My husband and I recently watched Aziz Ansari’s latest stand-up routine on Netflix and I have a newfound respect for this brother from another mother. I think this is actually the first stand-up of his I had seen, and it definitely makes me want to go back and watch more! I only really got to see him on Parks and Rec, one of my favorite TV comedies. My husband made a point that most of the time he doesn’t like to see how actors/comedians can be in real life. We have an image in our minds of what they are and should be like based on their TV personas, and it is something we don’t want to alter. However, Aziz’s stand-up just made him all-the-more appealing. He’s such a total sensitive softy! And I enjoyed that he doesn’t need to use tons of foul language and lewd sexual humor like many of the comedians these days. To me, a truly talented comedian does not need to lean on these to be funny.

Aziz’s points are both serious and funny at the same time (I won’t give away anything, but he manages to turn a fairly informative piece on the food/farming industry into something utterly hilarious). The part that I loved most about this skit (obviously) was when he talked about the differences between how men and women behave. He basically said there are a billion creepy men out there and highlighted how the weird, offensive, and gross things they do IN PUBLIC to and at women are never reciprocated by women. It was so TRUE and real, and I feel many women can relate. Now of course those with a complex seem to think he was “mansplaining” things to women, or that they disapprove of his flavor of feminism, but I did not see it this way at all. He was just making a very astute observation about women’s daily lives that most men do not even have the wherewithall to consider. And honestly, any man who can call themselves a feminist proudly and actually provide anecdotes on the idiotic things women have to deal with on a daily basis because of creepy men is a man who I can appreciate. Kudos, Aziz! Your momma raised you right.

Speaking of his momma, it was so heartwarming that he gave shout-outs to his parents for their immigrant experience and struggle in coming to this country. All in all, it was a great show and I recommend it to all!