Wanda Sykes Quotes

People are getting careers from YouTube and uploading videos. And they're totally different - you can't necessarily be funny on a video, and then all of a sudden you're live in a theater. You don't have the tools yet. It's a lot more involved to go from being funny on a little iPhone screen to being live in front of people and being funny.

- Wanda Sykes

YouTube, Videos, Screen, Sudden

If I did a talk show, this would allow me to speak on what's happening at that moment. I can be current, and I get to flex my stand-up muscle but stay at home without doing the traveling.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, Show, Allow, Talk Show

I knew I was outspoken when I was a kid because, whenever my parents had company coming over, they would pay me to leave. 'Go see your grandmother. Get out of here.' That was my first paying gig.

- Wanda Sykes

Kid, Here, Gig, Outspoken

I'm finally just relaxed and comfortable with who I am.

- Wanda Sykes

I Am, Comfortable, Finally, Relaxed

If you feel like there's something out there that you're supposed to be doing, if you have a passion for it, then stop wishing and just do it.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, Feel, Like, Wishing

There's so many good comedians in D.C. I started hanging out with those guys. Dave Chappelle was there. Actually, Dave was too young to be in the clubs, so when his mom couldn't make it, he would ask me to pretend I was his aunt, so he could do open mike.

- Wanda Sykes

Young, Dave, Mike, Aunt

I noticed recently, in the last few shows I did, that I'm starting to get people - not a large group, but quite a few people - who come to see me because they love Curb Your Enthusiasm.

- Wanda Sykes

Love, Curb, Your, Starting

I tried theatre. I played Miss Hannigan for a short run of Annie at a regional theatre. That was fun. I enjoyed it! I enjoy theatre and have so much respect for theatre actors.

- Wanda Sykes

Enjoy, Run, Regional, Annie

There's obviously a group who enjoys what Tyler Perry is putting out there. And why fault them? And there's a group that loves the things that Spike does. So they should enjoy that, too. Is it my taste? Maybe not, but I'm not going to fault anybody for doing what they're doing as long as people are showing up.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, Maybe, Putting, Spike

People - I hate to use the word 'fans' - are very respectful. It's not like I'm some pop idol or big movie star. I'm very approachable, and I love the people who enjoy me, because they react like they've run into a friend. Usually, it's like, 'Hey, Wanda! How ya' doing?'

- Wanda Sykes

Love, Some, Very, Big Movie

But sometimes the women writers will pitch something and I'll hear it, but the men will keep talking.

- Wanda Sykes

Sometimes, Will, Writers, Women Writers

I had real big boobs, and I just got tired of knocking over stuff. Every time I eat, 'Oh, Lord'. I'd carry a Tide stick everywhere I go. My back was sore, so it was time to have a reduction.

- Wanda Sykes

Tide, Big, Lord, Knocking

D.C. is where I started. That's home for me. I always love coming back to the area. They treat me so well, and people show up. They're excited and claim me as their own. I love it.

- Wanda Sykes

Love, Always, Area, Claim

The government shouldn't be involved in this because it's very simple. If you don't believe in same-sex marriage, then don't marry somebody of the same sex.

- Wanda Sykes

Sex, Marry, Very, Same-Sex

My worlds collide. When one things happens, it just starts a domino effect - everything else goes on.

- Wanda Sykes

Goes, Worlds, Else, Everything Else

I'm here today because I hated everything else.

- Wanda Sykes

Today, Here, Else, Everything Else

The first time onstage, a light went on. 'OK, this is my thing. I'm comfortable here. This is my thing.'

- Wanda Sykes

Light, Here, Onstage, OK

If something stinks, I say it stinks. But I try to massage it a little and not be as cutting, come behind it with a joke: Hey, I cut you deep, but now let me put a couple of stitches in you.

- Wanda Sykes

Deep, Behind, Couple, Hey

I enjoy stand-up because it has the biggest reward: instant gratification. You can hear the people laughing.

- Wanda Sykes

Enjoy, People, Reward, Gratification

To me, in life, if there's, like, a rule, and I think it's ridiculous, then of course I'll circumvent that but also point out how ridiculous the rule is. Other than that, if I go to a concert, and my seat is Row G, Seat 12, I'm sitting in Row G, Seat 12. I don't care if I'm with five other friends, I'm supposed to be in Seat 12, that's my seat.

- Wanda Sykes

Other, I Think, Rule, Sitting

I like doing a bunch of different things, being all over the place.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, Over, Like, Different Things

I tried snowboarding, and that scared the hell out of me.

- Wanda Sykes

Tried, I Tried, Snowboarding, Scared

And then also I think it's harder for women because comedy is so opposite of being ladylike.

- Wanda Sykes

Think, Comedy, I Think, Ladylike

I couldn't believe that Donald Trump won. I couldn't believe that we elected an orangutan to front the country.

- Wanda Sykes

Country, Elected, Donald, None

It wasn't until I became more confident with myself and I put myself forward instead of the jokes; at first it was put the jokes out there and I'm just behind the jokes.

- Wanda Sykes

Behind, More, Became, Jokes

I have a very diverse crowd from old, young, black, white, straight, gay. It's a little bit of everybody.

- Wanda Sykes

Crowd, Everybody, Very, Diverse

A woman would pitch a joke. Nothing. Then a guy would pitch it and everybody would laugh.

- Wanda Sykes

Woman, Everybody, Would, Laugh

It's easier to rip somebody to shreds while you're making them laugh.

- Wanda Sykes

Easier, Making, Rip, Laugh

My voice is distinctive: there's a rhythm to it, and also, it's funny. I was just blessed with a funny-sounding voice.

- Wanda Sykes

Blessed, Voice, Also, Distinctive

I remember, when I was a kid, my summers were pretty much running around, riding your bike, and then complaining about you were bored.

- Wanda Sykes

I Remember, Pretty, Summers, Bored

I was working at the NSA. I don't know, I was just bored. I just knew that's not what I was supposed to be doing with my life.

- Wanda Sykes

My Life, Doing, Knew, Bored

I watch Jay. I watch 'Letterman'. I flip back and forth between 'Conan' and 'Letterman', especially the top of the show for those guys.

- Wanda Sykes

Show, Jay, Conan, Flip

I love Costas. He's knows too much, but he's a good guy.

- Wanda Sykes

Love, I Love, Too, Good Guy

Some government workers are dedicated and work hard, but most of them are just waiting to retire.

- Wanda Sykes

Work Hard, Some, Dedicated, Retire

My wife asked me if I ever thought I would ever retire from stand-up. And I thought about it, and I was like, 'No, because it's my job; it's what I do, and I enjoy it.' It's still the most challenging thing for me to do.

- Wanda Sykes

Thought, Like, Still, Retire

I have problems with YouTube and things like that, when you catch it mid production. If I'm doing a show and I'm working on a bit and someone's there with a phone, they record it and put it online - it's not the finished product.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, YouTube, Production, Problems

I'm a stand-up comic. I'm always doing dates; it's just that, if I'm working on a project or I'm busy, I can't get out on the road or book any shows. Since the beginning of my career, I'm usually out for at least 10-15 dates throughout the year. If I have time, then I try to get at least 30-40 dates.

- Wanda Sykes

Beginning, Career, Doing, Dates

Men don't hear women.

- Wanda Sykes

Women, Men, Hear

What drives the creative person is that we see it all.

- Wanda Sykes

Person, See, Drives, Creative Person

I'm constantly preparing. Material hits me; I'm always writing. I go back and listen to my shows and just prepare and put my set together. But the day of, I like to have some downtime. A nice lunch is important for me.

- Wanda Sykes

Lunch, Prepare, Some, Preparing

If a topic hits me, I'll start going on it. But you can't force it.

- Wanda Sykes

Me, Going, Hits, Topic

People are going to label you anyway, but the one that bugs me the most is when they say, 'One of the funniest female comedians.' There's s no 'funniest male comedians.' You're either a funny comedian, or you're not!

- Wanda Sykes

Say, Going, Funniest, Female

I think sometimes celebrities can hurt a candidate. You don't want people to judge them on your last project.

- Wanda Sykes

Think, Last, I Think, Hurt

That's why I talk about the breast cancer: because I want women - and everyone - to stay on top of things and get checked. I know how scary it can be. When I dealt with it, I was like, 'Oh my God.' And I have so many other friends who have gone through it or have suffered a loss.

- Wanda Sykes

Through, Other, About, Cancer

I had breast cancer. Yeah, I know it's scary.

- Wanda Sykes

Know, Breast Cancer, Had, Cancer

It wasn't until after the reduction that in the lab work, the pathology, that they found that I had DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ) in my left breast. I was very, very lucky because DCIS is basically stage-zero cancer. So I was very lucky.

- Wanda Sykes

Lucky, Very, Pathology, Cancer

I have a lot of breast cancer history on my mother's side of the family.

- Wanda Sykes

Mother, Breast Cancer, Lot, Cancer

I'm shy. I am. I mean, if I get around, you know, in a room of a bunch of people especially I - you know, I don't know or - it takes me a while to warm up. I'm - and the real me, I'm not as witty as, you know, as the comic Wanda. The comic, she's had time to work on some things.

- Wanda Sykes

Shy, Some, Had, Witty

Back then, I was doing more of my impression of what a comic is supposed to do.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, More, Supposed, Comic

It's not until you develop your own voice, your own persona onstage that you become your own comic, who you really are.

- Wanda Sykes

Voice, Own, Persona, Comic

I really can't pinpoint the one moment when I said I want to be a comic.

- Wanda Sykes

Want, Said, Really, Comic

I watched a lot of comedy growing up.

- Wanda Sykes

Growing Up, Growing, Lot, Watched

I'm always thinking of stuff; I just don't sit down and write it. I come up with material more as I go along; if something funny happens, I'll make a note of it on my phone.

- Wanda Sykes

Thinking, Down, Note, Phone

If I'm talking about something current, a current issue or something political, it's because I was able to read it when I was on the plane getting to the gig... a lot of it happens when I'm on the road because when I'm home, you're just mom, and that's it.

- Wanda Sykes

Gig, About, Plane, Current

I work hard. The staff and crew see how much energy I put into this project, and it makes them step up.

- Wanda Sykes

Work, Work Hard, Makes, Staff

Usually, there's nothing being thrown toward the stage or at me. Then I feel pretty good about it.

- Wanda Sykes

Nothing, Pretty, About, Pretty Good

Actually, I majored in marketing and I have a bachelor of science.

- Wanda Sykes

Science, Marketing, Actually, Bachelor

If you're passionate about your work, it makes the people around you want to be involved too.

- Wanda Sykes

Work, Passionate, Too, Involved

Sometimes black people really want to hold onto our oppression - 'This is ours! This belongs to us.' You can't just talk about equality for somebody else. Let's pass it on. Let's pass it on to somebody else. At the end of the day, it is all about inequality.

- Wanda Sykes

Sometimes, About, Our, Onto

I worked with people like Edward Snowden. Well, not people who took stuff home.

- Wanda Sykes

Like, Took, Worked, Edward

In '87, I used to do this awful, awful James Brown impression.

- Wanda Sykes

Impression, James, Awful, None

I'm here today because I refused to be unhappy. I took a chance.

- Wanda Sykes

Unhappy, Here, Took, Refused

Men are dogs. Men are dogs. We got to stop it. Men are not dogs. Uh-uh. Dogs are loyal.

- Wanda Sykes

Men, Stop, Loyal, Dogs

I have a sidekick, Keith Robinson, who's very funny. I've known Keith for over 20 years; he's my best friend.

- Wanda Sykes

Over, Sidekick, Very, Best Friend

I'm a huge Sia fan. I love Sia, I have just about all of her stuff.

- Wanda Sykes

Love, Her, I Love, Fan

Don't bother me while I'm eating, or when I'm coming out of the crackhouse or something. Just let me get going.

- Wanda Sykes

Eating, Going, While, Bother

It seems like when I first started, people got into comedy because they wanted to be good comedians.

- Wanda Sykes

Comedy, Like, Started, Comedians

I guess because of my act, people think that I say things they want to say, and that they can just come up and say anything to me.

- Wanda Sykes

Think, Want, Say, Guess

I have to be socially aware; I feel like that's my job.

- Wanda Sykes

Like, Aware, Socially, Job

I love working with other actors and other people - you know, stand-up - it's lonely; it's just you out there and the audience. But it's fun working with other actors. I love doing that, too.

- Wanda Sykes

Love, Audience, Other, Lonely

I always want to go back and do stand-up; I like the freedom.

- Wanda Sykes

Freedom, Always, Like, Stand-Up

When I'm not on T.V. or working on a movie, I'm on the road doing stand-up. That's my roots.

- Wanda Sykes

Road, Doing, Movie, Stand-Up

Stand-up, by far, is my favorite.

- Wanda Sykes

Favorite, Far, Stand-Up

I have a funny family, but none of them are remotely in show business.

- Wanda Sykes

Business, Show, Them, Remotely

My shows and my material are grounded in reality. It's pretty much something that's either happened in my life or in the news, and I start there and give you my take on it.

- Wanda Sykes

My Life, News, Give, Grounded

But I think funny and talent will always win out; I mean, of course there are hurdles, but I think if you're funny you will get over all of that.

- Wanda Sykes

Think, Always, Over, Talent

I don't like doing the same material over and over again. It's not fun.

- Wanda Sykes

Doing, Over, Same, Material

It's hard to get fired from the government. You have to, like, kill people.

- Wanda Sykes

Government, Like, Get, Fired

I don't understand why people really get upset about something that doesn't affect them at all.

- Wanda Sykes

Understand, Upset, About, Affect

In this business, you get an opportunity, and you pounce on it.

- Wanda Sykes

Business, You, Get, Opportunity

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