Over the last couple of years, there have been quite a few stories that have been brought to light thanks to the #MeToo movement. Celebrities that many thought were untouchable were greatly affected thanks to the bravery of those victims coming forward. There have also been quite a few famous folks that seemed to be genuinely good people but have done truly terrible things. And the question that remains is, “how do these people continue with their careers?” Well, in the case of Aziz Ansari, the comedian has decided to not shy away from the stories in his first comedy special since the sexual misconduct claims from last year.
For those not aware of the situation, Ansari became embroiled in his own #MeToo controversy last year when a woman came forward with claims that he sexually assaulted her while on a date. Ansari released a statement saying that he felt that the actions were consensual, but clearly, according to the victim, they were not.
So, in the opening of his newest comedy special on Netflix, which is actually directed by Spike Jonze, the comedian talks about how he felt about the situation. And he didn’t do it for laughs.
“There’s times I felt scared, there’s times I felt humiliated, there’s times I felt embarrassed, and ultimately, I just felt terrible that this person felt this way. And after a year or so, I just hope it was a step forward,” said Ansari.
There are people that have already thrown praise at Ansari for tackling the issue on the stage and not shying away from talking about it. And of course, there are others that don’t feel like this is a full apology and it’s more of a “I’m sorry you felt that way” situation that allows the comedian to avoid ownership of the actions. Either way, it’s clear that Ansari is trying to come back by discussing the issue instead of sweeping it under the rug.
Before ending his special, the stand-up comedian brought up his feelings yet again.
“I saw the world where I don’t ever get to do this again, and it almost felt like I died,” he said. “In a way, I did. That old Aziz who said, ‘oh treat yo self’ or whatever, he’s dead. And I’m glad. ‘Cause that guy was always looking forward to whatever was next. I don’t think that way anymore. ‘Cause I’ve realized it’s all ephemeral. All that stuff, it can just go away like this. And all we really have is the moment we’re in and the people we’re with.”
You can watch the entirety of his new comedy special, titled “Aziz Ansari: Right Now,” on Netflix now.
On his new Netflix special #RightNow, Aziz Ansari opens the show by addressing the allegations that were first published by https://t.co/AWTQUHcyJ4 a few years back. Here's the clip in its entirety pic.twitter.com/HHkDAxbske
— James Shotwell (@jamesdshotwell) July 9, 2019