OK, so I think by now we’re all aware of the trend in today’s Hollywood. More and more sexual misconduct allegations are coming to light, and more and more of my beloved Hollywood idols are slowly revealing themselves to be the opposite of who I’d envisioned them to be. Take the latest wrongdoer. You may know him as the creator of Netflix staple, "Master of None" (easily one of my favorite shows on the streaming service) — the funny, incredibly likable Aziz Ansari. Who would’ve thought that he’d be the next star to be shamelessly exposed? When I first heard the news, I glared at my cracked phone screen in confusion, then leaped to my laptop for further sleuthing. It appeared the situation had a narrative like so...
Girl named Grace meets Ansari at an LA party.
Grace is starstruck by Ansari, and luckily for her, he likes her, too.
Grace gets his number, and the two chat it up in New York,
Grace agrees to go on a date with him and gets ready for what she thinks will be a beautiful night.
Now THIS is when it all starts going downhill.
Ansari rushes through a date at an upscale restaurant and quickly gets ready for desert.
Grace returns to his house and reluctantly accepts Ansari’s sexual advances.
Ansari asks for more, and Grace is clearly not willing.
But Grace does some of it anyways and leaves Ansari’s residence in tears
Grace is then too afraid to tell her story, until she sees Ansari again.
But this time, he's on TV at the Emmy Awards, proudly boasting a “Time’s up” pin as he braves the stage.
And there you have it, but of course, that's not the end of the story. As many of the convicted do, Ansari released a statement in which he said he was "surprised and concerned" that Grace was not comfortable, referencing the text he received saying so the morning after their encounter. After “taking the time to process” her words, Ansari responded that he really "took her words to heart" and responded "privately."
This situation just goes to show that even those who wear the ‘Time’s Up’ pin and vocally support female victims of sexual harassment and assault still do not understand what sexual misconduct is. They may see themselves as completely different from the Harvey Weinsteins of the world, but it is equally just as bad to support a cause that one simultaneously perpetuates. I’m sure there are hundreds of Ansaris in Hollywood, nice guys who make a wrong move without knowing, but it’s 2018; people have to learn the difference between yes and no. The time’s up on excusing this type of ignorance.