And again, I'm just looking at that little COVID machine going, I'm - you know, I won't be mad. And it's not that I didn't want to come here and do this, but, you know, my wife was asking me, like, so what are you planning on making for dinner, you know? And my daughter had a thing at school, you know, a little award ceremony I had to go to. I'm like, let me take another test just to make sure. SYKES: I wouldn't have - you know, and - even this morning, I knew I was coming here. I got to go in this little guest room again. So I took a test, and I wouldn't have been mad if it came up positive. Like, I was telling you, I - you know, this week, I've been suffering with allergies - just - you know, just feverish and the cough that just won't stop and achy. MOSLEY: That was a clip from Wanda Sykes' new Netflix special, "I'm An Entertainer." Wanda, do you miss that me time? SYKES: How can I get some of that long COVID? I'm isolating in the guest bedroom, you know, so my wife couldn't bother me. SYKES: You know, first two days were a little rough. (SOUNDBITE OF COMEDY SPECIAL, "I'M AN ENTERTAINER") You actually joked that catching COVID and quarantining in the guest room kind of wasn't so bad. MOSLEY: Your new special, "I'm An Entertainer," was filmed in Philadelphia, and it was the first time you'd been back out on a live show circuit since the start of the pandemic. Like, I've seen our staff writers get better each season, and - you know? And it's like, OK, yeah. And that's - you know, and just - nothing like a great - a better feeling than watching them grow. We want some - we want newbies because that's how they learn. We want some babies in the room - staff writers. Like, we have at least - Regina Hicks and I, who's also the showrunner, co-showrunner and creator of "The Upshaws," we intentionally was like, OK, look. You know, it's not just us, you know, demanding that the streamers pay residuals, but it's also just the way we're doing business now is not beneficial to this career - you know, sustaining.Īnd we need those staff writers. And also, it's about thinking about the future. It - right now, like, a staff writer - there's no way they can survive unless they have another - you know, another job, something to supplement their income. SYKES: Basically, the survival of our craft, of what we do. MOSLEY: I know the industry has changed somewhat since 2007, but what are your biggest concerns right now for the writers and for the industry? I saw your tweet where you posted a photo of yourself from the last writers strike. MOSLEY: Yes, because of the Writers Guild of America Labor union strike. MOSLEY: Well, we're in an interesting time right now because I know production for "The Upshaws" has been canceled for now or postponed for now because. SYKES: I think that's why it always ends up in my intro - 'cause people just like saying "Pootie Tang." You always have to say "Pootie Tang." You got. Well, that "Pootie Tang" just never goes away. WANDA SYKES: Why, thank you - nice to be here. And, Wanda Sykes, welcome to FRESH AIR again. And this year she guest hosted Comedy Central's "The Daily Show." Sykes' new Netflix special, "I'm An Entertainer," debuts this week. Sykes currently stars in and is the executive producer of the Netflix show "The Upshaws." And last year, Sykes co-hosted the Academy Awards with Regina Hall and Amy Schumer. Maisel," "Black-ish" and Mel Brooks' "History of the World, Part II." Some of her films include "Pootie Tang," "Monster-In-Law" and "UglyDolls." Sykes has starred in dozens of television shows and films including "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Marvelous Mrs. Sykes got her first big break opening for Chris Rock in the '90s, and since then, she's been nominated for 14 primetime Emmys with a win for outstanding writing for a variety or music or program for her work on "The Chris Rock Show." "I'm An Entertainer" follows Wanda Sykes' 2019 Emmy-nominated Netflix comedy special "Not Normal." She has a new comedy special on Netflix titled "I'm An Entertainer," where she takes on everything from raising teenagers with her French wife to the dilemmas of living in a hyper-charged political climate. I'm Tonya Mosley, and my guest today is veteran comedian Wanda Sykes.
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