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This week on episode 64, we cover two ladies who have helped shape the comedy industry. I believe comedy is group therapy for society. It forces us to laugh at how stupid we are sometimes. Comedians take pain, often their own, and turn it into laughter. Many of the famous comedians we know and love came from very difficult circumstances and pull from that pain to create their comedy. That is some kind of alchemical fuckin' magic, that's what that is! Good comedy punches UP at systems and power and patriarchy and assholes. Good comedy never punches down at the disenfranchised, marginalized, or suffering. Good comedy encourages us to look at ourselves and check...am I the asshole? I think comedy serves an important service among the arts in society.
The first woman from this episode is Wanda Sykes. I’m sure you’re familiar with the name, and probably some of her work. As a stand up comedian, she is known for her blunt takes and observations of everyday life. She has taken inspiration from some of the greatest before her, and in turn now has her own legacy.
Wanda was born on March 7, 1964, Portsmouth, Virginia. There is not a lot of information available about her childhood. Her father was a Colonel in the Army (wow!) and her mother was a bank manager. She attended Hampton University in Virginia and was a member of a sorority. She graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. There really isn't any information (that I was able to dig up) about her youth or upbringing, and frankly I'm really happy for her that she's managed to keep her childhood story to herself. That's no small feat in this age of information and paparazzi etc.
After college, she worked at the National Security Agency (NSA) as a procurement officer, which included negotiating contracts for espionage equipment! It was during her time at the NSA in 1987 (she was 23, if you need the math.) that she stumbled upon a talent showcase for aspiring comics in the DC area. Despite lacking experience, she wrote five minutes of material at her desk and decided to give it a shot. Although she didn't win, she found her true calling in comedy. While still at the NSA, she continued honing her skills at local venues until she ultimately left the agency in 1992 to pursue comedy full-time.
Sykes credits Chris Rock for helping to launch her career. She got her big break when she opened for Chris Rock at Caroline’s Comedy Club. And then in 1997, she joined the writing team for The Chris Rock Show, which earned four Emmy nominations and won one in 1999. She's also gained recognition for her recurring roles in CBS' The New Adventures of Old Christine and HBO's Curb Your Enthusiasm. She received Primetime Emmy Award nominations for her guest appearances on ABC's Black-ish and Amazon's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the Netflix series The Upshaws, the HBO Max series The Other Two, and The Good Fight. She also has a very recognizable voice and has done some hilarious voice work for a number of animated films.
In 2004, she wrote a book titled “Yeah, I Said It.” (If you are familiar with Wanda, you can’t really read that book title NOT in her voice, can you?) That same year, Entertainment Weekly named her one of the 25 funniest people in America.
Sykes was married to record producer Dave Hall from 1991 to 1998. In 2004, Sykes came out to her conservative parents, who initially struggled to accept it. In 2008, she came out publicly as a lesbian and married her wife Alex Niedbalski a month later. Her parents declined to attend her wedding. Since then they are said to have reconciled. The couple has twins born in April 2009.
In 2011, Sykes announced on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she had been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ. Although DCIS is a non-invasive "stage zero breast cancer", she opted for a bilateral mastectomy to lower her risk of breast cancer.
She has also been outspoken about political issues, especially LGBTQ issues and civil rights. Sykes publicly expressed being devastated when California voters passed state Proposition 8. She said: "with the legislation that they passed, I can't sit by and just watch. I just can't do it." She has continued to be active in same-sex marriage issues hosting events and emceeing fundraisers. She has also worked with PETA on promoting dog anti-chaining legislation in her home state.
She has been an outspoken supporter of Detroit's Ruth Ellis Center after the organization's staff sent Sykes a letter asking her to visit during her 2010 tour's stop in Detroit.
(The Ruth Ellis Center is a Detroit area social services agency that serves the needs of runaway, homeless and at-risk lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. REC is named in honor of the life and work of Ruth Ellis, who was one of Detroit's African-American lesbians known for her service to people in need.)
In addition to her other accomplishments, she was the first black woman and first LGBTQ person to perform at the white house correspondents dinner in 2009.
In 2019, Wanda played one of her childhood heroes on the show “The Fabulous Mrs. Maisel”.
Sykes got a call from her agent who told her series showrunners Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino wanted to do an episode that featured the veteran performer. Sykes hopped on a phone call with Sherman-Palladino, during which the two discussed their histories in the business and Sykes’ “passion” for Mabley’s work, the actor says. “I want to give Moms more credit and hopefully expose her to more people. They should know her,” Sykes says. “I had to nail this. I had to do it for Moms.”
Part of the performance required her to step on stage at the Apollo Theater, no less and perform Mabley’s words. But part of it was also about peeling back a layer on Mabley as cameras followed her out of the spotlight and into a backstage interaction with the titular comedian (Rachel Brosnahan).
“It was the off-stage part that I had to really think about,” Sykes admits. “We know that she did have a different life off-stage. And I know how that felt: you’re being authentic and saying what’s on your mind, but then there’s this other little thing that you’re keeping for yourself.” Sykes most wanted to capture Mabley’s “boldness and joy,” in addition to her cadence and mannerisms for the stand-up performance. “I’m a huge Moms Mabley fan. I don’t think I would be doing this if it weren’t for her. She was a huge influence for me as a kid. To play her on the Apollo stage, it was such a treat. I felt like I was preparing for this role as a kid. My mom and grandmother would tell me I would walk around the house with a dust rag on my head and would actually do Moms Mabley. I’ve been waiting for this role. I didn’t really have to do that much research or preparing because I’m so familiar with her and her work.”
That’s Wanda. She is not necessarily an unknown, which we normally discuss on the podcast. But she is a remarkable because she has made it big in an industry known for making life difficult for women (comedy, specifically), and did so as a black woman, AND a lesbian. That makes her a badass. Her story flows naturally into next week’s badass of the week, which you probably don’t know diddly about. I won’t be giving any spoilers (but you could find out the scoop if you listen to the podcast).
Until next week, go make Bitchstory!
Episode 64 goes up on Wednesday this week.