. I'm trying. I'm
trying not too, but yeah, the.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Habit of that Your job as a as a great
comedian is to look around point out the ship that
we see. But we we can't really wrap our minds around, right,
But you're doing that all day every day.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Right Somewhat.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I mean, I can turn it off? You can, Yeah,
I can turn it off, but but can you?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I can? And I think that's why I like doing
things like jigsaw puzzles. I have to have something else,
you know, going one to keep in mind from from
you know, looking around.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
And because I would imagine living life like that all
the time. It's good because you're like self aware, you
think things through. But also it keeps you in your
brain all the time, right, Like your mind is like
always animal pisces.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So what does that mean? Oh, pisces were in our
heads a lot all the time, all the time. Yeah,
So when did this happen to you?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Like what age do you, like, at what point in
your life as a child or a young person do
you think does it come clear to you that this
that you're Yeah, I've been like this a long time.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah. As a kid, yeah, I would get in trouble
because my mom said, uh that I would talk too much,
you know, and I think what she meant, Like, as
a kid, I would say things maybe out of turn
or I had opinions and uh, and also I was
very observant. I would say things that would like embarrass them,
(03:51):
like you know, her her friend would come over and
and I would, you know, I tell her like her
wig was crooked, you know, and stuff like that, and
you yeah, yeah, they weren't going, Yeah, like why is
your part over here? You know, stuff like that. And
it was embarrassing. So they would whenever they had company over,
they would uh send me over to my grandmother's. They
(04:13):
didn't even want me in the house when they had
a company because they thought I was gonna Yeah that
was like a little you know, like a little tom bomb.
So they they would send me away. But what is that?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Is that natural or is that like environment or is
that I don't know, is that a god giving gifts?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Like I didn't have. I guess I didn't have a filter.
You know, I was too young to know. Oh you're
not supposed to say these things, you know, but people
would laughing. Yeah, Like to me, I had to I
had to set up, but no punchlines, you know what
I'm saying. I would just give it to them straight.
So uh, after you know, several spankings and all, you know,
(04:52):
then I got it got better. I guess that I
became more entertaining because they would pay me to go
to my grandmother. Is that instead of just you know, punishment.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Gonna say, when did somebody say, you know what, maybe
there's some use for that.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I guess like it in high school, Uh, you know,
I wasn't disruptive in class, but uh, they they definitely would,
you know, say like I was the class clown and
you know, and uh they you know, say you should
be on stage and things like that. But I didn't.
I never thought of it like that because you know,
did you probably didn't know anybody, didn't know anybody on stage,
(05:30):
you know, except for you know, uh some uncles whatever
were preachers. You know, that's you know, that was that's
about closer show business. Yeah, yes, and then in college
the same thing. Wow, they you know, people told me
I was funny, but yeah, it wasn't until like I
went inside. Did you say to yourself like maybe I
(05:53):
think when I was I had a real job. I
was working at NSA and I and I just said,
this is not what I was supposed to be doing.
I just felt it in my gut like I don't
belong here. And uh and I've heard about a talent
show on the radio, right, Yeah, I was scared. Yeah,
(06:14):
I said, comedy come, you know, comedians And I said,
you know what, I'm gonna it's an amateur thing. I'm
gonna try it, and I wrote jokes audition. They put
me on the show, and uh yeah I didn't win.
I had a great set. Yeah, I had a great set. Uh.
Tony Woods actually won. He was you know and uh yeah.
And the host, Andy Evans, he he was like, who
(06:38):
are you and I've never seen you at the comedy
club or anything. What you know. I was like first time. Yeah.
I was like, yeah, I got a job, you know,
and he said, well, no, you got to come out
to the clubs. And that's when I started working on it. Yeah, amazing. Wait,
so what were you doing at I was a contracting specialist,
especially I was shoped. I bought stuff. Yeah, you were
(07:00):
like this sucks or you liked it, you know, if
for a job in the government, and it's say, I
did enjoy that job. But then but after a while
I was like, this is not this is not what
I'm supposed to be doing. So you've seen this thing
for this amateur comedy night and nothing you and you
(07:20):
it's scared about that or nervous. So I didn't know
any better.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
You know, I'd never been to a comedy club and
you are you like it because you said you're like
reserve like a little sometimes a little right, so to
go out like there's no fear, there's no use.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I didn't know any better. You know, I didn't have
I didn't have all the information. Only I you know,
I watched comedy comedians on TV and you know, they
go on stage and they tell jokes and people laugh.
That's all that I that's the information I had. So
I was like, oka, camel grout here, tell jokes and
people laugh, and it happened. So I was like, okay, cool.
(07:57):
It wasn't until I started going to the club US
and watching people bomb, and you know, that's the fear
kicked in, like, oh this could this could be go
horribly wrong. Like what am I subjecting myself to? This?
Is I am nuts? Nuts? Yeah? And that's when, yeah,
that's when the fear kicked in. Uh. And that's when
(08:18):
I started having you know, bombs, you know, doing bad shows.
But that funny, how do that? Like the mind is
so wild.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, when you're like dumb and fearless, yeah, you're capable
of greatness.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
It's like anything because you're not scared, right, and and me.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
The idea of like, uh, getting on the stage and
telling jokes and then all these eyeballs looking at you
waiting for you to be funny is terrifying.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Like to me, that would be so I would be
so scared. Ye. Yeah, the fact that you were like, yeah,
you know, I'll go try this out right and the
audience feels that. So the audience saw me, I'm on
stage like, oh, she's calling, don't care. She don't care,
so I can laugh. But when you're on stage and
you're you know, your little little little timid, and they
(09:07):
sensed that and they're like, it's not okay.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
So you're on the stage the first night and you're
kind of killing it clearly, Yeah, it's everybody's who is she?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Are you? What's happening to you? And that? Are you
feeling it? Are you? Like? Yeah, the light bulb went on.
It's like, oh, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
You knew. I knew right away right away. Wow, that's
a great. People search their whole life they don't know
know right you get that work and there it is, yep,
and it all made sense. That must have felt amazing.
It did until you know, I go back to the
(09:40):
club and bomb. Then you're like, oh, maybe this is
not you know, but I stayed with this, so I said, no,
this is Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
It didn't discourage you enough to stop, right right, so
it all made sense. Well, were joking about that, Oh god,
it was you know, it was like Seinfeld type jokes.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
It was, you know, a lot of observations. And I
remember the first joke was about the remember that carboard,
the sunglasses, the auto shades, the thing you put it
in your window your pocket. Son, Well there's instructions on
the side of it. So I'm like, who needs these instructions?
(10:18):
You know, like you can't figure out how this works,
you know, like it tells you to remove it before
starting your car, Like really, you know that's good? Yeah,
that's good. Yeah, look at you writing jokes, jokes, joke jokes.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Even the same job writing some jokes. And that was
how many years ago?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Jesus? Oh wow, that was what ninety No, that was
eighty eight. Yeah, I started eighties. Yeah, I started my
first time, will say it was like eighty seven, eighty eight,
eighty seven.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Okay, So then they say, oh she's good, and you're
you're going out, You're doing the shrine and that moment
is a real moment in people's lives. People missed that
moment too, because the fear will kick in, or the
expectation will kick in. And think about nowadays, right, you
didn't have social media. You didn't have the fear of
like I'm going that stage and people at my job
(11:07):
are going to see me on Instagram?
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, right, And I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I just think sometimes people don't even get the engine
going because.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
M fear fear, yeah, cribbled by fear. Yeah, and it's
also the the fear of everyone in the fear of failure.
But sometimes it's just like they don't want to put
the work in because I think, uh, now things come
so so quickly, right, So, but back then, like I said,
(11:38):
we didn't have all that we you, we had to
go city to city and build the audience.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Uh break by brick wow.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And there's the part about that and taking that time
is that you you're honing your crack, you're learning how
to do it, you learn how to flop feels like, yeah,
what does that feel like?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Though? When you go out and it's it's not good, Oh,
it's horrible, horrible, feeling you can't sleep. You just you
think everybody knows, you know, like you're just like, yeah,
I know you saw that. People look like, what are
you talking about? You know, it's just horrible. Your food
doesn't even taste right, like it's it doesn't go away
(12:20):
until you have a good show your back, then you're back.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So it's like an addiction in a way. Yeah, do
you feel like that becomes an addiction?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah? Absolutely, Yeah, absolutely, I mean you gotta have it.
It's like I gotta, I gotta get to the stage.
It was nothing worse than bombing on like a on
like a like a Friday or or Thursday, because back then,
you know, we only had open mics on it was
like Wednesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays sometimes Friday. So if you
(12:51):
bomb Friday, you couldn't get back on stage until Wednesday,
so your your weekend and everything.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yeah, right, nasty, Yeah, oh terrible, that is terrible. It's
just it's been a long time since you had one
of those, right, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It does that show up in different ways for you,
Like now as a season comedian, you don't bomb, but
these things maybe not work out the way you like,
do you have do you handle something like ticket sales. Yeah, yeah,
that if if you look out and it's like, man,
they had to close the balcony, and it's like, you know,
(13:30):
it's kind of that yeah, that that that feeling. Yeah
that or sometimes you know, or if you like, I
have a new bit and I'm like, oh, this is
gonna this is really gonna work, and and it doesn't.
But but I it doesn't bother me as much because
(13:51):
I you know, I know, I'm trying something new and
I know how to fix it, and I know, you know,
and so it's to me, it's it's it's growth. So
I I enjoy that. But yeah, right, ticket sales are
the things. Yeah, I'd imagine for everybody gives those rejections
like damn, nobody want to see me today, you know,
it's like what the hell? Yeah, like damn okay.
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party started. We just interviewed Patty the Bell. We have
Patty on the pod. Okay, she's such a g I
(15:23):
love her. But she talks about earlier in her career,
knowing that moment, same moment you're talking about. She had
a moment like that she did somewhere over the rainbow
and she put it out and everybody responded in this
crazy way, and she was like, oh man, this is
I think I'm.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Actually good at this, like or whatever.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But she said she she went out and she got
a standing ovation, and she says she's been chasing standing ovations.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Since since that time, like she works for the standing
for the standing ovation. Wow, So is that what a shoot?
She's eighty two? Yeah, maybe probably, And she's eighty two
and I feel like she's still still working for the
standing ovation. And some part of that makes me feel like, oh,
that's exhausting. But then also like maybe that has something
(16:09):
to do with why she's eighty two and has so
much life and so much joy and exuberants and passion
still all that because it's that thing yet whatever, the
thing is that fuel? Yeah, fuel?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And then yeah, so I guess for you, it's it's
the is it the laughter?
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Is it? The connection?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I don't know, people feeling seen you feeling like you
did well, like what is the thing that you feel
like what the Definitely the laughter, but it's a I
can I can almost like I can hear when I
can hear like the relief or the release in the laughter,
(16:51):
you know, like when you like they're laughing. But it's like, oh,
I so needed this, I see. Yeah. Yeah, when I
when I get that type of laugh it's yeah that
that feels great. Yeah, because it's it's you know, it
feels like I'm giving them medicine. You know, oh that
neighborly release. It's like, all right, cool, this is You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, you're welcome, especially now under the way, and you
have always liked politics and the state of the world
has always been part of your conversation, and I think
that is one of the it's just one of the
hardest things for people to deal with right now. Everybody's confused.
What kind of world is this?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Right? What is happening to our country? There's so much sphere.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Frustration, depression, Yeah, there's people. Yeah, and you don't even
know how to talk to people anymore. It's like scary,
it's scary to have conversations. And I feel like you
go out there on that front line and you crarect
a joke about it.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Yeah, which people, I mean, they want it. They And
I had a hard time with that as far as
like how much of it too you know for it
to be in the show. You know, I did have
to have to like really like think about that because
(18:15):
at one point it was like, is this too much?
You know, because we're just bombarded with this crap all day?
Do they want to just laugh about, you know, silly
stuff or do they want to actually handle this real,
real truth, you know, what's going on? And I noticed
(18:38):
that when I would just go you know, hey, you know,
we know everything sucks, so let's just you know, let's
just have some fun that I would see in their
faces like no, that's not this isn't what you do, wander,
this is no. We want we want what you do
to talk about. Let's talk about it. And then I
(19:00):
would some shows I would really just go off and
then I can see their face like, Okay, now let's
let's move on. You're doing too much. Now let's move on.
You know. So I had to find that balance. But
people really do appreciate it that, you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Because it's like like you said, it's like a release
of like, oh god, I've been holding inside.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, and then how do you release? Then? Is it
part of release for you? It is? It is, And
but I have to find that that space of okay,
is this funny? You know, because you could go easily
go on a ramp and there's no joke. So it's like, okay,
unless you find a joke, you know, you can't talk
(19:49):
about it. You got it. It has to be a joke. Yeah,
it has to be funny. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I'm sure everybody's asking me about the Kevin harbrose. That's
been the topic of conversation is when like when is
it okay to say certain things?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Right? Uh, in the frame of a joke? Right? And
so it's gotta be funny. Is that the rule for you?
It's got to be funny. It's gotta be funny. Yeah,
that George flod joke was not funny, not funny. It
was such a stretch, was reach. But I got to
be honest, I don't think a lot of that ship
(20:26):
was funny. A lot of it was not funny. It
was that bitch was funny. You're a whole it's not
even jokes. I didn't think any of that ship was funny.
A lot of it was not. I'm like, it's not
a joke, it's not a little bit of a dark
sense of humor. Like, yeah, I could go dark too.
Yeah you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah, you can say some low shit, but it is funny, right,
But I think everybody has their own line.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
It was just a lot of lazy you know. I'm
just being about being black and and just racist and
just a lot of lazy ship. It's like, come on,
it's a rose be funny. Do better, do better? Come on,
do better? Word do better. Yeah, it's tricky because you know,
we want we want keV to do well. Yeah, yeah,
(21:13):
come on, there's so much you can joke on Kevin.
You know me, right.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
You.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Know man? Yeah, I mean come on, heaven is he
just needs attention. He wants attention. He's he would do it.
He would do an ad for the hunting virus. He would.
There's plenty of place. Yeah, come on, yeah, would you
would you let somebody roast to you? No? Right, I don't.
(21:44):
I don't need it. I don't care, you know, no.
But it's just so brutal.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Even though one of even the Justin Bieber when I
saw and the Tom Brady one, and I think.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Why do people? Why would you sit in that chair? Right?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
And here's the thing I have. I have friends for that. Yeah,
I have good friends that roast the ship out of me.
Keith Robinson, I mean fifteen minutes for him. I'm like, okay,
all right, that's enough, you know, you know it's yeah,
but it's they can roast me.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
They love me. Yeah, so my friends they know things
about me, they can roast me. That's THEO. But a
bunch of strangers and some just average white boys come
up and say shit to me, they would still be
pulling me off of Tony his cliff right now. You
know what I'm saying, I wear that ass out. I'm
not now, you're just not gonna call me out my
(22:39):
name for them? Has that ever happened to you? Has
any have you ever had to like check somebody at
the show or.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Because comedians sometimes they could cross the line.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
You know what. I don't even I don't even uh
like do the back and forth because people then, you know,
and I tell them, look, people ain't ain't paying their
money to come in here to hear you get this
bullshit you doing? You know, so I shut them down
real quick and then they, you know, want to keep
going and I just get them out of there. Yeah smart,
yeah yeah. But even like in.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Their crew, like you say, you have friends that will
roast you right or backstage and all the Conadians talking
ship like you've never had to like I don't know,
like check somebody like or but it's but it's comedy,
you know.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah, oh, so you could take it absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
You know, like see, I don't know if I'm built
for that, you know what I'm saying, Like, right, I could,
I could take a joke.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Yeah, but I have a little line in the sand.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
And so I even in my career because you don't
be around right and so and I could talk shit
with guys like I.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Can't but we get you know.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
But every now and then, a couple of times I've
had to be like.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Hey, don't do that, right, is that? Oh yeah you
know likely oh yeah yeah yeah, And then they're like, wow,
I thought it.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Was right, you know, but every now and that, people
across the line, Oh yeah, and I can only.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Imagine in your world. Yeah yeah, but put them put
them in that place. You gotta let them know. It's
so funny, like especially and in in the you know,
in the queer community. Uh, like, I have to check
check some some gay guys because what do you mean,
(24:31):
because they just they just too a little bit too
you know, too loose with the bitch. Yeah, bitch, bitch.
And I'm like I said, I'm telling you right now,
I'm not I'm only gonna be like two bitches. You
get two bitches, and then then we're gonna have a problem.
I'm a sixty two year old black woman. You I
ain't gonna be your little bitch, don't you know? I
(24:54):
got two with me. I got to. I got two bitches,
and that's about it. Use them wisely, you don't. You
better make them count. That's really fun, even if it's
with love. Even Yes, yeah, you got to and you
(25:15):
get to. That's really funny. Oh that's really good.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
You're very open to in your specials about your your life,
your marriage, your your children, you being the only black
woman in your household and.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
The challenges that presents for you. That's right.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But there was something positive too that you said. Oh
uh was it about playing about.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah, you know, growing up was always you know, stop playing,
stop playing. Yeah, but way too much. You play too much.
But what you learn from your white family they play
all the time. Playing is okay.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Sometimes site people play all the time. I'm like, damn,
do'll play a lot? They just make up ship just
playing like and it would annoy me, like what hey, hey, hey,
come on.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Just just cat y'all, just sit still, you know, at
the dinner table they just playing ding ding and I'm like, hey,
it bothers me. And They're like, come on what I'm like, okay,
that's right, there's nothing nothing, No one's getting hurt.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
We're having a good time. Yeah, so yeah, we play.
You've learned from your family from my family. How's that
going though? Are you like, have you made the progress?
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yes? Can you? Yeah? I can play. I can play.
I can play it. And then when it gets too much,
then I leave the room and they crack up there.
Then you know, they just started laughing, like it's like, look,
I knew she wouldn't take it. I knew she couldn't
take it. She could take but yeah, it's it's uh,
it's interesting because they don't have to think about things,
you know, like like we were going go on a
(27:05):
walk and I'm staying on the path, you know, and
they just can just wander off, and I'm like, you're
not supposed to be over there to pick over you
on the path.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
That's why they made the path, and they just wandered off,
you know, free, free, but they you know, they just
have that that that freedom.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
It's like a whole life that you've created for yourself
where you can constantly learn, analyze, see the difference and experiences. Yeah,
you're right, because it was so funny. I was at
my son plays tennis, and I was he had a
match and they you know, the courts, they didn't have
(27:50):
any bleachers or whatever, so like most tennis so and
I noticed like he was on this side of the court,
so I wanted to watch him, you know, from from
from behind so I can watch see what his swing
is doing. And but no one was over there. So
I was like, I guess, you know, maybe you're not
(28:11):
supposed to sit on that side, you know, where the
grass is, so I just standing on the other side.
So after he said, did you get any video of
me from from the back? I said, nas, I wanted
to go over there, but I didn't see anybody you know,
over there, so I didn't think you were allowed. He
was like what like like it was like I wasn't
even speaking English. He was like, wait what I said allowed?
(28:33):
He said, what do you mean? I said what? It
wasn't so I didn't see anybody over there, so I
didn't think. He was like, but why would you think?
And he was like, I don't understand. I was like,
I forgot you a white man. You don't you don't understand?
You do understand? I said, I got a whole thing
in my head, you know, didn't want to go over there.
And somebody said, hey, you know, I never want somebody
to tell me you're not supposed to be be somewhere,
(28:55):
so and he just he just was like, doesn't understand,
Like like his head was gonna explode, like what the what?
But it's weird. It's weird that I think that about
things like that. But yet I'll go on stage and
say whatever the fun I want to say, I don't like.
Maybe that's why I enjoy it because you people can't
tell me what you know I'm not allowed to do. Yeah,
(29:19):
that's freedom. Yeah. How does the family manage you going
on stage and sharing so much of this? How does that?
What's the dynamic of that my kids are now at
the age where they would rather not be in the show. Uh,
my wife out. She loves being in the show. She
loves it as long as I'm nice to her on
(29:42):
the show. Yeah, but she doesn't smoke. That's how I
see her. Just yeah, that's really funny. Yeah, but you know,
as long as I'm you know, not dissing her anything.
She's she loves. She's a good sport. She was a
great sports. And you've been married? How many years? Oh?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (30:01):
A lot? Well we met and met in six so
we've been together for like twenty years. Wow, married, it'll
be eighteen. Yes, we married before, you were married before. Yeah,
two marriages, no one I was married. Yeah, if you
were married before and you're married now. Oh I thought
you said that I have two marriages. Marriages. Yes, yes,
(30:25):
you had a husband. I had a whole husband, and
now you have a whole wife, a whole wife, and
I mean obviously the wife is bad wife. Yeah, this
that works. I was trying something with the husband. I
was I was trying to make it work. I was
trying you like, let me see, let me try this,
and it didn't work.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
How fast did you know though? Like No, what were
you trying to try? Like, what were you trying to
Were you trying to prove something to me?
Speaker 1 (30:52):
No? I mean you know I had always dated guys. Yeah,
and so I guess. Yeah. It was just you know,
it wasn't in my mind like I shouldn't be doing this,
you know it I didn't. Yeah, I said, okay, this,
I can make this worry. It was just it was
just a bad relationship. Well then that doesn't Workyeah, exactly
doesn't matter, Yeah, exactly, Yeah, it doesn't. Yeah, baship, just
(31:15):
a bad relationship.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah, but it didn't scare you enough to not want
to try that again, because sometimes sometimes divorce people just
stay divorced.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
They're like, marriage is not for me.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah whatever, It's just it's hard to get up for
some people.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
You know, if you fall in love and it just
makes sense. I didn't think I wanted kids, you know,
but it just she wanted kids. Yeah, and you made
the decision to that. Yeah, Like why wouldn't I want
to raise a family with this person? What is it then?
What is it?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
What is the thing that you got right this time
that you got wrong last time in terms of being
a wife? And I don't know making a marriage work, like,
I'm sure you've had to learn.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I guess, yeah, just just growth. And it just made sense.
She was just you know, your person, that my person. Yeah, yeah,
it just made sense. And you were younger the first time, right, Yeah,
I mean I was in my twenties. So, I mean,
nobody know how to be married. I don't know. Yeah,
you know anything. Do twenty year olds know how to
be married? I don't. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Maybe you know, maybe somebody, somebody for sure, I didn't
have known how to be married. In my toys, I
really knew how to be myself in my toes. Yeah,
you're still trying to figure it out. You just had
a number two. What did you just had? Your sixties?
Sixty two?
Speaker 1 (32:33):
How sixties? Uh? How do you feel about that? Cassy Gussie,
Gussie yassy. So that is the headline. That's what I'm
getting out of sixties fifty five. Yeah, this is not
I need. I'm just letting you know I need. I
need to No sixties, It's give me the good stuff.
The good stuff is, Uh, if you're doing it right,
(32:54):
you know more about yourself, you know what your you
know what what you can take and you know what
you'll put up with. You don't you don't settle. Yeah,
you've you know, you've done this long enough. You know.
It's like now when I say I don't want to
do something, I just don't want to do it. I
(33:16):
don't want to do it, and I feel okay about that.
That's great. Yeah, I think I'm there. I'm almost there.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
You almost there, I might a quotes. I'm there because
somebody I care about feelings hurt.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
I still have a little leg right right, but you
because I think we understand how our precious time is
that part, right for sure, and especially like I see
like my my friends and you know, and I'm going
through also with like uh older parents and you have
(33:48):
to you know, be available for for for them and
so your time is precious. They don't prepare.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
They don't prepare us for that in life and not
at all having to take care of our parents.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Yeah, are you taking care of both right now? Well?
I mean my my my my dad you know, he's
physically you know, everything's there, but just mentally, you know,
short term memories is going. But my mom she's his
his you know, main caretaker. But they also you know,
(34:21):
live with my brother and his wife. So they you know,
they they're they have people. But I, you know, I
have to make sure I can also be involved and
get down there and spend time with them because I
also enjoy, you know, enjoy spending time with them. I
take my mom out to the casinos, give her a
little break and all. So yeah, yeah, that's fun. That's fun.
(34:42):
So yeah, no, but it's real. It's it's real.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
It's the thing that they don't prepare us for. No,
because financially it's a thing just their well being, is
caring for an adult. It's like, you don't think about
the fact that we have to do that in all
the houses.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
It's tricky. Yeah, but God blessed that they're still here
and you can do that.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
And yeah, gambling sounds like a great time. Like what
a blessing to be able to do that. All right,
I'm gonna go to the cards, Wanda. Okay, we'll go
into the car and then we have a bowl and
we have a voice.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
No.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
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Speaker 1 (36:04):
We have a feature called.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Our Voice Note where somebody sends you a message, just
usually a listener a fan of the pod. So this
is from what like somebody who works on the Sherfy.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Sheppership payn Swanda. My name is Brittany J.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
And I'm a comedy writer who's just turning out in
stand up. I recently had the opportunity to open up
for my boss. The first night went really well. I
had them cackl the honey. But the second night there
were people like walking to their seats during the whole set,
and I couldn't tell if people just weren't rocking with
me or if there were just too many distractions. So
I'm not a shy, like, I'm not shying from the people,
(36:37):
but with stand up, I feel like they're just staring
at you, like make me laugh right now. So it's
kind of stressful to me. And it's a practice set, right,
so I'm not really sure how to finagle. So my
question is, when you were starting out, if a room
wasn't really responding, did you pivot in real time to
try to win them back or did you stick to
the set and just rework it later? And how do
you know when a set is actually ready to perform?
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Huh, don't care. There's a long ass long.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
I know.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Okay, So what is the gist of the I was
gonna say, that's the gist of the question is do
you stay in the set? Right? Well? I think she
I mean she answered her her question in that long
(37:24):
ass question. You know what I'm saying. She's she's she's distracted.
She's talking about into the point fast. That's Number one
was edit. You have to edit, and that's what I
can tell by her question. So get to the point.
So yeah, if if there's if the room is that
there's a lot of distractions. Uh, you have to let
(37:45):
the room settle. So instead of going right to material,
have some things to warm up everybody. Okay, you you
know you gotta gotta get get their attention, get their
attention before. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Yeah, and I would imagine pivoting is it's part of
it's all. Yeah, that's part of it. If something's not working.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
You pivot. Yeah it's not working. You just a no,
I'm a dig deep. Yeah, I'm going in. No, No,
you gotta pivot. Yeah, work the room. Right, it's like
a good DJ. This song isn't work. You got exactly,
exactly get to the hook. That's right. No, we got
three more minutes on this.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Number one like when when young aspiring comedians, what what
is your like go to advice for somebody who's starting
in this space. And everybody's a comedian, I mean the
social media who have an Instagram page and that could
be a.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
I always tell them to write, right, it's about the
you know, you have to have the material. You could
be naturally funny, but what do you what are you saying?
And also the comics that I love you you learned
something about them, you know, or you when you walk
away you feel like I kind of like know how
(39:11):
this person operates, and you can remember something about them.
It was some place and the person is hilarious, and
then you walk out and go, I have no idea
what they said, but it was hilarious. You know it's
making me laugh. But you know, there's no takeaway. You
want people to leave a piece of you almost right,
(39:32):
and be able to tell someone one of the jokes
that's really something, something they can remember. How do you
do that? Like?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
What is that process? Even this legacy special? Like when
you're about to start writing, do you start with like
what's on your heart?
Speaker 1 (39:46):
What's in the world? How does that even? What's that process?
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Like?
Speaker 1 (39:50):
It's usually what's in the world? I start there and
then it's you know, what's going on with me? But
I you know, I tour for like at least two
years before working it out, before I becomes a special.
Do people always expect you to be funny? Yes? Is
that annoying? Yes? Yeah? Because you're not like a no
(40:13):
I am not. I'm not and and it's the thing
that really got to me was that the whole Larry
David thing, because now people think I'm this, you know,
crazy woman who just yells at you. So I would
get that a lot in airports, people coming up to
me wanting to cuss me out. Why what come on?
(40:36):
My mom's on the phone, tell her go fund herself.
I's wrong with you? Fuck is wrong with you? And
I ended up yelling at them anyway because they're you know,
because they annoyed me, Like why that's not who I am?
What's wrong with you? What should people know about who
(40:59):
you are?
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Versus the difference of like the comedian Wanda Sykes and
the in real life Wanda Sykes?
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Uh is there a separation and the yeah Wanda Sykes
on stage really you know, gives no fucks me?
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Yeah, I'm a lot. I think a lot of empathy.
I do care. I care you care? Yeah? Oh yeah?
Consensitive told you.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
All right, let's do some in real life questions. In
real life, what are you most proud of about your career?
But you're able to accomplish I'm my career longevity and
and I like how it's the climb. It's not you know,
it's no and then shoot up to the top or anything.
(42:02):
It's just steady work and growth and and I still
challenge myself, you know, still push Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Good for you. Yeah, I still love it. You do
still love it? Yeah as much? Yep. Wow. Is there
any dark sides to it or anything that's not fun
for you that you have to push through? I think
now it's it's a reflection of where we are in
(42:33):
the country. I think that's that's the part. Yeah, because before,
you know, we could laugh at each other. I could,
I could do a joke about you know, George Bush whatever,
and even Republicans or whatever, they would find it funny.
You know. It was like like, Okay, that's funny. But
(42:54):
you know, I don't agree. I don't agree with it,
but it's funny. That doesn't that doesn't exist anymore. We're
just so just just utterly just divided, and uh, it's
ugly and you know a lot of racism is just rampant.
So take some of the fun out of you too.
Oh yeah, it does. Yeah, because there's no like, I
(43:15):
don't know, there's just one side. Can't see the other
side at all.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
It's not even like I don't even see the humor
in your side, right, that makes it less fun? I'm sure, Yeah,
somebody like you make poke fun at things and you
can't even.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
Laugh at it.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Come on, guys, what about the difference between acting and
doing stand up? Because you've done so many movies, and
even in your movies, there's always I don't know, I
feel like you come into the movie with the way
you your style, and it's so unique to you that
it always adds.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
Like even if I saw recently Monster in Law and
you're so wander.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
Sikes in it and it's and it works so good
and it's so different than any how anybody else would
have played that character, Like, you really bring a uniqueness
to when you step into a film.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
I just wonder if that's just natural or it's well,
it's I think, why I get I get the part.
You know, it's what they what they want. They want
the one to sight. They'll they'll say, want the sights type.
I was like, well, I guess that's you know, let's
just get one sights, you know, get in there, get
in there for that. Right. Do you like that as
much or is it still it stands up It's still
(44:26):
your baby, right, stand up is still that's that's still
my baby. That's where it all started, you know. Uh,
it's still the most challenging. So I love stand up,
but the acting I love working with other people. That's fun. Hey, guys.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Support for this podcast is brought to you by Walden University.
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(45:06):
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by SHIV. All right, we have a bowl of in
real life questions, ready, Wanda, Sure there's a bowl here?
Speaker 1 (45:30):
Okay, Okay, go sorry, in real life ball all right,
what's one item on your bucket list that you want
to check off? Next? Do you have a bout. I'm
a little bucket list. Okay, I want to go to China.
Ah yeah, why there. I've been to Japan and since
(45:53):
I love. I just came back actually a month ago.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
It's the best of food, everything, the culture. Everything I
always say about Japan. It's like it's like if New
York cared about it itself. You know what I'm saying, Like,
if we got is perfect, right, That's how it feels like.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
You know, people leave it if it's raining, you could
just take an umbrella.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
People are just clean up. They clean up after themselves.
There's no trash.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
They're polite.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
In the subway subway rush, so you just everybody just
steps to the right. You can just you know, I
went on the subway. The seat is like material. I
was like, if this was in New York, the behold
and be stayed. Yeah, because we don't care. Those beautiful
toilets they have, I mean, lovely, lovely, So why can't
(46:46):
we be better? Better? Why can't we do that? I
could live there, I could live in easy easy. Well
my uh who told George Wallace we were talking about Japan.
He said, no, go to China. He said, if you
go to China. He said it would make Japan look
(47:06):
like New York. He told me that, he said, he said,
go to China. He said, go to China. So why
can't you go? You well, you're the wealthy yourself. Okay,
planning a trip to China? I will. I'm playing a
trip to China. That's what I want to do next. Okay.
In real life? What how often do you think about
your legacy? How often do I think about my legacy?
(47:27):
And you know what, only only time I think about
it is when a project is presented to me and
I'm on the fence if I want to do it
or not. You know, I go, do I need this?
I need this in my life? What is this going
to do? Are my kids going to see this eventually?
You know? So what that's that's when I think about it.
(47:50):
Behind yeah, m h yeah. What are your real life
pet peeves? My real life pet peeves or triggers could
be a trigger. Lobster mac and cheese. Whenever I see
lobster mac and cheese on a menu, I'm like, I
don't want to eat here. Why? Because it does? It does?
It shouldn't exist. It's not a thing. Lobster mac and
(48:12):
cheese is not a thing. When I see lobster mac
and cheese, it makes me think, One, you don't know
how to make mac and cheese. You need to lobster
in it, and you're ruining lobster putting all that cheese on. Ye.
That annoys me. You know how many places have lobster
mac and it's trash. Lobster mac and cheese is trash? Okay?
(48:42):
In real life?
Speaker 2 (48:43):
What is something that you are still chasing? Something that
you you still must accomplish and while you're here? Hmmm, wow,
is there something still?
Speaker 1 (48:53):
I have done so much. I don't think there's anything
I'm like chasing. Yeah, nothing is that? Peace? Is that
what peace looks like? I think that's I think it's
maybe I don't know about peace. Uh, gratitude and and
(49:16):
and I just know. And it's just the belief of
I know what what's for me, I will get it.
So yeah, I just let it, just let it come
to me. What do you pray for most? What I
pray for most?
Speaker 2 (49:31):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (49:32):
I guess health and uh protection of my my kids. Yeah,
I mean like health in general for everyone. I would
imagine that.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
You have a great pride, you know, you you mentioned
that you saw my Queen Latifa interview, Yes recently, and
just how out loud you've been you've lived your life
and and I mean as a black woman, as a woman,
as a woman in comedy, as a as a gay woman,
as a like, I don't feel like you've repped resent
so many.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
Things and you've done it so kind of matter of factly.
No really, just like not a lot of hoopla, not
a lot of you just no, no, no, you just
walk around kind of comfortable in your skin.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
And I just wonder how much of that is like
a sense of pride for you, yeah, and who you've
been able to represent for and put on for.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
I mean, yeah, I am. I I think about it,
and uh yeah, I just I just like to just
be just you know, yeah, because it wasn't but things
weren't like this no before.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
No.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
But I mean also that's that's growth when you when
you are comfortable in your own skin, and just I
just find that being authentic it's just so much easier.
I don't I don't need that's stress trying to be
someone else or you know, worrying about what other people
(51:04):
have and what I don't have. Now it's you know,
it's like this, this is the way it's supposed to be.
Was that always the case or did you have to
find that? I think I had to find that. Yeah,
and that comes I think that comes with faith also,
you know, my faith in God. I think that's that
definitely browns me. And it's an easier way to live, right,
(51:26):
It's so much easier. You know, we get that wrong though,
until we don't. Right.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
That's why when I see somebody living just you live
your life like it's you know, it just it's it's
good to see you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
I think a lot of people they struggle. You know,
people struggle with that, especially now we're their opinions on
every turn.
Speaker 2 (51:47):
Living in your truth's not always an easy thing or
taken for granted, you know, taking for granted that people
can do that.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
So yeah, so you represent well one O. Thank you.
All right, let's just go to the last question. It's
my favorite in the ball. If God were to text
you right now, well, I'm excited about what you're saying
to this. If God were to send you a text
right now to your phone, Linda, what would it say? Uh?
I think it would say, Oh, you know it would say, uh,
(52:22):
you might want to read your Bible a little bit more.
I think I think that's what he would say, Like, Hey,
put that put that wordle down. How about turned to Romans.
How about read a little bit in Romans and put
(52:42):
that put that wordle down. You know that's a good message. Yeah,
it's just very specific. Mesh. This is Onto Sikes in
real life. Hey guys, thanks for watching.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
Make sure you subscribe, like comments, and check out all
of the other episodes we have on Edge.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Martinez Iro Podcast
What are your real life pet peeves. Whenever I see
lobster mac and cheese on a menu, I'm like, I
don't want to eat here. Why it shouldn't exist. It's
not a thing. When I see lobster mac and cheese,
it makes me think, one, you don't know how to
make mac and cheese, that you need to put a lobster,
and you're ruining lobster. Hey, guys, this episode is brought
(00:24):
to you by boost Mobile.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Trail blazing comedian, Emmy winner, she is a fearless voice
in entertainment Today's Guests has spent nearly four decades redefining
comedy through sharp wit and cultural commentary. She is now
back with her newest Netflix special, Legacy, Wanda Sykes in
Real Life Today.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for this. Oh,
thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I went down to Wanda sikes rabbit hole the other day, okay,
and I want to thank you.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
All right because I had a really good times.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Funny, because I know you for so many years, watching
your work for so many years, you just seem like
this staple in our lives. But then I realized I
don't really know, like, but you're also private.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
In a weird way.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
Yeah, you walk this fine line of like, y'all know me,
you know exactly who I am, right, but so y'all.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Don't know shit. At the same time, I feel like
you walk that line. I'm somewhat you know, introverted also,
And yeah, yeah, how does that happen? As a comedian,
we are where we can? Yeah. I think it's because
we're always observing, you know, so we kind of like
(01:42):
sit back and just and just watch instead of uh,
you know, running the room or whatever. So yeah, and
I can get a little awkward too. I guess it's
social settings. Yeah, I do not like the schmooths and
mingle and.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
All that I enjoyed comedians so much on the pot
because because of that reason exactly, because you are observers
and so you sit Do you judge us a little bit?
Speaker 1 (02:11):
You do? I'm getting better with it. I'm trying. I'm
trying not too, but yeah, the.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Habit of that Your job as a as a great
comedian is to look around point out the ship that
we see. But we we can't really wrap our minds around, right,
But you're doing that all day every day.
Speaker 1 (02:34):
Right Somewhat.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
I mean, I can turn it off? You can, Yeah,
I can turn it off, but but can you?
Speaker 1 (02:41):
I can? And I think that's why I like doing
things like jigsaw puzzles. I have to have something else,
you know, going one to keep in mind from from
you know, looking around.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
And because I would imagine living life like that all
the time. It's good because you're like self aware, you
think things through. But also it keeps you in your
brain all the time, right, Like your mind is like
always animal pisces.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
So what does that mean? Oh, pisces were in our
heads a lot all the time, all the time. Yeah,
So when did this happen to you?
Speaker 2 (03:16):
Like what age do you, like, at what point in
your life as a child or a young person do
you think does it come clear to you that this
that you're Yeah, I've been like this a long time.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
Yeah. As a kid, yeah, I would get in trouble
because my mom said, uh that I would talk too much,
you know, and I think what she meant, Like, as
a kid, I would say things maybe out of turn
or I had opinions and uh, and also I was
very observant. I would say things that would like embarrass them,
(03:51):
like you know, her her friend would come over and
and I would, you know, I tell her like her
wig was crooked, you know, and stuff like that, and
you yeah, yeah, they weren't going, Yeah, like why is
your part over here? You know, stuff like that. And
it was embarrassing. So they would whenever they had company over,
they would uh send me over to my grandmother's. They
(04:13):
didn't even want me in the house when they had
a company because they thought I was gonna Yeah that
was like a little you know, like a little tom bomb.
So they they would send me away. But what is that?
Speaker 2 (04:23):
Is that natural or is that like environment or is
that I don't know, is that a god giving gifts?
Speaker 1 (04:28):
Like I didn't have. I guess I didn't have a filter.
You know, I was too young to know. Oh you're
not supposed to say these things, you know, but people
would laughing. Yeah, Like to me, I had to I
had to set up, but no punchlines, you know what
I'm saying. I would just give it to them straight.
So uh, after you know, several spankings and all, you know,
(04:52):
then I got it got better. I guess that I
became more entertaining because they would pay me to go
to my grandmother. Is that instead of just you know, punishment.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Gonna say, when did somebody say, you know what, maybe
there's some use for that.
Speaker 1 (05:07):
I guess like it in high school, Uh, you know,
I wasn't disruptive in class, but uh, they they definitely would,
you know, say like I was the class clown and
you know, and uh they you know, say you should
be on stage and things like that. But I didn't.
I never thought of it like that because you know,
did you probably didn't know anybody, didn't know anybody on stage,
(05:30):
you know, except for you know, uh some uncles whatever
were preachers. You know, that's you know, that was that's
about closer show business. Yeah, yes, and then in college
the same thing. Wow, they you know, people told me
I was funny, but yeah, it wasn't until like I
went inside. Did you say to yourself like maybe I
(05:53):
think when I was I had a real job. I
was working at NSA and I and I just said,
this is not what I was supposed to be doing.
I just felt it in my gut like I don't
belong here. And uh and I've heard about a talent
show on the radio, right, Yeah, I was scared. Yeah,
(06:14):
I said, comedy come, you know, comedians And I said,
you know what, I'm gonna it's an amateur thing. I'm
gonna try it, and I wrote jokes audition. They put
me on the show, and uh yeah I didn't win.
I had a great set. Yeah, I had a great set. Uh.
Tony Woods actually won. He was you know and uh yeah.
And the host, Andy Evans, he he was like, who
(06:38):
are you and I've never seen you at the comedy
club or anything. What you know. I was like first time. Yeah.
I was like, yeah, I got a job, you know,
and he said, well, no, you got to come out
to the clubs. And that's when I started working on it. Yeah, amazing. Wait,
so what were you doing at I was a contracting specialist,
especially I was shoped. I bought stuff. Yeah, you were
(07:00):
like this sucks or you liked it, you know, if
for a job in the government, and it's say, I
did enjoy that job. But then but after a while
I was like, this is not this is not what
I'm supposed to be doing. So you've seen this thing
for this amateur comedy night and nothing you and you
(07:20):
it's scared about that or nervous. So I didn't know
any better.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
You know, I'd never been to a comedy club and
you are you like it because you said you're like
reserve like a little sometimes a little right, so to
go out like there's no fear, there's no use.
Speaker 1 (07:35):
I didn't know any better. You know, I didn't have
I didn't have all the information. Only I you know,
I watched comedy comedians on TV and you know, they
go on stage and they tell jokes and people laugh.
That's all that I that's the information I had. So
I was like, oka, camel grout here, tell jokes and
people laugh, and it happened. So I was like, okay, cool.
(07:57):
It wasn't until I started going to the club US
and watching people bomb, and you know, that's the fear
kicked in, like, oh this could this could be go
horribly wrong. Like what am I subjecting myself to? This?
Is I am nuts? Nuts? Yeah? And that's when, yeah,
that's when the fear kicked in. Uh. And that's when
(08:18):
I started having you know, bombs, you know, doing bad shows.
But that funny, how do that? Like the mind is
so wild.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
Yeah, when you're like dumb and fearless, yeah, you're capable
of greatness.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
It's like anything because you're not scared, right, and and me.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
The idea of like, uh, getting on the stage and
telling jokes and then all these eyeballs looking at you
waiting for you to be funny is terrifying.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Like to me, that would be so I would be
so scared. Ye. Yeah, the fact that you were like, yeah,
you know, I'll go try this out right and the
audience feels that. So the audience saw me, I'm on
stage like, oh, she's calling, don't care. She don't care,
so I can laugh. But when you're on stage and
you're you know, your little little little timid, and they
(09:07):
sensed that and they're like, it's not okay.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
So you're on the stage the first night and you're
kind of killing it clearly, Yeah, it's everybody's who is she?
Speaker 1 (09:17):
Are you? What's happening to you? And that? Are you
feeling it? Are you? Like? Yeah, the light bulb went on.
It's like, oh, this is what I'm supposed to be doing.
You knew. I knew right away right away. Wow, that's
a great. People search their whole life they don't know
know right you get that work and there it is, yep,
and it all made sense. That must have felt amazing.
It did until you know, I go back to the
(09:40):
club and bomb. Then you're like, oh, maybe this is
not you know, but I stayed with this, so I said, no,
this is Yeah.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
It didn't discourage you enough to stop, right right, so
it all made sense. Well, were joking about that, Oh god,
it was you know, it was like Seinfeld type jokes.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
It was, you know, a lot of observations. And I
remember the first joke was about the remember that carboard,
the sunglasses, the auto shades, the thing you put it
in your window your pocket. Son, Well there's instructions on
the side of it. So I'm like, who needs these instructions?
(10:18):
You know, like you can't figure out how this works,
you know, like it tells you to remove it before
starting your car, Like really, you know that's good? Yeah,
that's good. Yeah, look at you writing jokes, jokes, joke jokes.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
Even the same job writing some jokes. And that was
how many years ago?
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Jesus? Oh wow, that was what ninety No, that was
eighty eight. Yeah, I started eighties. Yeah, I started my
first time, will say it was like eighty seven, eighty eight,
eighty seven.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Okay, So then they say, oh she's good, and you're
you're going out, You're doing the shrine and that moment
is a real moment in people's lives. People missed that
moment too, because the fear will kick in, or the
expectation will kick in. And think about nowadays, right, you
didn't have social media. You didn't have the fear of
like I'm going that stage and people at my job
(11:07):
are going to see me on Instagram?
Speaker 1 (11:09):
Yeah, right, And I don't know.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I just think sometimes people don't even get the engine
going because.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
M fear fear, yeah, cribbled by fear. Yeah, and it's
also the the fear of everyone in the fear of failure.
But sometimes it's just like they don't want to put
the work in because I think, uh, now things come
so so quickly, right, So, but back then, like I said,
(11:38):
we didn't have all that we you, we had to
go city to city and build the audience.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Uh break by brick wow.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
So yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:48):
And there's the part about that and taking that time
is that you you're honing your crack, you're learning how
to do it, you learn how to flop feels like, yeah,
what does that feel like?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Though? When you go out and it's it's not good, Oh,
it's horrible, horrible, feeling you can't sleep. You just you
think everybody knows, you know, like you're just like, yeah,
I know you saw that. People look like, what are
you talking about? You know, it's just horrible. Your food
doesn't even taste right, like it's it doesn't go away
(12:20):
until you have a good show your back, then you're back.
Speaker 2 (12:24):
So it's like an addiction in a way. Yeah, do
you feel like that becomes an addiction?
Speaker 1 (12:30):
Yeah? Absolutely, Yeah, absolutely, I mean you gotta have it.
It's like I gotta, I gotta get to the stage.
It was nothing worse than bombing on like a on
like a like a Friday or or Thursday, because back then,
you know, we only had open mics on it was
like Wednesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays sometimes Friday. So if you
(12:51):
bomb Friday, you couldn't get back on stage until Wednesday,
so your your weekend and everything.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Yeah, right, nasty, Yeah, oh terrible, that is terrible. It's
just it's been a long time since you had one
of those, right, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
It does that show up in different ways for you,
Like now as a season comedian, you don't bomb, but
these things maybe not work out the way you like,
do you have do you handle something like ticket sales. Yeah, yeah,
that if if you look out and it's like, man,
they had to close the balcony, and it's like, you know,
(13:30):
it's kind of that yeah, that that that feeling. Yeah
that or sometimes you know, or if you like, I
have a new bit and I'm like, oh, this is
gonna this is really gonna work, and and it doesn't.
But but I it doesn't bother me as much because
(13:51):
I you know, I know, I'm trying something new and
I know how to fix it, and I know, you know,
and so it's to me, it's it's it's growth. So
I I enjoy that. But yeah, right, ticket sales are
the things. Yeah, I'd imagine for everybody gives those rejections
like damn, nobody want to see me today, you know,
it's like what the hell? Yeah, like damn okay.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
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party started. We just interviewed Patty the Bell. We have
Patty on the pod. Okay, she's such a g I
(15:23):
love her. But she talks about earlier in her career,
knowing that moment, same moment you're talking about. She had
a moment like that she did somewhere over the rainbow
and she put it out and everybody responded in this
crazy way, and she was like, oh man, this is
I think I'm.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Actually good at this, like or whatever.
Speaker 2 (15:39):
But she said she she went out and she got
a standing ovation, and she says she's been chasing standing ovations.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Since since that time, like she works for the standing
for the standing ovation. Wow, So is that what a shoot?
She's eighty two? Yeah, maybe probably, And she's eighty two
and I feel like she's still still working for the
standing ovation. And some part of that makes me feel like, oh,
that's exhausting. But then also like maybe that has something
(16:09):
to do with why she's eighty two and has so
much life and so much joy and exuberants and passion
still all that because it's that thing yet whatever, the
thing is that fuel? Yeah, fuel?
Speaker 2 (16:20):
And then yeah, so I guess for you, it's it's
the is it the laughter?
Speaker 1 (16:25):
Is it? The connection?
Speaker 2 (16:27):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I don't know, people feeling seen you feeling like you
did well, like what is the thing that you feel
like what the Definitely the laughter, but it's a I
can I can almost like I can hear when I
can hear like the relief or the release in the laughter,
(16:51):
you know, like when you like they're laughing. But it's like, oh,
I so needed this, I see. Yeah. Yeah, when I
when I get that type of laugh it's yeah that
that feels great. Yeah, because it's it's you know, it
feels like I'm giving them medicine. You know, oh that
neighborly release. It's like, all right, cool, this is You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Yeah, you're welcome, especially now under the way, and you
have always liked politics and the state of the world
has always been part of your conversation, and I think
that is one of the it's just one of the
hardest things for people to deal with right now. Everybody's confused.
What kind of world is this?
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Right? What is happening to our country? There's so much sphere.
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Frustration, depression, Yeah, there's people. Yeah, and you don't even
know how to talk to people anymore. It's like scary,
it's scary to have conversations. And I feel like you
go out there on that front line and you crarect
a joke about it.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Yeah, which people, I mean, they want it. They And
I had a hard time with that as far as
like how much of it too you know for it
to be in the show. You know, I did have
to have to like really like think about that because
(18:15):
at one point it was like, is this too much?
You know, because we're just bombarded with this crap all day?
Do they want to just laugh about, you know, silly
stuff or do they want to actually handle this real,
real truth, you know, what's going on? And I noticed
(18:38):
that when I would just go you know, hey, you know,
we know everything sucks, so let's just you know, let's
just have some fun that I would see in their
faces like no, that's not this isn't what you do, wander,
this is no. We want we want what you do
to talk about. Let's talk about it. And then I
(19:00):
would some shows I would really just go off and
then I can see their face like, Okay, now let's
let's move on. You're doing too much. Now let's move on.
You know. So I had to find that balance. But
people really do appreciate it that, you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:20):
Because it's like like you said, it's like a release
of like, oh god, I've been holding inside.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah, and then how do you release? Then? Is it
part of release for you? It is? It is, And
but I have to find that that space of okay,
is this funny? You know, because you could go easily
go on a ramp and there's no joke. So it's like, okay,
unless you find a joke, you know, you can't talk
(19:49):
about it. You got it. It has to be a joke. Yeah,
it has to be funny. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I'm sure everybody's asking me about the Kevin harbrose. That's
been the topic of conversation is when like when is
it okay to say certain things?
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Right? Uh, in the frame of a joke? Right? And
so it's gotta be funny. Is that the rule for you?
It's got to be funny. It's gotta be funny. Yeah,
that George flod joke was not funny, not funny. It
was such a stretch, was reach. But I got to
be honest, I don't think a lot of that ship
(20:26):
was funny. A lot of it was not funny. It
was that bitch was funny. You're a whole it's not
even jokes. I didn't think any of that ship was funny.
A lot of it was not. I'm like, it's not
a joke, it's not a little bit of a dark
sense of humor. Like, yeah, I could go dark too.
Yeah you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Yeah, you can say some low shit, but it is funny, right,
But I think everybody has their own line.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
It was just a lot of lazy you know. I'm
just being about being black and and just racist and
just a lot of lazy ship. It's like, come on,
it's a rose be funny. Do better, do better? Come on,
do better? Word do better. Yeah, it's tricky because you know,
we want we want keV to do well. Yeah, yeah,
(21:13):
come on, there's so much you can joke on Kevin.
You know me, right.
Speaker 2 (21:19):
You.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
Know man? Yeah, I mean come on, heaven is he
just needs attention. He wants attention. He's he would do it.
He would do an ad for the hunting virus. He would.
There's plenty of place. Yeah, come on, yeah, would you
would you let somebody roast to you? No? Right, I don't.
(21:44):
I don't need it. I don't care, you know, no.
But it's just so brutal.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
Even though one of even the Justin Bieber when I
saw and the Tom Brady one, and I think.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Why do people? Why would you sit in that chair? Right?
Speaker 2 (21:58):
And here's the thing I have. I have friends for that. Yeah,
I have good friends that roast the ship out of me.
Keith Robinson, I mean fifteen minutes for him. I'm like, okay,
all right, that's enough, you know, you know it's yeah,
but it's they can roast me.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
They love me. Yeah, so my friends they know things
about me, they can roast me. That's THEO. But a
bunch of strangers and some just average white boys come
up and say shit to me, they would still be
pulling me off of Tony his cliff right now. You
know what I'm saying, I wear that ass out. I'm
not now, you're just not gonna call me out my
(22:39):
name for them? Has that ever happened to you? Has
any have you ever had to like check somebody at
the show or.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Because comedians sometimes they could cross the line.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
You know what. I don't even I don't even uh
like do the back and forth because people then, you know,
and I tell them, look, people ain't ain't paying their
money to come in here to hear you get this
bullshit you doing? You know, so I shut them down
real quick and then they, you know, want to keep
going and I just get them out of there. Yeah smart,
yeah yeah. But even like in.
Speaker 2 (23:10):
Their crew, like you say, you have friends that will
roast you right or backstage and all the Conadians talking
ship like you've never had to like I don't know,
like check somebody like or but it's but it's comedy,
you know.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Yeah, oh, so you could take it absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2 (23:30):
You know, like see, I don't know if I'm built
for that, you know what I'm saying, Like, right, I could,
I could take a joke.
Speaker 1 (23:37):
Yeah, but I have a little line in the sand.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
And so I even in my career because you don't
be around right and so and I could talk shit
with guys like I.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Can't but we get you know.
Speaker 2 (23:50):
But every now and then, a couple of times I've
had to be like.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
Hey, don't do that, right, is that? Oh yeah you
know likely oh yeah yeah yeah, And then they're like, wow,
I thought it.
Speaker 2 (24:03):
Was right, you know, but every now and that, people
across the line, Oh yeah, and I can only.
Speaker 1 (24:08):
Imagine in your world. Yeah yeah, but put them put
them in that place. You gotta let them know. It's
so funny, like especially and in in the you know,
in the queer community. Uh, like, I have to check
check some some gay guys because what do you mean,
(24:31):
because they just they just too a little bit too
you know, too loose with the bitch. Yeah, bitch, bitch.
And I'm like I said, I'm telling you right now,
I'm not I'm only gonna be like two bitches. You
get two bitches, and then then we're gonna have a problem.
I'm a sixty two year old black woman. You I
ain't gonna be your little bitch, don't you know? I
(24:54):
got two with me. I got to. I got two bitches,
and that's about it. Use them wisely, you don't. You
better make them count. That's really fun, even if it's
with love. Even Yes, yeah, you got to and you
(25:15):
get to. That's really funny. Oh that's really good.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
You're very open to in your specials about your your life,
your marriage, your your children, you being the only black
woman in your household and.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
The challenges that presents for you. That's right.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
But there was something positive too that you said. Oh
uh was it about playing about.
Speaker 1 (25:46):
Yeah, you know, growing up was always you know, stop playing,
stop playing. Yeah, but way too much. You play too much.
But what you learn from your white family they play
all the time. Playing is okay.
Speaker 2 (25:59):
Sometimes site people play all the time. I'm like, damn,
do'll play a lot? They just make up ship just
playing like and it would annoy me, like what hey, hey, hey,
come on.
Speaker 1 (26:15):
Just just cat y'all, just sit still, you know, at
the dinner table they just playing ding ding and I'm like, hey,
it bothers me. And They're like, come on what I'm like, okay,
that's right, there's nothing nothing, No one's getting hurt.
Speaker 2 (26:31):
We're having a good time. Yeah, so yeah, we play.
You've learned from your family from my family. How's that
going though? Are you like, have you made the progress?
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Yes? Can you? Yeah? I can play. I can play.
I can play it. And then when it gets too much,
then I leave the room and they crack up there.
Then you know, they just started laughing, like it's like, look,
I knew she wouldn't take it. I knew she couldn't
take it. She could take but yeah, it's it's uh,
it's interesting because they don't have to think about things,
you know, like like we were going go on a
(27:05):
walk and I'm staying on the path, you know, and
they just can just wander off, and I'm like, you're
not supposed to be over there to pick over you
on the path.
Speaker 2 (27:16):
That's why they made the path, and they just wandered off,
you know, free, free, but they you know, they just
have that that that freedom.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
It's like a whole life that you've created for yourself
where you can constantly learn, analyze, see the difference and experiences. Yeah,
you're right, because it was so funny. I was at
my son plays tennis, and I was he had a
match and they you know, the courts, they didn't have
(27:50):
any bleachers or whatever, so like most tennis so and
I noticed like he was on this side of the court,
so I wanted to watch him, you know, from from
from behind so I can watch see what his swing
is doing. And but no one was over there. So
I was like, I guess, you know, maybe you're not
(28:11):
supposed to sit on that side, you know, where the
grass is, so I just standing on the other side.
So after he said, did you get any video of
me from from the back? I said, nas, I wanted
to go over there, but I didn't see anybody you know,
over there, so I didn't think you were allowed. He
was like what like like it was like I wasn't
even speaking English. He was like, wait what I said allowed?
(28:33):
He said, what do you mean? I said what? It
wasn't so I didn't see anybody over there, so I
didn't think. He was like, but why would you think?
And he was like, I don't understand. I was like,
I forgot you a white man. You don't you don't understand?
You do understand? I said, I got a whole thing
in my head, you know, didn't want to go over there.
And somebody said, hey, you know, I never want somebody
to tell me you're not supposed to be be somewhere,
(28:55):
so and he just he just was like, doesn't understand,
Like like his head was gonna explode, like what the what?
But it's weird. It's weird that I think that about
things like that. But yet I'll go on stage and
say whatever the fun I want to say, I don't like.
Maybe that's why I enjoy it because you people can't
tell me what you know I'm not allowed to do. Yeah,
(29:19):
that's freedom. Yeah. How does the family manage you going
on stage and sharing so much of this? How does that?
What's the dynamic of that my kids are now at
the age where they would rather not be in the show. Uh,
my wife out. She loves being in the show. She
loves it as long as I'm nice to her on
(29:42):
the show. Yeah, but she doesn't smoke. That's how I
see her. Just yeah, that's really funny. Yeah, but you know,
as long as I'm you know, not dissing her anything.
She's she loves. She's a good sport. She was a
great sports. And you've been married? How many years? Oh?
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Wow?
Speaker 1 (30:01):
A lot? Well we met and met in six so
we've been together for like twenty years. Wow, married, it'll
be eighteen. Yes, we married before, you were married before. Yeah,
two marriages, no one I was married. Yeah, if you
were married before and you're married now. Oh I thought
you said that I have two marriages. Marriages. Yes, yes,
(30:25):
you had a husband. I had a whole husband, and
now you have a whole wife, a whole wife, and
I mean obviously the wife is bad wife. Yeah, this
that works. I was trying something with the husband. I
was I was trying to make it work. I was
trying you like, let me see, let me try this,
and it didn't work.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
How fast did you know though? Like No, what were
you trying to try? Like, what were you trying to
Were you trying to prove something to me?
Speaker 1 (30:52):
No? I mean you know I had always dated guys. Yeah,
and so I guess. Yeah. It was just you know,
it wasn't in my mind like I shouldn't be doing this,
you know it I didn't. Yeah, I said, okay, this,
I can make this worry. It was just it was
just a bad relationship. Well then that doesn't Workyeah, exactly
doesn't matter, Yeah, exactly, Yeah, it doesn't. Yeah, baship, just
(31:15):
a bad relationship.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
Yeah, but it didn't scare you enough to not want
to try that again, because sometimes sometimes divorce people just
stay divorced.
Speaker 1 (31:23):
They're like, marriage is not for me.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
Yeah whatever, It's just it's hard to get up for
some people.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
You know, if you fall in love and it just
makes sense. I didn't think I wanted kids, you know,
but it just she wanted kids. Yeah, and you made
the decision to that. Yeah, Like why wouldn't I want
to raise a family with this person? What is it then?
What is it?
Speaker 2 (31:45):
What is the thing that you got right this time
that you got wrong last time in terms of being
a wife? And I don't know making a marriage work, like,
I'm sure you've had to learn.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
I guess, yeah, just just growth. And it just made sense.
She was just you know, your person, that my person. Yeah, yeah,
it just made sense. And you were younger the first time, right, Yeah,
I mean I was in my twenties. So, I mean,
nobody know how to be married. I don't know. Yeah,
you know anything. Do twenty year olds know how to
be married? I don't. I don't know.
Speaker 2 (32:18):
Maybe you know, maybe somebody, somebody for sure, I didn't
have known how to be married. In my toys, I
really knew how to be myself in my toes. Yeah,
you're still trying to figure it out. You just had
a number two. What did you just had? Your sixties?
Sixty two?
Speaker 1 (32:33):
How sixties? Uh? How do you feel about that? Cassy Gussie,
Gussie yassy. So that is the headline. That's what I'm
getting out of sixties fifty five. Yeah, this is not
I need. I'm just letting you know I need. I
need to No sixties, It's give me the good stuff.
The good stuff is, Uh, if you're doing it right,
(32:54):
you know more about yourself, you know what your you
know what what you can take and you know what
you'll put up with. You don't you don't settle. Yeah,
you've you know, you've done this long enough. You know.
It's like now when I say I don't want to
do something, I just don't want to do it. I
(33:16):
don't want to do it, and I feel okay about that.
That's great. Yeah, I think I'm there. I'm almost there.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
You almost there, I might a quotes. I'm there because
somebody I care about feelings hurt.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
I still have a little leg right right, but you
because I think we understand how our precious time is
that part, right for sure, and especially like I see
like my my friends and you know, and I'm going
through also with like uh older parents and you have
(33:48):
to you know, be available for for for them and
so your time is precious. They don't prepare.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
They don't prepare us for that in life and not
at all having to take care of our parents.
Speaker 1 (34:01):
Yeah, are you taking care of both right now? Well?
I mean my my my my dad you know, he's
physically you know, everything's there, but just mentally, you know,
short term memories is going. But my mom she's his
his you know, main caretaker. But they also you know,
(34:21):
live with my brother and his wife. So they you know,
they they're they have people. But I, you know, I
have to make sure I can also be involved and
get down there and spend time with them because I
also enjoy, you know, enjoy spending time with them. I
take my mom out to the casinos, give her a
little break and all. So yeah, yeah, that's fun. That's fun.
(34:42):
So yeah, no, but it's real. It's it's real.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
It's the thing that they don't prepare us for. No,
because financially it's a thing just their well being, is
caring for an adult. It's like, you don't think about
the fact that we have to do that in all
the houses.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
It's tricky. Yeah, but God blessed that they're still here
and you can do that.
Speaker 2 (35:03):
And yeah, gambling sounds like a great time. Like what
a blessing to be able to do that. All right,
I'm gonna go to the cards, Wanda. Okay, we'll go
into the car and then we have a bowl and
we have a voice.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
No.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
Hey, guys, you ever signed up for a phone plan
thinking wow, what a great price, and then a few
months later it's like, surprise, your bill is higher.
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We hate that.
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Speaker 1 (36:04):
We have a feature called.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Our Voice Note where somebody sends you a message, just
usually a listener a fan of the pod. So this
is from what like somebody who works on the Sherfy.
Speaker 1 (36:14):
Sheppership payn Swanda. My name is Brittany J.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
And I'm a comedy writer who's just turning out in
stand up. I recently had the opportunity to open up
for my boss. The first night went really well. I
had them cackl the honey. But the second night there
were people like walking to their seats during the whole set,
and I couldn't tell if people just weren't rocking with
me or if there were just too many distractions. So
I'm not a shy, like, I'm not shying from the people,
(36:37):
but with stand up, I feel like they're just staring
at you, like make me laugh right now. So it's
kind of stressful to me. And it's a practice set, right,
so I'm not really sure how to finagle. So my
question is, when you were starting out, if a room
wasn't really responding, did you pivot in real time to
try to win them back or did you stick to
the set and just rework it later? And how do
you know when a set is actually ready to perform?
Speaker 1 (36:59):
Huh, don't care. There's a long ass long.
Speaker 3 (37:03):
I know.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Okay, So what is the gist of the I was
gonna say, that's the gist of the question is do
you stay in the set? Right? Well? I think she
I mean she answered her her question in that long
(37:24):
ass question. You know what I'm saying. She's she's she's distracted.
She's talking about into the point fast. That's Number one
was edit. You have to edit, and that's what I
can tell by her question. So get to the point.
So yeah, if if there's if the room is that
there's a lot of distractions. Uh, you have to let
(37:45):
the room settle. So instead of going right to material,
have some things to warm up everybody. Okay, you you
know you gotta gotta get get their attention, get their
attention before. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (38:00):
Yeah, and I would imagine pivoting is it's part of
it's all. Yeah, that's part of it. If something's not working.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
You pivot. Yeah it's not working. You just a no,
I'm a dig deep. Yeah, I'm going in. No, No,
you gotta pivot. Yeah, work the room. Right, it's like
a good DJ. This song isn't work. You got exactly,
exactly get to the hook. That's right. No, we got
three more minutes on this.
Speaker 2 (38:33):
Number one like when when young aspiring comedians, what what
is your like go to advice for somebody who's starting
in this space. And everybody's a comedian, I mean the
social media who have an Instagram page and that could
be a.
Speaker 1 (38:50):
I always tell them to write, right, it's about the
you know, you have to have the material. You could
be naturally funny, but what do you what are you saying?
And also the comics that I love you you learned
something about them, you know, or you when you walk
away you feel like I kind of like know how
(39:11):
this person operates, and you can remember something about them.
It was some place and the person is hilarious, and
then you walk out and go, I have no idea
what they said, but it was hilarious. You know it's
making me laugh. But you know, there's no takeaway. You
want people to leave a piece of you almost right,
(39:32):
and be able to tell someone one of the jokes
that's really something, something they can remember. How do you
do that? Like?
Speaker 2 (39:38):
What is that process? Even this legacy special? Like when
you're about to start writing, do you start with like
what's on your heart?
Speaker 1 (39:46):
What's in the world? How does that even? What's that process?
Speaker 3 (39:50):
Like?
Speaker 1 (39:50):
It's usually what's in the world? I start there and
then it's you know, what's going on with me? But
I you know, I tour for like at least two
years before working it out, before I becomes a special.
Do people always expect you to be funny? Yes? Is
that annoying? Yes? Yeah? Because you're not like a no
(40:13):
I am not. I'm not and and it's the thing
that really got to me was that the whole Larry
David thing, because now people think I'm this, you know,
crazy woman who just yells at you. So I would
get that a lot in airports, people coming up to
me wanting to cuss me out. Why what come on?
(40:36):
My mom's on the phone, tell her go fund herself.
I's wrong with you? Fuck is wrong with you? And
I ended up yelling at them anyway because they're you know,
because they annoyed me, Like why that's not who I am?
What's wrong with you? What should people know about who
(40:59):
you are?
Speaker 2 (40:59):
Versus the difference of like the comedian Wanda Sykes and
the in real life Wanda Sykes?
Speaker 1 (41:07):
Uh is there a separation and the yeah Wanda Sykes
on stage really you know, gives no fucks me?
Speaker 2 (41:22):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (41:23):
Yeah, I'm a lot. I think a lot of empathy.
I do care. I care you care? Yeah? Oh yeah?
Consensitive told you.
Speaker 2 (41:40):
All right, let's do some in real life questions. In
real life, what are you most proud of about your career?
But you're able to accomplish I'm my career longevity and
and I like how it's the climb. It's not you know,
it's no and then shoot up to the top or anything.
(42:02):
It's just steady work and growth and and I still
challenge myself, you know, still push Yeah.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
Good for you. Yeah, I still love it. You do
still love it? Yeah as much? Yep. Wow. Is there
any dark sides to it or anything that's not fun
for you that you have to push through? I think
now it's it's a reflection of where we are in
(42:33):
the country. I think that's that's the part. Yeah, because before,
you know, we could laugh at each other. I could,
I could do a joke about you know, George Bush whatever,
and even Republicans or whatever, they would find it funny.
You know. It was like like, Okay, that's funny. But
(42:54):
you know, I don't agree. I don't agree with it,
but it's funny. That doesn't that doesn't exist anymore. We're
just so just just utterly just divided, and uh, it's
ugly and you know a lot of racism is just rampant.
So take some of the fun out of you too.
Oh yeah, it does. Yeah, because there's no like, I
(43:15):
don't know, there's just one side. Can't see the other
side at all.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
It's not even like I don't even see the humor
in your side, right, that makes it less fun? I'm sure, Yeah,
somebody like you make poke fun at things and you
can't even.
Speaker 1 (43:27):
Laugh at it.
Speaker 2 (43:29):
Come on, guys, what about the difference between acting and
doing stand up? Because you've done so many movies, and
even in your movies, there's always I don't know, I
feel like you come into the movie with the way
you your style, and it's so unique to you that
it always adds.
Speaker 1 (43:48):
Like even if I saw recently Monster in Law and
you're so wander.
Speaker 2 (43:54):
Sikes in it and it's and it works so good
and it's so different than any how anybody else would
have played that character, Like, you really bring a uniqueness
to when you step into a film.
Speaker 1 (44:05):
I just wonder if that's just natural or it's well,
it's I think, why I get I get the part.
You know, it's what they what they want. They want
the one to sight. They'll they'll say, want the sights type.
I was like, well, I guess that's you know, let's
just get one sights, you know, get in there, get
in there for that. Right. Do you like that as
much or is it still it stands up It's still
(44:26):
your baby, right, stand up is still that's that's still
my baby. That's where it all started, you know. Uh,
it's still the most challenging. So I love stand up,
but the acting I love working with other people. That's fun. Hey, guys.
Speaker 2 (44:44):
Support for this podcast is brought to you by Walden University.
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(45:06):
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Speaker 1 (45:07):
To build the future that you want.
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And you can make a difference where it matters most.
If you've been waiting for the right moment, this is it.
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by SHIV. All right, we have a bowl of in
real life questions, ready, Wanda, Sure there's a bowl here?
Speaker 1 (45:30):
Okay, Okay, go sorry, in real life ball all right,
what's one item on your bucket list that you want
to check off? Next? Do you have a bout. I'm
a little bucket list. Okay, I want to go to China.
Ah yeah, why there. I've been to Japan and since
(45:53):
I love. I just came back actually a month ago.
Speaker 2 (45:57):
It's the best of food, everything, the culture. Everything I
always say about Japan. It's like it's like if New
York cared about it itself. You know what I'm saying, Like,
if we got is perfect, right, That's how it feels like.
Speaker 1 (46:15):
You know, people leave it if it's raining, you could
just take an umbrella.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
People are just clean up. They clean up after themselves.
There's no trash.
Speaker 1 (46:23):
They're polite.
Speaker 2 (46:24):
Yes.
Speaker 1 (46:25):
In the subway subway rush, so you just everybody just
steps to the right. You can just you know, I
went on the subway. The seat is like material. I
was like, if this was in New York, the behold
and be stayed. Yeah, because we don't care. Those beautiful
toilets they have, I mean, lovely, lovely, So why can't
(46:46):
we be better? Better? Why can't we do that? I
could live there, I could live in easy easy. Well
my uh who told George Wallace we were talking about Japan.
He said, no, go to China. He said, if you
go to China. He said it would make Japan look
(47:06):
like New York. He told me that, he said, he said,
go to China. He said, go to China. So why
can't you go? You well, you're the wealthy yourself. Okay,
planning a trip to China? I will. I'm playing a
trip to China. That's what I want to do next. Okay.
In real life? What how often do you think about
your legacy? How often do I think about my legacy?
(47:27):
And you know what, only only time I think about
it is when a project is presented to me and
I'm on the fence if I want to do it
or not. You know, I go, do I need this?
I need this in my life? What is this going
to do? Are my kids going to see this eventually?
You know? So what that's that's when I think about it.
(47:50):
Behind yeah, m h yeah. What are your real life
pet peeves? My real life pet peeves or triggers could
be a trigger. Lobster mac and cheese. Whenever I see
lobster mac and cheese on a menu, I'm like, I
don't want to eat here. Why? Because it does? It does?
It shouldn't exist. It's not a thing. Lobster mac and
(48:12):
cheese is not a thing. When I see lobster mac
and cheese, it makes me think, One, you don't know
how to make mac and cheese. You need to lobster
in it, and you're ruining lobster putting all that cheese on. Ye.
That annoys me. You know how many places have lobster
mac and it's trash. Lobster mac and cheese is trash? Okay?
(48:42):
In real life?
Speaker 2 (48:43):
What is something that you are still chasing? Something that
you you still must accomplish and while you're here? Hmmm, wow,
is there something still?
Speaker 1 (48:53):
I have done so much. I don't think there's anything
I'm like chasing. Yeah, nothing is that? Peace? Is that
what peace looks like? I think that's I think it's
maybe I don't know about peace. Uh, gratitude and and
(49:16):
and I just know. And it's just the belief of
I know what what's for me, I will get it.
So yeah, I just let it, just let it come
to me. What do you pray for most? What I
pray for most?
Speaker 2 (49:31):
Uh?
Speaker 1 (49:32):
I guess health and uh protection of my my kids. Yeah,
I mean like health in general for everyone. I would
imagine that.
Speaker 2 (49:42):
You have a great pride, you know, you you mentioned
that you saw my Queen Latifa interview, Yes recently, and
just how out loud you've been you've lived your life
and and I mean as a black woman, as a woman,
as a woman in comedy, as a as a gay woman,
as a like, I don't feel like you've repped resent
so many.
Speaker 1 (50:00):
Things and you've done it so kind of matter of factly.
No really, just like not a lot of hoopla, not
a lot of you just no, no, no, you just
walk around kind of comfortable in your skin.
Speaker 2 (50:13):
And I just wonder how much of that is like
a sense of pride for you, yeah, and who you've
been able to represent for and put on for.
Speaker 1 (50:22):
I mean, yeah, I am. I I think about it,
and uh yeah, I just I just like to just
be just you know, yeah, because it wasn't but things
weren't like this no before.
Speaker 2 (50:39):
No.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
But I mean also that's that's growth when you when
you are comfortable in your own skin, and just I
just find that being authentic it's just so much easier.
I don't I don't need that's stress trying to be
someone else or you know, worrying about what other people
(51:04):
have and what I don't have. Now it's you know,
it's like this, this is the way it's supposed to be.
Was that always the case or did you have to
find that? I think I had to find that. Yeah,
and that comes I think that comes with faith also,
you know, my faith in God. I think that's that
definitely browns me. And it's an easier way to live, right,
(51:26):
It's so much easier. You know, we get that wrong though,
until we don't. Right.
Speaker 2 (51:31):
That's why when I see somebody living just you live
your life like it's you know, it just it's it's
good to see you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (51:39):
I think a lot of people they struggle. You know,
people struggle with that, especially now we're their opinions on
every turn.
Speaker 2 (51:47):
Living in your truth's not always an easy thing or
taken for granted, you know, taking for granted that people
can do that.
Speaker 1 (51:54):
So yeah, so you represent well one O. Thank you.
All right, let's just go to the last question. It's
my favorite in the ball. If God were to text
you right now, well, I'm excited about what you're saying
to this. If God were to send you a text
right now to your phone, Linda, what would it say? Uh?
I think it would say, Oh, you know it would say, uh,
(52:22):
you might want to read your Bible a little bit more.
I think I think that's what he would say, Like, Hey,
put that put that wordle down. How about turned to Romans.
How about read a little bit in Romans and put
(52:42):
that put that wordle down. You know that's a good message. Yeah,
it's just very specific. Mesh. This is Onto Sikes in
real life. Hey guys, thanks for watching.
Speaker 2 (53:03):
Make sure you subscribe, like comments, and check out all
of the other episodes we have on Edge.
Speaker 1 (53:08):
Martinez Iro Podcast
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Angie Martinez
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