Why "The Mindy Project" Kicks Downton Abbey's A-Money-Money

I have a girl crush. And it is even bigger than the ones I also currently have on Deacon and Gunner. Which is saying a lot. Because I purely love those “Nashville” boys. But my crush on this girl -- whose name is Mindy Kaling -- is even bigger and better. Because it’s not based one bit on pectorals or smoldering gazes. Nope. My Mindy crush is entirely platonic, based on her quick wit, funny writing and way with delivering a punch line.  

 

You might know Mindy from the bit part she played on “The Office”. She played Kelly, the ditzy, Indian gal whose romantic pursuits might have inspired a chuckle or two. Clearly, her “Office” days were just a warm up. Mindy is now writing, directing and starring in her very own television show called “The Mindy Project”. If “The Office” was Mindy’s warm up, “The Mindy Project” is her triathalon. And she is killing it.

 

The episode that aired this week did, in fact, focus on Mindy and her coworkers as they competed in a triathalon. Their triathalon experience wasn’t good but the show about it sure was.

 

This half-hour comedy is mostly about Mindy, a doctor in a very dysfunctional doctor’s office. Mindy has a license to practice medicine but she hasn’t given up her girl license either, a credential that entitles her to complain to friends about boy problems, have the boy problems and also shop sample sales in order to get her mind off the boy problems. Throw in some fighting with her cute co-workers, some wacky scenarios, and we have ourselves a show. One where the writing is funny and sly, and we love all the characters after just one viewing!

 

The show reminds me of the memoir that Mindy just published (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me And Other Concerns) . This book is one of the world’s quickest and funniest reads. In it Mindy details how she conquered Hollywood. But more than that, it’s full of the kind of quirky personal details that you usually only see in “Teen Beat” magazine articles about boy banders. Also, almost all of these quirky, personal details make it into Mindy’s show too.

 

 I am a sucker for this sort of self-referential stuff. It makes me feel “in the know” about Hollywood, which is awesome, since typically the only things I am “in the know” about are a lot less glamorous.

Need to know how to work the photocopier at my college?

I’m your girl.

Wondering how to potty train a reluctant 3 year old?

Ditto.

 So my Mindy crush is giving me some street cred in the “things the other 99% of America cares about” department. You might not be similar to me in this respect, but I bet like me, you’d also like a laugh or two or ten on a Tuesday night. If so, surf on over to FOX and catch “The Mindy Project” or download her book.

Happy viewing, guru girls & guys! (Click this link to go to amazon.com to read more about Mindy's book.)