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Shawn Wayans talks comedy, Seattle, and political correctness
Apr 17, 2018, 7:20 AM | Updated: Apr 20, 2018, 4:22 pm
Comedian Shawn Wayans performs at the Tulalip on Saturday, April 21. (Shawn Wayans Facebook)
(Shawn Wayans Facebook)
Comedian Shawn Wayans talked to the Dori Monson Show ahead of his April 21 performance at the Tulalip Resort and Casino in Tulalip.
Wayans, who starred in “White Chicks” and “Scary Movie,” is performing as part of his “Off Color Comedy Tour,” along with his former “In Living Color” castmates David Allan and Tommy Davidson. Wayans described the show as the “In Living Color” members “getting back together for one night.”
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“You can expect a lot of laughs, and you can expect a lot of that fun energy that you’ve seen us all have when we were doing ‘In Living Color,'” he said.
However, Wayans is not sure he wants “In Living Color” to follow the present-day reboot trend of other iconic ’90s pop culture like “Full House.”
“It was a really tough show to do,” he said. “The cast we had was super special … I’m not sure if there are people [out there] who do all the stuff that those people did on that show.”
Starting his career at age 19 on “Color” was like being a “kid in a comedy candy store” around “some of the baddest in comedy,” Wayans said.
Now a comedy veteran, Wayans described his comedic style as “honest and observational,” with a large variety of material.
Modern Shawn Wayans comedy
Comedic boundaries may have changed since the 1990s, but Wayans said that while he’s sensitive to current issues, he stays true to the humor and doesn’t worry about political correctness when he’s on the stage.
“There’s no way for me to continue to be funny if I’m sitting around walking on eggshells … If you’re in a comedy club, leave the sensitivity at home,” he said. “Don’t come here if you’re looking for a hug – I ain’t giving you one. You’ve come to get a laugh.”
“You’ve got to understand the world we’re in now – you’ve got all the stress and the pressures that everybody is dealing with,” he continued. “Then they come out to get a laugh, and they don’t know if it’s okay for them to laugh … but the people that are coming to laugh are laughing really hard.”
Wayans is excited to perform in front of Seattleites again who he says are “very smart, heavy into the arts.”
“It’s just a very cool vibe — when it’s not raining,” he laughed.
Shawn Wayans will perform this Saturday, April 21 at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. at the Tulalip Resort Casino as part of his Off-Color Comedy Tour.
