Chattin' Up Wanda Sykes
By Dana Flax
With a newly premiered HBO special, a recurring role on "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and a new gig hosting her own late-night talk show on her plate, Wanda Sykes is veritably blowin' up your boob tube.
We wanted the straight dirt on "The Wanda Sykes Show," (which premieres Nov. 7 on FOX), so we dialed Wanda up -- 'cause we're, like, super tight with her. Click through to see what she had to say about starting a new show, how her boy Obama's been doing so far, and how she really feels about this Twitter business.
![On why she finally relented to stalker-y FOX's repeated requests for a show:Fox had some dirty pictures on me. No, they approached me, maybe like a year ago, and I said no. And then they came back a couple months ago and pitched the idea again of doing a late-night show. I'm a mom now, so it just made sense. Now I won't have to be on the road as much doing stand-up. That's what I love to do, [but] I'll be able to get that need to perform live by doing this late-night show.](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16945_Original.jpg)
On why she finally relented to stalker-y FOX's repeated requests for a show:
"Fox had some dirty pictures on me. No, they approached me, maybe like a year ago, and I said no. And then they came back a couple months ago and pitched the idea again of doing a late-night show. I'm a mom now, so it just made sense. Now I won't have to be on the road as much doing stand-up. That's what I love to do, [but] I'll be able to get that need to perform live by doing this late-night show."
On the show's featured nightly guest, Flowing Libations:
"Come on, I'm not going to work this hard and not be able to drink on one of my shows. Hopefully, you guys will feel like you're hanging out at my spot and sitting there with me and my friends. I feel like the viewers are going to be sitting at home drinking, so we all should be on the same plane, right?"
So what's her poison?
"I will probably start out with a little vodka and club soda. If you spill it, you won't have a problem with the wardrobe. And then there will be the after-show drink. If we have a great show, then I'll probably do a couple of shots of Patrón. Actually, if the show doesn't go well then I'll have more shots of Patrón."
(Other possible guest stars Wanda named include Chris Rock, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Jane Fonda -- set your TiVos for that one, y'all!)
Limit Wanda to 140 characters? Don't even think about it:
"I don't Twitter, I don't Facebook. I do face-to-face book, that's what I'm good at. I talk to people."
On whether tidbits from her personal life will end up as show material:
"Whenever there's an opportunity and it's funny, then, yes, I'll definitely talk about my personal life. My last stand-up special for HBO, I think I put it all out there. If I don't talk about it, it's because I don't have a joke for it yet. If it's due to be funny, you'll hear it."
![Who are her dream guests? Hint: Think dreamy:I would pick George Clooney. [And] Condoleezza Rice. I bet you Clooney will loosen her up, huh? Get us some drinks and Condi, oh boy.](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16944_Original.jpg)
Who are her dream guests? Hint: Think "dreamy":
"I would pick George Clooney. [And] Condoleezza Rice. I bet you Clooney will loosen her up, huh? Get us some drinks and Condi, oh boy."
On taking it easy on her old friend, Barack Obama:
"I look at it as, give the man some time. He hasn't even been in office -- he was elected this time last year. Bush left a huge mess ... it's like giving him a spoon and asking him to go fill up the Grand Canyon."
![Wanda, a gay-rights activist, on the recent election in Maine:It's very disappointing. I know exactly how the community is feeling right now, especially in Maine [where gay marriage was recently struck down]. It's just sad when someone's civil rights can be put up to a vote. That just should never happen. The constitution declares a separation between church and state. And I think that's what it's going to come down to and what we need to uphold, and when that happens I think there will be equality for everybody.Why so serious on this issue?You know why? Because it really isn't anything to joke about.](http://static.wonderwall.com/Photos/Original/16946_Original.jpg)
Wanda, a gay-rights activist, on the recent election in Maine:
"It's very disappointing. I know exactly how the community is feeling right now, especially in Maine [where gay marriage was recently struck down]. It's just sad when someone's civil rights can be put up to a vote. That just should never happen. The constitution declares a separation between church and state. And I think that's what it's going to come down to and what we need to uphold, and when that happens I think there will be equality for everybody."
Why so serious on this issue?
"You know why? Because it really isn't anything to joke about."
On loving her hometown -- as long as she doesn't have to move back there:
"I love going back to D.C. It's where it all started and I love that crowd. They're smart, their soul just is, like, ahead of you. They were sitting on it just waiting for the next line ... Move back to D.C.? Probably not. There are too many politicians there for me. Those people are scary."
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