This post was written by Hatchet reporter Raima Roy.
Most stage performances begin with an announcement prohibiting photos. But comedian Aziz Ansari, who performed Saturday at the Verizon Center, had a different method in mind.
He kicked off the night posing in front of various backdrops from photos of baby giraffes to dachshund puppies so his audience wouldn’t be tempted to snap photos during the show.
This was just the beginning of the “Modern Romance” stand-up show where half the humor came from Ansari’s interactions with the audience.
One audience member started out a text conversation with the word “So?” before sending another saying “It’s Liam.”
“That’s how you start out a conversation with a girl you like? Shouldn’t you have said, ‘It’s Liam’ first? This conversation is so out of order!” Ansari said, laughing.
Between the laughs, Ansari weaved in moments of truth with pointed critiques of communication in modern society.
While modern technology makes it easier to get in touch with people, it also makes it easier to ignore them, Ansari said.
“It’s much easier to ignore a person than to say, I would love your offer to get free food but without your presence,” he quipped.
Although many of Ansari’s jokes borrowed from the same topics of love and romance as his previous comedy tours, the show ended with an encore based on his current relationship with his girlfriend, professional chef Courtney McBroom.
