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Amy Poehler
This episode is brought to you by Subaru. Most cars just stick to the asphalt, but hybrids can be found on dirt roads, back roads and everything in between. Because the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid and Subaru Forester Hybrid were built for adventure. With up to 597 miles per tank in the Crosstrek Hybrid and 581 miles in the Forester Hybrid. Love goes the extra mile in the Subaru Forester Hybrid and CrossTrek Hybrid. Visit subaru.com hybrid to learn more. Maximum range based on EPA ethics, estimated combined fuel economy and a full tank of fuel. Actual mileage and range may vary. Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of Good Hang. We have a great one today. We are talking to Mindy Kaling, Mindy mogul, so good at so many things and we get into it today. We talk about a lot of fun stuff. We talk about acapella groups. We talk about whether or not we think we can deliver a baby. We talk about the fact that she has written more episodes of the Office than any other writer. And we get into her new show, not Suitable for Work, which is on now on Hulu. So lots of great stuff to talk about. And like always, we talk to someone who knows our guest and has a question for our guest. And speaking of not suitable for work, we have one of the stars from that show, Avantika, joining us. Avantika, who you may know from the movie musical of Mean Girls, a talented young woman who is here to. Well, to grace our presence. Really, Avantika, is my audio working?
Mindy Kaling
Woo hoo hoo.
Amy Poehler
This episode is brought to you by Hilton. Did you hear Paris Hilton has like a billion Hilton honors points? Well, she calls them Paris points and Hilton is helping her give them all away this summer. Use them for that wedding or bleasure that's business and pleasure. Or maybe book a stay just for sleep. As Paris would say. That's sliving. Just make sure you're a Hilton honors member and follow Paris and Hilton on the socials to see how Paris points can be your points. When you want points that actually make your summer slay, it matters where you stay. Hi, it's so nice to see you again.
Avantika
It's so good to see you.
Amy Poehler
Congratulations on all the good stuff happening for you and no surprise. Where are we talking to you from?
Avantika
I'm on set right now, which is why my makeup looks a little scary.
Amy Poehler
Are you shooting not suitable for Work right now? Is that the set that you're on?
Avantika
Can you imagine? I'm soft launching season two.
Mindy Kaling
No, this is not the set.
Avantika
This is not the set I'm on. I'm on an undisclosed set.
Amy Poehler
Oh, exciting.
Avantika
I'm not at liberty to talk about.
Amy Poehler
You are busy, busy, busy. You know, we first met on the set of Moxie.
Avantika
Moxie? Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. How did. How do we. How did we meet? Do you remember?
Avantika
I don't remember, like, the first initial meeting. I just have a really vivid memory of you of, like, walking out of the school, like the classroom and seeing you and my dad, like, holding hands and jumping up and down together because you figured out you guys had the same birthday. Because he loves talking. You both had your IDs out. And I was like, cool. Okay, great. Glad everyone's getting along.
Amy Poehler
Oh, my God. He's a September 16 girly.
Avantika
Yes, he is.
Amy Poehler
Sadly, I've learned it's a very common September. Birthdays are very common. I guess. Yeah, I guess People really get down.
Avantika
I know. What does it say about it?
Amy Poehler
They get down in the holidays, I guess.
Avantika
I guess we got bored and we're pulled.
Amy Poehler
Well, I remember I directed a film for Netflix called Moxie and it was filled with an incredible cast. And I remember you came and joined us for a too brief scene, but a really fun day. And that's really cute that your dad and I bonded. I was reading up on you, Vantika, and you're so impressive in the stuff that you've done. And I didn't know that you did a lot of Bollywood when you were younger.
Avantika
Yeah, it's how I started out. I think at the time I was 10. And Indian parents like to make safe bets. And it was not a safe bet at the time to be like, let's haul ass to LA and do this for the rest of your life. But India was a more prospective place if I wanted to be in the film industry. And so we moved there for like four years.
Amy Poehler
Oh, wow. They. You moved there for your career?
Avantika
Yeah, yeah. My mom really, like, my mom left her job the day that I was born. She was like, I want to spend all my time with my daughter. And she made a lot of sacrifices for me to be in this industry. So I'm, you know, very grateful that now she gets to like, watch a TV show. Is like, I. I hope she enjoys. And yeah, she really is the reason that I'm here. Not to get all emo on everyone. It's seven in the morning for you.
Amy Poehler
No, no, no. I'm ready to cry anytime. Anytime. Okay, so let's talk about your boss. So we're okay. So I'm Interviewing Mindy Kaling today, whom I've known for a really long time. And I'm really excited to talk to her because, you know, we have a lot of similar experiences and paths. And one of the things that I really want to talk to her about is like, what kind of boss is she?
Avantika
So the first time I ever met Mindy was in a parking lot that she took me to in LA because I had DMed her when I was 17, being like, I love you.
Mindy Kaling
I love you so much.
Avantika
And she was like, okay. She was like, yeah. Like, she was like, let me have my assistant schedule lunch. And I was like, oh, my God. It's like, this is the most exciting thing happening right now. And she took me to a French restaurant in a strip mall in la, and the seating is literally in a parking lot. And my dad was, like, parked 300ft away. I love mentoring my dad. My dad's like making a re upcarring
Mindy Kaling
prince in every story.
Avantika
It's just always proximate. And he's actually in the room right now. Can you imagine? But she took me to this French restaurant and was like, we need to try escargot if you haven't tried it already. So my first, like, one on one experience with Mindy was like, eating snails and her being this very. She was like, tell me about your career. She was like, what do you want? And I think the one thing that always stood out to me about her and is one of Ever's favorite qualities about her but having worked on this set is that she's such a curious person. Like, she. Mindy asks so many questions. She's just, like, down to gossip. She's down to gab. Like, she knows about my love life. She knows about all of our love lives. Like, Mindy's just a really fun person to be around. I really wish this time around that she. Like, we don't. Because we're always scared of when we're gonna lose Mindy because, like, Mindy's first priority are her kids and, like, her outside. And so this season, we're hoping that, like, we're gonna get our claws in her and, like, if we get renewed for next season, she won't let us go. But she's the best. I think whether Mindy knows it or, like, can really comprehend it or not, she's like a present figure in so many people's lives as, like, sort of, you know, Like, a lot of people view Mindy as a friend and, and. And a role model or an idol, whether it be Kelly Kapoor or any of the characters she's. She's created.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And as a young Indian woman, watching her, what did it mean to see her, you know, representing her life and on screen? Like, what. What. What was that like?
Avantika
As a young person, I loved Never have I ever. I mean, when. Never have I ever came out in trades that it was getting made, I was like, this is the most insane thing, like, I've ever seen in my life. I was. I was in that. What. So I would. I auditioned for Never have I ever, and I was very young when I went out for it. But I remember being, like, in the waiting room, looking at the sign in for and being like, who are all the girls? Like, I want to be friends with all of them. And so I remember telling my mom, so can you please memorize the latter half, and I'll memorize the pop pop, and then we can go and, like, DM their moms on Facebook. Because I really want to be friends with people in the industry.
Amy Poehler
And we all know how well DMs work for you. It always works.
Avantika
And my tweet was perfect for that role. And she did, like, so, so incredible. But all that to say, like, she has a very odd, incredible way of bringing together community and bringing together people, both off camera, but also behind the scenes as well. And I think watching her on screen meant the same thing as representation means to more anybody, which is that, like, oh, people like me exist, and people like me are deserving of being put on a big platform.
Amy Poehler
Very cool. Okay, so we. We have. We always do this thing where we ask our guests a question from somebody who knows them or respects them, works with them, loves and adores them. So what question do you have for Mindy today?
Avantika
I'd like to know, for someone who's accomplished so much, like, what her personal, like, egot is, like, what her four accomplishments that she wants to achieve in her life, like, spanning four different categories. That's such a big question.
Amy Poehler
I love.
Avantika
It's a big question.
Mindy Kaling
You'll get.
Amy Poehler
I'm so. Wait, so the question is, what? Like, which is like, you've done so much. What more do you want to do?
Avantika
It's sort of like, like, if I don't know, like, a personally got William mail, like, have four kids, get a PhD, spend two years abroad, like, you know, donating money. And, like, the fourth one is, like, I want to skydive. Like, it was, like, four things that you want to accomplish across, like, all sort of a breadth of categories. Yeah, I guess that is Like, I'm sort of just like. She just says she's just done so much that I'm like, what more do you want?
Amy Poehler
That. I mean, it's. It's an. I bet she'll have an answer. Also, there is a part of me that's like. Or, just rest. Rest now, darling.
Mindy Kaling
Right, right, right.
Avantika
Personally. God. Get put in a cryo chamber.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I love that. And please tell your dad that I can't wait to, you know, psychically spend my birthday with him again. And it's so lovely to see you. And I know Mindy will be really happy that we talked. Congratulations on your new show. Not suitable for Hulu. And thank you so much for talking to us and for all the great things ahead for you and such a pleasure to see you again.
Avantika
So good to see you, Jill.
Amy Poehler
You too. Thanks so much for your time. Bye, honey.
Avantika
Bye. Bye.
Amy Poehler
This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. Not checking your pockets before putting clothes in the washer. Oof. Enjoy your freshly cleaned and completely destroyed earbuds. Yeah. Checking first is a good plan. So check Allstate State first for an auto quote. It could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Potential savings vary, subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate North American Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois. Mindy Kaling is here. Everybody took the red eye, which is. I just got to say, that's. That's brutal.
Avantika
Isn't it?
Mindy Kaling
Funny how in my 20s, it was the only way I would do things. I'd shoot the office, and then Friday night, I was like, take the red eye, get into. I'd just be going back to Boston to see my parents.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And my dad would pick me up at Logan at 6:00'.
Unidentified Speaker
Clock.
Mindy Kaling
We'd go to McDonald's, and I'd just sleep for four hours.
Amy Poehler
Yes. I was just talking to our friend Rashida Jones about this. It's the lack of recovery. It's like we can power through anything now. You know, like, you just suck it up and power through, but it's. There's no day to sleep after.
Mindy Kaling
There's no day to sleep.
Amy Poehler
No.
Mindy Kaling
So I just. I just did a line of coke.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Avantika
And we're flying.
Mindy Kaling
And that's how I'm doing. Great.
Amy Poehler
We're gonna brag about our careers and then we're gonna. Yeah, we're gonna crash out in, like, 45 minutes. But thank you for coming.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you for being here. I'M excited to be here. I know. Remember when we used to do David Letterman and the producers would be like, do not compliment him. He doesn't know what to do with it.
Amy Poehler
That's right.
Mindy Kaling
And you were like, oh, so it's like an insult to compliment a host. And then now I feel. I felt like for other shows too, I was like, don't do that. And then it feeds into the whole thing of, like, it's not cool to compliment. It was very formative when that producer was like, don't compliment him.
Amy Poehler
It's so true.
Mindy Kaling
It's a hostile act. And yet I love compliments as a performer. And if someone came onto my show and was like, I love the show.
Amy Poehler
I feel like I love to give, I love to get. I mean, literally, what are we doing? I mean, like, what are we gonna be, like, mean to each other? Like, the world is on fire. Like, who?
Mindy Kaling
I love recognition. I love praise. So I just wanna say that I love the show. Thank you. I watch it with my nanny on little tips on YouTube at night after the children are down. And it's like, it's such an intimate thing to watch in the dark. You talking to Baron Holtz, our buddy, Kathryn Hahn.
Amy Poehler
Oh, our buddy.
Mindy Kaling
And then have our little ads on YouTube.
Amy Poehler
You know, when I was getting ready for today, first of all, congrats on being a mogul. Straight up. Mogul.
Mindy Kaling
Mogul.
Amy Poehler
You don't have to explain. You take it in. You are a mogul. Mindy. Congratulations.
Mindy Kaling
Listen, listen, this is. I know, I'm interrupting you now.
Amy Poehler
No, please.
Mindy Kaling
Are you a mogul if you haven't invested in a restaurant or a sports team?
Amy Poehler
That's a great question.
Mindy Kaling
Just. Cause I want to accept. We know. I love.
Amy Poehler
We need to buy some kind of sports team.
Mindy Kaling
You're right. Like Austin Kutcher.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, you're right.
Mindy Kaling
You know, like, he owns Uber and Geisha House.
Amy Poehler
Like, but I'm driven to call more women geniuses and moguls and all that stuff because I think we just need to claim. Okay, so let's claim that. I'll claim that for you today.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you.
Amy Poehler
And as a fellow Boston girl.
Mindy Kaling
Yes.
Amy Poehler
I feel like when I was looking at, you know, kind of like looking at all the stuff you do and just thinking thematically about what to talk about today. We've had a lot of very similar paths, you and I. And not just because we were born, like, you know, in close proximity of each other. Like, but we have really. I mean, we've been in this biz for a Minute.
Mindy Kaling
Been in this biz for a minute
Amy Poehler
and we've been together in a lot of it. So it's very, very nice to see you and to have you here.
Mindy Kaling
I love being here and to even be someone that you would say is on a similar journey because you were a little ahead.
Amy Poehler
Yes. I'm like about 10 years older than you.
Mindy Kaling
For my generation, for anyone who came up in New York and took classes at the UCB and everything, it was like you were the one doing it. Like you were the one succeeding with all the mean, unaccepting men in comedy. Do you know what I mean?
Amy Poehler
Well, yeah. I mean, I think both you and I are used to. And I want to talk about it. You and I are used to being one or the only woman in a room full of men. A lot, A lot. Especially in the beginning of our career and how that shaped us. Cambridge, Massachusetts, you're born and raised now. Cambridge was always where smart people lived and their smart parents.
Mindy Kaling
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Did you have. Were you considered like a smart kid in school?
Mindy Kaling
I was always considered a bright kid. Yeah. When I was younger, I think I was kind of silent and chubby and friendly and that was my vibe and not funny. But that was back. I don't know if you felt this way. That was back in the 80s when girls weren't really supposed to be funny.
Amy Poehler
Right. They were kind of good laughers.
Mindy Kaling
Good laughers, yeah. And if you were funny or tried to talk too much, it was kind of like you had problems or you were disruptive.
Amy Poehler
You're right. The mischievous girls were the class clowns, which I look back now and they were just like feisty, interesting young women. But people thought they were kind of troublemakers.
Mindy Kaling
Totally.
Amy Poehler
At least in my school.
Mindy Kaling
Being Indian too, it was so far from the. But also like I felt like I was still just like observing. But I noticed that like it wasn't until I was like in middle school where I was like the class clowns who were guys were just like kind of outrageous. They weren't really funny. But when you're 12 and 13, there is no difference between someone who's like willing to jump off the side of the school building and being someone who's funny. It was all just one thing.
Amy Poehler
Totally.
Mindy Kaling
No one was examining it.
Amy Poehler
Right.
Mindy Kaling
I think for my parents too, at that time, being funny in school was so tied to kind of again, disruptive, non academic. You don't have a good path if you're a funny kid.
Amy Poehler
That's what I mean. Yeah. You're kind of like, you're speaking out in class, you're kind of not paying attention. And I bet you had the same thing. I mean, maybe even more because your parents, you know, moved to the US when you. When your mom was pregnant with you.
Mindy Kaling
Yes.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. And so, like, you know, they're like, we don't need you to be the one that's cracking jokes in class. And I had parents who were teachers, so it was like, don't. Like, the funny kid is the one that's often, like, the teacher is having
Mindy Kaling
to deal with having to deal with.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, but they call you Mindy, your nickname, because. From Morgan. Mindy.
Mindy Kaling
Morgan Mindy. So it was a real, like.
Amy Poehler
That's a real mixed message.
Mindy Kaling
Well, my parents immigrated here in the 70s, and nobody in entertainment on either side of the family, but they did, like, love comedy. Loved it. Like, and I think for us, too, where it's like, it wasn't like we were coming home and having, like, these, you know, always, like these deep chats.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
But we would just, like, sit in front of the TV and watch Must See tv. They love Seinfeld. They love Friends. They loved the Cosby Show. Is that okay? Sure.
Amy Poehler
I mean, we all did at one point.
Mindy Kaling
At one point, right? I can say at one point. But I remember so distinctly when I was, like, 11 or 12, and I was, of course, like, obsessed with Saturday Night Live, we would watch Chris Farley.
Amy Poehler
That. Was that your cast?
Mindy Kaling
Yes, it was like, Sandler, Chris Farley. But honestly, from Dana Carvey to Bill Hader, feels like the time, which is a long span. Right. But we would. Is it Matt Foley? Yeah, Matt Foley.
Amy Poehler
And character. Chris Furley's character. Down by the river.
Mindy Kaling
Down by the river. Classic iconic character. And he's like, I think one of the funniest people of all time. I agree. And when he, you know, he'd fall on the coffee table. And I remember laughing at it so, so much and showing it to my parents, like, recording it. And I remember my mom being very worried and being like. Cause I was overweight. And I think she was like. And so she was like, I don't. She once sat me down when I was, like, 14. I was like, I don't want you to be like that.
Amy Poehler
Oh, that's really interesting. Right. Like, don't feel like you need to be a clown.
Mindy Kaling
And I think she thought that, like, okay, my overweight daughter, who is not fitting into, like, the mainstream of culture, will feel like the way to be accepted and funny is to be like Chris Farley. Now, the majesty of Chris Farley, Like, I would only be so lucky as to have been like Chris Farley. But as a girl in the mid-90s, that was like, not a great path.
Amy Poehler
I love that we're talking about this. Cause it's such an interesting point, which is young women, especially in the late 80s and 90s, their way into comedy, like, how you get in was really fraught in a way that men just did not have to worry about. They didn't have to worry about being physical and that seeming like it was putting people off. They didn't have to worry about, like, them being too sexualized. They didn't have, like. They didn't have to worry about a ton of stuff. I think that much like you watching comedy at a young age and being like, I don't know, I wanna live in this world. I don't know how to get into it. And it was inhabited by really loud, physical men for the most part. And then finding the women who I loved, who I just kind of studied. And for me it was like, okay, where did they study? Where did these women start? So it was like, oh, I wanna go to Chicago. I'm just gonna go there. And when you were like, did you do comedy at Dartmouth?
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Did you do improv?
Mindy Kaling
I did short form improv.
Amy Poehler
We all did.
Mindy Kaling
You know, it's so funny. The two things that brought me so much joy in college are so mortifying to me now, but it's where I made so many great friends. I did short form improv with the Dog Day Players at Dartmouth. Incredible.
Amy Poehler
And the Dog Day Players. Still there.
Mindy Kaling
Dog Day Players is still there.
Amy Poehler
Incredible.
Mindy Kaling
And they're so. And every so often, like every couple years, I'm sure you feel as well like, they'll come to LA and I'll meet them or I'll see them at Dartmouth when I go up. And they're so cool now. And they do long form and they. They also have that studying thing where they've seen every episode of Parks and Arrested Development. Larry Sanders, you know what I mean?
Amy Poehler
They know everything.
Mindy Kaling
A kinship to these people that are 25 years younger than me. But the difference is that the guys in the troupe are feminist. The women are unafraid to be who they are. They're all sort of activists. All the stuff that I struggled with back then to do because it wasn't appealing, because we all did. I wanted to be as, like, funny as Adam Sandler and do Opera man. But I also wanted a boyfriend and to lose my virginity. And in the late 90s, it was like, those two things were maybe, like, did not. They seemed mutually exclusive.
Amy Poehler
Oh, yeah. Acapella group. You were also in I love an acapella group.
Mindy Kaling
Yes, yes, I was in an acapella group.
Amy Poehler
And what song did you ever have a solo?
Mindy Kaling
I had one solo.
Amy Poehler
And what was the song?
Mindy Kaling
9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Saying it badly. It was one of those things. You know what's nice is, like, I don't have a good voice, but I have, like, a. I can, like, carry a tune. I think I have a good enough voice for a comedy person. And it was like that nice thing about being in a group of women, because they're like, clearly one person should have all the solos. But they're like, no, no, no. Of course that's not nice. Like, let Mindy have a solo. So I would sing nine to Five. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And that acapella group's name was.
Mindy Kaling
Hey, man. It was called the Rockapellas. Okay.
Amy Poehler
I mean, I just.
Mindy Kaling
I love.
Amy Poehler
I love a pun.
Mindy Kaling
It's called the Rockapellas. At the time, it was considered to be the coolest. The coolest group if you were a woman at Dartmouth, of course. And I mean, from my humble opinion, it was.
Amy Poehler
I think a cappella's very cool. And also now I would say it is cool because, Annie, this is such
Mindy Kaling
a bunch of bullshit. Like, you're being so nice here, but it's so lame.
Amy Poehler
No, no, I disagree. I don't. Here's why. Because even then, I don. In hindsight, anyone who tries something. Yeah, okay, that's cool.
Mindy Kaling
I guess if you apply, like, the golden rule of, like, we should all be putting ourselves out there, then it is cool. But it's like a bunch of people being like, shoopy doobie, bebop.
Amy Poehler
I know, but it's not.
Mindy Kaling
I know.
Amy Poehler
It was the same thing with improv. Like, improv, short form improv.
Mindy Kaling
And I, again, on my formative years, some of the. All the boys I had crushes on in college were doing, like, short form improv. Terrible. Terrible. And yet it's so lame. Long form improv is cool, though.
Amy Poehler
Stand up is the coolest. Back then, like, if you were an improv or sketch group, you'd have your costumes and wigs, or you'd be warming up and stuff like that. You're right. Acapella and improv both. You have to warm up.
Mindy Kaling
Like, usually outside, you're like, zip, zap, zapping. That's not a cool.
Amy Poehler
And I used to be like, we're cool. But then I'd See, like a standup. Just literally, like, throw their cigarette on the ground with a leather jacket and go on stage. And I'd be like, okay. After you left Dartmouth, did you move to New York?
Mindy Kaling
I lived in New York for three years. Okay.
Amy Poehler
And you had some fun. I always love to ask people about their fun jobs. Like, their weird jobs. You had some good weird jobs, right?
Mindy Kaling
I had some really good weird jobs.
Amy Poehler
What were some of your weird jobs?
Mindy Kaling
The weirdest job I had was that I was a PA at Crossing over with John Edward the psychic.
Amy Poehler
The psychic, Right.
Mindy Kaling
And he would do readings in the room and be able to tell if someone had, like, a dead relative who was trying to contact them.
Amy Poehler
What was weird about it all that.
Mindy Kaling
I can't believe you're asking.
Amy Poehler
What was your like now? Do you believe in. Have you ever had a psychic experience? Do you go to psychics?
Mindy Kaling
I am not. I don't go to psychics, but I would same. And I've gotten. And as I've gotten older, even though I know more, I've gotten more superstitious than I used to be. To quote Michael Scott, I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious.
Amy Poehler
I kind of feel like, you know, there's all different levels of, like, woo, woo, as Rachel Dratch would say. And whether or not you're open to it in your life. And it is kind of a funny catch 22 where people are like, you have to be really open to it for it to, like, you have to open your channel for it.
Mindy Kaling
I have the most illusory astrological sign and the most illusory number on the Enneagrams. Wow.
Amy Poehler
I love to. Cause there's no loser number in the Enneagram. But you have to be your loser number. What would you think is a loser number?
Mindy Kaling
I have cancer and I'm six.
Amy Poehler
Well, but I would say six is very sharp. Like, six is like.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you, Amy.
Amy Poehler
But I have to say I don't know that much about sixes.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah. Because it's, you know.
Amy Poehler
But it's the most common number.
Mindy Kaling
It is.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah. I definitely think it's accurate.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
I feel seen. I haven't been able to use it practically to make my life.
Amy Poehler
I'm gonna send you some fun gifts, or gifs, however you like to say it.
Mindy Kaling
Please send me some gifts or GIFs.
Amy Poehler
I'm sending you some fun enneagram6 gifts and GIFs that you're gonna love.
Mindy Kaling
I think they're a lot like the Harry Potter homes, you know, where Everyone's
Amy Poehler
I'm a Gryffindor, Harry Potter thing.
Mindy Kaling
I'm a straight up Slytherin dude. That's cool.
Amy Poehler
Slytherin is cool. I wish I was a Slytherin.
Mindy Kaling
What are you?
Amy Poehler
I want to be Gryffindor. But no, I think I'm a Hufflepuff, which is also fine. I want to refute it.
Mindy Kaling
But listen.
Amy Poehler
All right, say I'm right back at you. Okay. But back to. Okay, so you had some interesting jobs, but I want to talk about Matt and Ben for a second because that show was. I remember when that show for people that don't know what was Matt and Ben.
Mindy Kaling
Yes. Okay. So I was babysitting at the time, and my friend was a substitute teacher and your public school substitute teacher, my friend Brenda. And we were kind of miserable. And I had applied to be a page at the NBC page program, and I was certain I was gonna get it, and then I didn't. And so we were just kind of like low level depressed post 9 11. Just like in jobs. Like, why am I even in New York? I have no access to anything. And we started just improvising. And I kind of adopted this character of like, Ben Affleck in quotations. Cause obviously we didn't know them at all. And she did Matt Damon. And then we were like. We'd just be doing these characters for like, 10, 15 minutes. And we're like, could we do something with this actually, as opposed to just like entertaining ourselves? And all of our friends thought it was so stupid.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, great.
Mindy Kaling
And we just said, like, let's write a little play about the creative process between friends and competition, which has been interesting to me for a long, long time. And competition between friends, who you dearly love each other, but you're also looking out for yourself. And we were 21 or 22, writing about what we imagined Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were when they were 21, 22. It's so psychotic. Like, if I was Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, I'd be like, this is.
Amy Poehler
Have you ever talked to them about it?
Mindy Kaling
I have met Matt Damon once and Ben Affleck like, a handful of times. And I think they think it's weird. This is a real person. They've been nothing but gracious. Very strange thing. I would not be nice if someone was playing Mindy Kaling in a play. I would try to destroy them with my lawyers. My team of lawyers would descend upon them and crush them. But to their credit, Matt and Ben.
Amy Poehler
What if Matt and Ben played what if Ben played you? That would be pretty fun.
Mindy Kaling
I'd be. I'd try to crush him with my lawyers.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, cease and desist, babe. Just straight away, like, padlock the.
Mindy Kaling
I'm gonna take all that good accountant money from you.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
And accountant, too.
Amy Poehler
I remember, even at the time, I was like, this is radical. Because it was exactly. It was like two young women kind of assuming what would be like, in the heads of, like, you know, they were. Matt and Ben were archetypes for just, like, young men, like, working together and figuring out life together. And I remember you guys making that show, and I was like, this is radical. This is, like, when you. It was. It was very cool.
Mindy Kaling
Well, thank you for saying. I mean, it was so liberating to not have to worry about being pretty. Like, we were dressed as men. It was. Obviously, we didn't invent camp, but we got to discover how fun it was to just play men. But really real.
Avantika
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And it was great to just. We didn't have to worry about any of the things that our contemporaries were kind of worrying about. Cause we wrote the script, we directed it ourselves.
Amy Poehler
It went to, like, Fringe, right?
Mindy Kaling
So we did it at the Fringe Festival. We got in, we won the Fringe Festival. Then it moved off Broadway. And that's when it started getting, like, attention. That's when, like, a couple celebrities came and saw it. And that's how I moved to LA and how I got hired on the Office.
Amy Poehler
You go from Matt and Ben to basically being the only woman in a writer's room at the office. You are not the only woman and the only woman of color in an incredibly smart, hyper, talented, and nice group of men who. But still, it is your first job.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah. I mean, you come from that world. It's competitive, and it's like. And so I think that going into that room, like a lot of people now will be like, wow, I can't believe you got hired in the office. You were so young. You must feel so great when you were, like, looking. When I look at the people who were. I was working with, they had been working since they were 21, you know, and had already had Emmys. So I still felt like I was behind. So I think. But I will say also, like, I was such a workaholic, it helped that I was, like, friendless in Los Angeles and had no hobbies. Cause I was just obsessed with work. I was dazzled by, like, Mike, bj, Paula, Lieberstein, Greg, you know, and who wouldn't be? Like, I had never been in a Writer's room. And then I'm with these guys who are like, even to this day, I consider some of the very best comedy writers. Then later, like Lee Eisenberg, Gene Stipnitsky, like, just as dazzling. And so I really wanted to impress them. I really wanted to date. Yeah, right. And I was varying degrees of successful in those.
Amy Poehler
And when Kelly Kapoor was that written, like, how did you find out you were gonna be on the show?
Mindy Kaling
The way that I got the part was, I think Bija had written this episode called Diversity Day and one of, I think, one of the funniest episodes in the Office ever.
Amy Poehler
Incredible.
Mindy Kaling
And Greg decided that it would be the second episode and in order for it to be funny, that, like, Michael Scott was offending a room of people. It wasn't as funny if it was just like, all white. Like, he needed to be offending some people. And so I was so lucky to be in the writer's room and being Indian. Cause he's like, would you play someone that he offends and then slaps him? And I was. I mean, I was just content to be a comedy writer for the rest of my life. That was like my dream come true. So to be on camera was like, just like outrageous. The one thing I think is so groundbreaking about the Office was that at that time, the aughts like to be on a show where you didn't have to be, like, a straightforwardly hot woman.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Like, the whole point is, you know, and this is a real Greg Daniels thing. It's like, what is beautiful is what is real. Yes. And that wasn't very many shows.
Amy Poehler
That's right.
Mindy Kaling
I also like love. And I'm sure you feel this way too, actually. Maybe you don't, but I love being a meme. It makes me feel young.
Amy Poehler
Are you kidding me? It's my dream when people send me a. Like, I've actually been like, can I send people my own memes?
Mindy Kaling
Oh, do it. It's such a mic drop.
Amy Poehler
My mike is so weird. But there's no higher compliment.
Mindy Kaling
I send people memes of Kelly saying, this day is bananas all day long to Dave and Ike.
Amy Poehler
I mean, Kelly Kapoor is to me, the definition of what the young people would say. Like someone who has main character energy. She is in her own. Her own show in that show.
Mindy Kaling
It's fun to be nice, I think, to be. You know, she is a tertiary character, but believes she's a main character. That's like a really nice. She has one line every three episodes.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. She's in her Own very, like, intense play and drama forever. And then the show does, like, I would say, like, any good character like the show, like, you know, and, you know, from writing, you start to realize what people's strengths are, and you start to write to it. The show starts to realize, like, oh, What Kelly can do is be in this kind of fierce, competitive fantasy world that can allow us to. You shoot a lot of threes in that show because you.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you.
Amy Poehler
That character is able to go to some really sharp and funny places.
Mindy Kaling
Well, she thinks she's the hottest person at the office and feels bad for Pam.
Amy Poehler
She is.
Mindy Kaling
And thinks Ryan's a huge catch and that she's, like, destined for, you know, fame. And so that is a fun. I mean, it's so fun to play, like, delusional characters. Yeah. And then to be able to then be delusional on the Mindy project with a different character.
Amy Poehler
Okay, that's a good segue because you go from. I just want to say you ended up writing more Office episodes than anybody else.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you for saying that.
Amy Poehler
Okay, so everybody needs to know that. So all your Office episodes that you love, that everybody's watching every night, there's high probability that Mindy wrote it.
Mindy Kaling
Like, my publicist was like, this is a talking point that needs to come across. Amy.
Amy Poehler
I mean, I could talk about this with you forever, and maybe it's too kind of inside baseball, but the way you enter the business. You entered the business as a writer and then in that same time, became a performer, and you're also a producer, and all those things have different pros and cons. You really did do it for Mindy. You created. You were like, I'm gonna write, create, and star in this show. And there's nothing hard.
Mindy Kaling
There's nothing more hard, and there's nothing more gratifying. Like, I was so obsessed with it. I mean, and then coming from the Office, where I had been there for eight years, had, like, a line every episode. You know, I was thinking about, like, recently just, like, call sheets. And to be, like, the call sheet for people who don't know, but they might know, is, you know, it's every day. It just announces the hierarchy of the production.
Amy Poehler
I love a call sheet so much.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
I could stare at it forever. For people that don't, it's one piece of paper that tells you your entire day, week, month, and in many ways, your life. You're exactly right. It tells you who is number one, who is number two, who is number three, who is number four.
Mindy Kaling
It lists the importance, in descending order of the people that are there. And so for years on that show, as is obvious, and should be like, Steve is number one playing Michael Scott and Kelly is number 11. And it's not like, you know, to come at the. We just talked about the first season when I was just lucky to have the. That first in episode two. Being able to be in that scene with Steve and to be able to be in SAG and be able to actually do all that, that's huge. But eight years later, I was like, number 11 gets a little old. And I was like, I really wanna see what it's like to literally just have more lines and to be able to take on the thing of being the comedy engine of a show. And I talked to Ike a lot about this, and I think you did this with Parks and probably on snl, too. But it's a skill to be able to be the star of a sitcom and come in and just be like, my engine is on from 7 o' clock in the morning until we wrap.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And I am just like, I had to bring the best out of other people and wake them up first thing
Amy Poehler
in the morning and kind of like a constant host.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah, yeah. And it's. Exactly.
Amy Poehler
And you were watching people leave all day. That was the other thing that was so sad.
Mindy Kaling
On Friday night, you're just waving, everyone's
Amy Poehler
reflecting, and they're like, have a good weekend. You're like, you, too. Like, it's just the saddest goodbye.
Mindy Kaling
But at the same time, I felt like the days were so much shorter than when I had one line at the office. The day flows by because it's just like, funny scene after funny scene. Entire departments who are there to help you do your job the best, you know, and that was, like, such a joy. I mean, it's so obvious to say this about being a star of your own show, but, like, that was. It was what I was longing for. And to assemble my own writing staff, so many of whom, like Lang Fisher, Tracy Wakefield, Ike Babies who are on
Amy Poehler
Matt Warburton brand new show right now, four seasons with Tina. Yeah, yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And so to be able to work with all these people, that made me better inspired me.
Amy Poehler
And let's talk about our friend Ike Barinholtz, who was here and who you met on that show, and Dave Stassen. Those guys are. I mean, let's just. Ike is listening, so we should say something nice about him.
Mindy Kaling
We should say something nice about him.
Amy Poehler
Look at us. Making sure that the white guy is
Mindy Kaling
taken care of, feel comfortable and seen.
Amy Poehler
Look at us.
Mindy Kaling
It's just because, you know, his personality is that like he would. He would do that for us.
Amy Poehler
He would. This episode is brought to you by Ebay. Lately, more and more people have been talking about selling on ebay and we can see why. Everyone has stuff that no longer fits their lives. And selling on ebay is actually really easy. Just snap a few photos, write a description, and set a price. Suddenly the stuff that's just been sitting around is in front of millions of buyers already searching for what's next. Find what you love, sell what you don't on ebay. This episode is brought to you by PayPal. Imagine getting to the checkout at Sephora, a cart full of your favorite beauty products and saying to yourself, I don't have to pay the full amount today. Crazy, right? Wrong. With PayPal, pay in four. You can buy what you love now and pay the rest with no fees, no interest, and no impact on your credit score. Pay in 4 with PayPal subject to approval. Learn more at paypal.com payin4paypal inc.nmls910457 this episode is brought to you by Hilton. Did you hear Paris Hilton has like a billion Hilton Honors points? Well, she calls them Paris points and Hilton is helping her give them all away this summer. Use them for that wedding or bleasure, that's business and pleasure. Or maybe book a stay just for sleep. As Paris would say. That's sliving. Just make sure you're a Hilton Honors member and follow Paris and Hilton on the socials to see how Paris points can be your points. When you want points that actually make your summer sleigh. It matters where you stay. Teens share everything that may include the bacteria that can cause meningococcal disease known as meningitis.
Mindy Kaling
Even if your teen's been vaccinated in
Amy Poehler
the past, they could still be missing meningitis vaccinations. Ask your teens doctor or visit meningitis.com today. Sponsored by GSK. The other thing is that I love that you've spoken about with Mindy Project is like in many ways it is a tribute to your mom.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
And because your mom was an ob gyn.
Mindy Kaling
Nurse.
Amy Poehler
Doctor.
Mindy Kaling
Doctor.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, yeah, sorry. OBGYN doctor.
Mindy Kaling
For Indian people. That's a huge distinction.
Amy Poehler
I know. Did you want them to come for you now? Okay, so she wasn't a doctor doctor though, was she? Oh, she was a doctor. She was a woman doctor.
Mindy Kaling
Surely she was taking notes. And the male doctor was.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, the male doctor Would come in and hit baby part. Yeah. No, but your character was kind of a tribute to her and your mom. Can you speak a little bit about your mom? You speak about her all the time. And she seems to me.
Mindy Kaling
I love talking about my mom. So the character on the Mindy project, I mean, she couldn't have been more different than my mom's personality. But I loved the world of playing an OB gyn. My mom had such a great personality because she spent her entire day with women telling who told her the most personal things about their love lives and reproductive hopes and just everything and all their problems. It's such a personal relationship. And to have a world like that, it was like. Honestly, some of it was laziness. I didn't have to research that much. I just understood what the office looked like and what the nurses were like. And so. But so that was that. I also think it's nice for a lead character in a show, particularly when the character is so out there and sort of selfish and flawed, to have such a selfless job, you know, helping women. You were like, inherently, she's a good person, even if all she says all day is that she wants to get married and get railed by hot men. Do you know what I mean? You're like, okay, she's helping women through some of the hardest transitions of their lives.
Amy Poehler
Do you feel like you could after doing that show, do you feel like you could deliver a baby?
Mindy Kaling
Do I feel like I could deliver a baby?
Amy Poehler
Do you think you could?
Mindy Kaling
I feel like I could affect the confidence that could really put a woman at ease. Ooh. Yeah. Do you know what I mean? And I think this is like a real stupid actor over confident talk. I feel like I could figure it out.
Amy Poehler
I think you could.
Mindy Kaling
I've had three kids.
Amy Poehler
I feel like. I feel.
Mindy Kaling
I was watching.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, I feel like you could deliver a baby. Thank you. I think. I mean, I have a problem where I think I can do things that I wouldn't be able to do.
Mindy Kaling
Like what?
Amy Poehler
Deliver a baby.
Mindy Kaling
Deliver a baby.
Amy Poehler
I feel like I could. I don't want to, but I feel like. I feel there's a part of me that's like I could at least be enthusiastic about, like, getting people to push.
Mindy Kaling
I think there's some parts that would freak me out a little bit. Sewing a lady back up.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, we don't need to do that.
Mindy Kaling
Let a nurse do it.
Amy Poehler
We're gonna get somebody to come in.
Mindy Kaling
I can tell.
Amy Poehler
I just mean the delivery part.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah. I don't think I Could do a C section.
Amy Poehler
Like, I have a. Yeah, no C section.
Mindy Kaling
Forget it.
Amy Poehler
No, I'm not gonna do that. You know what? I take it back. We shouldn't do it. We shouldn't do it. We shouldn't be around anyone who's pregnant. Oh, and then before I move on to your more TV stuff, I do wanna talk about. We had a really fun trip one time, you and I, where we went to Cannes together for Inside Out. And it was like, I've never been before or since. I've never been back to Cannes. It was really glamorous and it was very glamorous. It was the first time I had ever been on that kind of, like, international, like, press tour. Like on the steps of the.
Mindy Kaling
Amy. I think about that press tour so much.
Amy Poehler
I do, too. I think about it a lot.
Mindy Kaling
1. I was so hot and sweaty. Yeah. Very hot and sweaty. Like, we were always, like, in the beating sun. Yeah. And like. But beautiful.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
But, like, always, like, I was sweating through my clothes constantly. And I remember this distinctly. And maybe this is offensive that we would be doing, like, an international junket. And unlike an American junket, it would be like, the questions would be like, I don't know, maybe because of. I don't know, culturally. It was just a ruder. Let's say it. Why are you. You are so fat.
Amy Poehler
You're smiling, but your face is not nice to look at.
Mindy Kaling
Your face is not nice.
Amy Poehler
Why you do. Why do you think that people like to look at your face in America,
Mindy Kaling
A fat, unsmiling woman can be starved. We've read you can. You have your own sitcom, but you are fat. Yes.
Amy Poehler
You are obviously Hufflepuff, and yet you believe you're Griffin Joy. Stuff like that.
Mindy Kaling
You play Joy, but you are not in your 20s. Yes.
Amy Poehler
And you didn't smile at me when I was asking you a question. So I don't find you joyful at all.
Mindy Kaling
And so, okay, remember, you know that Javier Bardem clip when he's on a junket that has gone viral where someone's like, he was working with Penelope Cruz and he's a European journalist? Is like, so you work with your wife. You must be crazy to work with the woman like that you're married to. Most people would want to kill themselves if they had to do such a thing. And he's like, I find that very offensive. And I was. I watched that and I was like, can you. I could never imagine sticking and being having a spine in an international press junket and being like, how dare you Sir. I was, like, just laughing.
Amy Poehler
I mean, I feel. Let me ask you, what are your generational pronouns? How do you identify? Are you a millennial? Do you identify as millennial?
Mindy Kaling
Hey, this is a very sore topic for me because for a while, I was considered a zennial. Okay. Which was a. Have you heard of the zillennial?
Amy Poehler
Zillenny.
Mindy Kaling
Zillennial.
Amy Poehler
Zillennial. This is making you be a millennial?
Mindy Kaling
This is making me be a millennial. But I was like, oh, thank God. Because when I was growing up, like, when I was, like, in middle school, like, the movie Singles was out.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And I was like, that's. To me, Gen X.
Amy Poehler
That's Gen X.
Mindy Kaling
You know, Ben Stiller. That's Gen X, right? Yeah. And then now Daniel went away, and now they're just like. People are just like, you're Gen X. I can die for. Like, we're all Gen X together.
Amy Poehler
Well, you. That's not true. They. They're making themselves younger than they are. You have a lot of Gen X qualities, I will say. And I love Gen X. I love Gen X. But you have. But you're 10 years younger, so you might be, like, millennial. To your point about pleasing, like, getting somebody who's hard to please, I realize I have that with boomer men.
Mindy Kaling
Interesting.
Amy Poehler
I'm just a little bit, like, in their, like, mid 65. I'm like, you know, it's a little, like, boss situation.
Mindy Kaling
You saying that so resonates with me. Cause I felt that way about Greg. Daniel. Yes, Greg. And like, Conan.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
You know, and then. And obviously, all the SNL people that were there when you were there, like, I feel exactly the same way, but now I'm technically the same generation, which is breaking my heart. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
That's a little weird.
Mindy Kaling
But I do feel that way because we were the gatekeepers.
Amy Poehler
We didn't talk about Conan. You did get that page job.
Mindy Kaling
I was an intern at Conan.
Amy Poehler
Oh, intern.
Mindy Kaling
So I didn't. When I was still in college, I applied to be an intern at Conant. That's actually that job is what made me thought that I maybe would get the page job because those internships were considered hard to get. And that's where I first learned what comedy writers did. Although a variety show comedy writer is such a different job than a sitcom comedy writer. And I actually think the personalities of a variety show comedy writer is very different than a sitcom guy personality.
Amy Poehler
How is it different?
Mindy Kaling
I think that there's. Well, I think of one as a quintessentially New York job. Although of course, there's variety shows out on the west coast and one is like an LA job. I think they are both very funny, but there's like a more. This is not true, but this is the way I thought of it. But there was more of a cerebral, darker energy to New York variety show writers, right? Where it was like, joke, joke, jokes. How do we get the best jokes? Monologue sketches. It's gotta be quick and funny and then you're done. If you live or die by hard jokes. And then the sitcom writers, which is like story and listen, think about the characters. And so as someone who wanted to be in the New York world, but was that was slammed. The door was slammed shut in my face. I kind of came up in this other world. And so I always thought, like, oh, my God, that's so intimidating. That's why I guest wrote on snl, which is where I. I think that was the first time I met you. Okay.
Amy Poehler
I was trying to remember the first time we met. Was it when you were guest writing?
Mindy Kaling
What was your guest writing at 2005?
Amy Poehler
Yeah, yeah, sure.
Mindy Kaling
And that was when I met you and Tina. And I remember this and I don't know why I remember this story and I'm not proud of it. And I don't know why I would possibly come up with two women that I admire and just came up. I don't know. But we were somewhere and I was like, yeah, I just wanna lose 30 pounds. And the two of you stopped and were like, what? That is too much weight. And I remember I was so happy for like three weeks after that. I was like, wow, Amy and Tina, don't think I'm a fat load. Like, I was so happ. Even in the aughts, like, you guys are like, what are you crazy? But I was thinking, like, why would I have told that to them? That's so weird.
Amy Poehler
I would say because if we're to get real, it's because that's how women talk to each other.
Mindy Kaling
Is that.
Amy Poehler
I think it is. I think we all like Weight Watchers.
Mindy Kaling
It was. Cause at the time there was a conversation about Weight Watchers.
Amy Poehler
I think, you know, we were like, we just, like everybody else were like constantly trying to figure out everybody's relationship to being on camera.
Mindy Kaling
Yes.
Amy Poehler
And I do think that for better or for worse, what women do for each other and to each other is they talk about their bodies to each other. Like, we are.
Mindy Kaling
We.
Amy Poehler
Like, you know, it's one of the things I love so much. And I'm sure you're the same way. Like, I love about my female friends is. I can really say, like, I'm feeling this way and that way. And it's kind of how we, like, say hello.
Mindy Kaling
No, I mean, I think to be able to be with two of my heroes and have them acknowledge. Cause you could have easily been like, we don't ever think about it. We're naturally thin. Do you know what I mean? Yeah.
Amy Poehler
People are like, I don't know what you're mean. I don't understand. I need whatever I want.
Mindy Kaling
I mean, for you to say that. That you weren't just like, we are naturally thin. We eat whatever we want. You didn't. And so I think that that was. I think a really. It was a kindness for you to acknowledge, like. Oh, yeah. So I could see that in my heroes. But it is really fascinating and nice that culture has changed so much.
Amy Poehler
It has, but it hasn't. It hasn't. Right. Cause we're still asking people about their weight. We're still asking people about their bodies. I mean, I actually really. I have a couple rules that I never say out loud on this podcast, but one of them is I try not to talk about people's bodies because it's like, people's bodies are their own business.
Mindy Kaling
If you had the male cast of Off Campus here.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
I don't want them. I just want them to throw me against that bookshelf.
Amy Poehler
Yeah. And they'd flex and they'd be fine with it. I know it's a fine line.
Mindy Kaling
But you can't.
Amy Poehler
You can't.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
You can't. But you.
Mindy Kaling
And it's good. It's good that you can't. It's good that.
Amy Poehler
Okay. But this is a good segue into the. Okay. Cause you have made into. Well, into not suitable for work.
Mindy Kaling
Okay. Okay. Yes. Yes. What you can't do. Yes.
Amy Poehler
What you can't do.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah. I'm so surprised. Like, I was wondering, what is this a segue to?
Amy Poehler
But you have a new show out on Hulu. Not suitable for work.
Mindy Kaling
And it is.
Amy Poehler
You've called it kind of the third in a trilogy. Can you.
Mindy Kaling
I'm really trying to get that. I have a trilogy that I'm like, Peter Jackson, you're a mogul.
Amy Poehler
You have a trilogy.
Mindy Kaling
I have a trilogy. Just like me.
Amy Poehler
I mean, one of the things about being a mogul is you have to start talking. Like, everything you did was like a perfect. You know, it's all part of a
Mindy Kaling
master plan that I have to Embody that more.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
That things are not just, like, accidental. No, just whatever moments, whatever's happening. No making it up on the spot.
Amy Poehler
This makes sense because this is the third in the instance. But you have made three TV shows. Never have I ever.
Mindy Kaling
Sex Lives of College Girls.
Amy Poehler
Sex Lives of College Girls. Thank you. And not Suitable for Workplace. All three are, like. I mean, they're very, very different. But what would you say is a unifying theme in all of them?
Mindy Kaling
I think I love writing for underdogs and ambitious people and people with lots of big wants and needs, both, like, romantically and professionally, and who feel like they don't have access to it. And that's sort of, I think, the thing in common with all three of those shows.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And a lot of horniness. Working on Not Suitable for Work. I mean, this cast is. They're so funny. They're so good. And they were all. None of them were unknown. They'd all had, like, a lot of success. But I wouldn't necessarily say that they were, like, super, super well known yet. But Will Angus was in a very popular sketch troupe. Ella Hunt was on that wonderful show, Dickinson. Avantica was in Mean Girls. But this is just a. A way to have them all together. And they're super funny, they're super appealing, and I loved working with them.
Amy Poehler
Avantika is who we spoke to today to get the question for you, really? And Avantika is. So we do this thing at the beginning where we talk. Well, behind our guest back. And I really wanted to speak to Avantika for a couple of reasons. One is she is left. You know, you are the example of what she watched growing up. You were representation in real physical form. Somebody who wrote their own parts, who created their own stuff for themselves, and who also, like you said, enjoy. You enjoy being entertained. Your shows are not homework.
Mindy Kaling
No, I think I'm not writing shows for, like, television studies professors.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Do you know what I mean? Not that I don't think that's an important job and things, but I want to do something that's like, when times are hard.
Amy Poehler
That's right.
Mindy Kaling
You know, when, like, my mom was sick and we wanted to watch something, it's like we watch Modern Family. It was like, I wanna watch something that's, like, legitimately so funny.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah. And I like seeing people fall in love. And I love, like, great costumes and doing something in the city. I also love the office, where it has not those qualities, but it's super funny. But I do know what you're saying, and I take it As a compliment.
Amy Poehler
And she spoke about being around and your curiosity and also just your curiosity about other people's lives and young lives and really your support as a producer and as a person. And also, Mindy, just what I think is so impressive about you is you feel like you're working within the system, and you're also still a person like. Like the rest of us, I guess. So it's like you are this mogul who also is, like, just along for the ride like the rest of us. Like, it's very hard to do both of those things, and I think you do it really, really well.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you, Emily. Oh, my gosh.
Amy Poehler
And she speaks about that, and it's funny. Her question is so cute. It was like, what is your egot? But she was like, what are four things that Mindy want? Did I know? I said that's too many things.
Mindy Kaling
That's so many things I. Do you feel this way where if you see a movie you love or you listen to an album or you see a Broadway musical, you're kind of like, should I try to write a Broadway musical podcast? Or should I, like, I'll listen to and I'll go to. I'll go. Which you're nailing. So now you should do the next thing.
Amy Poehler
I feel you. I see something and I'm like, should I try that?
Mindy Kaling
Should I try that? And that's like, I think, notoriously, how bad art is formed.
Unidentified Speaker
Right.
Mindy Kaling
When people do stuff that they're not equipped to do but have this delusional feeling that they can. And I've done that many times. You know what I'm really impressed by is I always think about Jordan Peele and Greta Gerwig and how. As does the rest of the world. But I love that Jordan came from sketch comedy.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
And with Greta coming from being an actress and the muse of Noah Baumbach and then being like, well, I want to direct, and then taking something like Barbie and making it like this great movie about. About feminism and now doing the Narnia stuff. So I'm always really inspired by them. I think that that's the thing is I'd love to be able to write and direct movies.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Another thing. And this is not creative, but, like, I feel like my feed on Instagram is just always about how fleeting our time with our children is. It's just like. It's just like frightening post after frightening post about how, like, you have 18 summers with these people.
Amy Poehler
Like, I didn't know it was the last time I would pick him up.
Mindy Kaling
Exactly.
Amy Poehler
Jesus Christ.
Mindy Kaling
These haunting things about these wonderful children that I love. And so I really want to be able to hang with them and be with them in a real way where they look back at it and they're like, how was mom able to do that? But then also do these other. Be there for us so much of the time. And I know I'll fail, but, like, I really want to try to be there. My mom really set the bar. She was so busy. Like, we missed Thanksgivings. Cause she was delivering a baby. She wasn't there for the school play. And I was the perfect match for her as a daughter. Cause I just thought it was, like, glamorous.
Amy Poehler
Yeah.
Mindy Kaling
And I was like, wow. Mom's like, really doing a lot. But I have three kids. I don't know that they're gonna think maybe one of them will be that way and the other two won't. So I gotta really invest in being them. So that's the second thing. What else would I wanna do? I don't wanna hold public office.
Avantika
No.
Mindy Kaling
No. I don't want to adopt, like, seven kids. I love the people who do that. I can't. Three is enough.
Amy Poehler
Three is a lot.
Mindy Kaling
I don't think I wanna, like, teach at a college.
Amy Poehler
You don't know that. You don't know that. Don't rule that out. Think about this. Okay. I like this. Think about this future, though. Like, that you get to come in. Like, I often think about, you know, like the next decade. Think about coming in, like, a beautiful sweater. Like Dartmouth, let's say.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Drive in at 10 o' clock in the morning, you have your coffee. You, you know, you cre. The door creaks open and there's like 150, like, kids staring at you. And you start your class, nobody gets to interrupt. You're done in an hour.
Mindy Kaling
You know, you write a book about
Amy Poehler
it, then you write a movie about it. That's all I'm saying is I think that that sounds.
Mindy Kaling
That does sound good.
Amy Poehler
Doesn't that sound good?
Mindy Kaling
That does sound sound good. You don't have to grade papers. No papers, nothing like that.
Amy Poehler
Some people will be like, robo. There'll be no paper.
Mindy Kaling
AI will be doing.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, there'll be no paper.
Mindy Kaling
I like that. Or I also like when you get to a certain age and then like, TV shows just want, like, that kind of like decrepit Grandam to come and you just say a couple lines and everyone's like, laughing. They just like, lift you onto a seat.
Amy Poehler
Yeah, I want to get to the Point where people are like, she looks good.
Mindy Kaling
She looks good.
Amy Poehler
This has been so fun. Mindy.
Mindy Kaling
Has it? Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Do you. I'm so. This is. That's very enneagram six of you.
Mindy Kaling
It is.
Amy Poehler
That's very enneagram 6.
Mindy Kaling
No, I'm stressed.
Amy Poehler
Tell me why.
Mindy Kaling
No, I just. I love this so much. I've been very entertained.
Amy Poehler
Okay, good.
Mindy Kaling
In previous episodes. And I just. I'm just fast forwarding to my. To my nanny Jenny, sitting on the sofa and hoping that she doesn't click away.
Amy Poehler
No, she's gonna have. I mean, she's gonna be.
Mindy Kaling
She's gonna be wrapped. She's gonna be wrapped. Okay.
Amy Poehler
And also, so my last question to you is, like, what are you? Because I know you are. Like, you're a pop culture consumer.
Mindy Kaling
Yeah.
Amy Poehler
Who is making you laugh these days when you want to? Like, you know, I know for me, it's hard for me to kind of watch comedy. Like, it's like. Yeah. What do you watch to check out, tune out, laugh, like, feel like, is it a video? Is it TikTok? Is it a show? So is it.
Mindy Kaling
I'm not on TikTok for no real reason. It's not, like, a decision, but I think it's tied to in some way, like, productivity. Like, I'm worried I would be too into it.
Amy Poehler
Damn, that's so true.
Mindy Kaling
But for me, the biggest thing that I'm into, I mean, I do like a lot of dramas and, like, your friend Emily Spivey love murder. But I think for me, I loved the curse. That's the right name. It was the Nathan Fielder show.
Amy Poehler
Yes.
Mindy Kaling
Really strange and really interesting. Let's talk about Nathan Fielder and Nathan Fielder, who is, like, I think for people my age or women, he's a real heartthrob, too.
Amy Poehler
He's a millennial heartthrob.
Mindy Kaling
He's a millennial heartthrob.
Amy Poehler
He's a millennial heartthrob.
Mindy Kaling
Big time. And I'm happy for him. He's so funny and talented with Emma Stone. I loved that show. Yes.
Amy Poehler
That was a really good, weird show.
Mindy Kaling
Weird show. And then, I mean, it's honestly, what don't I like most of the time? I like stuff. Like, I like all the things that you would expect. Like, I love Abbott, and I love Hacks, and I like all the dramas. Like, who doesn't like the Pit? It's like, I like those things. And that's like, I love. It's such a delight to watch them and see people who are really good at their craft. Doing things. Yeah.
Amy Poehler
You're able to enjoy still knowing how things work. You're able kind of like in the very beginning and when we started talking about it, which is like, you know, how hard it is to make something good.
Mindy Kaling
Totally.
Amy Poehler
Mindy Kaling, thank you for being here.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you for taking only for Amy Poehler.
Amy Poehler
I'm so happy you could do this. Thank you so much for doing that.
Mindy Kaling
Thank you, Amy. It was such a. It was such a good night.
Amy Poehler
It was so good. Thanks, everybody. Thank you so much. Mindy Kaling, you're always so honest and forthcoming and funny, and it was really great to have you. And, you know, Mindy and I got into a lot of really interesting topics, including being a working mother and deciding to just do the things you love and try to, as best you can, avoid the things that you hate. And I have a strong feeling about that. I feel like in. In motherhood, there's things that you like, you love, you feel neutral about and you really don't like to do. And if you can try to avoid the things that you really don't like to do, then the rest, you know, the rest might come a little easier. So some people get stressed around, you know, bath time. Some people don't want to go to the park. Some moms hate taking their kids to get shots. I mean, who loves that? But you know what I mean? Either way, I would just say, give yourself a break. You're not supposed to love everything. And it doesn't make you a bad mom if you don't try to offload anything that you really, really, really have a hard time handling. And don't ever feel guilty about it because, God, we just really beat ourselves up and enough's enough, you know? So I guess that's my polar plunge today. I don't know. I just am thinking about all the ways in which we make it harder for ourselves and are harder on. Try to take some lessons from this interview and do a better job this week. Do a better job of not doing a good job. Okay, bye. You've been listening to Good hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman and me, Amy Poehler. The show is produced by the Ringer and Paper Kite. For the Ringer production by Jack Wilson, Cat Spillane, Kaia McMullen and Elizabeth for Paper Kite production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell and Jenna Weiss Berman. Original music by Amy Miles. Pandora jewelry brings the sparkle to your
Mindy Kaling
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Amy Poehler
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Mindy Kaling
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Amy Poehler
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Mindy Kaling
Terms and conditions apply. Visit pandora.net for details.
Unidentified Speaker
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Main Theme
Amy Poehler sits down with Mindy Kaling for a joyful, wide-ranging conversation about comedy, representation, shared career paths as women in television, acapella groups, parenting, and Mindy's evolution from writer to "mogul." They’re later joined by Avantika, star of Kaling’s new Hulu series Not Suitable for Work, who kicks off the interview with a heartfelt question about ambition and future goals.
“My first, like, one-on-one experience with Mindy was, like, eating snails and her being this very... she was like, ‘Tell me about your career. What do you want?’” (Avantika, 06:05)
“She has a very odd, incredible way of bringing together community and bringing together people...” (Avantika, 08:19)
“Funny how in my 20s, it was the only way I would do things.” (Mindy, 11:10)
“The world is on fire. Like, who... I love recognition. I love praise.” (Amy, 12:30)
“Both you and I are used to being the only woman in a room full of men. A lot.” (Amy, 14:44)
“My overweight daughter... will feel like the way to be accepted and funny is to be like Chris Farley.” (Mindy, 18:39)
“I did short form improv with the Dog Day Players at Dartmouth. Incredible.” (Mindy, 20:04) “I had one solo. 9 to 5 by Dolly Parton.” (Mindy, 21:27)
“We were 21 or 22, writing about what we imagined Matt Damon and Ben Affleck were...” (Mindy, 27:24) “If I was Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, I'd be like, this is... They’ve been nothing but gracious.” (Mindy, 27:25)
“I was such a workaholic, it helped that I was, like, friendless in Los Angeles and had no hobbies.” (Mindy, 29:32)
“What is beautiful is what is real.” (Mindy, 31:43)
“I was like, I really wanna see what it’s like to literally just have more lines and to be able to take on being the comedy engine of a show.” (Mindy, 35:01)
“She spent her entire day with women—told her the most personal things... a personal relationship.” (Mindy, 39:56)
“I feel like I could affect the confidence that could really put a woman at ease.” (Mindy, 41:08) “We shouldn’t do it. We shouldn’t be around anyone who's pregnant.” (Amy, 42:01)
“Unlike an American junket... the questions would be like, ‘You are so fat. Why?’” (Mindy, 43:12) “You play Joy, but you are not in your 20s.” (Amy, 43:35)
Millennial, Gen X... or Both?: Mindy struggles with where she fits—technically millennial, but with Gen X influences, and a soft spot for winning over boomer men (“boss situation”). (44:19, 45:27)
Comedy Writer Archetypes: Variety sketch writers (NY) vs. sitcom writers (LA)—dark vs. story-driven personalities. (46:01)
“Variety show comedy writer is such a different job than a sitcom comedy writer... a more cerebral, darker energy.” (Mindy, 46:30)
First Meeting Amy & Tina: Mindy tells a touching story about bonding with Amy and Tina Fey around body image—a moment of camaraderie for women in entertainment. (47:34)
“Even in the aughts... you guys are like, ‘What, are you crazy?’” (Mindy, 47:34) “That was a kindness for you to acknowledge it.” (Mindy, 48:54)
“I love writing for underdogs and ambitious people... who feel like they don’t have access to it.” (Mindy, 51:14)
“I’d love to be able to write and direct movies.” (Mindy, 55:29) “I really want to be able to hang with [my kids] in a real way... and also do these other [creative] things.” (Mindy, 55:51)
“Nathan Fielder... for people my age or women, he's a real heartthrob, too.” (Mindy, 59:39)
The conversation is candid, playful, and supportive—marked by self-deprecating humor, mutual admiration, and the warmth of two women who’ve grown up (and glowed up) in comedy together. Both are equally invested in championing each other and reflecting on progress for women—especially women of color—in entertainment.
This episode radiates openness and camaraderie, peppered with memory-laden stories, comedic self-awareness, and real talk about ambition, representation, and the joys and pains of comedy and TV-making. Mindy Kaling shines as a thoughtful mogul who hasn’t lost her humility, humor, or wild ambition—and Amy Poehler is the perfect sparring partner, anchoring the whole “good hang” with curiosity and kindness.
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