Wanda Sykes Returns to D.C., Resumes Cheerleading for the First Couple
“The last time I was here … I caused a little trouble,” says Wanda Sykes in her new HBO comedy special taped in her D.C. hometown, Wanda Sykes: I’ma Be Me.
Sykes, typically the best thing about bad movies (Mother in Law) or the comedy spice to existing shows (Curb Your Enthusiasm), let loose during the White House Correspondents’ Dinner last May.
She’s still riding the pop culture buzz from that performance, during which she called Rush Limbaugh “the 20th hijacker” and praised President Obama’s pectorals and the first lady’s arms.
The special, debuting at 10 p.m. EST Saturday (Oct. 10), cements her status as defender-in-chief — eager to speak out on behalf of the new president. She repeats some of her lines from the White House gig, but doesn’t resurrect her Limbaugh remarks.
She uses the new special not only to celebrate the first black president, but also her newly found personal freedom. The now openly gay performer peppers her stand-up routine with relationship humor, the kind she wouldn’t mention in the past.
The beauty behind Sykes’ best appearances, both on screen and on stage, is her shoot-from-the-hip demeanor. She scrunches up her face, pauses for dramatic effect, and then tells it like it is.
She’s an equal opportunity cynic, and a darned funny one at that.
But once she sidles up to an ideological dance partner, that truth-telling sounds like spin. And no matter how clever her observations can be, it feels like we’re getting a censored version of her genuinely fertile mind.
Why, for example, is the openly gay performer not frustrated by Obama’s refusal to embrace gay marriage? That would fuel some pretty prickly material, but she never holds the president accountable during the special.
She still has enough zingers to bring both sides together for a spell. Her view on illegal immigration:
They’re not illegal; they’re undocumented. … If someone broke into my house … and vacuumed, I might be a little confused but I ain’t calling the cops.
Her best material reflects how a black person reacts to Obama’s presidency:
It’s a little bittersweet. … The first black president and the country is broke.
She also scores by explaining Obama’s decision not to adopt a rescue dog for his family:
The man has to rescue a country that’s been abused by its previous owner.
No matter your politics, that’s a clever line.
Of course, should Obama fail, Sykes would be ready to abandon ship: “Who is this half-white failure?” It’s the only time she dares to tweak The One even gently.
“How you gonna say all your problems are caused by the Man when you are the Man? What you going to blame, global warming?”
Good questions she asked during the campaign. Now let’s have the answers.
Wanda Sykes is not funny nor has she ever been, her act is whiny,childish and boring. It is a good time to turn off the TV and read when she is on.
Yes, this foul-mouthed gutter speak shrill to the max gasbag is a real good role model.
We really dislike Wanda Sykes act. She is caustic and very racists. After watching her you need to take a good bath. She was on Leno last week, can’t stand her attitude!!!
I echo the posters sentiment regarding Sykes. The woman is not funny.
I enjoy the t.v. program ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’, though mute the volume whenever she speaks.
I don’t know who’s less funny; Margaret Cho or Wanda Sykes.
This women is pure and simple trash that needs to be kicked to the curb. A racist tramp for sure. Stop giving this poor excuse of a person air time. Pleaseeeeeeee!!!!~!
She’s entitled — and reparations — and Affirmative Action.
As annoying as some of her political jive talk is…I actually like Wanda.
*Ducks rotten tomatoes*
There is nothing , nothing funny about the Obamas . They are the most boring people ever to live in the White House . The only thing funny is the way the press and public worship their nothingness .
White America worships their nothingness because America is fascinated by a black family that doesn’t resemble any of the stereotypes that mass media (or their ignorant grandparents) have pushed on them their entire lives. The Obamas are like a science experiment to a large portion of the country.
“White America worships their nothingness because America is fascinated by a black family that doesn’t resemble any of the stereotypes that mass media (or their ignorant grandparents) have pushed on them their entire lives. The Obamas are like a science experiment to a large portion of the country.”
As a black person, I agree. That’s why you’re not going to get much criticism until unemployment reaches the double digits. We can’t criticize a black man – that means he can actually BE HUMAN and not up for the job…
I think it’s because some liberal thinking Whites really *do* think that blacks aren’t up to such important jobs and if they don’t back him up, they won’t hire any other black person. At least that what it looks like to me.
As far as Mrs. Sykes is concerned, I think she does have serious doubts about O. She would not have to praise and excuse him so much in her comedy series if she actually had faith in him. Sad, too… she is a hilarious woman when she doesn’t take politics personally like she has.
Wanda Sykes is like a fart joke. Everyone laughs at the first one they hear. But after a while they become trite and boring. Not funny, unless you are a liberal. They laugh at anything. She is similar to SNL. That was a funny program – 30 years ago. Now it is embarrassing. A bunch of no talent schmucks getting canned laughter from an audience made up of trained seals. See the sign says “laugh”. It is just not hip anymore. It’s just vulgar and Wanda Sykes is as vulgar as it gets. She is good for HBO and SNL. If it keeps her from getting public assistance, I am all for it.
The comedian industry needs an overhaul. They can’t make fun of Obama so they continue to ridicule Bush. They’re a bunch of cowards who need to be tuned out. Screw them.
“If it keeps her from getting public assistance, I am all for it.”
LOL! Uh. My white mom was on Welfare and my white dad was a child-support skipping dead-beat dad, so don’t assume that black+woman automatically means Welfare Recipient. There is plenty of plenty of gov. teat sucking from all shades of the melanin spectrum to go around.
Attention HBO: I can get on stage and be fowl mouthed racist, blame Bush and everyone else for ALL my problems. Praise President Obama just because he is a black man (makes sense, he really hasen’t done anything yet, except put us more in debt, guess being black means he did something right!) So how about it HBO, HIRE ME, I am a whole lot funnier than Wanda!
Note to girl who’s mom was on welfare and dad didn’t pay child support. I raised 3 kids by myself, I DID NOT go on welfare because my parents taught me how to work and not expect things. I worked for several years in meat packing plant, doing the jobs “those illegals” do and no one else wants. I now work as AVP of loans in banking so I am a good example that you don’t need welfare to make it in this country. Get off your a$$ and stop blaming everyone for your troubles!
The Obama and Michelle show could run off to Copenhagen on a 2 million dollar Chicago boondoggle in the middle of a war where Obama’s generals are crying out for more troops and Wanda Whitewash would laugh and dance while the troop deaths rise like her voice at the end of every sentence, and Wanda would be happy as a moose in heat.
The Obamas could try to spend this country to death in the middle of a recession and Wanda could put a funny face on people’s suffering in her job as a White House cheerleader as joblessness rises like it’s the Hoover years all over again.
The Obama say laugh it up and Wanda makes fun of every past Republican President as if they found a dastardly case of voter intimidation and refused to press charges. Because the intimidators were attached at the hip to ACORN, the voter fraud people who in turn are attached at the hip to Obama.
Keep it up Wanda. Soon Obama will be the laughingstock of the voting public.
A little testy Delia. I did not mention race. You did. As for the welfare state it ruins all races. In a real society there are no dead beat dads. They are either working to support a family or they are in jail. By the way do you think anyone would employ Bill Maher? There is a dead beat for you.
I’d love to hear Wanda Dykes give her brilliant opinions on politics and race, as well as marriage and parenting. In the same vein, we also need to hear Al Gore’s insights on strengthening our energy policy and get Michael Moore’s wisdom on business.
Seriously, it’s one thing to get input from the lunatic fringe. But it’s entirely another to insist the counter-culture IS the center of the debate and also allow them to keep their underdog posture.
Barack Obama is an anti-American, Marxist demagogue. And the people who defend his stillborn presidency mean our traditional Christian beliefs and practices permanent harm. God help us.
Sykes is like a female DL Hughley – an unfunny imitation of a better performer (Chris Rock) I I always figured Rock was an imitation of Eddie Murphy anyway, but he could at least be funny now and then. Sykes seems to think that she’s being funny just because she’s talking louder. No, Wanda, it just makes you more annoying.
17. rbell,
Great points and sorry for my moody conjecture. Forgive me? ((HUG))
The stalker anthem is still one of the best youtubes evvah:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkUrLFa6lH0
Who cares. I’m boycotting everything black until they stop being racists. I’ve had enough of blacks getting a free pass on bigotry. Just like South Africa was boycotted for apartheid I’ll be boycotting all black music, tv programs, restuarants, etc. I’ll especially be boycotting black comedians since every other word out of their mouth is some tired repeated race joke without fail.
Wanda will not find any fault with anything that is black and she thinks blacks are victims in her eyes even if they have million of dollars stashed away in an offshore account.
All I know is this Sykes woman is a foul-mouthed bigot.
…Makes me glad I don’t waste my money on HBO.
.
18. Karl Daggerfield: “I’d love to hear Wanda Dykes give her brilliant opinions on politics and race…. Seriously, it’s one thing to get input from the lunatic fringe.”
Yes, it is interesting, Karl. Keep it up.
21. Blackwater: “Who cares. I’m boycotting everything black until they stop being racists.”
No comment needed.
The rest of your readers seem largely to be a humorless bunch, Chris. And, btw, I hope you caught Wanda’s joke about aging and incontinence: “I used to pack and extra pair of underwear in case I got lucky. Now I pack an extra pair in case I sneeze.” Badda BING!
That FOOL has ABSOLUTELY NEVER BEEN FUNNY !! She is just a RACIST who calls anyone that disagrees with her who isn’t black or LIBERAL a RACIST !!!
She is ABSOLUTELY A FOUL MOUTHED FOOL !!!
It DOES NOT MATTER to me what the color, race, religion, or any other thing is, if the person is a FOUL MOUTHED, MEAN SPIRITED FOOL, they are AWFUL HUMAN BEINGS !!!
FOX has crossed the line giving that RACIST sykes a show on their network.
SHAME ON YOU FOX !!!
The only racism I see are from the people on this board! I bet 99.9% of you didn’t even watch her HBO special. Just spewing the same ‘ole bitter discontent that’s been spewed for the past year and a half now.
It’s a comedy show! Not a political forum and since when is it recquirement to “bash” the president? Do it…don’t do it…who the —- cares??? Grow up and get over yourselves. Whiney wimps!
This crazy b’tch is nothing, but a racist POS!! Pls get this stupid woman off the air!!
Wanda Sykes is so annoying and is a bore to me. She’s not that funny, correct me…she’s not funny at ALL. She’s racist and deserves no air time what so ever. just another way for society to pat someone on the shoulder who is black.