For Wanda Sykes, comedy has never simply been about making people laugh. It’s about making them think, confronting uncomfortable truths, and finding a little hope in a world that increasingly feels beyond parody. In her latest stand-up special, Wanda Sykes: Legacy, the acclaimed comedian returns to her alma mater, Hampton University, for a fearless and hilariously candid examination of everything from the current political climate to the surprisingly divisive subject of washcloths.
But beyond the sharp observations and unapologetic humour, Legacy also offers something more personal: a chance for Sykes to reflect on the woman she was before comedy changed her life, and the voice she’s spent decades refining.
Speaking with our Peter Gray, Sykes reflected on using humour to channel anger into something constructive, the jokes that never make it beyond the writing process, and why her younger self might be most surprised by the simple fact that she dared to pursue her dreams.
I want to say, first off, you describing the current global situation as “the shittiest escape room with everything redacted” really is the best way to put it! I feel like your comedy has given you permission to do and say things that are confrontational and yet it makes the audience feel like they’re in on the conversation rather than being spoken to. Do you feel like it’s given you a sense to be a version of yourself that you might not have felt comfortable with in everyday life?
Absolutely. I think comedy has definitely helped me in everyday life. When I talk about what’s going on, like our current situation, I can get really angry, and it just comes off as a rant. There’s no light at the end of the tunnel. But if I do it from a comedic lens, it makes it better. I do give you some hope, or a challenge of what we need to do, and I guess it’s more relatable. People hear it and it’s easier for them to digest, instead of me being the “angry woman” telling them what’s wrong and why they’re dumb.
I wanted to ask about the jokes that don’t survive. You’ve built this career on being fearless about what you say. I’m curious about the jokes we never get to hear. Have you written something that made you laugh uncontrollably, but it didn’t belong on stage? And what does that decision tell you about how you’ve evolved as a comedian?
There’s several jokes that never really made it to the special. And this is for all my specials. It’s usually because it doesn’t fit. It just feels like it comes out of left field. Sure, it makes me laugh, but what is this saying? Is it saying anything? I do give myself room to be silly. I can do that, but at least it’s grounded in something real. There’s jokes that are funny, but they do feel like anyone could have told this joke.
And what I love with Legacy is that you’re returning to Hampton University. You’re standing in this place that knew you before the rest of the world did. Have you thought about the Wanda who was studying all those years ago, if she sat in the audience and watched this special, what would she be most surprised to discover about the Wanda that is now?
Ooh. I think that she actually went for it. Yeah. I think the Wanda sitting back then, 40 years ago, she would be thinking about the government job that she was going to land, and where that was going to go. I think she’d be more surprised that I went for it.
Wanda Sykes: Legacy is now streaming on Netflix.
