Aziz Ansari, the co-star, co-creator and co-writer of MTV's hilarious sketchcom Human Giant (the source of this year's NSFW viral favorite, the "Will Arnett sex tape"), is my current favorite Asian American stand-up, primarily because he doesn't opt for material about his Indian heritage or why his immigrant parents talk so funny. Some Asian American comics excel at ethnic humor even though it's their only shtick (Rex Navarrete), while others that I'd rather not name really suck at it. Ansari once told Gelf magazine why he avoids ethnic humor in his act: "I have some jokes like that, but I hate them. I'm tired of 'em. I just feel like it's too easy, you know what I mean? Some of that stuff is way to [sic] easy to talk about--it's not challenging."
Next season, Ansari will reach an audience outside of the alt-comedy crowd and the blogosphere when he appears in a recurring role during the upcoming final (?) year of Scrubs and as a regular on The Office's yet-to-be-titled
"...while others that I'd rather not name really suck at it."
ReplyDeleteOh come on! Name him! Name him! Why do the words "Jonely Bonely" come to mind??!?!? Or is it just because he's the only other Asian-American comedian that I can think of?
Nope, he's not one of the latter. I like Henry Cho's act. I was jazzed when he friended me on MySpace because I first saw his act and Phil Nee's act on Comedy Central when I was a squeaky-voiced kid and I thought, "A couple of Asian brothers are on Comedy Central and they don't talk like Long Duk Dong for once? And they're kinda funny too? Pinch me, television, my only friend."
ReplyDelete