If you grew up in the early nineties, you probably remember the exact moment you first saw her. Jamie Foxx, draped in a blonde wig with a gap-toothed grin that defied the laws of physics, stumbling onto the screen as Wanda on In Living Color. It wasn't just funny. It was a cultural earthquake.
Honestly, looking back at Keenen Ivory Wayans’ sketch comedy masterpiece, most characters followed a certain logic. Fire Marshall Bill had his catchphrases. Homey D. Clown had his sock. But Wanda? She was pure, unadulterated chaos. She was the "ugly girl" who thought she was the finest woman in the room, and she didn't care who told her otherwise.
The Birth of the Bachelorette
Jamie Foxx wasn't even a series regular when the show started. He joined in Season 3, and while he was already a powerhouse of impressions, Wanda McCullough was the role that cemented his status as a comedic genius. The character wasn't actually based on a specific person, but rather a composite of people Foxx had seen at clubs or in his hometown of Terrell, Texas.
She was bold.
Wanda didn't just walk into a scene; she collided with it. Her signature line—"I'm gon' tell you what he told me!"—became a playground staple. It’s wild to think about how much that character permeated the culture. You couldn't go to a grocery store in 1992 without hearing someone mimic her high-pitched, raspy delivery.
But why did it work? It worked because it leaned into the "In Living Color" ethos of pushing boundaries until they snapped. The show was already known for being the "Black Saturday Night Live," but it was way more dangerous than SNL ever dared to be. Wanda was a prime example of that edge.
Breaking Down the Physicality
Foxx’s commitment to the bit was terrifyingly thorough. He spent hours in makeup, but the real magic was in the facial contortions. He could pull his lips back and shift his jaw in a way that made him look completely unrecognizable. It’s easy to forget now that Foxx is an Oscar-winning actor who played Ray Charles, but his dramatic range started with the physical comedy of Wanda on In Living Color.
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The costume was usually a tight, neon-colored dress that looked like it was struggling for its life. And the hair? Always a mess. It was the perfect visual representation of her personality: overconfident, messy, and loud.
Why Wanda on In Living Color Still Sparks Debate
If you watch those sketches today on YouTube or through old DVD box sets, you might feel a little bit of friction. Humor has changed. The idea of a man dressing as a "hideous" woman to get laughs is a trope that hasn't aged perfectly for everyone. Some critics argue it leaned into "misogynoir," while others see it as a drag-adjacent performance that satirized vanity rather than womanhood itself.
But here is the thing.
Wanda wasn't a victim. She was the aggressor in every single sketch. She was the one hitting on the guys (usually played by Tommy Davidson or David Alan Grier). She was the one with all the power. That’s a nuance that gets lost if you just look at a screencap. She was written as a woman who possessed an unshakable, almost delusional self-esteem. In a weird way, there’s something almost aspirational about a character who is told by the entire world that she’s "ugly" and responds by saying, "No, I'm the prize."
The "Ugly Woman" Trope in 90s Comedy
We saw this a lot in that era. Martin Lawrence had Sheneneh. Tyler Perry eventually had Madea. But Wanda felt different because she was so aggressively sexualized. She wasn't just a loud neighbor; she was a woman looking for love in all the wrong places, usually while wearing a spandex outfit that was three sizes too small.
The Most Iconic Sketches
You can't talk about Wanda on In Living Color without mentioning the "Wanda at the Dating Game" or the "Wanda as a Rockstar" bits. One of the most famous segments involved her as a backup dancer or a contestant trying to win the heart of a "fine" guest star.
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- The Vampire Sketch: Wanda as a vampire was peak 90s absurdity. She was trying to seduce her prey, but her face was so distorted that the "victim" was more confused than scared.
- The Massage Therapist: Imagine going in for a relaxing rubdown and seeing Wanda standing there with a bottle of oil and a look of pure hunger in her eyes.
- Wanda and Jim Carrey: When Foxx and Carrey shared the screen, it was like watching two tornadoes collide. Carrey’s physical rubber-man act paired with Foxx’s vocal gymnastics created some of the most frantic television ever aired.
Foxx has often mentioned in interviews that he had to be careful not to break character because the cast was constantly trying to make him laugh. The improvisation on that set was legendary. Half the time, the reactions you see from the other actors aren't scripted; they are genuinely shocked by whatever Foxx just did with his tongue or his eyebrows.
The Legacy of a Comedic Monster
It’s been decades since the show went off the air in 1994, but the character lives on. You see her DNA in modern social media characters. Every time a comedian puts on a wig and a filter to play a "type" on TikTok or Instagram, they are essentially pulling from the playbook that Jamie Foxx wrote with Wanda on In Living Color.
The show itself was a launchpad for Jim Carrey, Jennifer Lopez (as a Fly Girl), and the entire Wayans family. But Foxx used Wanda to prove he could carry a show. Without the success of those sketches, we might never have gotten The Jamie Foxx Show, let alone his transition into serious cinema like Collateral or Django Unchained.
What People Get Wrong
A lot of people think Wanda was just about being "ugly." That's a lazy take. The real joke was the juxtaposition between how she looked and how she acted. She acted like a supermodel. She had the confidence of Naomi Campbell in the body of, well, Jamie Foxx in a wig.
It was a commentary on confidence.
It was also a commentary on the "dating scene" of the early 90s, where status and looks were everything. Wanda bypassed all that by simply deciding she was the hottest person in the room. There’s a specific kind of Texas swagger that Foxx brought to the role that made it feel grounded in some kind of weird reality, even when she was doing something impossible like eating a steak through her teeth.
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How to Revisit the Magic
If you’re looking to dive back into the world of the Wayans brothers and their ragtag crew, you’ll find that the pacing of the show is much faster than modern sketch comedy. It’s relentless. Wanda on In Living Color segments usually lasted about four to six minutes, but they packed more jokes into those windows than most sitcoms do in a half-hour.
- Start with the "Vampire" sketch. It showcases the makeup work and Foxx's ability to stay in character while doing intense physical stunts.
- Watch the bloopers. You can find these online, and they show just how much work went into the character’s "look."
- Compare it to Foxx’s later work. Watch a clip of Wanda and then watch Foxx in Ray. The fact that it’s the same human being is honestly one of the greatest arguments for his place in the acting pantheon.
The show was lightning in a bottle. FOX (the network) gave them a lot of leeway because they were pulling in massive ratings, especially among younger viewers who were tired of the "safe" humor on other networks. Wanda was the mascot for that "don't give a damn" attitude.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you are a student of comedy or just a fan of the era, there are a few things to take away from the Wanda phenomenon.
Commitment is everything. Jamie Foxx didn't play Wanda with a wink to the camera. He played her with 100% sincerity. He was Wanda. If you’re creating content today, that level of "full-send" commitment is what separates a viral hit from a forgettable post.
Understand your "why." The reason Wanda worked wasn't the wig; it was the personality. She was a disruptor. When you’re writing a character or a brand story, find that one trait—like Wanda’s insane confidence—and crank it up to eleven.
Don't be afraid to be "ugly." In a world of filtered photos and perfect aesthetics, the "ugly" comedy of Wanda on In Living Color is a reminder that there is power in being messy. It cuts through the noise. It makes people stop scrolling.
Rewatch the old clips. Look past the 90s video quality and the dated fashion. Focus on the timing. Focus on the way Foxx uses his voice as an instrument. Even if the character wouldn't be created the same way in 2026, the brilliance of the performance is undeniable. Wanda remains a masterclass in character development, physical comedy, and the sheer power of having a "look" that nobody can forget.
If you want to understand the history of Black comedy in America, you have to go through the 19th floor of the FOX building where this show was filmed. You have to understand the Wayans' vision. And you absolutely have to understand why a man in a blonde wig and a pink dress was the funniest thing on the planet for four straight years.