Even after seeing his regular (at best) performance back in 2011, if you told me that there would be a day when NeNe Leakes could clock Martin Lawrence in a standup performance I would have punched anybody who even suggested such dead in the face. Well “you know what” has frozen over, because if I had to judge both of them as comedians based on their most recent performances, NeNe would emerge the victor. She did a two-night run at Helium Comedy Club this past weekend and she actually was not bad. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of wrinkles to be ironed out – but that’s always the case with a young comic. If she were to put in the work to develop a tight, streamlined show with a healthy heap of material, she’d be giving the original Queens of Comedy a run for their money. Trust me; I was just as shocked as anybody when I caught life from her little act. Watching her on stage was like seeing a good comedian early on in their career – there are plenty of hiccups, but the potential is absolutely there. When she said she got pulled over by the police and called 911 on the cops, I liked to have died. “They ain’t bout to blow my wig off,” NeNe said. “I called them and they said ‘what’s the emergency?’ I said, ‘the police have pulled me over…send help’.” She took questions from the audience and gave delightful shade – and tea – regarding her “Real Housewives of Atlanta” co-stars. She kept it cute enough, but one or two got read for filth – namely Kenya Moore. I must say that her nemesis Wendy Williams would have been insanely jealous of her standup routine after the mess she shoveled on us at the Peabody last year with her little tired, raunchy attempt. NeNe said herself “I’m not a comedian, I’m a hustler [b-word expletive.” But if she took the time to get polished, comedy could be her next hustle once the reality star well runs dry. And while I by no means approve of his stage name, her opening act Burpie was pretty funny too.
