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Brick Wall Comedy
Brick Wall Comedy

Buried Alive

Aziz Ansari

Netflix · 2013 · 79 min

A thirty-year-old comic stares down the sudden arrival of adulthood.

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Aziz Ansari stands at the edge of his thirties and stares down the sudden arrival of adulthood. Buried Alive marks a clear transition in his act. He drops some of the manic, character-driven energy of his twenties to focus on the mechanics of modern relationships, marriage, and the bizarre reality of having children. The contrast on stage is sharp: his friends are settling down to build families, while he still views drinking apple juice and watching Jurassic Park as a complete evening.

Filmed at the Merriam Theater in Philadelphia in 2013, the set became Netflix’s first exclusive original stand-up special. It arrived squarely in the middle of his run as Tom Haverford on Parks and Recreation, pointing directly toward the sociological dating material that would consume his later work. The shift paid off, earning critical praise and placement on several end-of-year lists. It also makes room for a remarkably patient piece of crowd work, where he cross-examines a couple about their restaurant proposal to find out if the breadsticks were truly unlimited.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Interrogating married audience members about their proposals

    Improvised crowdwork where Ansari grills a front-row patron who claimed to have proposed over lunch at a five-star restaurant.

  2. Comparing MTV's '16 and Pregnant' with 'My Super Sweet 16'

    Contrasting the spoiled tantrums of rich teenagers wanting the right car with the hardships of teen parents moving into a car.

  3. Marrying someone after knowing them for less than two years

    Comparing the rush into lifelong matrimony to regretting buying an ugly sweater after two years.

  4. Ghosts messing with household appliances

    An off-piste routine examining why modern ghosts would bother tampering with household electronics.

  5. Hanging out with President Obama and the Roots

    Recounted humorously during the show's encore.

How it plays

Tone
Sharp, witty, topical, irreverent, raunchy, and heartfelt.
On stage
A sharp, bespoke, Rat Pack-styled persona wearing a tailored suit and boutonnière, contrasting formal elegance with 'manchild impudence' and rude, shocking observations.
Pace
Metronomic precision mixed with caffeinated incredulity, high-pitched screeching, manic or strangled voices, and occasional pauses where gags float in the air.
About
Marriage and the fear of commitment, Parenthood and babies, Modern romance and online dating, Adulthood and turning 30, Racial stereotypes, Sexting

What the critics said

Widely praised by critics as a smart, sharp, and spectacularly entertaining hour-plus of stand-up that blended comedic cultural anthropology with relatable observations on modern romance.

In the room: Energetic, lively, and highly engaged with Ansari's audience interactions and thematic inquiries.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, tv.apple.com, rottentomatoes.com, inquirer.com, the-independent.com, theaerogram.com, imdb.com, vanityfair.com.

Backstory

Ansari reached the milestone of turning 30 and found himself grappling with adulthood, bachelorhood, and the pressure of peers getting married and having babies.

Details

Released
Taped
Merriam Theater, Philadelphia
Runtime
79 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace
Honors
Nominated for Comedy Special of the Year at the 2014 American Comedy Awards
Topics
Before
Dangerously Delicious (2012)
After
Live at Madison Square Garden (2015)

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