From the first time I saw him on the MTV sketch comedy Human Giant, Aziz Ansari has made me laugh. His wide-eyed sincerity and boundless energy consistently crack me up, whether he's starring on Parks and Recreation or playing hacky comic RAAAAAAAANDY in Funny People. But having not heard him perform stand-up, it was with some trepidation that I went into his first comedy album Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening (it's also a stand-up special on Comedy Central, being released the same day on DVD). Thankfully, my concerns were totally unwarranted. Intimate Moments is a fantastic comedy album, and Ansari's undefeated streak continues.
Recorded near the end of Glow in the Dark Comedy Tour, Intimate Moments finds Ansari joking about tormenting his cousin in school chat rooms, telling stories about hanging out with Kanye West and recounting an R. Kelly concert. The final bit on the album is a nearly 10-minute set done as RAAAAAAAANDY, his character from Funny People, and even with a great potential to misfire that routine works wonderfully as an indictment of lazy, spastic comedians that somehow audiences love. Throughout the entire record, Ansari's got the same excitable energy that made me fall for him in the first place -- he's at once totally bewildered by the world while at the same time understanding exactly what it's problems are. Like a lot of great comics, he applies logic to things that don't support it. Case in point: a routine on Slumdog Millionaire, in which he explains why its success doesn't necessarily thrill him just because he's Indian.
In many ways, Intimate Moments is a huge leap forward for Ansari -- at least as far as I'm concerned as an individual audience member. That's because up until now, I've only seen him be funny in an ensemble (whether it was as part of Human Giant or on Parks and Recreation. Here, Ansari's the whole show and he's more than up to the challenge; he's consistently hilarious throughout the entire album. Even some of his lesser jokes are saved by some sort of tag or additional punchline that squeezes out an additional laugh. It's only January of 2010, and already Aziz Ansari has released what's sure to be one of the year's best comedy albums. The gauntlet has been thrown down early, and other comedians have their work cut out for them if they're going to top Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening.
Album Details
- Release Date: January 19, 2010
- Label: Comedy Central Records
DVD Details
- Release Date: January 19, 2010
- Running Time: 55 minutes
- 1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
- Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
DVD Bonus Features
- Additional Stand-up
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
