Aziz Ansari Is Bringing His Stand-Up to Australia for the First Time Since... Y'Know

Trigger Warning: This article discusses sexual misconduct.

Aziz Ansari has started making a small but concerted comeback to the public eye after being embroiled in the #MeToo storm.

That very comeback is bringing him to Australia this June.

With shows in some of Melbourne and Sydney's biggest venues on 3 and 4 June, respectively, it appears time has been reset and past allegations are now a faint memory.

Back in early 2018, however, it was a different story.

An article published on women's news and lifestyle site Babe.net alleged that Ansari had made unwanted sexual advances on a woman.

"It really hit me that I was violated," the woman told Babe on reflection: "That that whole experience was actually horrible."

While the article has since been criticised for being fraught with errors and questioned over its ethics, the allegations were enough for Ansari to retreat from the public eye for months.

Adding to that, just a few months earlier, fellow comedian Louis C.K. was accused of (and later admitted to) a series of more serious sexual misconducts. He, too, has since returned to the comedy circuit albeit with much backlash. 

But while Ansari's first few shows after the initial allegations avoided all mention of them, his more recent pop-up shows have addressed the saga.

According to Vulture, at one pop-up earlier this in New York City, Ansari told the audience that the whole thing was "terrifying thing to talk about."

"There were times I felt really upset and humiliated and embarrassed, and ultimately, I just felt terrible this person felt this way," he said.

"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."

Chances are his shows in Australia, like others on his tour, will likely discuss some of these issues and his response to what he describes as "extreme wokeness" culture that is happy to cancel careers with limited proof.

Find out for yourself, if you want, by grabbing some tickets from LiveNation.

Header Image: LiveNation