Okay. Where to start? I first heard of Mindy back in the day when I was watching "The Office" with friends, and one of them pointed Kelly Kapoor out on TV and asked me, "Can you believe she's actually one of the writers of the show?" Now we had just watched Kelly pull of some sort of crazy shenanigans as well as talk in the quick manner in her very girly voice. So no, I couldn't believe she was one of the masterminds of this acclaimed TV comedy. But that's the kind of thing I like--the unexpected like that--, so I forgot about it a while later. I saw her briefly in other movies and whatnot, thought she had some funny one liners, and that was basically it.
Then came "The Mindy Project." I hated the pilot at first (I watch it now with delight...). I watched it and thought, "This chick is giving all us chicks really, freaking bad names! No wonder men like to think we're a little bit crazy because you've got characters like her basing their lives off of romcoms!" I hated that she ruined her ex-boyfriend's wedding; I hated that she was kind of shallow, and I hated that she was so wrapped up in a romcom induced fantasy of her love life. However, I kept watching each week. Like it became one of my shows to watch, and I was slightly (read: really) irritated when Fox had those weeks where it skipped an episode. Also 22 minutes is not long enough for any sitcom.
And by the time I watched the finale, I was half way through Kaling's autobiography, and I had youtubed quite a number of her interviews. And I realized something. I may have started out hating Mindy because of how she seemed to be, but that hate turned into pure love and idolizing. I freaking LOVE Mindy Kaling. Not only that, but I now look to her as a role model. She's hilarious; she's real; she's a person.
Let me start from the outside and work my way in. I am not a small girl. Given some poor eating and exercise habits (like maybe living off of peanut m&ms for two days straight...) this last year, I've gained a whopping twenty or so pounds. I'm certifiably chubby, and I just bought a pair of size 12 pants from American Eagle, a brand in which I was a size 6-8 this time last year. I've always been on the bigger side--whether you want to call it boyish, athletic, stout, or chubby-- no one has ever aspired to have my body or whistle at it in a smokin' way. I have fought against the grain way too often, experimenting with diets in high school and going on exercise binges (if you count swimming in that category too...). Mindy makes me feel like this is okay. It's okay that I'm not going to fill out a body con dress the way my twiggy sorority sisters do, but, by golly, I should rock one anyway. Have you seen Mindy in a body con dress? She looks hot. (Cue: Watch the "In the Club" episode) Have you see her rock some good style? Like, I want her clothes. Most of them. Especially on the show!
Okay, working my way in. So the other aspect of Mindy that I admire is her brain. She may have a higher-pitched voice and what appears to be a penchant for celebrity gossip and trashy books/magazines, but girl's got a brain. You don't go to Dartmouth because you half-assed your way through high school. You don't become one of the writers of "The Office" and stay on throughout its run by being mediocre. You don't get a play based on two celeb best friends legitimate praise by just being okay-funny. She knows her field, and she's at the top of it.
Another thing about her that I really admire is her self-awareness. She knows she's not thin; she knows she's not Giselle, and she knows her voice is high-pitched. She knows it's kind of lame that she loves cheesy things. She's knows that she's introverted by nature. But she knows she is who she is whether you like it or not. I love that. She can tease herself, but she can also have confidence.
Guys, I love Mindy Kaling. If I ever meet her one day, I'll probably turn into a stuttering mess because she's like me only more famous, probably more clever, and, obviously, Indian.
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