Aziz Ansari, SNL cast thank Barack Obama with a ‘To Sir, With Love’ tribute (keep tissues ready)

Actor-comedian Aziz Ansari made history on Saturday (January 21) by becoming the first South Asian to host the popular talk show Saturday Night Live, ever since its inception in 1975. This was also the first SNL – a show that’s known for its curt and hilarious sketches of now US President Donald Trump – after the Trump administration took over in the US. Ansari’s monologue on Donald Trump, Muslims and racists, which he opened with the line it’s “pretty cool a brown guy is making fun” of Donald Trump – just a day after the inauguration, made quite a impression, but it was a lovely tribute to outgoing US president Barack Obama. Standing in front of a huge black-and-white portrait of Obama, cast member Cecily Strong, sang a soulful version of ‘To Sir, With Love’, the theme song of the 1967 movie of the same name, in which a group of newly reformed students pay serenade their beloved teacher, played by none other than the classic Sidney Poitier. It’s ironical that that author of the book that inspired the movie – ER Braithwaite – died on December 12, 2016. In the tribute, which concluded this episode of SNL, Strong is soon joined by Sasheer Zamata as they finish the song as a duet. At the end, the two also held up a cup, and said, “We got you a mug. It says ‘World’s Best President'”. In fact, Zamata managed to sneak in a “Thank you. Don’t go” right at the end, people were left dashing for the tissue box.

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