Why Aziz Ansari's NYT Piece on Diversity in Hollywood Is Effing Brilliant

In case you missed it, Aziz Ansari wrote an essay that was published yesterday in the New York Times about the lack of diversity in Hollywood. 

In the piece, Aziz writes with humor and gives white people benefit of the doubt (just to make sure they actually might listen) and asks questions, instead of pointing fingers. It is fucking brilliant.

1. He isn’t in the slightest bit preachy.

Which is always what the majority group seems to critique minority voices about, when they’re sharing their views about diversity.

2. He takes note that as a society we weren’t as concerned about inclusiveness in the ’80s and ‘90s as we are now.

Without being his crass stage-self.

3. He calls out the brown facing in Short Circuit 2.

And what a let down it was to find out one of the few characters he looked up to as being an Indian lead was a farce.

4. He manages to gives praise where praise is (kinda) deserved.

To the white actor who seemed to really try to do the role justice, despite not looking past how wrong it was to do.

5. He calls out the fact that several popular movies chose to cast non-Indian actors instead for stories based on Indian characters.

We’re looking at your The Martian and The Social Network.

6. He talks about what it's like to go to casting calls as an Indian actor and the shit he deals with.

He's constantly being offered roles that are defined by ethnicity and often require accents. 

7. He still slips in a few jokes.

Like the one about the hypothetical Indian stuntman out there.

8. He talks about other minority races (not just south Asian!).

Such as the that fact that he found it harder to cast an Asian character in his show, since there just weren't as many actors to choose from.

9. He notes that these realities are even worse for women.

Because feminism #menforwomen.

10. He makes a direct call-to-action to casting directors.

Telling them they don’t need to worry about casting “weird” (AKA ethnic AKA people of color AKA minorities) in “general/everyday” roles, because Arnold Schwarzenegger played Terminator. So there.