The Mindy Project

I don't watch "The Office."

But I do read trade publications about Hollywood, and it became quite clear this fall pilot season that the critics were checking for Miss Mindy Kaling and her new FOX show, "The Mindy Project." I was happy to see a woman of color in a starring role, and the concept of her viewing her life as a romantic comedy was interesting to me.

 Entertainment Weekly described it this way:

"If you’ve been waiting for the perfect ob-gyn office-set romantic comedy, Mindy Kaling hopes to deliver something special on your television Tuesday night: In Fox’s The Mindy Project (Fox, Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.), the former star/executive producer of The Office plays Mindy Lahiri, a highly skilled gynecologist whose romantic life is in need of urgent care."

My take? Um...it's straight. Episode 2 was better than episode 1. I'm hopeful Episode 3 will be better than the previous one. Etc, etc.

The bone I have to pick is that the description just doesn't seem accurate. So far, Mindy seems pretty lucky. She is neurotic, puts her foot in her mouth often, rambles and doesn't mind giving up the cookies real easy. But no one's turned her down yet. In short, Mindy gets play. So what's wrong with her love life?

Beyond that, it's all from educated, well-to-do white men. I HAVE NEVER IN MY LIFE seen a guy who looks like Seth Meyers strolling down the street with a girl who looked like Mindy. In this "post-racial" society, I still have not seen sandy blonde, blue-eyed, camping-skiing-rock climbing All-American men with chunky, brown Indian women.  And especially, the hunky British guy in the office (who would be the object of everyone's affections) would not have been begging her to take the D on the first day!
Granted, just because I  haven't seen it does not mean it doesn't exist. But the lack of realism from where I sit makes it harder for me to buy into the show.


Romantic comedies are full of women who can't get the guy. The heroine's missteps provide the humor, and her seemingly unrequited crushses are what make her endearing. But that's not what I'm getting from "The Mindy Project." However, I will continue to give it a chance, just like I do with "Scandal." Oops - did I just call out "Scandal"?  Yeah, I said it.

At any rate, it's your world, Mindy. Dream it how you live it!