Aziz Ansari – Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening

Whether you recognize him as “that Indian dude” from the MTV sketch series “Human Giant” or have recently seen his supporting role as Tom Haverford on NBC’s breakout comedy “Parks & Recreation,” Aziz Ansari is quickly making a name for himself in the world of comedy. He has proven that he can deliver lines in front of a camera with wit and precision, but now on his Comedy Central Records debut, Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening, Ansari shows that he also knows how to single-handedly work a room.

Ansari delivers an impressive and indefatigable 55-minute performance where his energy and stage presence never come close to faltering. His seemingly contrived air of nervous confidence and his almost sheepish disposition make his energetic brand of humor seem that much more hilarious when you take into account his meek and slender five-foot-tenish frame isn’t much wider than the circumference of the mic on stage. But Ansari’s brand of comedy doesn’t solely rely on his unwavering enthusiasm; his ability to combine insightful (almost Jerry Seinfeld-esque) observations of the mundane with a degree of well-received stupidity and silliness make his routine memorable and enjoyable.

Mostly drawing from personal experiences, Ansari races through an eclectic catalogue of material ranging from bed sheets with fraudulent thread counts from Bed, Bath, and Beyond to unusual encounters with rappers Kanye West and Jay-Z. Some of his best stuff comes at the expense of his younger cousin, Harris, whom Ansari pokes fun at for enjoying Cinnabon, noting that seeing a chubby Indian kid is “like seeing a shooting star––only it’s fat, brown, and on the ground.” Ansari also gives memorable takes on a former roommate who believed he was possessed by Scar (the evil lion from The Lion King) as well as the unusual, “crack-like” names of the cup sizes offered at Cold Stone Creamery.

A climactic conclusion with a memorable and side-splitting R. Kelly impression completes the routine before Ansari retakes the stage in an unnecessary 10 minute encore as his recognizable persona “RAAAAAAAANDY” from Adam Sandler’s Funny People. A bit too over-the-top and coming dangerously close to the Dane-Cook-huge-build-up-with-no-punch-line-followed-by-unnecessary-expletives sort of vibe, this is the one low moment of Ansari’s performance. Part of what makes Ansari’s material so good is his honesty (“Some of the shows on the network [MTV] are not my cup of tea…mainly because I don’t like huge pieces of shit in my tea”) and unfortunately, “RAAAAAAAANDY” just doesn’t produce the same appeal. There’s only one special feature included on the DVD, but the quality outshines the lack of quantity. “UCB Comedy Death Ray Performance” is an extra bit stand-up filmed at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater in LA on November 3, 2009. But the performance in Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening will produce enough laughs that will make it worthy of several re-watches.

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