Wanda Sykes Shines at the Golden Globes
Wanda Sykes showcased her comedic flair during the 83rd Golden Globe Awards, throwing some playful barbs at Ricky Gervais and Bill Maher along the way.
As she took the stage at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday night to accept the Golden Globe for Best Performance in a Stand-up Comedy on Television, Sykes first prompted the crowd to give a round of applause for host Nikki Glazer. Glazer, in turn, thanked the Golden Globes for her opportunity.
“A big shout-out to the Golden Globes for casting me. Some folks are upset that a queer black woman is here doing the jobs of two mediocre white men,” she joked, referring to herself.
Sykes poked fun at nominees like Gervais, Maher, Brett Goldstein, Kevin Hart, Kumail Nanjiani, and Sarah Silverman, but seemed particularly focused on Maher and Gervais.
“Bill Maher, you give us so much, but I could do with a little less,” she quipped, addressing the comedians. “Try less.”
The camera caught Maher’s slightly taken aback expression. After ribbing Goldstein, Hart, and Nanjiani, Sykes shifted her attention to Gervais, who wasn’t present for the ceremony.
“Ricky Gervais, I love you for not being here. No, really, I do. But if you win, I can accept the award for you, and you can thank God and the trans community,” she remarked, alluding to Gervais’s controversial 2022 stand-up special that faced backlash from the LGBTQ community. “Oh, Ricky!”
It seems Sykes is ready to fulfill a promise, as her latest Netflix special won a notable award from Gervais.
“Golden Globes, Teyana, can I borrow your speech? Ricky Gervais, I want to thank God and the trans community,” she continued. “Since Ricky couldn’t be here, we’ll just take this in his absence.”
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