Aziz Ansari rumored to return with 3rd season of 'Master of None'

 

Restaurants and food play key roles in Master of None featuring Aziz Ansari and Rachel Wood
in the first season of the Netflix comedy.

It has been four years since the Emmy-winning Master of None ended its second season with the third season uncertain.

Now there are strong rumors that the Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang Netflix comedy might be in the works.

Chortle, a entertainment publication in Great Britain, reported that production on the next season of Master of None began in London last Spring but the coronavirus pandemic put all work on the series on hold.

When the series debuted in 2015, it was hailed for its sensitive and realistic depiction of Asians and Asian Americans. The "Parents" episode surrounding the lead characters' relationships with their families won a writing Emmy for Ansari and Yang.

The series told the travails of a single Asian man, a struggling actor, and his ethnically diverse group of friends.

After the second season, Ansari said he needed to take a break and that it might take a while for the third season to appear. 

“I don’t know if we’re going to do a season three. I wouldn’t be surprised if I needed a long break before I could come back to it,” he told Vulture.

“I’ve got to become a different guy before I write a third season, is my personal thought, I’ve got to get married or have a kid or something. I don’t have anything else to say about being a young guy being single in New York eating food around town all the time.”

In 2018, in the midst of the Me Too movement, Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct after which he basically disappeared from the social scene in Los Angeles and New York.

He did a Netflix special last year in which he addressed the accusations and started doing standup gigs around the country.

Ansari now lives in London with his girl friend and the third season is supposedly set in that city, according to Eater-London, which speculates which restaurants the Asian American comedian will feature in the series.

Chortle also adds that Naomi Ackie, a British actress who featured in Star Wars: Episode 9 as Jannah and on Netflix’s The End of the F***ing World as Boonie will have a starring role. They don’t reveal her exact role but predicts it will be as a love interest with Lena Waithe from the previous two seasons returning.

The fly in the ointment -- is that Netflix hasn't officially confirmed the series' return.

Will Aziz Ansari's character Dev Shah's delightful parents make an appearance? Will Dev find a real acting gig? Will Dev find true love? Will Master of None have a 3rd season? Let's hope the rumors are true.

Let's hope that the rumors are true. We could use a little levity.

Five TV episodes celebrating Asian American Thanksgivings

The award-winning Thanksgiving episode of Master of None is a classic.

ThanksgivingThanksgiving is arguably the best holiday on television for Asian Americans. The big meal and all the traditions that revolve around it provide ample fodder for both comedy and drama.

Thanksgiving around my house and I'm sure -- most Asian American households -- always includes comfort dishes from the homeland to make the meal a true family celebration. I know its almost a cliche, but for our family, it means adding pancit and lumpia to the alrady laden table or adding bagoong to the string beans to give it that extra salty kick. Besides the roast turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and cranberry sauce, the Thanksgiving table is often joined by pancit, lumpia and rice. You got to have rice.. In larger celebrations, the turkey would play second fiddle to the lechon (roast suckling pig).

RELATED: The truth about Thanksgiving

The aromas waft throughout the house all day for family and for any visitors who might pop in to be met at the door by that Filipino greeting, "Have you eaten yet?"

After stuffing yourself and everyone has moved to the living room to watch football or holiday movies.

Netflix is making the first three episodes available on its streaming network this holiday. The final two shows haven't been syndicated or picked up by anyi of the streaming networks but you can view them on YouTube for only $1.99.

Master of None, “Thanksgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

If you want to split hairs, this is technically not an Asian American Thanksgiving, but it features Aziz Ansari, which is good enough for us. If nothing else, holidays are opportunities to reflect on how you and your loved ones have changed from year to year. Riffing on the idea of holidays as markers of time, this Season 2 episode of Master of None tells the coming-out story of Denise (Lena Waithe), over seven holiday meals. “Being gay isn’t something black people love to talk about, Denise tells her friend, Dev (Aziz Ansari), during the 1998 holiday. “Some black people think being gay is a choice, and when they find out that their kid is gay, they try to figure out what they did wrong.” You see all of Denise’s big life changes during these meals, as well as the big shifts that her mother, played by Angela Bassett, goes through. 

Lena Waithe and Aziz Ansari won the Emmy Award for best comedy writing for this episode. 

Fresh Off The Boat, “Huangsgiving” (Season 2, Episode 8)

This episode begins with a classic Thanksgiving showdown scenario: grown-up sisters engaging in hostilities as they each attempt to prove to their mother that they can host a better version of the holiday. Jessica and Louis have a good game plan, with homemade cranberry sauce and Cornish hens replacing a big turkey, but, as is often the case during big family events, things go awry. 

And to add that extra Asian touch, Jessica's mother declares the turkey to be “dry but edible.” The ultimate compliment.

Gilmore Girls, “A Deep-Fried Korean Thanksgiving” (Season 3, Episode 9)

The episode gets to the heart of what Thanksgiving is all about — this idea of celebrating with family and friends, and obligations. That’s why Lorelai and Rory get roped into not one, not two, but four Thanksgiving dinners, and each one offers a different vignette. They know to expect religious music and tofurkey at the Kim household with Keiko Agena playing Rory's best friend Lane. They experience Sookie’s first married Thanksgiving with Jackson, who, because of a compromise, cooks up a deep-fried turkey feast, much to her dismay. They essentially double-date at Luke’s Diner. Lorelai gets into an argument with her mother during dinner. There are two passionate kisses. It’s the unpredictable nature of Thanksgiving in a nutshell.

Dr. Ken, “Thanksgiving Culture Clash” (Season 1, Episode 8): 

Molly gets a Japanese tattoo, which sparks a culture clash between Allison and Ken over their Japanese and Korean heritages, respectively, and makes for a memorable Thanksgiving dinner experience, all of which is documented by Dave for a school project. Meanwhile, Julie invites the staff over to her place to avoid being alone, but Damona and Clark try to get out of it due to other plans.

This episode is available for purchase here.

The Filipino American family, the Chans, made their debut on Crazy Ex-Girlfriend's Thanksgiving episode.

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, "My First Thanksgiving with Josh," (Season 1, Episode 6)

The first-ever depiction of a Filipino American family occurred on this musical rom-com Thanksgiving episode written by FilAm writer Rene Gube (who also plays the cool priest, Father Brah, in the series) The menally-off Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom) tries to impress her boyfriend Josh Chan's (played by Vincent Rodriguez III) extended family of aunts, uncles and cousins  by cooking a bowl of dinaguan, a Filipino dish best described as a pork stew cooked in vinegar and pig blood. Complications ensue because Rebecca's rival for Josh's affections is also invited to the family fesat. They compete with each other for the Chan family's affections. Rebecca gets to do a rap  called "I Do Good Parent" featuring Amy Hill and Alberto Isaac as the parents, Lourdes and Joseph Chan.

This episode can be bought for only $1.99 here.

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Grammy Nominations: H.E.R. garners 5; BTS snubbed,

H.E.R. aka Gaby Wilson

The nominations for the 2020 Grammy Awards, the music industry's top awards show, were announced Wednesday (Nov. 20) morning with some surprises, both good and bad.

It's becoming more and more obvious, the American music industry doesn't know what to do about BTS.

The K-pop group got royally snubbed by the Grammy's.  They didn't receive a single nomination. Not a one, to the consternation of its legion of fans and fellow artists.

However, AAPI artists were not entirely ignored or shunted aside. Filipino American artists H.E.R. garnered five nominations in the major categories of album of the year nomination for "I Used to Know Her," H.E.R. is up for record of the year and song of the year for "Hard Place," and her hit featuring Bryson Tiller, "Could've Been," is up for best R&B song and best R&B performance.

In 2019, H.E.R. also had five nominations and walked away with two trophies. So when she was told about 2020 nominations, she was taken aback.

"I was like, 'What? Again?!'" said H.E.R., whose real name is Gabriella Wilson who grew up in Vallejo, California.

"I did not think the second time I would be nominated for five," she admited to Billboard. "That makes it 10 nominations in two years, which is kind of unheard of. I feel really special and grateful."

BTS deserved a nomination after the year the group has had, They regularly outperform their white and/or Western contemporaries in terms of album sales, streams, video views and concert draw but not drawing a single nomination may be revealing something deeper.

BTS are some of the most deserving Grammy candidates. They regularly outperform their white and/or Western contemporaries in terms of album sales, streams, video views and concert draw.

In April, the group released "Map of the Soul: Persona," which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, making them the first group since the Beatles in 1996 to score three chart-toppers in less than a year. (They also hit No. 1 with 2018’s Love Yourself: Tear and Love Yourself: Answer.)

The 6-member boy band recently finished its Love Yourself: Speak Yourself Tour, which grossed nearly $117 million. They also scored their highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 hit to date in collaboration with Halsey for “Boy with Luv,” which peaked at No. 8, boosting the K-pop stars' crossover appeal.

The Grammy's have been a little sensitive about race with black performers not getting adequate recognition for their performances, videos or the music they created while mediocre artists reap the awards.

Halsey was disappointed in not receiving a nomination for her big hit "Without Me," she tweeted that BTS's snub didn't surprise her: “deleting and ignoring all negativity. BTS deserved many nominations. I am however, unsurprised that they weren’t acknowledged,” she wrote. “the US is so far behind on the whole movement. the time will come.”

BTS' Army couldn't hide their disappointment.

Other AAPI artists received nominations, including comedian Aziz Ansari.

Ansari got nominated for Best Comedy Album of the Year, marking his comeback from the sexual misconduct allegation two years ago. At the end of the album he addresses the incident that almost derailed his career

“I saw the world where I don’t ever get to do this again, and it almost felt like I died. In a way, I did. That old Aziz who said, ‘Oh treat yo self’ or whatever, he’s dead. And I’m glad. ‘Cause that guy was always looking forward to whatever was next. I don’t think that way anymore. ‘Cause I’ve realized it’s all ephemeral. All that stuff, it can just go away like this. And all we really have is the moment we’re in and the people we’re with.”

AAPI artists earned nominations in other less-known categories (See list below).

Eva Noblezada and David Lai received nominations for their work in Lin Manual Miranda's Hadestown cast album; Yuji Wang for Best Classical Solo; Amy Hānaiali’i, Imua Garza & Kimié Miner received nominations for the Best Regional Roots Album.

AAPI nominees and categories

Record of the Year“
Hey, Ma” — Bon Iver
“Bad Guy” — Billie Eilish
“7 Rings” — Ariana Grande
“Hard Place” — H.E.R.
“Talk” — Khalid
“Old Town Road” — Lil Nas X Featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
“Truth Hurts” — Lizzo
“Sunflower” — Post Malone & Swae Lee

Album of the Year“
I, I” — Bon Iver
“Norman F—ing Rockwell!” — Lana Del Rey
“When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” — Billie Eilish
“Thank U, Next” — Ariana Grande
“I Used To Know Her” — H.E.R.
“7” — Lil Nas X
“Cuz I Love You” (Deluxe) — Lizzo
“Father of the Bride” — Vampire Weekend

Song of the Year“
Always Remember Us This Way” — Natalie Hemby, Lady Gaga, Hillary Lindsey & Lori McKenna, songwriters (Lady Gaga)
“Bad Guy” — Billie Eilish O’Connell & Finneas O’Connell, songwriters (Billie Eilish)
“Bring My Flowers Now” — Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth & Tanya Tucker, songwriters (Tanya Tucker)
“Hard Place” — Ruby Amanfu, Sam Ashworth, D. Arcelious Harris. H.E.R. & Rodney Jerkins, songwriters (H.E.R.)
“Lover” — Taylor Swift, songwriter (Taylor Swift)
“Norman F—ing Rockwell” — Jack Antonoff & Lana Del Rey, songwriters (Lana Del Rey)
“Someone You Loved” — Tom Barnes, Lewis Capaldi, Pere Kelleher, Benjamin Kohn & Sam Roman, songwriters (Lewis Capaldi)
“Truth Hurts” — Steven Cheung, Eric Frederic, Melissa Jefferson & Jesse Saint John, songwriters (Lizzo)

Best R&B Song:

“Could’ve Been” — Dernst Emile Ii, David “Swagg R’celious” Harris, H.E.R. & Hue “Soundzfire” Strother, Songwriters (H.E.R. Ft. Bryson Tiller)

“Look At Me Now” — Emily King & Jeremy Most, Songwriters (Emily King)

“No Guidance” — Chris Brown, Tyler James Bryant, Nija Charles, Aubrey Graham, Anderson Hernandez, Michee Patrick Lebrun, Joshua Lewis, Noah Shebib & Teddy Walton, Songwriters (Chris Brown Ft. Drake)

“Roll Some Mo” — David Brown, Dernst Emile Ii & Peter Lee Johnson, Songwriters (Lucky Daye)

“Say So” — Pj Morton, Songwriter (Pj Morton Ft. Jojo)

Best R&B Performance
Daniel Caesar - Love Again [ft. Brandy]
H.E.R. - Could’ve Been [ft. Bryson Tiller]
Lizzo - Exactly How I Feel [ft. Gucci Mane]
Lucky Daye - Roll Some Mo
Anderson .Paak - Come Home [ft. Andre 3000]

Best Regional Roots Music Album:

Kalawai’anui — Amy Hānaiali’i
When It’s Cold – Cree Round Dance Songs — Northern Cree
Good Time — Ranky Tanky
Recorded Live At The 2019 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — Rebirth Brass Band
Hawaiian Lullaby (Various Artists) — Imua Garza & Kimié Miner, Producers

Best Comedy Album:

Quality Time — Jim Gaffigan
Relatable — Ellen Degeneres
Right Now — Aziz Ansari
Son Of Patricia — Trevor Noah
Sticks & Stones — Dave Chappelle

Best Musical Theater Album:

Ain’t Too Proud: The Life And Times Of The Temptations — Saint Aubyn, Derrick Baskin, James Harkness, Jawan M. Jackson, Jeremy Pope & Ephraim Sykes, principal soloists; Scott M. Riesett, producer (Original Broadway Cast)
Hadestown — Reeve Carney, André De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada & Patrick Page, principal soloists; Mara Isaacs, David Lai, Anaïs Mitchell & Todd Sickafoose, producers (Anaïs Mitchell, composer & lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast)
Moulin Rouge! The Musical — Danny Burstein, Tam Mutu, Sahr Ngaujah, Karen Olivo & Aaron Tveit, principal soloists; Justin Levine, Baz Luhrmann, Matt Stine & Alex Timbers, producers (Original Broadway Cast)
The Music Of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child – In Four Contemporary Suites — Imogen Heap, producer; Imogen Heap, composer (Imogen Heap)
Oklahoma! — Damon Daunno, Rebecca Naomi Jones, Ali Stroker, Mary Testa & Patrick Vaill, principal soloists; Daniel Kluger & Dean Sharenow, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (2019 Broadway Cast)

Best Classical Instrumental Solo:

“The Berlin Recital” — Yuja Wang
“Higdon: Harp Concerto” — Yolanda Kondonassis; Ward Stare, conductor (The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra)
“Marsalis: Violin Concerto; Fiddle Dance Suite” — Nicola Benedetti; Cristian Măcelaru, conductor (Philadelphia Orchestra)
“The Orchestral Organ” — Jan Kraybill
“Torke: Sky, Concerto For Violin” — Tessa Lark; David Alan Miller, conductor (Albany Symphony)
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Aziz Ansari addresses sexual misconduct charges in hs Netflix standup special

NETFLIX

Aziz Ansari started out his Netflix special on serious note, addressing the sexual misconduct charges of a year ago.

ASAM NEWS
Aziz Ansari’s new Netflix special, “Aziza Ansari: Right Now,” became available for streaming Tuesday, (July 9). The comedy special opened and ended on a serious note as Ansari addressed the sexual misconduct allegations made against him in 2018.

The Indian American comedian wasted no time by beginning the show with remarks that made headlines ahead of the special’s release.

“There’s times I felt scared, there’s times I felt humiliated, there’s times I felt embarrassed, and ultimately, I just felt terrible that this person felt this way,” Ansari somberly told the audience. “And after a year or so, I just hope it was a step forward.”

Ansari also made sure to communicate to his audience how important addressing the allegations was to him.

“I know this isn’t the most hilarious way to begin a comedy show, but it’s important to me that you know how I feel about that whole thing before we share this night together,” Ansari said.

At times he included small jokes about the allegations. In one comedic bit, Ansari said he jokingly tries to deflect the allegations off of himself and onto Hasan Minaj.

Ansari also addressed other sexual assault allegations made against R. Kelley and Michael Jackson, TIME reports. Here Ansari engaged the artist vs their art debate. Are we allowed to appreciate their work while also acknowledging their misconduct?

“What if, in 1999, Osama bin Laden put out an incredible jazz album?” Ansari asked.

Ansari also critiqued “virtue-signaling,” which arguably played a role in the criticism Ansari faced himself.

“They don’t really care about learning, exploring, discussing,” Ansari said. “They just wanna chime in with their little programmed reactions. They already know what they think about everything.”

As he brought the special to close, Ansari reflected on the impact the allegations had on his career.

“I saw the world where I don’t ever get to do this again,” Ansari said.

He tells the audience that “all we have is the moment we have and the people we’re with.”

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Aziz Ansari returning to Netflix

Comedian Aziz Ansari is back on Netflix but it won't be in his popular sitcom Master of None.
Ansari is returning to Netflix with a new stand-up special, four years after his previous special streamed on the platform and two years after the second season of Master of None ended.

The new special, titled Aziz Ansari: Right Now, is set to drop July 9 on the streamer and is being helmed by Her and Being John Malkovich director Spike Jonze.
It is the first time he's been back on Netflix since a sexual misconduct allegation derailedd his career path. The accusation came from an article on Babe.net which gave the account of a woman who went on a date with Ansari, but felt pressured into sexual activity despite her verbal and physical cues of discomfort.

Ansari assumed a lower profile after the article, but has been making appearances this year, including a New York comedy show in February, where he called the incident “a terrifying thing to talk about;” a Parks and Recreation reunion at PaleyFest in March and the comedy tour, with 75 U.S. and 12 international dates. 

“There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately I just felt terrible this person felt this way,” he said during the February show. “But you know, after a year, how I feel about it is, I hope it was a step forward. It made me think about a lot, and I hope I’ve become a better person.”

Master of None, about a single South Asian actor trying to launch an acting career in New York, has aired two seasons to date with positive reviews and warmly received by AAPI communities. The show was never officially canceled and Netflix has expressed the desire for another season.

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TGIF Feature: Aziz Ansari laying low, but 'doing great'

Aziz Ansari

ASAM NEWS

TWO MONTHS after being accused of pushing a woman into having unwanted sex during a date, Aziz Ansari remains out of the public eye.
However, Adam Scott, who appeared alongside Ansari in NBC’s Parks and Recreation says the fellow actor “is doing great.”

“I don’t know what to say on the record about Aziz,’ Scott said to Vulture. ‘I don’t want to say anything that could be misconstrued.”

RELATED: Accusations against Aziz Ansari sparks debate

Ansari has not made a public appearance since the accusations. He even skipped the Screen Actors Guild Awards despite being up for a nomination in the Best Acting category for Master of None.

In an interview in Babe, his date accused Ansari of continuing to pursue sex despite her cues to the contrary.

“I know I was physically giving off cues that I wasn’t interested,” she told Babe. “I don’t think that was noticed at all, or if it was, it was ignored.”

Ansari has acknowledged going on the date and said he was “surprised and concerned” after the accusation which she made the next day to him in a text.

He said “he took her words at heart” and continues to support the #MeToo movement.

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SAG awards: Olivia Munn represents; No AAPI winners; Ansari stays away

SCREEN CAPTURE

Olivia Munn and Niecy Nash had a hilarious intro to awarding SAG's best actor in a drama series.

ASAM NEWS

ASIAN/AMERICANS were shut out at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, but the fastest growing ethnicity in the country did have one shining moment.
Olivia Munn, whose mother is Chinese, stole the show when she made a cutting reference to the lack of Asian/American nominees while presenting the award for best actor in a drama series with Niecy Nash.

Munn was about to announce the winner when she was interrupted by Nash.

“Wait, wait, wait. If it’s Sterling K. Brown, can I say it?” Nash interrupted.

Munn looking a little puzzled, asked why.

“Cuz he’s Black. I mean, but you can say anybody’s name who is Asian that’s nominated.”

“I think its just White guys and Sterling K Brown, but I’ll take one of the White guys,” said Munn.

Turns out Brown did win and, true to her word, Munn allowed Nash to announce the winner.

Of course, both Nash and Munn knew there were no Asian Americans nominated in that category.

Aziz Ansari was nominated for outstanding actor in a comedy series for his role in Netflix's Master of None. He chose to stay away following the fallout from accusations he sexually violated a date who said she made it clear to Ansari she did not want sex. Ansari has since apologized saying he misread his date’s cues. 

When Ansari's name was announced as one of the nominees, there was a notable lack of applause. The Indian/American comedian did not win, losing to William Macy of Shameless.

Hong Chau of Downsizing also did not win. The award went to Allison Janey of I, Tonya in the category of outstanding actress in a supporting role. Chau also loss to Janey in the same category earlier this year at the Golden Globes.

The cast of the motion picture The Big Sick, which starred Pakistani/American Kumail Nanjiani, was shut out. Instead Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri won for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Theatrical Motion Picture.

Views From the Edge contributed to this report.

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Will Aziz Ansari show up at the SAG awards?

The cast and creative team of The Big Sick.

THE BIGGEST question for the Screen Actors Guild Awards Sunday night is: Will Aziz Ansari attend?

Fresh off his Golden Globe award, Ansari has a good chance of winning a SAG award for Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series. Ansair plays an Indian/American comedian trying to have a successful career in New York City.

He is also still licking his wounds for accusations from a woman who described what she alleges is a form of sexual assault at the end of dinner date with Ansari.

Her date, as published in Babe.net, allegedly resulted in her performing oral sex on Ansari after fending off his repeated sexual advances physically and verbally.

Ansari's conduct during the date is not on the level of a Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer or Donald Trump.  The accusations by "Grace" has sparked a debate among the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements about a question of degrees of sexual misconduct. The argument asks: At what point does unwanted flirtation turn into bad, and even gross behavior, or turn into a sexual assault by use of the power dynamics by powerful men?

Ansari has released an apology that he made public but he now faces the dilemma. 
How will he be received by his peers? He has his supporters and sympathizers among the SAG members, but he also might hear jeers and boos if he should win in his category. The Guild, riding the theme that began at the Golden Globes when everkybody wore black, will have all women presenters as its statement on the topic.

Another actor in a similar situation, James Franco, has announced that he will be at the SAG awards regardless of the women accusing him of sexual misconduct.

Among the other nominees, are a small handful of potential Asian/American winners, including:

The cast of The Big Sick is a nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. The movie was written by Kumail Nanjiani and his wife, Emily V. Gordon based on their courtship. If they win against some stiff competition, expect  Nanjiani to be joined by more Indian/Americans up on the stage, including Adeel Akhtar, Anupam Kher, and Zenobia Shroff.

In the category of Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role, Hong Chau was nominated for her role in the movie Downsizing. Her competition is almost the same group that she faced in the Golden Globes where Allison Janney won for her role in I, Tonya.

As a winner in the Golden Globes, Ansari is expected to repeat for the SAG awards. The Guild members voted before the Babe.net article came out last week so most likely, that issue won't affect the outcome. It will be interesting to see how the audience reacts.

The SAG Awards air Sunday, Jan. 21, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT/TBS. 

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Aziz Ansari accused of sexual misconduct, sparks debate

Aziz Ansari at the Golden Globes.

LAST WEEK Aziz Ansari was in his glory, having just won a Golden Globe as the Best Actor in a Comedy for his role in Netflix's Master of None. A week later, his star has fallen with a thud after being accused of sexual misconduct

No word from Netflix, which airs Ansari's hit show, whether or not the allegations against Ansari will affect future nominations or if Master of None will return for a third season.

Other men accused of sexual misconduct, such as Kevin Spacey, Matt Laur and Charlie Rose lost their jobs. Harvey Weinstein lost his company.

The comedian was accused of sexual misconduct by an anonymous woman in an article posted by the website Babe.net In the story, the 23-year old woman, known only by the pseudonym “Grace,” describes going out with the actor after meeting him at a party last year. She writes of going to Ansari's Manhatten apartment where he allegedly pressured her for sex, repeatedly ignoring her verbal and nonverbal cues that he should slow down. She finally yielded to the pressure to perform oral sex.  Eventually, she left after asking Ansari to call her a ride home.

It took a delay of a couple of days after her account of her date was released, Ansari responded with this statement:

In September of last year, I met a woman at a party. We exchanged numbers. We texted back and forth and eventually went on a date. We went out to dinner, and afterwards we ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was completely consensual.

The next day, I got a text from her saying that although “it may have seemed okay,” upon further reflection, she felt uncomfortable. It was true that everything did seem okay to me, so when I heard that it was not the case for her, I was surprised and concerned. I took her words to heart and responded privately after taking the time to process what she had said.

I continue to support the movement that is happening in our culture. It is necessary and long overdue.

As described in her article, Ansari kept up the pressure to have sex despite her verbal objections. The repsonse has been mostly in support of the women and condemnation of the comedian.

Curiously, some women came to the comedian's defense, calling the incident "a bad date." 

“If you just had an unpleasant sexual experience, you should have gone home … But what you have done in my opinion is appalling,” said HLN hostess Ashleigh Banfield.

“You have chiseled away at a movement that I, along with all of my sisters in the workplace, have been dreaming of for decades, a movement that has finally changed an oversexed professional environment that I too have struggled with at times in my last 30 years in broadcasting,” she said. “
"Just because Aziz Ansari made persistent moves on a date, doesn’t mean he’s guilty of sexual misconduct. We have to save serious accusations for genuinely criminal behavior, so we don’t diminish the #MeToo movement," writes blogger Bonnie Fuller.

Daily Beast senior editor and feminist writer Erin Gloria Ryan expressed discomfort that “a detailed story of a weird hookup with a sexually inept celebrity” has become “newsworthy” and pointed out that “not everything shitty is illegal.”

I don't want to minimize what happened to Grace, but what happened in Ansari's apartment and its aftermath shows that the discussion launched by #MeToo and continued by #TimesUp is not finished.

The accusation against Ansari is proof that asides from hashtags and lawsuits, men and women need a cultural seachange to redefine what is "normal" behavior between the sexes and change the power dynamics between the sexes. 
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Aziz Ansari makes a little history with Golden Globes win

SCREEN CAPTURE / ABC

Aziz Ansari won a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Comedy/Musical on TV. for his role in 'Master of None.'

ASAM NEWS

AZIZ ANSARI became the first Asian/American man to win in the best actor category in a comedy at the Golden Globes Sunday (Jan. 7) night.
He joins a short list of Asians to win a Golden Globe in the awards 75-year history. Others, according to KPRC, include Haing S. Ngor (1985 best supporting role, The Killing Fields), Peg Tilly (1985 Best Supporting Role, Agnes of God) Sandra Oh (2005 Best Supporting Role, Grey’s Anatomy) and Vic Tayback (1980 & 1981, Best Supporting Role, Alice).

Ansari won for his role as Dev Shah in Master of None. He also created the Netflix hit which is semi-autobiographical.

“Whatever seems best for storytelling. It’s usually fictionalized a decent amount and you know, I think we just try to tell stories that seem real and honest and show some sort of insight,” Ansari said backstage after winning his award.

He was one of two Asians up for an award last night. The other was Hong Chau for her supporting role in Downsizing. The award went to Laura Dern for Big Little Lies.

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SAG shows some love for Asian/American actors, 'The Big Sick' cast, Hong Chau and Aziz Ansari

Camel Nanjian's "family" in The Big Sick.'

Asian/American actors got a little bit of love from their acting peers when the 2018 Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees were announced Wednesday (Dec. 13).

Vietnamese/American Hong Chau was nominated for her supporting role in the Matt Damon science fiction flick Downsizing. This follows her nomination by the Golden Globes in the same category.

RELATED: Asian Americans nominated for Golden Globe awards

The Big Sick, a movie based on Kumail Nanjiani’s true-life romance with his wife, took a cast ensemble nomination. Besides Nanjiani, the cast included Holly Hunter, Ray Romano, Zoe Kazan and Indian actor Anupam Kher.

"We are so lucky to have been graced with the enormous talents of every single member of our cast," said Nanjiani, who co-wrote the script with his wife Emily Gordon. "They each put a piece of themselves into our story and we are thrilled at being recognized."

Hunter, who plays Nanjiani's future mother-n-law in the movie, also was nominated for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role.

“Recognition from your peers is a particular kind of humbling thing." said Hunter to SFGate. Actors know in a way that no one else knows. They are on the inside track so when I have in my career gotten honors from people who do what I do, it resonates a different way for me.”

Aziz Ansari, who writes and stars in Netflix's Master of None,  got the nod for Best Actor in a Comedy television series.

For the complete 2018 list of SAG nominees, click here. The awards show will air Jan. 21 on CBS.
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