A recent panel discussion at this year’s South by Southwest (SXSW) Festival in Austin, Texas, found Mindy Kaling firing back at questions about diversity on her show, The Mindy Project (Photo by Digital Photos).
The mood of the panel titled “Running the Show: TV’s New Queen of Comedy,” was fairly jovial until one woman posed the question, “You guys have a great, diverse set of characters, but was it a conscious decision for Mindy to be the only female doctor, and the only doctor color of show?” Kaling seemed to lose her patience in response to the query.
I look at shows on TV, and this is going to just seem defensive, but I’m just gonna say it: I’m a f***ing Indian woman who has her own f***ing network television show, OK?
According to Flavorwire, the SXSW audience applauded Kaling, who seemed to be just getting started.
I have four series regulars that are women on my show, and no one asks any of the shows I adore — and I won’t name them because they’re my friends — why no leads on their shows are women or of color, and I’m the one that gets lobbied about these things …I’m someone who’s writing a show and I want to use funny people. And it feels like it diminishes the incredibly funny women who do come on my show… I don’t know, it’s a little frustrating.
Perhaps the constant barrage of criticism Kaling has received for her so-called lack of diversity (for example, the criticism that her character on the show only dates white men) is taking a toll on the star.
Do you think Kaling is not doing enough to showcase a diverse cast of characters on her show? Or, should she be let off the hook because of the giant strides in television she herself represents?
For more coverage on Mindy’s interview at SXSW, see the article on Flavorwire.
