Aziz May Be Bored, But We're Not

The philosopher Erasmus once said, "Everybody hates a prodigy, detests an old head on young shoulders." I find this to be true in most cases, but really, how can the envious, plodding half-talent be expected to maintain his contempt when the prodigy in question makes him laugh until Newman's Own Virgin Limeade shoots out both nostrils? Salieri never had to deal with that shit.

This brings us to Aziz Ansari, 23 years old, born in South Carolina and currently residing in The Big Apple, where he and other promising local comics (and frequent collaborators), including Eugene Mirman, Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel perform in troupes like The Upright Citizens Brigade and occasionally film segments for VH1's Best Week Ever -- that is when they're not hanging out among, and performing with, their various indie-rocker friends.

In the midst of all this, Aziz has assembled a respectable body of work that's well-documented on YouTube and his own site, azizisbored.com. New York magazine recently named him one of 'The 10 Funniest New Yorkers You've Never Heard Of', to boot.

His growing name recognition stems from the viral success of several video shorts shot with fellow comics lampooning the self-serious and almost-always ridiculous fringes of the entertainment industry. Recently, at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, Aziz filmed a hilarious short with buzz band Tapes 'N Tapes about an overzealous music promoter. The video is packed with cameos by indie luminaries like Devendra Banhart, Ted Leo and Saturday Night Live's Fred Armisen.

This may be his best work yet, but a search on YouTube turns up some great stand-up on subjects like Kanye West's braggadocio, his obsession with M.I.A., and K-9 cops as well as videos about a shitty mixtape contest and a pair of snotty clerks at Other Music.

I have a new favorite comic.