I really thought this was going to be a fun date night movie. It did have its moments when it stuck to comedy. However, overall it was a giant turd wrapped in a completely self unaware package.

It seems like every keypunch Mindy Kaling produces is her working out her internal feelings of inadequacy.

It takes quite a set of balls for a woman born to an architect and doctor who went to an ivy league school and had a job in comedy writing before the age of 20 to write about the difficulties of a woman trying to break into comedy writing because of its reliance on ivy educated males. Here is just a taste of Kelly's lack of awareness: the movie decries the industry not supporting women meanwhile, in the movie, the network CEO is a woman, the star of the talk show for 25 years is a woman and a woman gets a job as a comedy writer with zero comedy experience. Oh, what the hell, let me give you one more while I'm at it: the movie laments older women not being able to play roles in movies while older men get to play roles much younger than them...all this as Mindy is a 40 year old woman in real life playing the role of a 20 year old in the movie.

Kaling has spent the better part of her post Office career receiving positive reinforcement for perpetuating myths about a life she really knows little about. It continues to make her money from a niche so she rolls with it instead of challenging her ample writing skills.

The story really misses by not exploring a topic that seemed ripe for analysis in this movie: women not supporting each other in the industry. The CEO is looking to destroy the host for personal slights. The host not like to employ women for some unspoken reason. The movie just gently touches the point in an opening scene, never to be discussed again.

I enjoyed the comedy in this movie. I laughed when it was telling jokes. I think Mindy Kaling has talent as a comedy writer. The movie spent far too much time ham handedly explaining to its audience that comedy writing is hurting because it lacks diversity and this ultimately brought down the entire work for me.

Emma Thompson is brilliant, as always. She is also the voice of reason for society in this film.

One more thing that burned me: Mindy has such little guts to offend the left that she presents an obviously gay character with all the bitchy, effeminate stereotypes but refuses to announce that he is gay.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

one more thing Mindy needs to realize: when we speak of the oppression of black and brown people in this country, it does not mean Asians, even the ones from India. Just ask Harvard. Stop trying to attach yourself to a history that simply is not relevant to your heritage.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

"Of Color", pal. That means anyone but YOU!

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Her bigger challenge is that she has a rather thick ass, and not in the Serena Williams style.

_________________
"When people want their version of the truth, they go find it, no matter how baseless their beliefs." -- Ken Rosenthal

But then she is not a victim!

Objectively, there is no point in her life where she was a victim. It should be embarrassing to her to make a claim. Even her parent's immigrant experience is nothing like "THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE" of 99% of Americans.

I think this Oprah whispering in her ear on how to make the big money.

_________________
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

that's why i don't buy the "apu" documentary that one kid made to try and victimize himself that apu was some amos & andy oppressive figure. give me a break, dude.