Yeah, I Said It (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I don't mean to disrespect the president . . . that's bullshit..." (more)
Key Phrases: Mardi Gras, Super Bowl, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Humor books by popular comedians are a tricky proposition—reading the routines can rarely compete with watching the performance—and Sykes's gathering of jokes and rants suffers from its medium. Her introduction, in which she claims that she's only writing the book for the money, could be either clever sarcasm or amusing defiance ("let's face it, right now, I'm on fire; did you see Pooty Tang?"), for example—but it's funnier as the former. The rest of the material—short takes on Clinton's affair, vanity license plates, Martha Stewart, love, and professional sports—is mixed. Good lines can get lost on stale topics: there are jokes about last year's California recall election and complaints (recently rendered moot) that no one had seen the 9/11 Commission's findings. Time-tested race relations jokes include suggestions that a black man could never steal as much money as a white executive, because "[t]here are just not that many liquor stores in the country," while observational humor includes the likes of "[a]n ugly man with a six-figure salary becomes 'kinda cute' to most women," and "[t]o some women, marriage is really the wedding." Sykes's irreverence can be refreshing, but some of her jokes need that same energy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Sykes, Emmy Award-winning standup comic, brings her irreverent humor to a variety of issues and topics, including sex, politics, war, homeland security, the death penalty, and family. She begins by poking fun at celebrities' writing books and having little of substance to say, parodying her own creative process in producing this book. She goes on to take jabs at celebrities from Michael Jackson to Kobe Bryant to Tiger Woods. Like her stand-up routine, much of her material centers on sexual politics: women being judged primarily on their looks, attractive actresses even getting the roles to play unattractive women, cheap dates being good for a few laughs. Crime, guns, and race are also among the topics she considers in these brief essays. Fans will find the book amusing, but the occasional profanity will limit its appeal. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Atria (September 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0743482719
• ISBN-13: 978-0743482714
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #263,562 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Get "Tongue Untied" on DVD instead, October 19, 2004

By	Hansol Lee (Vancouver, BC, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Yeah, I Said It (Hardcover)

I love Wanda Sykes, but unfortunately her humor doesn't translate very well in print. What makes Wanda Sykes really shine is her delivery, and without her body language, whiny voice, semi-ghetto/Ebonics talk and impeccable timing, the jokes just don't have the same effects.

This is still worth a read (especially since it's such a quick/easy read), I think I'd rather re-rent her hilarious DVD, "Tongue Untied" again.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yeah She Said It And Could Give A **BLEEP** Who Likes It, October 24, 2004

By	Book 'Em Danno - See all my reviews

This review is from: Yeah, I Said It (Hardcover)

I thought Wanda's book was funny. Since I'm already familiar with Wanda's brand of humor that helped because as I was reading I couldn't help but to hear her delivery. I think anybody can enjoy this book. Wanda touches on everything from politics to strip clubs with her no-time-for-nonsense humor. I hope the book does better than some of her tv shows have because she is talented. Go on, help Wanda out, buy this book!!

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very funny but boring to read, November 16, 2004

By	N. Gorman "BeaMagJes" (Villa Park, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Yeah, I Said It (Hardcover)

I purchased this book the day after I watched Wanda Sykes' appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. She delivered several comments from her book. Her delivery was flawless and she was hilarious.
Reading the book is much different. The material is very funny but it's difficult to read it without experiencing the timing and emotion of Ms. Sykes' delivery.
If she or her publishers ever read these comments I would strongly suggest that she RECORD THIS BOOK ON TAPE. I logged on tonight to see if the book was available on tape and am disappointed that it isn't.
Five stars for material but a deduction of two for format.