“‘Cause They Be All Up In My Business Like a Wendy Interview…”

-Mariah Carey, “Touch My Body”

How you doin’?

Wendy Williams is now famous for hosting a fun, syndicated morning talk show called The Wendy Williams Show. Disclosure: I love The Wendy Williams Show. It helped get me through unemployment. Wendy is vivacious, hilarious and doesn’t kiss her guests’ ass–instead, you feel like you’re participating in a gossip session between friends. Plus, the “Ask Wendy” segment is just too fabulous.

With that aside, if you watch TWWS, you know that Wendy first got her start on the radio, working in various markets including Boston, New York and Philadelphia. After reading The Wendy Williams Experience: Queen of Media, I must say that “TV Wendy” and “Radio Wendy” are two different people.

First, let me start off by saying that I got the vibe that Queen of Media was more of a book for fans of her radio show. Williams gives her opinions on certain stars of the R&B/Hip Hop world, and reprints many interviews, including a rather infamous chat with Whitney Houston where she said some not so nice things to Williams.

Now, I don’t want to call Williams herself mean, but “Radio Wendy” is definitely more gritty than “T.V. Wendy.” Is it because Williams is now on television, where she’s watched by millions of people (as opposed to radio, which, sadly, isn’t drawing the same audience as it used to?) Or can we chalk it up to age? Williams is now 47, Queen of Media was first published six years ago, so maybe Williams has calmed down. Or, perhaps she’s happier on T.V. than she is on radio. Or, maybe it’s because Wendy has to cater to an entirely new audience–when Wendy was on the radio, her show was mostly broadcast on “black” stations. Her  T.V. show, however, caters to a more “diverse” audience. If Wendy isn’t “ethnic,” she’s more marketable. (this is sad yet very true in a lot of media outlets.)

That’s not to say I dislike “Radio Wendy”–I like that she didn’t pull punches with her guests and didn’t kiss their asses to high heaven. That being said, she wasn’t running her mouth all over town. She knew when to back off and when to admit she was wrong. I’m looking forward to reading her autobiography, Wendy’s Got The Heat, so I can learn even more about this fabulous woman.

What’s your take on “Radio Wendy” vs. “T.V. Wendy?” Did you read The Wendy Williams Experience: Queen of Media? What are your thoughts? Feel free to share in the comments section!

Friday (remember, there’s two reviews this week!): A peek into Blanche’s boudoir, aka Rue McClanahan’s My First Five Husbands…and the Ones Who Got Away.

Thank you and I love you for reading! 🙂