Why We Need More Mindy Kalings on Television.

Hello, readers! If you're out there, that is. Is anyone out there? Well, if you ever read any of my posts and do like one, even A LIIIITLLEEE bit, please comment down below just so I know I'm writing relevant things that people want to read and hear about!

And please don't be afraid to leave some recommendations. Like, one I heard from one of my good friends, best friend even, was that my site was kinda ugly. Yes, well, in more subtle terms. Probably something along the lines of 'quite hard to read'.

Okay, so anyway, I was thinking about representation and I immediately thought of Mindy Kaling. Look, cliche or not, Mindy represents what every major Hollywood TV show doesn't. DIVERSITY. Exactly.

She's a main character, messy and unsimplified, she is so far from the typical 'model minority' stereotype that we've, as a general global society, come to accept and unwittingly expect. She's loud and funny, stubborn and frustrating sometimes, lovable and boisterous- she's brilliant but she's messy and that's the way characters are supposed to be.

She has added substantial depth to her character that was probably missing in Season 1 of the series... and truly become an inspiration for all us non-conforming minorities out there. Yes, it's lovely to see Priyanka Chopra and Archie Panjabi to represent us on television (*shoutout to all you intelligent, beauteous South Asian women, like WTH we NEVER get enough credit*) but I never really saw someone who LOOKED LIKE me until Mindy. Hell, I don't look like the stereotypically pretty, big eyes, small nose, fair skin, thin and tall, not hairy at all (yes, I am a rhymist- no not a word) !

Before Mindy when I was considering becoming an actress, I was like: hell, no. I mean every main character didn't look like me, I honest to goodness thought only Caucasian actors like Emma Roberts got cast. They kinda did, to be honest, in the main roles. The interesting roles. The love interests and fiery, indie-pendent girls. Us minorities got stuck as librarians, e.g. Ms Patel who hissed to shut up or Mr Chan the perpetual East Asian psychologist.

It matters. What, you ask? REPRESENTATION. It matters so much. I cannot tell you how much it made it proud and happy to realise I too could be beautiful, could be famous, could be funny as a dark, chunky, spunky Indian chick. I didn't have to be tall, or look like Gwyneth Paltrow to land a role. I could have cellulite. I could keep my thighs. (Oh and BTW, saying Hillary Clinton has fat thighs is so not an insult, Republicans? Like, its beauteous. I'm with HER woot woot! But that's another story)
None of my friends looked like me, growing up. It's funny to say, and even funnier to type, but they had Chinese privilege. Hairless and skinny and fair-ish. That was the 'acceptable'. I was none of these. Except maybe fair-ish.

But not fair enough. I was exactly like Mindy growing up. Boys were funny. I was not. Even though I was. I was not considered attractive in high school even though I now love myself and accept my beauty. Mindy did not catalyse this but she certainly helped.

We need more Mindys to tell girls like me, its hella okay to be different. In fact, its better. You become interesting. So for all my hairy, chubby, curvy, big nosed, dark skinned, short, thick thighed, big boned, chunky armed, minority girls, I don't care if you're South Asian, Hispanic or black, if you have been told by society that YOU ARE NOT BEAUTIFUL, you are my sister. You put your fingers up right back at them and say, YES, YES I AM. AND IT IS MY TIME.