New York comedian Sydnee Washington is as relatable as she is hilarious. To hang out with the comedian is to spend an afternoon smiling so much that your cheeks hurt and laughing until your belly aches. That’s exactly what happened when Washington and BG sat down for a one-on-one on The Brandon Gonez Show.
Washington says that she didn’t always think she was funny, but it was a realization she had in college.
“I would be in people’s rooms telling jokes and whatever,” Washington explained, adding that she was working on her networking skills while in school.
“Then when I was working at a nightclub/bar in New York, we would get out at 5 o’clock in the morning sometimes, and people would stay until 8 a.m. listening to me doing jokes, telling stories, doing little powerpoints,” she explained, adding that one day her friend decided to film her during this routine.
“My friend filmed me, and I was like, first of all, I’m very drunk and very high, this is against my rights,’’ Washington laughed, explaining that her friend then took the clips to make a compilation video of Washington’s performance.
With her friend’s encouragement, Washington started pursuing a career in standup and signed up for a comedy class. Washington says she invited her “meanest friends” to a show at the end of her comedy lessons, and that friends continued to encourage her comedy goals.
So, who inspires this comedy queen? She shared that some of her favourite comedians include Wanda Sykes and Whoopie Goldberg, but one of her biggest influences was much closer to home.
“Growing up as a little girl, my best friend at the time, Ziggy, was the funniest person. She was very kooky, she bit her nails [until] they looked like nubs, and she probably needed braces and glasses. But everything she said and did was hilarious.”
“She was always super hyped and just watching her made me realize that when I get older, it doesn’t matter. Just do and say what you want to do and have fun. Someone is going to laugh,” Washing explained with a smile.
So, when it comes to the serious question of Team Oxtail or Team Curry Goat, Washington came through with her take.
“You know some people don’t do their goat right, so I’m gonna go with oxtail.”
Washington shared her take on whether Canadians or Americans are funnier, her experiences taking a comedy class, how she’s taking on the renaissance of comedy and more on this episode of The Brandon Gonez Show.
