Skip to content
Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy
Promotional art for Not Normal
Cover image credit:

Source

Not Normal

Wanda Sykes

Netflix · 2019 · 66 min

Wanda Sykes reacts to political absurdity and family life.

Watch on Netflix(opens in a new tab)

If you voted for Donald Trump and bought a ticket to see Wanda Sykes in early 2019, she has a simple message: you made another bad decision. Recorded at The Town Hall in New York City, the hour targets the absurdities of the late-2010s political climate. Sykes focuses on the Mueller investigation and the visual of the president boarding Air Force One with toilet paper stuck to his shoe. While other comics of her generation approached the era with panic, Sykes treats the political chaos as a bizarre administrative error, relying on her signature disbelief to carry the jokes.

The performance shifts from national politics to the domestic friction of her home life. Sykes talks about her white wife and their biracial children, contrasting how white families are taught to play with the more disciplined upbringing she experienced. She also touches on the opioid crisis, aging, and a pitch for a PR campaign to get Black people to recycle.

The special arrived at a pivotal point in her career, marking her return to Netflix after she publicly rejected their initial, lower offer for her 2016 hour. Her gamble paid off, earning her two Primetime Emmy nominations for the special, including one for outstanding writing.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Addressing Trump voters attending her stand-up show

    Opens the set warning anyone who voted for Trump and came to see her that 'you fucked up again,' addressing the absurdity of the administration.

  2. The Mueller report and 'Individual-1'

    Points out that if criminal collusion were instead an outbreak of herpes, nobody would have any difficulty figuring out where it originated.

  3. Casting on the reality show Naked and Afraid

    Examines Ronald, a homeless Black contestant excelling in the challenge, highlighting the lack of Black producers involved in the casting decision.

  4. Critique of The Bachelor

    Mocks the premise of the dating franchise in an era of female empowerment, using the microphone as a dangling prop.

  5. The definition of 'playing' in a multiracial household

    Contrasts Black parenting instincts with white parenting when her young white son bopping her with a balloon is initially interpreted as disrespect rather than innocent play.

  6. Her stomach fat roll named 'Esther Roll'

    Personifies and addresses her torso fat, granting it a performance and writing credit in the special.

How it plays

Tone
Irreverent, satirical, observational, and candidly personal.
On stage
Irreverent, candid, unapologetic, highly expressive, and comfortable on stage.
About
Donald Trump and political absurdity, Race and racism, Family and parenting, Aging and menopause, Reality television, Body image

What the critics said

Praised for its peak-form personal anecdotes on family, parenting, and aging, along with sharp physical performance and observations on race, though some critics felt certain surface-level Trump and reality TV jokes lacked depth.

In the room: Supportive and responsive, cheering in recognition of her opening political stance.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: netflix.fandom.com, imdb.com, themoviedb.org, vulture.com, nytimes.com, forbes.com, variety.com, ew.com, en.wikipedia.org.

Backstory

Filmed amidst a tense, polarized post-2016 election political landscape in the Trump era, and following Sykes's public call-out of Netflix in 2018 regarding pay disparity before reaching terms with the streaming platform.

Details

Released
Runtime
66 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Linda Mendoza
Honors
2019 Primetime Emmy Nominee: Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)2019 Primetime Emmy Nominee: Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special2020 Critics Choice Award Nominee: Best Comedy Special and 2 more
Topics
Before
What Happened...Ms. Sykes? (2016)
After
I'm An Entertainer (2023)

More from Wanda Sykes

If you liked this