Mindy Kaling on Good Hang with Amy Poehler

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 ac capella groups. We talk about

whether or not we think we can deliver a

baby. We talk about um 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, um, lots of

great stuff to talk about. And like

always, we we talked 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, Avantica, joining us.

Avantica, who you may know from the

movie musical of Mean Girls, a talented

young woman who is here to um well to

grace our presence really. Avantica,

is my audio working?

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>> Hi. It's so nice to see you again.

>> I know. It's so good to see you.

>> Congratulations on all the good stuff

happening for you. And no surprise.

Where are we talking to you from?

>> Um, I'm on set right now, which is why

my makeup looks a little scary. Are you

shooting not suitable for work right

now? Is that the set that you're on?

>> Can you imagine? I'm soft launching

season 2. No, this is not the [laughter]

set. [gasps] This is not the set I'm on.

I'm on an undisclosed set.

>> Oh, exciting.

>> I'm not at liberty to talk.

>> You are busy busy busy. You know, we we

first met on the set of Moxy.

>> Moxy.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. How did How do we How did we meet?

Do you remember?

>> 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.

[laughter]

You both had your ideas out and I was

like cool. Okay, great. [laughter]

Glad everyone's getting along. [gasps]

>> Oh my god, he's a September 16th girly.

Yes, he is.

>> Sadly, I've learned it's a very common

September birthdays are very common, I

guess. Yeah, I guess people really get

down.

>> Say I know. What does it say about us?

>> They get down in the holidays, I guess.

>> I guess so. We got bored. [laughter] We

got bored and we're pulled. Um, [gasps]

>> well, I remember I directed a film for

Netflix called Moxy and it was filled

with a incredible cast and I remember

you came and joined us for a a too brief

scene, but a really fun day. And that's

really that's really cute that your dad

and I bonded. [laughter]

I was reading up on you, Vontica, 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 you were

younger.

>> Yeah, it's how I it's how I started out.

Um 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.

>> Oh wow. They you moved there for your

career.

>> 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 as I like I'm I I hope she

enjoys and um yeah, she really is the

reason that I'm here. Not to get all emo

on everyone. Um [laughter] yeah. Um

>> at 7 in the morning for you.

>> No, [clears throat] 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

um 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?

>> So, the first time I ever met Mindy was

in a parking lot um that she took me to

in LA because I had DM'd her when I was

17 being like, "I love you. I love you

so much." 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."

Like, "This is the most exciting thing

happening right now." And she took me to

a French restaurant in a strip mall in

Hawaii and the seating is literally in a

parking lot. And my dad was like parked

300 feet away. I love measuring my dad.

My dad's like making a reup in every

story. He's just always proximate. And

um he's actually in the room right now.

Can you imagine? Um, but [laughter] she

took me to this French restaurant and

was like, "We need to try escargo 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 in life?" And I think the one thing

that always stood out to me about her

and is one of every favorite qualities

about her 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.

Um like Mindy is just a really fun

person to be around. I really wish this

time around that she like we don't cuz

we're always scared of when we're going

to lose Mindy cuz like Mindy's first

priority are her kids and like her life

outside. And so this season we're hoping

that like we're going to get her claws

in her and like if we get renewed for

next season, she won't let us go. Um,

but she's the best. I 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 minds

as like sort of, you know, like a lot of

people view Mindy as a friend and a and

a and a role model or an idol, whether

it be Kelly Kapoor or any of the

characters she's she's created.

>> Yeah. And as an 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 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 when so I 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 sheet for and being like, "Who

are all the girl?" Like, I want to be

friends with all of them. And so I

remember telling my mom like, "Can you

please memorize the latter half and I'll

memorize the pop and then we can go and

like DM their moms on Facebook because I

really want to be friends with more

people in the industry." And

>> and we all know how well DMs work for

you.

>> Well, [laughter]

it always works.

>> And my dream was perfect for that role.

And she did like so so incredible. But

all that to say like she has an odd

incredible way of bringing together

community and bringing together people.

um both off camera but also behind the

scenes as well. Um 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. Very

cool. Okay. So we we have um we always

do this thing where we ask our guests a

question from somebody who knows them,

respects them, works with them, loves

and adores them. So what question do you

have for Mindy today? I'd like to know

for someone who's accomplished so much

like what her personal like eot is like

what her

four accomplishments that she wants to

achieve in her life like spanning four

different categories.

[laughter] That's such a big question. I

love

>> question. It's a big question. You'll

get

>> So wait, so the question is what like

which is like you've done so much what

more do you want to do? It's sort of

like like if I don't know like a

personally got what you mean like have

four kids, get a PhD, spend like two

years abroad like you know donating

money and like the fourth one is like I

want to skydive like it 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's just she's just done so

much that I'm like what more do you want

that I mean it's it's an I bet she'll

have an answer. Um, also there is a part

of me that's like or just rest. Rest

now darling.

>> Right. Right. Right. Personally, God put

get put in a cryo chamber. [laughter]

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. Okay. I love that. And um please

tell your dad um that I can't wait to,

you know, psychically spend my birthday

with him again. And um 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 Work on

Hulu. And thank you so much for talking

to us.

and and for all the great things ahead

for you and um such a pleasure to see

you again.

>> So good to see you, Joe.

>> You too. Thanks so much for your time.

Bye honey.

>> Bye

>> bye.

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>> Mindy Kaling is here. Everybody took the

red eye, which is I just got to say

that's that's brutal. Isn't it 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

eyee get into I'd [snorts]

just be going back to Boston to see my

parents and my dad would pick me up at

Logan at 6:00. We'd go to McDonald's and

I just sleep for 4 hours.

>> Yes.

>> It's the I was just talking to our

friend Rashidita Jones about this.

>> It's the lack of recovery. It's like we

can 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.

>> There's no day to sleep.

>> No. So, I just did I just did a line of

code. [laughter]

>> Yeah. And we're flying.

>> And that's how I'm doing great.

>> We're going to brag about our careers

and then we're going to Yeah. We're

going to crash out in like uh 45

minutes. Um uh but thank you for coming.

Thank you for being here.

>> So excited to be here. I know. Remember

when we used to do David Letterman and

the producers would be like, "Do not

compliment him. [laughter] He doesn't

know what to do with it."

>> That's right.

>> And you were like, "Oh, so it's like an

insult to compliment a host."

>> [laughter]

>> 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.

>> So true.

>> It's a hostile act and yet I love

compliments

>> as a performer and if someone came on my

show and was like I love the show. I

feel like

>> I love to give I love to get. I mean

literally what are we doing? I mean like

like what are we going to be like mean

to each other? Like the world is on

fire. like who?

>> I love recognition. I [laughter] love

praise. So, I just want to say that I

love the show.

>> Thank you.

>> I watch it with my nanny [laughter] and

little clips in YouTube

>> at night after the children are down

>> and it's it's like to it's such an

intimate thing to watch in the dark. You

talking to

>> like Baron Holtz,

>> Catherine Han,

>> our buddy

>> um and then and then have our little ads

on YouTube.

>> You know, I was when I was getting ready

for today, first of all, congrats on

being a mogul. Straight up mogul. Um

mogul. Um

you don't have to explain. You take it

in. You are a mogul. Mindy,

congratulations.

>> Listen. Listen. This is I know I'm

interrupting you now.

>> No, please.

>> Are you a mogul if you haven't invested

in a restaurant or sports team?

>> That's a great question. Just cuz I want

to accept. We know. I love [laughter]

>> We need to buy some kind of sports team.

>> Christian Kutcher. Yeah, you're right.

you know, like he owns Uber and Geisha

House like,

>> but I'm driven to call more women

geniuses and moguls and all that stuff

cuz I think we just need to claim Okay,

so let's claim that. Let's claim that

for you today.

>> And as a fellow Boston girl,

>> 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. I mean, we've had a lot of very

similar paths, you and I, and not just

because we were born like, you know, in

in close proximity of each other, like

but but but we have really I mean, we've

been in this biz for a minute.

>> Been in this biz for a minute

>> and we've been together in a lot of it.

So, it's very, very nice to see you and

to have you here. I love being here and

to even be someone that you would say is

on a similar journey because I you were

a little ahead.

>> Yes. I was the I was 10 I'm like about

10 years older than you.

>> 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

in comedy. [laughter] Do you know what I

mean?

>> 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 for a lot, especially in the

beginning of our career. And what how

that shaped us.

>> Cambridge, Massachusetts. You're born

and raised. Now, Cambridge was always

where smart people lived and their smart

parents.

>> Yes.

>> Did you have were you considered like a

smart kid in school?

>> I was always considered a bright kid.

>> Yeah. When I was younger, I think I was

like 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

like

>> girls weren't really supposed to be

funny,

>> right? And they were kind of good

laughers.

>> Good laughers. And if you were funny or

tried to talk too much, it was kind of

like you were you had problems or you

were like disruptive. [laughter]

>> You're right. like the the mischievous

girls were the class clowns which I look

back now and um they were just like

feisty interesting young women but

people thought they were kind of

troublemakers totally in my school

>> 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 I 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

like jump off the side of the school

building and being someone who's funny.

It was like all just like one thing.

Totally.

>> No one was examining it really,

[laughter]

>> right?

>> And I think that for my parents too,

like at that time,

>> being funny in school was so tied to

like kind of like an again disruptive

like nonacademic like you don't have a

good path if you're like a funny kid.

>> 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 maybe even more because your

parents, you know, moved to the US when

you when they your mom was pregnant with

you.

>> Yes.

>> 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 uh teachers, so it was

like, don't like the funny kid is the

one that's often like the the teacher is

having to deal with having to deal with.

>> Yeah. But they but they call you Mindy

your nickname because from Morgan Mindy

>> Mindy. So it was a real like that's a

real it's like

>> mixed message. Well, they 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, but

we would just like sit in front of the

TV

>> and watch musty TV. They love Seinfeld.

>> Um, they love Friends. They love the

Cosby Show. Is that okay?

>> Sure. I mean, we all did at one point.

>> At one point, I can say one point. Um,

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

>> that was that your like cast?

>> Yes. It was like Sandler, Chris Farley.

But honestly like from Dana Carvey to

Bill her feels like the time which is a

long span, right?

>> But we would see is it Matt Foley?

>> Yeah.

>> Matt Foley.

>> And that character Chris Fley's

character down by the river.

>> 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 [laughter] being like cuz 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 and was like I

don't want you to be like that.

>> Oh that's really interesting. Right.

Like don't don't feel like you need to

be a clown. And I think she thought that

like, okay, my overweight daughter who's

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 '9s, that was like not a

great path. I love that we're talking

about this because it's such an

interesting

uh uh 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. And I think that much like you

watching comedy at a young age and being

like, I don't know. I want to I want to

live in this world, I don't know how to

get into it.

>> Yeah.

>> 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 I was like,

oh, I want to go to Chicago. Like, I'm

just going to go there. And when you

were like, did you do comedy at

Dartmouth?

>> Yeah.

>> Did you do improv?

>> I did short form improv.

>> We all did.

>> You [laughter] 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.

>> And Dog Day Players still there?

>> Dog Day Players is still there. And

they're so and ever so often like every

couple years I'm sure you feel as 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 like

studying thing where they've seen every

episode of Parks and Arrested

Development, Larry Sanders, you know

what I mean? Like everything a kinship

to these people that are 25 years

younger than me. Um but um the

difference is that like the guys in the

troop are feminist. The women are

unafraid to be what to be who they are.

They're all sort of activist. Like all

the stuff that I struggled with back

then

>> to do because it wasn't um appealing.

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 seem

mutually exclusive.

>> Oh yeah. AC capella group you were also

in.

>> I love an ac capella group.

>> Yes. Yes. I was in an a capella group.

>> And what song did you ever have a solo?

>> I had a one solo.

>> And what was the song?

>> 9 to5 by Dolly Parton.

>> Yes.

>> Um sang it badly. It was one of those

things. You know what's nice is like I

[laughter] 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

cuz 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 have a solo so

we would I would sing 9 to5.

>> Yeah. And that a capella group's name

was Hey Man. It was called the Rock

Capellas.

Okay. I mean I just I love I love a pun.

Um it's called the Rockappellas 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 I from my humble opinion it

was.

>> I think AC cappella is very cool. And

also now I would say it is cool because

Amy this is such a bunch of [ __ ]

Like you're being so nice here but it's

so lame.

>> No. No. I disagree. I don't Here's why.

Because even then I don't even mean in

hindsight. Anyone who tries something

Yeah. Okay. That's cool. I guess if you

apply like the golden [laughter] rule of

like we should all be putting ourselves

out there then it is cool but um

>> you know people being like shoot bop

like that's not

>> I know it was the same like like improv

like you know

>> short form improv and I again 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 um it's so lame long form improv

is cool, though. Standup is the coolest.

Back back then, like if you were in

improv or sketch group, you'd have your

like costumes and wigs or you'd be

warming up and stuff like that.

>> You're right. AC cappella and improv

both you have to warm up like usually

outside.

>> You're like zip zap zing. That's not a

cool.

>> 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, oh, okay.

After you left Dartmouth, did you move

to New York?

>> I lived in New York for three years.

>> Okay. 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?

>> I had some really good weird jobs.

>> What were some of your weird jobs?

>> Uh the weirdest job I had was that I was

a PA at Crossing Over with John Edward,

the psychic. Um the psychic,

>> right? 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. What was weird about it?

Um, all that I can't remember asking

[laughter]

what what was your like

>> now? Do you believe in um do you have

you ever had a psychic experience? Do

you go to psychics? I am not I don't I

don't go to psych psychics, but I would.

>> Same.

>> And I've gotten 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. I kind

of feel like,

you know, there's there's all different

levels of like woo woo, as Rachel Drach

would say, like like and whether or not

you're open to it in your life. Yeah.

>> And it is kind of a funny catch22 where

people are like, you have to be really

open to it for it to like you have to

open your channel for it. I have the

most losery astrological sign and the

most losery number in the enagrams.

>> Wow. I love to cuz there's no loser

number in the enagram. You have to say a

loser note. What would you think is a

loser?

>> Cancer and I'm six.

>> Well, but I would say six is very sharp.

Like six is like Thank you, Amy.

>> I I but I but I have to say I don't know

that much about sixes.

>> Yeah, because it's, you know,

>> but it's the most common number.

>> Yes.

>> Yeah. I definitely think it's accurate.

I feel seen. I haven't been able to use

it practically to make my life.

>> I'm going to send you some fun um gifts

or gifs, however you like to say it.

>> [laughter]

>> Please send me some gifts or gifts.

>> I'm going to send you some fun any of

them six gifts and gifs that you're

going to love. I think they're a lot

like um the Harry Potter homes, you know

that where everyone's like a Harry

Potter thing.

>> Um

>> I'm a straight up Slytherin.

>> Dude, that's cool. Slytherin is cool. I

wish I was a Slytherin.

>> What are you?

>> I I want to be a Gryffindor, but no, I

think I'm a Hufflepuff, which is also

fine.

>> I want to refute it, but listen.

>> All right, say I'm right back at 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?

>> 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

going to get it and then I didn't. And

so we were just kind of like low-level

depressed like post 911 just like in

jobs like why am I even in New York like

I have no access to anything and we

started just improvising and I kind of

adopted this character of like Ben

Affleck in quotations cuz obviously we

didn't know them at all

>> and she did Matt Damon and then we were

like we 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 Her friends thought it was so

stupid.

>> Yeah. Great.

>> 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 um we were we were 21 or 22 writing

about what we imagine 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

>> Have you ever talked to them about it?"

>> I have met Matt Damon once

>> and Ben Affleck like a handful of times

and um I think they think it's weird.

[laughter]

>> This is a real person. They've been

nothing but gracious for this 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. [laughter] My team of

lawyers would descend upon them and

crush them. But to their credit, Matt D

Matt and Ben,

>> what if Matt and Ben played What if Ben

played you? That would be pretty fun.

>> I'd be I'd try to crush him with my

lawyers.

>> Smart. Yeah. Just peace and assist,

babe.

>> Just right away. Like padlock the

theater door.

>> I'm going to kick all that [laughter]

good accountant money from you.

>> Yeah.

>> And the accountant, too.

>> 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

>> that's so

>> it was it was very cool. 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 um

obviously we didn't invent camp, but we

got to discover how fun it was to just

play men, but really real.

>> Um 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 cuz we wrote the script,

we directed it ourselves,

>> and um

>> it went to like Fringe, right? And

>> so, we did it at um the Fringe Festival.

We got into festival. We won the French

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

>> it moved to LA and how I got hired on

the office. 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 a incredibly smart, hyper

talented and

>> nice group of men, but who um but still

it is your first job.

>> 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 Emmesies 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 cuz I was just obsessed

with work I was dazzled by like Mike BJ

Paul Leverstein Greg you know and and

who wouldn't be like I had never been in

a writer 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, Jeene Stipniti like just as

dazzling

>> and so I really wanted to impress them.

I really wanted to date some of them.

>> Yeah.

>> Um and I was varying degrees of

successful in those

>> and when Kelly Kapor was that written

like how did how did you find out you

were going to be on the show? The way

that I got the part was I think BJ had

written this episode called diversity

day and one of I think one of the

funniest episodes in the office ever

>> and [snorts] 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 didn't it wasn't as funny

if it was just like all white like you

needed to be offending some people. And

so I was so lucky to be in the writer

room and being Indian cuz 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 as like

to be on a show where you didn't have to

be like a straightforwardly hot woman.

Yes. 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. And that wasn't very many shows.

That's right. That

>> was like 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.

>> Are you kidding me? It's my dream when

people send me a like I've actually been

like can I send people me my own memes.

>> Oh, do it. It's such a weird

>> but I it is there's no higher

compliment.

>> I send people memes of Kelly [laughter]

saying this day is bananas

[clears throat]

all day long to Dave and Ike.

>> Kelly Kapor is the to me the definition

of what the young people would say like

someone who has main character energy.

does have she is in her own world her

own show in in that show. It's fun to be

and 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 Yes.

>> She has one line every three episodes.

>> She's in her own very like intense play

and drama forever. And then the show

does like I I would say like any good

character like the show like you know

and you know from writing like you start

to realize like what people's strengths

are and you start to write to it. the

show starts to realize like, oh, what

Kelly can do is like be in this kind of

fierce competitive fantasy world that

can allow us to like like you shoot a

lot of threes in that show because um

you like Thank you.

>> they that that character is able to go

to some really sharp and bunny places.

>> Well, she thinks she's the hottest

person at the office and like feels bad

for Pam. she is,

>> you know, and thinks like Ryan's a huge

catch. Um, 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 and then to be

able to then be delusional in the Mindy

Project with a different character. It

was

>> Okay, good. That's a good segue because

you go from you I just want to say you

ended up writing more office episodes

than anybody else.

>> Thank you for saying that.

>> Okay, so everybody needs to know that.

[laughter] So all your office episodes

that you love that everybody's watching

every night, there's high probability

that Mindy wrote it.

>> Like my publicist was like, "This is a a

talking point that needs to come

across." Amy,

>> 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 like you in that

same time became a performer and you're

also a producer and all those things

have like different pros and cons. You

really did do it for Mindy. You created,

you were like, I'm going to write,

create, and star in this show, and

there's there's nothing harder. There's

nothing hard.

>> Um, 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 8 years, had like a

line every episode, you know? I I was

thinking about like recently just like

call sheets. Yeah. and to be like the

call sheet for people who don't know but

they they might know is, you know, it's

every day it just announces the

hierarchy of the production.

>> Uh I love a call sheet so much 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.

>> It lists the importance and descending

order of [laughter] the people that are

there. And so for years on that show, as

is obvious and and should be, like Steve

is number one playing Michael Scott and

Kelly is number 11.

>> And it's not like I, you know, to come

at the we just talked about the first

season when I was just lucky to have

that first, you know, 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 want to see what it's

like to literally just have more lines.

Yeah. And to be able to take on the

thing of like being the comedy engine of

a show. And I, you know, I talked to Ike

a lot about this and I think you did

this with Parks and probably on SNL too,

but like 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 7:00

in the morning until we rap.

>> Yeah.

>> And I am just like I to bring the best

out of other people and wake them up

first thing in the morning and kind of

like a a constant host.

>> Yeah.

>> Yeah. And it's

>> And you were watching people leave all

day. That was the other thing that was

so sad.

>> On Friday night, you're just waving at

your friend and they're like, "Have a

good weekend." You're like, "You too."

Like it's just the saddest goodbye.

>> But at the same time, I felt like the

days were so much shorter than when I

had one line at the office.

>> Yeah.

>> Like 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 Wigfield, Ike

new show right now, Four Seasons with

Tina. Yeah. And so to be able to work

with all these people that made me

better, inspired me. And

>> let's talk about our friend Ike Baron

Holtz who was here and who you met on

that show and Dave Stasson. Those guys

are I mean let's just Ike is Ike is

listening so we should say something

nice about him.

>> We should say something nice about him.

Um

>> look at us making sure that the white

guy is taken care of.

>> Feel comfortable and seen.

>> Look at us.

>> It's just because you know his

personality is that like he would he

would do that for us.

>> He would.

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.

>> Yeah.

>> And because your mom is a OBGYn nurse

doctor.

>> Doctor. Yeah.

>> Yeah. Sorry. OBGYn doctor.

>> For Indian people that's a huge

distinction.

>> I know [clears throat] it was so

um Okay. So um she she wasn't a doctor

doctor though was she? Oh, she was a

doctor. She was a woman doctor.

>> Um surely she was taking notes and the

male doctor was

>> Yeah. The male doctor would come in and

finish the baby part. Yeah. No, but um

but your your character was kind of a

tribute to her and your mom. Um

>> uh can you speak a little bit about your

mom? You spoke you speak about her all

the time and she seemed

>> talking about my mom. So the character

on the Mindy Project, I mean she was she

couldn't have been more different than

my mom's personality. Um but I loved the

world of playing an OBGYn. My mom's 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 it's such a personal

relationship

>> and to have a world like that I 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

>> um but so that was that. But 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 [clears throat] 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? Like you're like, [laughter]

okay, like she's helping women through

the the some of the hardest transitions

of their lives. Do you feel like you

could, after doing that show, do you

feel like you could deliver a baby?

>> Do I feel like I could deliver a baby?

Do you think you could?

>> I feel like I could affect the

confidence that could really put a woman

at ease.

>> Oh, yeah.

>> Do you know what I mean?

>> And I think this is this is like a real

stupid actor over confident talk. I feel

like I could figure it out.

>> I think [laughter] you could.

>> I've had three kids.

>> I feel like I watching Yeah. I feel like

you could deliver a baby. Like I I I

think I mean I I have a problem where I

think I can do things that I wouldn't be

able to do.

>> Like what?

>> Deliver a baby.

>> Deliver a baby.

>> 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. I think there's some some parts

that would freak me out a little bit.

>> Sewing a lady back up.

>> Yeah, we don't we don't need to do that.

>> Let a nurse do it.

>> We're going to get somebody to come in.

>> I can finish it up. I just mean the the

delivery part.

>> Yeah. I don't think I could do a

C-section.

>> Like I I have a Yeah. Oh, no. C-section.

Forget it.

>> No, I'm not going to do that. You know

what? I take it back. [laughter]

>> We shouldn't do it.

>> Um we shouldn't do it. We shouldn't be

around anyone who's pregnant. Um um Oh,

and then before I move on to um your

more TV stuff, I do want to talk about

we had a really fun trip one time, you

and I, where we went to can together.

>> Yeah.

>> For Inside Out. And it was like I've

never been

>> before or since. I've never been back to

can 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

>> Amy. I think about that press tour so

much.

>> I do too. I think about it a lot.

>> One it was so hot and sweaty.

>> Yeah. Very hot and sweaty. Like we were

always like in the beating sun.

>> Yeah.

>> And like but beautiful.

>> Yes. 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 where I don't

know maybe because of I don't know

culturally it was just a

>> rder let's say it why are you you are so

fat you're smiling but your face is not

nice to look at

>> your face is not nice why do you think

that people like to look at your face

>> in America Uh, a fat unsmiling woman can

be star. [laughter]

>> We've read you can you have your own

sitcom, but you are fat.

>> Yes,

>> you are obviously Hufflepuff and yet you

believe you're Gryffindor. [laughter]

>> Stuff like that.

>> You play Joy, but you are not in your

20ies.

>> Yes. And you didn't smile at me when I

was asking you a question. So, I don't

find you joyful at all. And so, okay,

remember you know that Javier Bardm clip

when he's on a junket that has gone

viral where someone's like he's working

with Penelopey Cruz and he's an a

European journalist is like so you work

with your wife you must be crazy to work

with a 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 [laughter]

>> and I was like watch that and I was like

only 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

laugh.

>> I mean I feel uh let me ask you what are

your generational um pronouns? How do

you identify? Are you a millennial? Do

you identify as millennial?

>> Hey this is a this is a very sore topic

for me.

>> Okay.

>> Because for a while I was considered a

zeanial.

>> Okay.

>> Which was a Have you heard of the

zenial?

>> Zelen zeleni.

>> Zelennial.

>> Zelennial. No, I don't. I'm This is

making you be a millennial.

>> This is making me be a millennial.

>> But I was like, "Oh, thank God."

[laughter] Because when I was growing

up, like when I was like in middle

school with like the movie Singles was

out

>> and I was like, "That's to me, Gen X.

That's you know, Ben Stiller. That's Gen

X, right?" And then now Daniel went away

and now they're just like people are

just like, "You're Gen X." Like Ike and

Dave are like, "We're all Gen X

together."

>> 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. So,

>> I love Gen X, too.

>> 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 I realize I have that

with boomer men.

>> Interesting.

>> I'm just a little bit like in their like

mid65. I'm like,

>> you know,

>> it's a little like boss

>> situation. Just saying that it so

resonates with me cuz I felt that way

about Greg Daniels.

>> Greg and like Conan, you know, and then

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

was breaking my heart.

>> Yeah, that's a little weird,

>> but I do feel that way. Um because they

were the gatekeepers.

>> We didn't talk about Conan. You were you

were uh you did get that page job.

>> I was an intern at Conan. Oh,

>> intern. So I didn't when I was still in

college, I applied to be an intern at

Conet. That's actually that job is what

made me thought that I maybe would get

the page job.

>> Yeah.

>> Because those internships were like

considered hard to get.

>> Um and that's where I first learned what

comedy writers did. Although like

>> a variety show comedy writer is like

such a different job than like a sitcom

comedy writer. And I actually think the

personalities of a variety show comedy

writer is very different than a sitcom

guy personality.

>> How is it different? I think that

there's um well I think of one as like a

quintessentially New York job. Although

of course there's variety shows out on

the west coast and one is like an LA

job. Yeah,

>> 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

like there was more of like a cerebral

darker energy to

uh New York variety show writers, right?

Where it was like joke, joke, jokes. How

do we get the best jokes, monologue,

sketches, like it's got to be like 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

let's think about the characters and and

so um as someone who wanted to be in the

New York world but was that was slammed

the door was slam 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

that's why I guest wrote on SNL, right?

>> Which is where I I think that was the

first time I met you.

>> Okay. Well, I was trying to remember the

first time we met. Was it when you were

guest writing guest?

>> 2005. Yeah.

>> 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 want to lose 30 lbs." And

the two of you stopped and were like,

"What? That is too much weight." And I

remember I was so happy for like 3 weeks

after that. I was like, "Wow, Amy and

Tina don't think I'm a fat load." Like,

I was so happy. Even in the odds, 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."

>> I I would say because if if we're to get

real, it's because that's how women talk

to each other.

>> Is that I think it is like I think we

all like

>> Oh, Weight Watchers. It was because at

the time there was a conversation about

Weight Watchers. I think, you know, we

were like we just like everybody else

were like constantly trying to figure

out um everybody's relationship to being

on camera.

>> 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 we

like, you know, it's one of the things I

love so much and I I 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. No, I

mean I think to be able to be with two

of my heroes and have them acknowledge

cuz you could have easily been like we

don't ever think about it. We're

naturally thin. Do you know what I mean?

>> Imagine.

>> Yeah.

>> People are like, I don't know what

you're mean. I don't understand.

>> I It's whatever I want.

>> I mean, for you to [laughter] say that

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 an I think a really it was a

kindness for you to acknowledge like oh

yeah that so I could I could see that in

my heroes. But it is really it is really

fascinating and nice that culture has

changed so much.

>> It has but it hasn't. It hasn't. Right.

Because we're still asking people about

their weight. We're still asking people

about their bodies. I mean, I actually

really try I I I have a couple like

rules that I never say out loud on this

podcast, but one of them is I try not to

talk about people's bodies

>> cuz it's like people's bodies are their

own business.

>> If you had the the male cast of off-c

campus here,

>> Yeah.

>> I don't want them I just want them to

throw me against that bookshelf.

>> Yeah. And and they'd flex and they'd be

fine with I know it's a fine line. You

can't.

>> Yeah, you can't. Um but but you

>> and it's good. It's good that you can't.

[laughter]

It's good that you

>> Okay. But this is a good segue into the

Okay. Because you have made [laughter]

into well into Not Suitable for Work.

>> Okay. Okay. Yes. Yes. What you can't do.

Yes.

>> What you can't do.

>> Yeah. I'm so surprised. Like I was

wondering what is this a segue to?

>> But you're you're you have a new show

out on Hulu, Not Suitable for Work. And

it is you've called it kind of the third

in a trilogy.

>> Can you

>> I'm really trying to get that I have a

trilogy that I'm like Peter Jackson.

>> You're a mogul. You have a trilogy.

>> I have a trilogy just like me.

I mean you 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 master plan that I

>> a master plan

>> I have to embody that more that things

are not just like accidental just moment

>> whatever's happening making it up on the

>> side this makes sense because this is

the third in the installment but you

have made three TV shows never have I

ever Um,

>> sex eyes of college girls.

>> Sex eyes of college girls. Thank you.

And um, not suitable for workplace. All

three are like I mean I they're very

very different, but what would you say

is a unifying theme in all of them?

>> I think I love writing for underdogs.

>> Yeah. 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. Mhm.

>> And um that's sort of I think the thing

in common with all three of those shows.

>> Yeah. A lot of horniness working on Not

Suitable for Work. I mean, this cast is

um they're so funny. They're so good.

And they were all none of them were

unknown. They had all had like a lot of

success, but I wouldn't necessarily say

that they were like super super

wellknown yet.

>> But Will Angus was in a very popular

sketch troop. Ella Hunt was on that

wonderful show. Dickinson. Avantica was

in Mean Girls.

a way to

superd

who we spoke to today to get the

question for you

>> really and Avantica is

so we we did a um you know we do this

thing at the beginning where we we talk

well behind our guest back and I really

wanted to speak to Avantica for a couple

of reasons. one is she is like you know

you you are the example of what she

watched growing up. You were

representation in in real physical form.

Somebody who wrote their own parts who

who created their own stuff for

themselves and who also like you said

like enjoy like re you enjoy being

entertained. Your shows are not

homework. No, I think I'm not writing

shows for like television studies

professors. Yes.

>> Do you know what I mean? Not that I

don't think that's an important job and

things, but I'm I want to do something

that's like when times are hard.

>> That's right.

>> 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

want to watch something that's like

legitimately so funny. Yes.

>> Um 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 qualities but is super funny.

But I I do know what you're saying and I

take it as a compliment.

>> And she spoke about um being around you

and like your curiosity and also just

like your curiosity about other people's

lives and young lives and like really

like your support as a as a producer and

as a person. And also, Mindy, just what

I think is so impressive about you is

you you feel like you're working within

the system and you're also

um

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.

>> Thank you. Oh my [snorts] gosh. And she

she speaks about that and it's funny her

question is so cute. It was like what is

your e got like but she was like what

are the what are four things that Mindy

want to I know I said that's too many

things

>> that's so many things

>> I agree. Do you feel this way where

>> if 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

like try to write a [laughter] Broadway

musical

>> or should I like I'll listen to I'll go

to I'll go but which you're nailing. So

now you should do the next thing. I I I

feel you. I see something and I'm like,

should I try that?

>> Should I try that? And that's like I

think notoriously how bad art is formed,

right? When people are do stuff that

they're not equipped to do, but are have

this delusional feeling that they can.

And I've done that many times. But um

[laughter]

>> you know what I'm really impressed by is

like I always think about Jordan Peele

and Greta Gerwig.

>> Oh yeah.

>> And how as does the rest of the world,

but I love that Jordan came from sketch

comedy.

>> Yes. And um with Greta like coming from

being an actress and like the muse of

Noah Bombach and then being like well I

want to direct

>> and then taking something like Barbie

and making it like this great movie

about feminism and so and now doing the

Narnia stuff like 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.

>> Yes. Um, 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. Like,

>> I didn't know it was the last time I

would pick him up.

>> Exactly. It's like these haunting things

about these wonderful children that I

love. And so I really want to be able to

um

>> 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 cuz she was delivering a

baby. She wasn't there for the school

play and I was the perfect match for her

as a daughter cuz I just thought it was

like glamorous

>> and I was like, "Wow, mom's like really

doing a lot." But I have three kids. I

don't know that they're going to think

maybe one of them will they be that way

and the other two won't. So, I got to

really I got to really invest and be in

them. So, that's the second thing. What

else would I want to do? I don't want to

hold public office. No.

>> No.

>> I don't want to adopt like seven kids. I

love the people who do that. I can't.

Three is enough. Three is a lot.

>> I don't think I want to like teach at a

college.

>> You don't know that. You don't know

that.

>> Don't 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 I often think about, you

know, like the next decade. Think about

coming in like a beautiful sweater like

Dartmouth, let's say.

>> Yeah.

>> Drive in at 10 o'clock in the morning.

You have your coffee.

>> [laughter]

>> you you know you cre the door caks 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

>> you know

>> you write a book about it then you write

a movie about it that's all I'm saying

is

>> I think that that sounds that does sound

good that does sound good you don't have

to grade papers no papers nothing like

that all be like robot there'll be no

paper

>> AI will be doing

>> yeah there'll be no paper

>> I like that or I also like when they you

get to a certain age and then like TV

shows just want like that kind of like

decrepit grandom.

>> Oh yeah.

>> To come and you just say a couple lines

and everyone's like laughing.

>> They just like lift you onto a seat.

>> Yeah.

>> I want to get to the the point where

people are like, "She looks good.

>> She looks good." [laughter]

>> This has been so fun, Mindy. Has it

been?

>> Yeah. Do you I'm so This is

>> That's very anagram six of you. That's

very anagram stressed. Tell me why.

>> No, I just I love this so much. I I've

been very entertained

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.

>> No, she's going to have I mean she's

going to be she's going to be

>> she's going to be wrapped and and and

also

>> uh my last question to you is like what

are you w because [clears throat] I know

you are like you're a pop culture

consumer. Yeah.

>> What who is making you laugh these days?

What what when you 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 what do you watch to check out

tune out laugh like feel like is it a

video is it Tik Tok is it a

[clears throat] show is it I'm not on

Tik Tok 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

>> damn that's so true

>> but for me uh the biggest thing that I'm

into. I mean, I I do like a lot of

dramas. Um, and like your friend Emily

Spivy, love murder, but I think for me,

I loved The Curse. Is that That's the

right name. It was the Nathan Fielder

show with

>> Yes.

>> really strange and

>> really Let's talk and Nathan Fielder who

is like I think for people my age or

women, he's a real heart throb, too.

>> He's a millennial heartthrob.

>> He's a millennial heart. Millennial

heartthro.

>> I'm happy for him. He's so funny and

talented. Um with Emma Stone. I loved

that show.

>> Yes.

>> Um that was a really good weird show.

>> Weird show. And then I mean it's

honestly like it's like what don't I

like?

>> Like most of the time I I like stuff

like I like all the things that you

would expect. Like I love Abbott and I

love Hacks and I like

>> um all the dramas. Like who doesn't like

The Pit? It's like I I like those things

and I that's like I love it's such a

delight to watch them and

>> and see people who are really good at

their craft doing things. Um yeah,

you're able to enjoy still knowing

knowing how things work. You're able

like kind of like at the very beginning

of when we started talking about it

which is like you know how hard it is to

make something good.

>> Totally.

>> Um Mindy Kaling, thank you for being

here. Thank you for taking the red eye

>> only for Amy Puller.

>> I'm so happy you could do this. Thank

you so much for doing

>> Thank you Amy. I It was such a It was

such a good

>> It was so good. Thanks everybody.

[applause]

Thank you so much Mindy Kaling. Um

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 um 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 um the

rest uh you know uh 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. Um 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. Um try to offload anything that

you really really really have a hard

time handling and um and don't ever feel

guilty about it because God, we just

really beat ourselves up and enough's

enough, you know. Um so I guess that's

my polar plunge today. I don't know. I I

just am thinking about all the ways in

which we make it harder for ourselves

and are harder on ourselves. Let's try

to um take some lessons from this

interview and do a better job this week.

Do a better job of not doing a good job.

Okay, [laughter] bye.

You've been listening to Good Hang. The

executive producers for this show are

Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss [music]

Berman, and me, Amy Per. The show is

produced by The Ringer and Paperkite.

For The Ringer, production by Jack

Wilson, Cat Spalain, [music] Kaia

McMullen, and Alia Xanerys. for

Paperkite production by Sam Green, Joel

Levelvel, and Jenna Weiss Berman.

Original music by Amy Miles.