Comedian Aziz Ansari has nabbed $3.5 million to write a book about the perils of dating in the 21st century, according to Publisher's Weekly. Everyone seems to have pointed out that this is just below Lena Dunham's infamous $3.7 million paycheck for her memoirs, so there's that.
The subject has been of particular interest to Ansari as of late. His last special, "Dangerously Delicious," heavily featured personal material about his feelings on love and relationships. Indeed, in a statement, Ansari said of his book: "You know when you text someone you're romantically interested in and you don't hear anything back and then you see them post a photo of a pizza on Instagram? That's exactly what I want this book to deal with."
However, the book won't entirely be a transcript of his stand-up comedy. Penguin said that the book will include "original research" from Ansari mixed with comedic observations about the current state of love. (For $3.5 million, he had better go the extra mile.) The comic seems especially inclined to tackle the subject in a serious way: In an A.V. Club interview earlier this year, he spoke at length about his fascination in this area. He said:
In summary, research shows when you first get married, you experience the intense longing, desire, and attraction described as “passionate love.” However, after an average of two years, this wears off because of our tendency to get habituated to positive experiences. Then couples enter what researchers call “companionate love,” which is a less impassioned form of love that is a blend of deep affection and connection. Basically, the research shows—love fades.
Even though his "Parks & Recreation" character Tom Haverford may not be so lucky with the ladies, Ansari may indeed provide some keen insights about dating in this new book.
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