Minor spoilers for Master of None follow
I’ve been seeing rave reviews of Aziz Ansari’s new show on Netflix, Master of None, so I decided to give it a chance. So far I’ve seen three half hour episodes (the first, second and fourth) and it’s so good I need to hold myself back from binge watching the rest.
The show is co-created by Ansari and Parks and Rec writer/producer Alan Yang. It’s drawing comparisons to Louie, comedian Louis CK’s show, in that each episode feels like a mini movie with a theme. Many people are talking about the fourth episode, Indians on TV, which skewers the representation and portrayal of Indians on the small screen. Ansari’s character Dev, a NYC-based actor, auditions for a part as an Indian character. His friend, another Indian actor, is out for the same show, an ensemble Friends-type sitcom. Producers like both of them but balk at casting more than one Indian guy, lest it become an “Indian” show.
Throughout the episode, Dev points out that Indian characters have often been white actors in brown face and made into racist caricatures on screen. This was one of my favorite lines, in which he talked about the fact that Indian guys are often typecast as convenience store owners and spiritual gurus.
“Why can’t there be a Pradeep just once who’s like an architect or designs mittens or does one of the jobs Bradley Cooper does in his movies?” Dev pointed out that Fischer Stevens was in brownface makeup for Short Circuit 2 and that Max Minghella played an Indian guy in The Social Network. He also called out Ashton Kutcher for his 2012 Popchips commercial, although he acknowledged that Kutcher apologized, met with representatives from the Indian-American community, and hooked everyone up with Popchips. (It’s unclear if that last part is true.)
I also highly recommend episode two of Master of None, Parents, in which Dev and his Taiwanese-American friend, Brian, are initially oblivious to the sacrifices their immigrant parents made for them. They decide to get to know more about them and start to appreciate and understand how different their parents’s lives were. Dev’s parents are played by Aziz’s actual mom and dad as he had trouble finding actors in that age range. You can tell that Aziz’s dad isn’t a seasoned actor but that just adds to the charm of the show, not that it isn’t already bursting with charm.
LOVVVE Aziz and am so stoked on this show! Master of None and The Leftovers have washed away all my bitterness from the absolute crap fest that TWD has turned into (and assuaging my GoT longings).
He’s so adorable. Had no idea that he has a new show but I will be checking it out for sure.
I love that quote from him. It’s particularly offensive because there are SO many Indian people working in medicine, biotech, science, finance, the arts, tech industry, and well, everywhere. It’s just incredibly ass-backwards and ignorant to stereotype Indian people as convenience store clerks or whatever.
This exactly.
It’s a quote from the show. They also did an episode about why there couldn’t be two Indian actors starring in a sitcom, which they discovered through an accidentally forwarded email from a top exec. Again, smart and insightful with a solid comedic touch.
Most of the Indians I know are doctors or professors, and the one Indian friend I have that does drive a cab also has a Phd in molecular biology. I never got the convenient store stereotype. My closest Indian friend tells me that it is because there are mostly Punjabi’s in our area as opposed to south Indians. I think there might be some north vs south prejudice in that explanation.
But are either of these “good” programs in the top 100? Huh? Huh? *wink
HAHA! Shut them dowwwn. 😀
I watched it on Saturday! LOVE IT! Really well done and I hadn’t really paid attention to Aziz before.
Is the Leftovers really good this year? I watched last season but just didn’t have much interest in tuning in for this one.
Yes, its great. Watch it!
Listen, it’s a slow burn. I watched it reluctantly last year and was more bemused with how orange one man could be, well also the weenie jogging…but I digress. This season is so deeply layered; phenom writing, excellent acting with truly dimensional (and diverse!) characters. Can’t say enough good things about it and I shall be bugging you to watch henceforth!
Thank you both! Now I’m interested, wonder if there’s any time they do marathons or back episodes (or if there’s another website that does it) My schedule is hell this year.
TWD is seriously becoming stupid. The show takes itself way too seriously now. I prefer watching Z Nation then TWD now. Atleast Z Nation is fun and always has something going on. The child actors on TWD are terrible too.
Carl is like, acting in reverse: the older he becomes, the worse it gets.
Mimif, I think that’s pretty common among young actors. See also Emma Watson. When they’re young, they’re so unaffected. It’s much more natural. And as they get older, they turn into try-hards, and it’s horrible and awkward.
Also… someone please cut Carl’s hair FOR THE LOVE OF GOD!
YES. Someone needs to call Animal Control to have that dead muskrat removed from Carl’s head.
Ah good point, Rachel. And ditto to the hair! It’s so freaking distracting. Bring back Lori, if you must, to cut that ish off.
Kate Middleton called and wants her wiglet back, Carl.
The sad thing is that Carl will likely live forever just like freakin Gabriel.
Meanwhile Bob and Tyreese became zombie food…smdh..
what?? Oh no, I’m bummed to hear TWD is no good this season. I just started watching it a few weeks ago and binged watched to catch up to Season 5. Thought it was good. But I haven’t seen any of the S6 eps.
I’ve noticed more Indian and Asian actors in commercials and television shows lately. Progress is glacial, but at least it’s finally moving.
First let me say I need to wear my glasses. I thought the header title said Aziz Ansari’s on Steroids. I was like nooooooo.
But I agree with you that they are showing more POC (Indian, Asians, Blacks, Hispanics) but are they showing them in a positive light instead of a stereotypical role. My answer is I think they have started to. Look at some of the new series that have come about in the last couple of years. Shows like Empire, Sleepy Hollow, How to Get Away With Murder, Minority Report , Chicago Med not only have Black leads but Black female leads. Morris Chestnut a popular Black male actor has his show called Rosewood, HBO has a run away hit with “Power” centered around a Powerful Black man, Wesley Snipes is the lead in “The Player”. Michel Ealy is the lead male opposite Juliette Lewis in “Secret and Lies. Mechad Brooks is playing the role that has traditionallybeen played by a White guy. He is playing Jimmy/James Olsen Supergirl’s love interest. And there are more shows with Blacks in a co-starring or leading role that I didn’t name.
Aunjanue Ellis who is Indian plays the lead in Quantico and she is gorgeous.
Ken Jeong has his new show Called Dr. Ken.
So over time we have seen some progress but of course we need more.
LOLOLOLOL.
Aunjanue Ellis is not Indian, she is a black actress (check her out on the Canadian Broadcast Company miniseries Book of Negroes!).
Priyanka Chopra, an Indian actress, is the lead on Quantico, I think you meant.
Yes that’s what I meant. I was thinking about both actresses since they are on the same show and accidently typed her name. Aunjanue was supposed to be added to my list of Black actresses. I remember her from “Men of Honor as well as a role on Sleepy Hollow and my favorite Sistah Girl from “Undercover Brother.”
TV has definitely grown a lot in diversity in recent years, though there’s always more to do. It’s amazing how far behind the film world is lagging though, both in terms of race and gender.
V4REAL, yesssssss! Sistah Girl! She was so great in Undercover Brother and I always cheer when I see her name in any opening credits. She shines in every role 🙂
I love Aziz to death and love his new show. But he is an Indian actor who played a government worker in a show, Mindy Kaling plays a doctor, and the Indian actor (whose name I don’t know) who played a detective on Body of Proof and was the main character’s love interest had a very prominent, non-convenience-store-owner role. So in my opinion, his stereotype argument is a stereotype.
I love Aziz, so this is now on my list. So glad you wrote this and brought it to my attention.
+1000
Going to check it out. I like his standup. And will support My Brown brother from another mother!
I love this show – as an ex-pat ‘Murican, it actually makes me miss the States (and New York).
I haven’t started the show yet but I’m super excited to. He’s one of my favorite comedians right now. I saw him this summer and afterward I couldn’t stop talking about how much he has matured in his material. He took on a lot of topics (feminism/women’s health, racism, gun control, black lives matter, etc.) in a really sensitive yet still hilarious way.
I am not gonna lie, I was skeptical about the show. I am not the biggest Aziz fan, based solely off of his stand up acts, but I too had to pace myself to not binge watch the show. Love love love.
Same, I have watched 8 of the 10, and it’s really funny.
How about a Rajesh who’s a physicist? Films and especially TV has lots of roles for minorities now. The roles are getting more diverse too. There is still way too few lead roles, though.
But Raj was portrayed as the weirdest/lamest of the group. Also, there’s a lot of racism towards him, just read the nauseating comments on youtube about his relationship with Emily (arguably the prettiest of the female cast) and they’re like “as if an indian guy could get such a hot chick” or “an indian f***** a white girl is wrong”…….
Well, I believe Sheldon is generally seen as the weirdest of the guys, and Wolowitz is lamer by far I think. In the beginning of the show, Rajesh was the only one besides Penny who had a sex life. And sure, commenters online can be very racist, but that doesn’t concern casting, thankfully.
I had no idea that actors were “brown faced”. How disappointing.
I so loved the first few episodes of the series. They were so smart and were saying something. Once it got goofy and veered further into stories about him on set as an actor, I didn’t laugh out loud. But I still smiled!
Hope they go back to touching on real points again.
I adore Aziz! The show is great and I like how he’s mellowed his energy a bit to let the material really shine.
Have begun watching and highly recommend it. It’s really fresh and, unlike the canned formula tv you see on the major networks, it’s unexpected.
I havent seen it but its definitely on my to-do list. I love Aziz. I remember on James Franco roast, the rest went for cheap jokes about his being Indian (flies, poverty, sitars, 7/11 clerks …you know, dumbass jokes!) and when Aziz took the stage he ripped them to shreds. No script, he just improved a shaming session those fools will never forget.
I’ve been hearing really good reviews of this show and I always like hearing commentary from people who are self-aware. This goes on the list!
Aziz Ansari isn’t funny but he makes interesting points about stereotypes.
I watched the first 4 episodes do far and loved it!
It’s not a laughing-out-loud type of comedy, its humour is very subtle and smart.
It’s definitely not for everyone, but so was Parks and Recreations (which has become my benchmark for all TV series, comic or not).
Aziz is a very intelligent guy with interesting things to say. His parents are adorable, I hope to say more of them in the next episodes.
(PS: I was not aware of Ashton Kutcher’s ad and when I realised it was him it made me cringe so bad. What the hell was he thinking??)
I need to watch this so badly!!!!!
I watched the first two episodes and I wasn’t blown away by them. In fact, I was disappointed, especially following all the praise for the show I heard from my friends in and out of the industry. I do like parts of his stand-up, so I’ll tune in for a few more episodes. Episode 4 sounds more promising.
The first two scenes of the first episode were completely brilliant. He had me at “You’ve never had Martinelli’s?!” It’s a very sharp show, and I love seeing Aziz with his own show (much as I love him as Tom Haverford).
I grew up never seeing any Indian actors/actresses on tv. I’m so happy it’s finally happening. I also love Priyanka Chopra in Quantico. So nice to finally see some damn diversity, other than Caucasian, with a sprinkle of African American, a few Hispanics thrown in, and one Asian if you’re lucky. I say about time !
Ha! I heart Aziz. He should feature my hubby who is a green-eyed Indian that drills oil wells and wears cowboy boots everyday.
Unpopular opinion: I watched it. I found it entertaining, but not THAT good. Kinda vapid but pretending to be profound (like most of what comes out of HW). I guess it appeals to twenty and thirty-something yuppies who will relate.
I’m only half-way through, but my biggest criticism would be that the female love interest is literally EVERY SINGLE slightly-hipster quirky-pretty manic pixie clever quick-witted brunette from every single 2000s geared-towards millenials movie or show ever. She came out of a Zoey Deschanel machine and she’s very… cliche. But maybe something changes as the show progresses, I don’t know, but that couple seems… formulaic.
I’m glad Aziz got a show and has included other poc as characters. In one of his interviews, I heard him saying something about the bechdel test for poc which I think he has nailed on his show. Still, where are the Indian women, besides his mom?!! All his romantic partners are white with the exception of the Asian woman who was not a real contender. He’s got the Mindy disease.
Now, Ive watched all the episodes and wasn’t crazy about it. One exception, the episode where Aziz and his Indian friend were up for the same role, otherwise I found it underwhelming.
But I guess humour is subjective. I prefer Hari Kondabolu, another Indian American comic. I wished he had taken over the helm of the Daily Show. He’s very smart, original and uses funny political humour.
For all the UK posters out there, I loved W1A. Please let me know if there are other shows of comparable quality.
Hmmm…I wouldn’t call it a “disease” if someone habitually dates outside their own ethnicity. People have physical preferences & there’s nothing wrong with that. For instance, I’ve always preferred tall guys over 6 ft & im a little Shrimpo, but that doesn’t mean I’m a jerk or anything, it’s just what I like. I’m sure he hears enough about dating white girls from close-minded people in his own community, too.
But aren’t Mindy and Aziz playing characters, not themselves? I don’t think people are directing criticism at their real-life preferences, but that the tv shows (I assume) aren’t showing their characters with people of the opposite sex who are the same race/ethnicity as them.
Aziz shows male characters of Indian ethnicity who are his friends, which I think is more than what Mindy does though. I was actually shocked when it turned out that Aziz has Indian male friends, since you don’t see Mindy having any female Indian friends on The Mindy Project (Parminder Nagra could do a guest appearance!) Mindy’s character doesn’t seem to have any male or female Indian friends in NYC, which is incredibly odd considering how diverse NYC is. Maybe the character has a preference for white guys, which can be accepted as a thing that happens in real life too, but it is a little weird that Mindy’s character doesn’t seem to have even one Indian friend, male or female, whom she likes platonically and non-romantically.
Perhaps I was being too facetious by referring to it as a disease. It is not a matter of being close minded. There is a real dynamic where poc will only date white people and sometimes it stems from internalized racism. I’m not talking about a physical preference. I’m also speaking in the context of a society that universalizes beauty based on how white women and men look. Sometimes that results in poc having negative feelings about their appearance and that of others who look like them. This can sometimes lead to dating only white people.
I would love to see more interracial dating. How about a relationship where the couple is indian and black?
Preplexed, I agree with your comment. I think Aziz has done a much better job of representing what a poc’s circle of friends in a city like NY would look like.
I don’t get Mindy’s casting decisions either.
One more thing DTX, There was a scene in the show where he asks his white girlfriend the race of all her previous boyfriends. She said all white and then indian/white(biracial) and the joke was that that person was the gateway to Aziz.
I’m not sure what the subtext was supposed to be. It would have been interesting for her to have asked him the same question.
Not a UK-ER, but did you see 2012, where Hugh Bonneville’s character from W1A came from?
Thanks SloaneY, I have heard of it. Will check it out!
Really? So people writing roles for poc must also make the characters date people from their own race? Or do you just object to them dating white people? That sounds intolerant and racist.
I never said that. Aziz can write whatever he wants. Who am I to have an impact on his script, characters etc.
He is talking about diversity and representation which is a subject I am very interested in. When I see a show with an Indian dude and his family, yeah, I start thinking, where are the Indian women. I would like to see more representation of Indian women on his show. I would like to see interracial couples that also include Poc from different communities. Please explain how that makes me intolerant and racist.
His montage about immigrant kids saying, “dude, I can’t right now, I’m meeting a friend” – and then the flashback to how much they went through to get here – AHHHHHH! MY FEELS! I was laughing through teary eyes. I had LITERALLY just snapped at my dad, “I’m not tech support, call Best Buy if your webcam isn’t working” when he was bothering me trying to talk to his friends in Russia… who he abandoned to come here and give me and my siblings a better life… *gulp*
Aziz nailed it.
I binged the whole thing on Sunday, and really loved it. I can see the comparison to Louie, which I like, but I think it’s funnier and has more energy.
Ladies and Gentlemen is another great episode, especially the differences in the men and women leaving the bar.
I didn’t realize those were his real parents, but they were great! The Parents episode really was touching, and I’m impressed with the depth most of the episodes had. All of the characters are very good, and it’s nice to see natural diversity in a cast.
Now I have to see it….
Just saw this has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that before, and it’s with 40+ reviews too, so it’s not like 1 or 2 critics who liked it.
Love love love Aziz’s dad, plus I love Aziz and Rachel’s relationship. Very cute show.
I binge-watched the first season despite myself – some episodes were better than others and the acting I thought was not that great and/or ranged from very good to good to kind of bad, depending on the actor. And I’m not really that big a fan of Aziz, nor do I always find him funny. I felt like some were doing a version of a stand-up rather than acting and it got annoying and in the way of telling stories. I also had mixed feelings about the love interest: I think she’s a good actress, but there’s something about her “perfectness” that was somewhat irritating. I think she’s portrayed as a fantasy rather than real. However, and aside from the fact that I’m older than the target demographic, there was something about the show that made it worthwhile/watchable…I don’t know what exactly. I skipped ahead a few times, but overall, I’m curious to see how they’ll refine the acting, direction, plot, and roles over time. I’m glad the finale ended the way it did – it actually surprised me. I also liked the episode with the parents – it hit home even though I’m a lot older than the cast and not quite as tech/social-media driven – I called my folks the next day. I’m a first-generation Canadian and I still feel guilty for living so far from my parents and not seeing them as often. They sacrificed a lot too, especially my mother. They’re responsible for the choices they made, but still, they’re also the kind of immigrants who didn’t make the best choices financially or work-wise and are kind of paying the consequences of that in their old age…they’re NOT the kind of TV immigrant parents who worked hard and became rich/millionaire/etc. The Indian casting episode was also good. Those are the two episodes that stand out. I think it may be that I do think Aziz is gutsy for not showing himself in the best light…
And agreed with TWD comments. I really want to like the show but urgh, it’s so hard sometimes. I cannot believe Jeffrey Dean Morgan is going to be whatshisname.
I binge watched and there’s a few really good episodes and the rest were pretty meh for my money. I really have to give a side eye on casting his parents because he struggled to find Indian actors of that age. That’s just not remotely believable. His father does an OK job but his mother is terrible, distractingly so.