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Comedian Amanda Seales isn't afraid to go there.
As in, any number of topics like politics, Black history, voting and other issues that others in her field might shy away from.
"Every comic has their own style," Amanda, who is hitting the road this fall with her Black Outside Again and Smart, Funny and Black tours, told E! News in an exclusive interview. "The way my comedy brain works is that I can look at things that are going on in the zeitgeist that some people may feel like are too hot topic and maybe too touchy and find a way to make it palatable to at least get people thinking differently."
According to Amanda, it's a "superpower" that she has and uses for good—having spent the past six years celebrating Black culture with her Smart, Funny and Black run.
Described by the 41-year-old as a cross between an HBCU homecoming, a revival and family reunion, the experience feels like a game show with a live band, singalongs and audience participation.
Her solo Black Outside Again tour is also getting the collaborative treatment. Instead of having opening and closing acts, Amanda is inviting community organizers in each city to discuss their work. "That was really just an idea that came to mind so that I can continue to be a bridge to creating change using my platform," Amanda explained. "It's been really great just to see folks really speak ardently and earnestly and passionately about the work they're doing to an audience that is there because they respect the work I do."
While Amanda wants to deliver an unforgettable experience for every audience member at every show, she also hopes to hear one accolade that is no laughing matter.
"The best compliment you can receive is, ‘I needed that,'" Amanda shared. "There are a million reasons why but it feels so good when you know that you're doing this thing that makes you feel good also made people feel good enough to keep going."
And while laughs are always worth the price of admission, the lessons that come out of an Amanda show may be priceless.
"I hope that people walk away feeling revitalized, feeling revived, feeling full," she continued. "I hope they learned something at the same time that they laughed. Bringing joy to folks and doing it through intellectualism and doing it through something that has actual substance really means a lot to me."
Keep scrolling for a behind-the-scenes look at Amanda's tours. And find out when she's coming to your city by clicking here.
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