Originally posted October 10, 2013 by RODNEY HO/rho@ajc.com on his AJC Radio & TV Talk blog
Wanda Sykes had a smart concert tour promoter, who booked her this Saturday, Oct. 12 at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre to coincide with the Atlanta Pride Festival.
Why? She came out in 2008 and is now part of a growing contingent of openly gay entertainers.
She also married her partner Alex and has four-year-old twins.
Alex is French, which means she feels like she's overseas when at home.
"It's all French all the time," Sykes said in a recent interview. "There's French music playing in my house. As soon as I walk in, I have to turn it to something else. The kids speak French, too. I'm a minority in my own home!"
So how's her French? "My kids are four. My French is at the level of a three year old. I can tell you where I have to go to the bathroom."
And her son Lucas is following in Syke's footsteps: "he is definitely going to be a little wise***. He already thinks he's funny. And his sister [Olivia] thinks he's the funniest thing. He'll make a dump joke and she falls out laughing. That's not funny. That's not even a joke - not near what I do! "
But unlike her parents, I doubt Sykes would discourage her son if he wanted to go into entertainment.
Sykes went to college and "got a real job," she said. Sykes worked five years at the National Security Administration. (She is not a fan of Edward Snowden, who to her, "ratted out his country, then hauled *** to China and Russia!")
As for NSA reading people's emails, she is more perturbed by how Google will create ads based on what she writes in her emails. One time, she referenced the phrase "life coach," and banners for life coaching and life coach seminars began popping up.
"That's crazy!" she said."That's more insidious than the government reading my stuff and protecting me. My email won't even pop up on their feed. I'm not corresponding with people in Syria!"
As for her appeal in the Middle East, she joked: "I'm huge over there. They love all my lesbian jokes!" Seriously, she said since she came out, she has been able to open up more on stage: "It's been liberating. I'm not thinking about what I can't say. I've removed that wall I had up. I have no regrets at all."
The gay community, she said, "show up. They're appreciative. There are not a lot of African-American celebrities who are out. I'm the unicorn. That's great!' Her audience, she said, is really diverse. "If you look at it, you would have no idea who's performing. There's old people, young people. Gay, straight, transgender, black, white, everything. I love that."
Her most recent TV role was hosting a female comedy showcase on OWN. And her most recent scripted role is on Amazon (not technically TV), which picked up a political comedy called "Alpha House" starring John Goodman.
The premise: four Republican Senators living in one apartment. She plays a neighbor.
Once she's in Atlanta this weekend, she hopes to hang out after the show, grab something to eat, maybe check out some of the Pride parties. But one guarantee: "No twerking! And I'm not going to make it rain. That's two rules!"
Concert preview
Wanda Sykes 8 p.m., Saturday, October 12, 2013 $36.50-$62 plus fees Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta Buy tickets here. 770-916-2800
