- 11.22.2009
- |
50°F
- Blogs > Happiness is a warm TV
You may also like Mouthful | On the Beat | Uncle Crizzle | The Fashion Plate
The Wanda Sykes Show: Off to a good start
Wanda Sykes launched her late night show last night (Fox, 11 pm) and got down to being Wanda right away.
The show played to her strengths with a lot of stand up, giving plenty of opportunity for her in-your-face riffs, taped skits like she used to do on Chris Rock's HBO show, and most effectively, a Chelsea Lately style roundtable.
She started by taking on commentator Ann Coulter's overblinking tendencies, then launched into a monologue that showed that being on the Fox network isn't going to chasten her liberal leanings.
Among other things, she took a swipe at Rush Limbaugh (again), and (my pet peeve too!) people who use words they don't know the meaning of. In this case, those who call Obama a fascist. As Wanda pointed out, you can't vote out a fascist, they tend to stick around. Then she proclaimed herself the Obama administration's Tell People Where to Go and What to Kiss Czar; Fox News, she said, could get an exclusive interview if it puckered up.
All that before the first commercial break.
Next we met sidekick Keith Robinson (she also has a Chelsea Chuy-like mascot in Portia the drag queen), who after some banter, helped set up a clip displaying "beautiful ignorance," a woman who, as she stood behind him, appeared to mouth that she was going to rape President Obama.
A racy and clever taped skit following, showing Wanda's effort to go green with her sex toys.
But the funniest moments were left for the Wanda Bar, featuring guests Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe on '24'), martini; Daryl "Chill" Mitchell ("Brothers"), mixed drink; and Amazing Race host Phil Keoghan, red wine.
As they drank, they discussed recent stories, including the NYT story that screaming is the new spanking. They ended by playing a short multiple choice game called Know Your Asians. The segment was called Inappropriate Games.
The roundtable, in terms of full-out laughs, worked best; Sykes is off-the-cuff funny as is Mitchell and we got to see another side of Keoghan.
I'd pronounce the first airing of "The Wanda Sykes Show" a success. It could have been funnier, but with this start, it feels like it will.
Comments
abercrombie Tees
Sat, 11/21/2009 - 03:08 — hook97A private American links of london charms organization called Population ed hardy shoes Action International did the new study. It says abercrombie Jeans more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people lack enough water now. The people live in links of london charm twenty-eight countries. Most of the ed hardy hats countries are in Africa or the Middle East. P-A-I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about abercrombie Pants three-thousand-million people may lack links of london Sweetie Bracelets water. At least 18 more countries are ed hardy kids expected to have severe water problems. The abercrombie Tees demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount links london Sweetie Bracelet of water on Earth stays the same.
I liked it but didn't love it
Sun, 11/08/2009 - 11:16 — brookecainI liked a lot of her opening monologue and loved her rapport with Keith Robinson. I would like to see a lot more of him. The "Paranormal" spoof was funny too. I didn't think Mary Lynn Rajskub was funny at all, even though she tried hard. Same for Phil Keoghan. She needs a better roundtable in the future (Mitchell and Rajskub are both on Fox shows so I'm thinking we'll see a lot of Fox stars). And she definitely demonstrated that being on Fox won't keep her from being Pro-Obama. Sometimes it felt like that was all they talked about.
But mostly that recycling sketch (the "racy" sex toy clip you mentioned) grossed me out to the point that I almost turned the channel. It started out clever, but the stuff with the chicken and the bacon grease went too far for me. That was more "gross-out" and not so much "funny."
Oh yeah, that thing about Nic Cage being broke, and having the gold castle at the bottom of the sea -- I was laughing out loud.