Aziz Ansari’s genius Facebook post makes us want to hug our parents
Aziz Ansari is having a busy week. Last Friday, the comedian, actor, and all-around lovable human’s new show, Master of None, came out on Netflix to critical adulation. On Tuesday, The New York Times published his incredible op-ed on the lack of diversity in Hollywood; and later that day, he appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, where he further drove the point home by joking, “[This episode is] really diverse right now. It’s 50 percent diverse. It’s like an all-time high for CBS.”
But for all the awesome things that Ansari has accomplished this week, his latest is what has us reeling the most. In case you didn’t know, Ansari’s real-life parents play his character’s parents on Master of None — and in a Facebook and Instagram post earlier today, the comedian shared the incredible reason why they agreed to do it.
Fair warning: You might want to grab a box of tissues.
Are you crying yet? Because we are. Ansari then drives the point home by sharing his own shortcomings, and encouraging readers to do something nice for their parents.
Later in the post, Ansari goes on to explain that Master of None was a major bonding experience for him and his parents — and that he was overwhelmed by how well people responded to it. (Episode two, Parents, is specifically about our adult relationships with our parents and it’s not to be missed.) He goes on to urge each of us to find ways to strive towards a healthier, more open relationship with our loved ones. If that doesn’t make you want to call your parents/parental figures, we don’t know what will.
As the daughter of an immigrant, Master of None really hit home for me — especially in the Parents episode. The fact that the show draws so heavily from Ansari’s experience in real life only makes it all the more meaningful, and we couldn’t be more grateful he shared this story with the world.
If you haven’t already started watching Master of None, do yourself a favor and get on it. I would argue that it’s one of the most exciting new shows of the season — if not the year. In the meantime, I’ll be telling my mom how much she means to me while openly weeping at my desk.
(Images via Instagram.)
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