Wanda
Sykes
by Lawrence Ferber
Comedienne Wanda Sykes came out during an anti-Proposition
8 rally in November 2008, announcing she had married a
woman named Alexandra. A regular on HBO’s Curb Your
Enthusiasm and CBS’s The Old Adventures of New Christine,
Sykes launches her own late night talk show on FOX November
7.
Born in Virginia, Sykes kicked off her
career doing standup in Washington, D.C. (where she
held a day job at the National Security Agency). With
a foot planted firmly in the mainstream (she’s
voiced roles in animated family fare like Brother Bear
2 and Over The Hedge), this mother of two (twins, born
in April 09) continues to take no prisoners in her routines:
her appearance at May 2009’s White House Correspondents’
Association dinner ruffled the feathers of right-wingers
and made national news for her sharp (and hysterical)
barbs at Rush Limbaugh. The laughter continued in our
VIP lounge.
Where did you and your wife honeymoon?
Our whole relationship has been one long honeymoon.
At least that’s how I like to tell it so I can
get out of it. We didn’t really take a honeymoon,
but we’ve traveled so much it’s been like
a long honeymoon.
What are the most essential items
in your suitcase?
My Kiehl’s products, my makeup, and my AG
Hair Foam. It does the trick. I have to fight every
time I go through security. They want to take it and
say only if it’s a prescription, and I say trust
me, it’s my medicine. I need that. If I don’t
have this I look like a crazy lady.
If you and your family could move
into any castle or famous residence in the world, which
would it be?
Somewhere in the south of France. Because that’s
what my wife says, and I listen to her.
Let’s pretend you are spokesperson
for Los Angeles, what sorts of things should we do or
see while there?
My time in LA is usually spent working so in my
off time I like to go bowling. And I would say a hike
in Ruynon Canyon Park. I take my dogs.
You can own any hotel room in the
world, which would it be?
Oh man. That’s tricky. I want to say New York
City, overlooking Central Park. I like the Ritz at Central
Park. It has the comfort of being at your grandmother’s
house but she’s passed on and left it for you.
She doesn’t bug you. But your room is extremely
comfortable and you’re well taken care of. I love
it there. There’s always champagne flowing.
You have twins. When they get to
the age that they will appreciate travel, where is the
first place you will take them?
We actually love Fire Island. We love the Grove.
That’s where I met my wife and that place is really
special to us. We’ll go to France because my wife
is French.
You were raised in the D.C. area.
What is the biggest misconception about Washington D.C.?
I would say we took a big hit when our mayor got
caught smoking crack. It took a loooonnnggg time to
bounce back from that one. But the biggest misconception
is it’s stuffy because all of the politicians.
That’s not it at all. D.C.’s a big party town
and [there are] way more real people than politicians
and lobbyists.
If you could go on a vacation with
Rush Limbaugh, where would you go?
Fire Island, Cherry Grove.
If you could pay 50 bucks for any
one convenience on a flight, what would it be?
Electricity. They took the damn outlets out of
the seats. When they took the power out of the seats
I was like, what the hell? Bastards.
What is your most memorable experience
mixing with the locals while traveling?
It was probably in Brazil, we were in Búzios
and staying in a lovely hotel, a nice boutique-y place,
and we decided to venture out and go hang out with the
locals. So we left this nice secluded beach to go to
this crowded beach with locals, and everybody was selling
some type of a meat or roadkill or something on a stick.
This guy just grabbed this out of a tree and threw it
on a fire. It was carcasses on a stick and I looked
at my wife, “We left our beautiful hotel for roadkill
on a stick?” I was ready to head back to the comforts
of my hotel. The locals, they don’t like you messing
with them, either. They prefer you stay at your hotel.
They don’t want you around.
What is your number one travel tip?
Don’t check bags. If you’ve got to shove
stuff up your ass, do that. Things with a lot of pockets.
Just don’t check bags. If I have a lot of stuff
I’ll ship it ahead of time.
Who would you hire to design the
Wanda Sykes Airline?
I like that Myles of Style girl from HGTV. (laughs)
Give her a shot. She’d be fun to work with, I think.
For the design of the plane itself, I would get Sir
Richard Branson to do that.
Where should gay people visit as
both a vacation destination and a political act?
I would say the Mormon Tabernacle
[Published:
November, 2009]
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