Wanda Sykes Backs Mo’Nique In Netflix Row / Reveals She Was Offered “Less Than Half” Of Debated Deal

Published: Sunday 21st Jan 2018 by Sam

Mo’Nique caught a lot of flack this week when she called for a boycott of Netflix over perceived “race and gender bias.”

Many, even some supporters, felt she went about the matter wrong and were quick to point out holes in her argument about why she was being offered less for a stand-up special than comedic counterparts Amy Schumer, Dave Chapelle, and Chris Rock.

And, despite painting the debate as one that is bigger than her and an institutional problem affecting fellow Afro-American stars, none have come forward to vouch for her cause.

Until now.

Full story below…

In a short but telling tweet, comedienne Wanda Sykes fist-pumped in solidarity with Mo’Nique and alleged that she too had been low-balled by Netflix:

While this, on the surface, may lend credence to some of what Mo’Nique is saying, this also highlights where she arguably went wrong.

See, like Wanda, if she was insulted by the deal she should have first taken her business elsewhere (i.e. Amazon Prime, Hulu), secured the bag, and then told her truth. Hell, even incorporate it into her act.

But, whether right or wrong, she’s becoming more synonymous with whining and moaning than successful work. And it need not be like that. Because if she strategized better, she could get her message across while keeping the coins coming in.

Now she’s in a predicament where the platforms and persons she’s publicly dragging won’t want to work with her and prospective partners may be wary too because of her past antics.

We can’t stress how much we “get” where she’s coming from, but her execution and disregard for how the optics look, feels like it’s doing more harm than good.

Your thoughts?

[Photo credit: Roger Erickson / Washington Blade]

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  1. Killian January 21, 2018

    @thatgrapejuice and @Sam rightly said, she has truly noble cause and she was wronged but then she should have NEGOTIATED in private and then gone in for the kill after doing a killer perform or gotten another gig then bash them.All this is mess and she’s still Jobless now the way i see it she’s slowly making POWERFUL enemies that would reall blackball her for real this time and for good.

    • Jason January 21, 2018

      She did negotiate in private. She’s talking after the talks fell through. The interview she did on “Sway in the morning” was very good. It’s on YouTube.

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        Jason are you saying that her team’s negotiations with all of the companies fell through? NO I think you are saying her team pretended like Netflix is the only company out there.

  2. Queenlatifah January 21, 2018

    If it had been a black man…., tgt, cpotus, and every other motha fugga would not be trying to shut him up like they are Mo’nique. There is a sort of mentality being passed around by house neegroes that… we should sit down and be quiet when we do not receive our 40 acres and a mule, but I say, if we do not stand up for our rights, our sons and daughters will have to work harder than they have to, to receive fair treatment in this country. I see what you’re doing Mo’ and I’ll probably be the first to say, we appreciate you. The revolution will not be televised.

    • Tori January 21, 2018

      Neither will her performance.

      • Trose January 21, 2018

        Screaming that comment was EPIC Tori lmao

    • Pat January 21, 2018

      ???

    • Jasmine January 21, 2018

      Queenlatifah no one has a “right” to dictate the amount Netflix will pay them. If you don’t like their offer take your work to another company that will pay you more or better yet create your OWN company. Netflix is a private company and not the government. You are obviously clueless about how things work in the entertainment industry, corporate America, and real life. No one is entitled to anything from a private company. If you don’t like it then create your own company like Oprah, Tyler Perry, Bob Johnson, Spike Lee, and Lee Daniels did. I don’t see immigrant Mexicans waiting on some imaginary “40 acres and a mule”. Most of them come in the US with the mindset of OWNining their own businesses and many of them cannot even speak English but they know nothing is coming their way without going out and claiming it. The Uncle Tom references you mention are dated and non-applicable. Simply put, you have 3 OPTIONS in life if you are black in the US: 1. Being lazy with a sense of entitlement, 2. Going out and hustling checks from multiple companies, and 3. Creating your OWN business. Gone are the days of just working for one company and whining about low pay. Hustle Up or stay Behind!

  3. It’s The Principle January 21, 2018

    Listen up everyone… Do yourself a favor and stop commenting!!!! TGJ is clearly writing some of these dumbass comments to hype ppl up. Go back to the last post on Monique and read some of the comments, most notably by “Jasmine” the resident TGJ troll. You’ll notice mostly everything in this article is in “her” comments… including that ridiculous “secure the bag” line. No one’s stupid. The dumbass that wrote this article clearly didn’t watch the Sway interview b/c he or she is too busy monitoring the comment section and writing TGJ comments.

    • Jasmine January 21, 2018

      I am not a troll b|tch and only jobless losers have 60 minutes to watch an interview with Monique and Sway when this site could have just written out the highlights. If this article is using my insight and comments then that should tell you something. Instead of hating on me so much you could learn something from me b|tch. I understand your point of view but it is very elementary and non-realistic. You cannot argue against the fact that Netflix is not the only company out there and Monique’s team did not negotiate well. You and Monique are taking this personal when this is just business.

      • It’s The Principle January 21, 2018

        I see when you call for a troll they come running…

        Since your dumbass jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story, you want to now switch from “she should’ve negotiated” to “Netflix is not the only company” and “her team didn’t negotiate well.” You don’t know what her team did or didn’t do well because your stupid ass wasn’t there. You were too busy making boss moves and “securing the bag” in the TGJ comment section. Who the f-ck are you kidding? You could’ve watched that interview 3 times in a row with all the free time you have to type and send bullish-t like this. GTFOH.

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        B|tch I never back peddle and I am not a troll. You ran my name in your comment so I will defend myself. Next time keep my name out your comments b|tch! Everything I said is 100% true and everything you are saying is nitwit talk that secures zero bags! Obviously Wana negotiated better. Learn something and stop coming for me and name calling!

      • Jason January 21, 2018

        I have a job, sweetie. It was Saturday, and I don’t work weekends. F*** you. Simple minded ass h**! You probably spend ALL YOUR TIME waiting on a reply. Don’t come for a bunch of people just because you don’t agree with getting the actual facts from the source.

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        Jason you are the troll hiding behind multiple fake accounts. Thanks for proving yourself to be a troll. Low pay simple minded b|tch of course your lazy self only has 1 job and don’t work weekends. That is why you cannot comprehend the knowledge dropped from a woman with multiple businesses and securing bags all the time. You have to wait on your one employer to pay you a check.

      • Jason January 21, 2018

        You’re lame, Your mother is lame, your response is desperate, and I have things to do. You’re probably jumping up and down at all the attention you’re getting. I know they don’t address you directly at the strip club, unless they pay extra. ?? For someone to have so many businesses, you sure are busy on here. ? So pressed. So thotty. Don’t grease that pole too much, ya might fall and become Internet famous… Again, you come for me, I remove your matted wig! Now go drop a fry, B****!!!

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        Jason I did not come for you first b|tch. You came at me like a dog in heat so I neuturized you! You are the lame one with all your idiotic personal digs and name calling. I don’t stoop that low but I will tell your ignorant uneducated trashy self this….you sir are a moron. I bet those strippers you look down on make more money than your broke self. Unlike you, many of them thots are bosses and have multiple forms of income coming in everyday while your broke queeny self goes in to work M-F giving up 50 hours of your time to your master for a funky little check. The idiot is you! The b|tch is you| The queen is you! Now run along little b|tch boy. I’m bored with you!

    • MUSICHEAD January 21, 2018

      LMAOOO! @It’s The Principle. You know Jasmine swear she stay booked like Kelly Price but everytime I look at the comments section, she got 5011 responses. If she got the time to respond to every comment made on this site, she had time to watch the video.

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        No I do not have time to watch an hour long into b|tch bit I can type these comments and put slow pigeon b|these like you in your place in seconds!

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        Intv not into

  4. Ronnie January 21, 2018

    I see nothing wrong with how Monique went about this. If we’re being honest any platform that feels like this is injustice will still make offers to Mo regardless. I think people are getting it twisted, I don’t believe Mo cares about being “blackballed” at this point. In the future she’s going to be rembered as a pioneer who actually spoke up while no one else did. Yeah Wanda secured her bag with another platform.. but she still didn’t speak up until now after Mo said something first. Stop accepting the bare minimum in whatever field you’re in and don’t be afraid to actual fight for what you’re worth.

    • Jasmine January 21, 2018

      Ronnie it is a double edged sword. On one hand someone like Wanda may have wanted to speak up against Netflix but on their other hand she has a family to support and wanted to keep the door open at Netflix for future opportunities. No has has an obligation to speak nor does being quiet indicate you are any less of a “pioneer”. There are thousands of white women that are making sexual abuse claims against men that happened years and decades ago but I do not see anyone subliminally bashing them.

      • Ajm265 January 21, 2018

        How is this any different than the me too argument. So she’s is supposed to sit on her hands and let injustice happen. Like she stated in her interview with sway. People are all telling her she should be quiet. But being quiet and accepting things is how Harvey Weinstein got away with his wrongs for 30 years. She may get backlash from the Gp but there are people out here who will come to her defense and again utter me too. It’s crazy how people are all up in arms with H&M over a m***** hoodie but when they see their fellow black women being treated like a m***** they say oh she’s difficult oh she need wrk be quiet.

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        There was no “injustice” here. Netflix made her an offer and she did not like the amount. How exactly is that an injustice? Netflix was not sexually abusing her so get real!

      • Ajm265 January 21, 2018

        When asked why Amy was being paid 12.5 million more than her Netflix had not true reason. They stated they don’t go off of what a person’s resume… and in the same breath read off things on Amy’s resume as the reason They paid her so much more …. I think if you actually took the time to do the research and watch all of the interviews you would understand how this is a race issue and a gender issue.

      • Jasmine January 21, 2018

        Amy’s team negotiated for her check. Netflix did not offer that to Amy but rather negotiations got Netflix to increase the amount (check the variety article on it as a source). There is nothing to “research” because you have yet to explain how a low offer is equivalent with “injustice”. Bringing up Amy can easily be explained away with the fact that the target demographic audiences are different. Monique’s brand is limited to an older ghetto black audience (many of whom do not have Netflix). Monique does not appeal to the more intellectual and sophisticated black audience like me nor does she appeal to the younger black generation or white people at large. Netflix looks at all those factors when making the offer so I can see why they would make her a 500K initial offer with likely a 1m cap (MO would have negotiated with them better to get Netflix to offer their cap).

  5. Chillitsjustpizza January 21, 2018

    Anybody that is against Monique and Wanda is clearly trolling this site…. Drops mic?? oh and please don’t try to argue with me.

  6. John January 21, 2018

    Wow! Wanda Sykes had a role on Black-ish and she never really left the limelight b/c she was a presenter on award shows and made appearances on day and night time talk shows. I can’t believe Netflix offered her less than Monique. I like Wanda better as a standup and Monique better in movies. Monique standup is not the greatest but her comedic timing is excellent.

  7. John January 21, 2018

    Monique said Netflix came to see her standup and told her that the audience loved it. But I wonder what was the capacity and whether it was sold out. Netflix probably took that into consideration and realized that the anticipation would be low. But 500k is not enough for Monique to promote the show outside of the Steve Harvey show.

  8. Casual January 22, 2018

    Wanda Sykes being offered less than half of what they offered Mo’Nique sounds about right. It’s all a popularity game. You got to on and poppin’ if you want to get top dollar. Netflix is all about paid subscriptions, and if they don’t feel you will help them hold or improve on their subscriber base, you’re not going to get a top dollar offer.

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