I used to forget that I was an Indian woman. I would even forget that I was a woman. I don't think of myself as bringing to the table a lot of 'women's issues.' I don't feel the need to write about maternity. I grew up thinking that the talented people in comedy were hard-joke writers.
Interpretation
Mindy Kaling reflects on her identity and her role as a woman in comedy, emphasizing her focus on humor over gender-related issues.
In this quote, Mindy Kaling discusses her initial oblivion to her identity as an Indian woman and how it shaped her approach to comedy. Rather than focusing on themes traditionally associated with women, she embraces a broader, more universal humor, challenging stereotypes and expectations placed on female comedians. Kaling's perspective highlights the struggle of women in entertainment to balance personal identity with professional expression.
In practice
In a talk on diversity in comedy, this quote illustrates the complexity of identity in the arts.
I get so worried about girls with body image stuff And I feel like I have been able to have a fun career and be an on-camera talent and be someone who has boyfriends and love interests and wears nice clothes and those kinds of things without having to be an emaciated stick. And it is possible to do it. In life, you don't have to be that way and you can have a great life, a fun life, and a fulfilling love life.
What I've noticed is that almost no one who was a big star in high school is also big star later in life. For us overlooked kids, it's so wonderfully fair.
Anyone who's lost someone to cancer will say this, that you have to struggle to try to remember the person before the diagnosis happened, because they really do change - as anyone would change.
I always knew I wanted kids, but when my mom passed away I was like, 'I want a bunch of kids. I want three kids or four kids, and I want to have that relationship again.' I can't bring my mom back, but I can have children.
I have a thick skin, which comes from being a not-really-skinny, dark-skinned Indian woman. I havenβt fit in every place, and so Iβm kind of used to resistance.
Here's my feeling: For everyone, men and women, it's important to be a feminist. It's important to have female characters. It's wonderful for women to mentor other women, but it's just as important for women to mentor men and vice-versa. In my line of work, having Greg Daniels be such a great mentor to me is fantastic. Finding a writer's assistant, be it a man or a woman, and encouraging them to think with a feminist perspective, is key.
I did six Broadway shows, and I noticed there weren't many female comedians. When I went to a dancing audition, there were 1,000 girls. And there were three jobs. So I said I'll just try comedy. And I loved it.
But I just think I was lucky enough to figure out early on that I wanted to do comedy, so that's what I put all my effort into.
Being an Asian person on SNL,' when people are like, 'Why did it take so long?' It's sort of a question that doesn't fully understand the idea that there is no developmental experiential process for a queer Asian person to get into comedy in a way that feels inevitable.
There are certainly other female comics who are moms, but I don't know any who are actively touring with their kids. But there are more and more becoming moms, and it's awesome. I feel we're in a super sisterhood.
When I was a younger guy doing comedy, it was a big struggle. Promoters canceled me out of clubs left and right when I called somebody a dummy or a yo-yo. Then they realized I was different.
How to do half-hour comedy innovatively is something I do pride myself on. We invented it with 'I Love Lucy.'
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