Aziz Ansari tackles Trump, Islamophobia and 'casual white supremacy' on SNL
Comedian encourages new president to 'write a speech' denouncing racism rather than tweeting about the show
There was no impersonation of Donald Trump by actor Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live this week, but guest host Aziz Ansari gave his own two cents about the new U.S. president.
The Master of None creator and star took the stage the same day as massive women's marches across the country and around the world.
"Crazy couple of days, man," he said near the beginning of his monologue. "Yesterday, Trump was inaugurated. Today, an entire gender protested against him."
'Lower case KKK movement'
Ansari went on to joke about a "tiny slice of people" who are part of what he dubs the "new, lower case KKK movement," a "kind of casual white supremacy" that has people thinking they don't have to hide their racism anymore.
"I'm talking about these people that are running around saying stuff like, 'Trump won! Go back to Africa!' 'Trump won! Go back to Mexico!' They see me: 'Trump won, go back — to where you came from.' Yeah. They're not usually geography buffs."
Light tone, serious message
The 33-year-old American actor, who is of Indian heritage and whose family is Muslim, has been outspoken about racism and Islamophobia in the past. Ansari wrote an op-ed for the New York Times last year during the American election campaign and incorporated the subject matter in his SNL monologue Saturday.
"People are scared. Why? Because any time they watch movies and TV shows and a character is Arabic, or they're praying or something like that, that scary-ass music from Homeland is underneath it, it's terrifying!"
While Ansari kept his tone light for the most part, he urged Trump to denounce growing prejudice in a divided country: "Don't tweet about me being lame or the show. Write a speech — a real speech."
Watch Ansari's full monologue below.