Why Is There A Sudden Wave Of Backlash Against Mindy Kaling’s Brown Characters?
She's getting targeted!
Mindy Kaling is one of the most popular American Indian women around the globe. She is an actress, comedian, screenwriter, content creator, and producer. She is also popularly recognised for her character Kelly Kapoor in the sitcom The Office. And after enjoying success with all her past and latest projects, Mindy is all set to release another series created by her–Velma in 2023. Velma is an adult animated mystery comedy television series. It is based on the character Velma Dinkley from the Scooby-Doo franchise.
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Despite the excitement for the series, it has been receiving scathing reviews of over-sexualisation, unrecognisable characters, and a significant departure from its source material. Another major criticism it is receiving is about the titular character herself, who seems unrecognisable as Velma Dinkley but more like Mindy Kaling herself.
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People have literally started targeting Mindy and her entire career. And here’s what people have to say about Mindy’s portrayal of Indian women.
mindy kaling stop making the same indian loser character challenge pic.twitter.com/lDN6iqO3tR
— ✨✨✨✨ (@Cinemalover124) January 14, 2023
Mindy Kaling and Amy Schumer competing to see who can make less people laugh pic.twitter.com/dHQcKamvxT
— Black Superman 🦸🏾♂️ (@BlxckSuperman) January 15, 2023
It’s wild to me that #Velma was the thing that sparked all the Mindy Kaling criticism. Mindy always thrived for white validation in her work. She wrote this scene. A young Indian girl eagerly rejects her culture bc she thinks having a white boyfriend is better & more appealing. pic.twitter.com/O5utwqQePl
— Sti-ven (@SWDSAYS) January 15, 2023
I've never hated a show so much in my life. Fuck you Mindy Kaling. pic.twitter.com/c8klNUOI8Y
— RprSonic🔞 (@TheRealRprSonic) January 11, 2023
Has mindy kaling ever interacted with a human ever???? Does she think teenagers actually talk like this ? pic.twitter.com/gCuZBwqJTo
— ۟ (@generictwhandIe) January 13, 2023
mindy kaling when she sees a hot brown girl who loves herself and doesnt depend on white men for validation and self-worth pic.twitter.com/4jdR5v0kDb
— mithian (@sapphicfems) January 14, 2023
Mindy Kaling: Self inserts as Velma and mocks rich kids with Fred
Also Mindy: Raised by an extremely wealthy family, went to Dartmouth, and immediately landed a job on one of the biggest sitcoms ever made pic.twitter.com/Dsqq9HkPhS
— HassledvaniaYT (@hassledvania) January 16, 2023
I’m happy Mindy Kaling’s style of writing brown girls that hate themselves wasn’t around when I was younger & only became a thing when I was at the age where I loved my heritage and skin color. I can’t imagine being young & already self conscious and then seeing that portrayal.
— sai (@Saisailu97) January 14, 2023
mindy kaling ruining everything she touches pic.twitter.com/V5gOc9pejY
— angelᴺᴹ (@yikesangeI) January 13, 2023
Clearly, people believe that an unmistakable common thread in her characters is their remarkable similarity, whether as Kelly Kapoor, Mindy Lahiri from The Mindy Project, Bela Malhotra from The Sex Lives of College Girls or Devi Vishwakumar from Never Have I Ever. All of them go gaga over white men. While Kaling has done a remarkable job of providing the western audience with a more holistic Asian representation, her depictions have come under scrutiny for being rooted in an underlying inferiority complex.
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Also Read: Mindy Kaling Tweeting About White Fictional Siblings Giving Off A Sexual Vibe Has The Internet Proving Her Point With These Examples!
Mindy Kaling’s characters have been successful in subverting the submissive, meek stereotypes of brown women that both South Asian and western audiences hold. However, she has been criticised for writing specifically for the white gaze, where selective aspects of the brown cultural heritage are highlighted, which is usually for aesthetic purposes.
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But specifically calling out Mindy Kaling’s representation of brown women is very wrong, if you ask me. This is like placing on her, all the responsibility for how the west perceives brown women. This seems unfair because arguably she is just representing her own unique experience as a brown woman growing up in the US. These high standards placed for Kaling show us how creators of colour are often subjected to higher standards than that of their white counterparts.
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Also Read: We Love Mindy Kaling’s Humourous Response To Rumours Of BJ Novak Fathering Her Children. Feel That Burn, Gossip-Mongers!
Therefore while the criticism might have some legit reasons, we need to remember that creators of colour are creating work according to their own experience. This is a very interesting and essential addition to the world of entertainment and it should be viewed and valued in the same way.
