Adam Scott has always been, for me, just one of those actors who is simply *there*. I don’t hate him at all, he’s good at dry comedic delivery and he has that Everyman quality, like Jason Sudeikis (another person who is just *there* for me). But after reading Adam Scott’s Vulture interview… I don’t know, I think I might like him? He does a lot of work with gun control issues. He thinks the NRA should go f–k itself. He writes and produces a lot of stuff with his wife and he sounds like a feminist without having to go through the “I have a wife and close female associates!” route. The only thing at all questionable in this piece is his defense of Aziz Ansari – they were and are friends from Parks & Rec, and Adam still thinks Aziz is a good guy following the sexual-misconduct stuff. Some highlights:
Doing work on gun control issues: “Naomi and I have worked with Everytown for Gun Safety since Sandy Hook. The fact that nothing has changed since then is absurd. Marco Rubio is a great example of why — he’s so profoundly full of sh-t. He’s received $3.3 million from the NRA. People like him say, “Regulation is not going to do anything. If someone wants to get a gun, they can get a gun.” The gun manufacturers came up with that argument, handed it to our lawmakers, and that is unbelievable. Okay, so why wear seat belts? Why regulate alcohol?
Whether the NRA ever took down that Leslie Knope GIF: “I don’t know. It’s funny, [Parks co-star] Nick Offerman and [Parks co-creator] Mike Schur and I had all tweeted them about it, but we didn’t coordinate that at all. I woke up that morning and it had become a little story. So, yeah, f–k the NRA.
Whether Hollywood & video games are partly responsible for gun violence: “I think good parenting is a big part of that discussion. Don’t let your kids play first-person shooter video games. But violent movies and games are popular all over the world, yet in countries that have strict gun laws, there are far fewer or no mass shootings. That is the data. Violent movies and games will never go away as long as we have a free society, nor should they. By the way, people once thought The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy were irresponsible, too. Art reflects the culture. I wouldn’t let my kids watch Reservoir Dogs right now, but when they’re of age, I’ll show it to them. We need to start with the actual guns and the actual gun laws. That argument coming from the right, they can go f–k themselves.
On Al Franken: “He was a great senator. He got Jeff Sessions to perjure himself! But at the same time it’s like, ‘Eh, I don’t know.’ It’s really tricky. This is fresh territory for our culture. I think if this movement causes males to overcorrect starting at an early age, then good. There’s nothing wrong with overcorrection right now.
On Aziz Ansari: “I don’t know what to say on the record about Aziz. I don’t want to say anything that would be misconstrued. [Pauses.] I’ll say this: Aziz is doing great. He’s a great, lovely guy. How’s that?”
Whether he feels typecast: “Yeah, the befuddled beta male. And that’s fine. I’m confident enough to know that’s not all I can do.”
“The befuddled beta male” is becoming as much of a film/TV trope as the manic pixie dream girl. In Adam’s case, I think his peak-beta maleness was probably Big Little Lies. At first, you’re like “how in the world did these two people end up together?” but really… everyone knows couples like that, where the wife is the Alpha and the husband is the well-meaning Beta.
As for the Aziz stuff… what are your thoughts? I can’t really decide. Like, I don’t think Aziz is a toxic celebrity – he’s gone away and that’s good, and hopefully he’s reflecting on everything that happened and his own actions and more. It’s not Adam Scott’s responsibility to argue for or against Aziz, but his brief comment just made me feel… uncomfortable. I liked what Amy Schumer had to say about Aziz, that she still considers him a friend but that what he did was not good in any sense. I think that’s what’s bugging me: a woman (Schumer) understands that the Aziz conversation is complicated and nuanced and her empathy was for the young woman, and it feels like Adam Scott and the bros of the comedy world are more like “oh he’ll be fine, he needs to come back!” It’s like they missed the point completely.
Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.
Am I the only one who thought Adam’s character in BLL was creepy as hell? I kept waiting for his character to be outed as the bad guy.
Totally agree. His “nice-seeming-guy-with-a-violent-undercurrent” thing was a total red herring. He was one of my favorite parts of that show. I was hoping he’d be the villain.
They wanted us to think that and he was good in the part.
I feel the same
Yes!
I don’t think Adam’s statement was that horrible…but it is a tricky spot that Amy handled well.
He sounds like he was put on the spot. I don’t know how I would handle a question like that with no prep so I can’t judge him for not giving the perfect answer. Schumer’s comments were great but it was obvious that she crafted her statements. I don’t mean it as a shade btw. If you are talking to public, it is better to prep beforehand.
And I mean, he’d worked with Aziz on the same show for years. It’s not like it’s just someone you come and go with and meet up at the occasional event. It’s a difficult situation for him – and I respect that. It’s not his responsibility, but I think AS genuinely means well, and based on his other comments I think he knows what’s up. I think he knows that it’s a bit of a different situation and he thinks men really should be erring on the side of caution.
Yeah, it’s kind of a non-answer, but it’s a weird, uncomfortable situation, especially if you know the guy. I think he did an okay job of not talking about it. I don’t really care. I don’t need to hear everyone’s opinion on everything.
I went to hit the like button on this, grr, we really need one.
Anywho, I love this comment. I don’t need to here everyone’s opinion on everything. Nice job tealily.
Dit to the O. I don’t really care what AS’s opinion is on AA. Shrug. Especially as I think there were far more interesting things in the article. The things he said about Rubio are dead on.
Agreed. I’d stumble if put on the spot as well. It’s very clear from his previous comments in this article he isn’t speaking from a publicist script so…?! I give him a pass on this one.
Exactly. He never dated Azziz, so what can he say? If the guy was a good friend, that’s all he knows. Attractive 19 year olds have a different experience with him, that’s all.
What’s he supposed to say? I think people have this outlandish expectation that celebrities should always be sound bite ready and say the absolute best thing at the best time. Hello! People aren’t like that and life doesn’t work that way.
That’s his friend. He actually didn’t say much of anything. He said his friend was lovely and doing well. End.
Agreed.
he can say nothing. you can always refuse to comment.
I feel the same. Bland noncommittal. That is about the best that can be expected.
There were at least half a dozen women sharing stories about Aziz on Twitter a few weeks before that babe.net article came out. I wish that piece had been properly edited and rolled out better, because there’s definitely more women with more to say about him, but given the negative reaction so many had to the article it it’s understandable no one wants to try again.
I just commented on this below. We’re not done hearing about Aziz. I think Babe.net was the worst place to handle this allegation and thanks to that childish editor a woman’s story has been largely dismissed. This is why being professional matters.
@Annie you’re 100% right. I’m a journalist and I read that babe.net story before reading coverage of it. The second the author wrote about the victim’s cute outfit, she lost me. Taking victims’ stories is a HUGE responsibility. And should be treated as such. Because look what happens when it’s not.
And if we’re really thinking of the victim, if I’m remembering correctly, she was really pursued to participate in the story. it’s kind of like a re-victimization the way it was handled and did she really want to tell it in this manner? Ditto to how important professionalism is. I like Adam and I like that he didn’t do the “no comment”.
By pushing her to tell her story, she may not have had the chance to process it and be able to articulate it well. That is where a seasoned journalist would have been much better.
Not to mention the woman at babe became unhinged and ageist. She was looking to exploit the victim for attention and was in no way interested in the larger picture.
“but given the negative reaction so many had to the article it it’s understandable no one wants to try again. ”
We talked about that in the Aziz articles when they came out. It was clear there is a lot more stuff about Aziz but that nothing else would come out and he would get away with it as it will only be seen as “one bad date”.
@Lilly yep. From what I remember, they knew of her, sought her out through a friend, and pushed her to participate. Can you imagine how that poor woman feels now? After her story was totally botched and criticized? This wasn’t someone who wanted to share their story, and a nuanced situation revolving around consent opened her to lots of criticism thanks to how it was written. It felt like babe.net wanted to take Aziz down and get a piece of the #metoo pie and journalistic cred for themselves, not because it’s a pivotal moment in our culture. They added fuel to the fire, allowing more people to lump all these stories together and doubt the well-investigated pieces about harassment and assault. Thanks for that, babe.net.
Hey! I barely ever comment but do you have links to the other stories? It’s not that I don’t believe it’s possible, it’s more than I have a friend in a situation where reading other stories about him would be beneficial. Thanks!
I love him! Always have and I think I’ve pretty much enjoyed every single thing I’ve seen him in. Like people said above, his BLL role was great and I really thought his character wasn’t just some nice guy, I thought he was more sinister. If anyone needs a movie suggestion that’s funny, check out Little Evil on Netflix. We went into with no expectations and enjoyed it more than we thought we would.
I think he was put on the spot about the Aziz situation and didn’t say anything problematic. Idk what I would say if I were put on the spot like that in an interview.
It’s the Aziz’s of the world that most women/girls will encounter. These guys are very, very common. They think it’s perfectly acceptable to turn a no into a yes. Not even a yes, they consider silence good enough. It’s what some men and boys know, see from other males, the stories they share with each other. They don’t understand how wrong that is (a least I hope most don’t). THAT needs to change. Men and boys need to be taught and need to listen, NO ACTION at all WITHOUT ENTHUSIASTIC CONSENT.
We’re not done hearing about Aziz. That’s why he’s hiding. When the first story broke, several people discussed more serious rumors about him on Twitter, including a rape allegation. It’s been known in some circles that he’s very sketchy. One woman said she expected more people to come forward soon after stuff she has heard and Noelle Wells (who played his girlfriend on Master of None!!) liked those tweets, but then unliked them when fans pointed it out. People know.
If I was his friend I would stay out of it. You never know what your friends are really up to. And the behavior he displayed cannot possibly be an isolated event. It speaks of a pattern of entitlement and lack of respect towards women. If in fact he’s done worse I hope he’s exposed. Because many people defended that what he did and said it wasn’t assault, but it’s still toxic behavior that can always escalate if it stays unchecked.
Oh good Lord…
I have read and heard the same stuff but I really dont think we will hear more about it. The reaction was too negative and way too many people (sooo many women…) were on Aziz side.
If more women come forward, I hope they do so with a better publication. Babe.net screwed up so badly with that and really, really did that poor women who had been through enough a disservice. I can absolutely believe that Ansari is a douche bro “feminist” that uses his nice guy persona to be gross, but others are going to need to hear from more women and in a better written article.
@hellosunshine yep, I hope the Times or Hollywood Reporter are looking into it. Of course, they’d have to address the babe.net story, but I trust those respectable journalists to do it properly.
Aziz is known for misogynistic behavior, and many many women have started talking about how he treats women. Not just sexually but professionally. Apparently, he also has some stalkerish tendencies and obsessiveness, so we will see if it is revealed. He’s got issues.
The thing about Aziz though is that guys around him might not have picked up on the things women have. They may know nothing but what he has told them and he’s been successful by hiding in plain sight.
I don’t know how far his behavior goes, but if I know that little bit, the truth is possibly worse.
I read some of that too, and I, sadly, agree with QueenB. Especially since those stories got zero traction. Did anyone else see anything published? I didn’t see anything beyond social media and comments.
Aziz is like Kaiser Soze, but unlike murder and larceny, people are still arguing whether what he did was even wrong.
The climate still sucks for women coming forward, and I’m wondering if it’s especially sowhen it involves famous men who are popular with women audiences (Ed W, Aziz, Takei, Wheadon).
Hey! Do you have links to those tweets? I’m going to check out Noel Well’s twitter likes. It’s not at all that I don’t believe it’s possible, but I have a friend to whom that kind of info would be helpful for personal reasons. Not to blast Ansari. I think you get my drift. Thanks!
stop talking adam scott i like you
When Aziz popped up in the first episode of Ugly Delicious on Netflix I practically gasped. I had a visceral negative reaction. I’ve only heard of the one big allegation and nothing of the twitter rumors. I’m sorry, but it is WAY too soon for me to consider him anything other than a creep.
Idk, it sounds like he wasn’t prepared to go on the spot. I’d rather he include something about what happened, or say “I’m not sure how to wade into it, it’s a nuanced conversation – but I can say he’s doing well blah blah blah.” Was what Aziz did okay? No. It was the perfect example of why affirmative consent needs to become our standard. That said, were there gigantic problems with that babe.net piece? Yeah. Idk. That whole situation was such a delicate mess, I can appreciate not getting into it publicly.
I don’t want to defend Aziz actions but he shouldn’t be lumped in with Franco, Weinstein and the lot. What Aziz did is what most guys did when I was single they assumed that if you made out you’d also want to sleep with them and tried to convince you endlessly that you really wanted it. Most of my friends have several stories like this. It’s a very common story so the story should be used to educate the average guy who isn’t necessarily “THE bad guy”. It shouldn’t be used to focus simply on Aziz and make him the big bad wolf, his story is all to common in our male dominated cultue. If we make it all about him instead of having the larger conversation we are not really using this story for what it’s worth. Becatse this is the type of guy most women encounter it needs to be handled with more subtlety and depth than the Weinstein etc story.
the babe.net story was not the only accusation against aziz, just the one that made headlines.
but just because “most guys do it” doesn’t make it any more better than other hollywood accusations and is hardly a defense. that’s why we talk about changing the culture so most guys WON’T do it or think it’s OK. but we can still hold individual men accountable for their bad behavior even if it’s widespread because everyone has a choice in how to treat others.
No one has lumped Aziz in with those people. All I ever see is people defending him simply because he’s not as bad as them.
This completely. The guy has basically gotten a free pass from women because he’s a so-called feminist and because the bar is set so damn low for men.
Judging by that one story (and not on the other rumors that I’m personally inclined to believe) he *may* not be a rapist, but he’s at the very least a gross and creepy dude.
Exactly.
I didn’t know about the other allegations.
Can we find them anywhere?
Right now all those men must be hoping someone else makes the first step back into the spotlight to see how the public deal with one of them. And it will be easier to the second one because the first one likely will get the most backlash.
Aziz got the most support of everyone. What could cost him something is that he was very much pandering towards feminist women. That demographic will be less cool with it. His act relies a lot on being the feminist beta guy. He cant just continue like that.
Good to know he won’t hold it against me when I overcorrect and not like him anymore because of these comments
Ha! 😉
I would imagine it’s difficult to try to reconcile the nice friend you know with the accounts of misconduct/abuse we’ve been hearing about so many – and to then be put on the spot about it and asked to speak on the record. So I think Adam handled it probably the best he could. I’d rather someone say something that and try to stay out of it, than go on the offensive and attack the victim for their accused friend, like Lena Dunham did.
A lady in admitting at one of the hospitals I frequent for imaging told me she grew up with Adam Scott, and that he was always telling the rest of the kids he was going to be a movie star when he grew up. She was incredulous of his success as an actor after proclaiming it during childhood, she said the other kids did not believe he could do it, made fun of him for it, and said, look at him now. It sounded to me like she was reflecting back at being one of the naysayers.
I don’t have an opinion either way, just wanted to read the post cuz of the hospital lady!
This made me laugh, because I can totally picture him as kid, acting like this. White socks pulled up to his knees.
I think this perfectly shows the type of character Scott has. Driven, with extreme self confidence and a large dose of talent.
Can people stop referencing the “other allegations” and just link to them? It’s getting ridiculous. Now we have to crucify him for unnamed vague allegations that were apparently so persuasive that they confirm him as a rapist but were never mentioned in any article about Aziz Ansari since the babe article dropped, have not been discussed in any other discussion about him and no one can even agree on what they are!
This isn’t justice.
people like you are the reason victims don’t want to come forward!
Ahhh, so we should never discuss these things in an anonymously commented gossip website? Too much of a formal venue for such topics?
What do you think happens to the 90% of rapes and assaults that go unreported? They remain whispers.
Anyone referring to him as a rapist doesn’t have their facts straight. He won’t come right out and physically hold you down – but he will wait till you’re drunk and then coerce you until you give in, ignore the fact that you are clearly uncomfortable, push your head down onto his penis, apologize, wait till you’re done crying and then try to talk you into going down on him again. Does that clear up why people find him distasteful as a person?
Nope. Noooope. Nope nope nope. You don’t know what to say so you’ll address the question like his fans are waiting for his return with bated breath? Lol. Sure, Jan.
Especially believing the beta bumbler act after you start with explaining the misassumption that you truly are a beta bumbler, when you aren’t. Then you want us to believe you were so surprised by the biggest drama in your social circle being brought up in a news cycle that conducive to that topic that you gave an off the cuff remark. Probably shouldn’t have started by reminding us you aren’t a bumbler, eh?
Now, I would not argue this for every actor, but these two comments plus the fact that Scott isn’t just an actor. He is a producer, director, someone who wrote and created shows. This is a guy who knows the power of both words and optics, and like Aziz, is hiding behind the toxic patriarchal norms that paint them as bumbling, that underestimate them.
your comments are always extremely valuable, deets.
Can someone post links to the other Aziz Ansari allegations of rape and sexual harassment please? I googled it but I could only find the babe.net story.
He’s great and lovely, except for his tendency to drink too much, become completely tone deaf and sociopathic and then treat women like disposable penis appendages. No biggie, bro.
I still like Aziz Ansari. He’s guilty of being a bit of a douche to women, something almost all men are guilty of. I love Adam Scott.