October 3, 2012

Mindy Kaling: The Ascent of a New “It” Girl

Many people dismiss pop culture because of the mindless reality-show froth that takes over millions of Americans each night and keeps us drooling in their grips week after week. Optimist that I am, I see pop culture as an anthropological summary of the state of our nation. Granted, sometimes said state ain’t so great–the popularity of shows such as Honey-boo-boo can be seen as terrifying harbinger of America’s imminent demise–but other times I do see progress. The ascent of Mindy Kaling, writer, producer and actor in The Mindy Project, is one such instance.

There are publications out there who condescendingly praise Mindy for making it in an industry despite her gender, ethnicity, hair color, weight, etc. but all that is really no more than a backhanded slap in the face as far as I’m concerned. Mindy should be seen for what she is–the embodiment of the potential of our generation of women. She is a Dartmouth-educated 33-year-old who is reaching acclaim by using various platforms to propel her career which is not limited to just one role. Mindy is an actress, comedienne, producer, director, social media monster (in a good way–she has amassed a huge Twitter following), dabbled a bit in a blog until she made it big, was on the cover of Fast Company (the magazine to read if you want to be relevant these days) and New York Magazine, and currently has a book out called Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? that I am just tearing through at the moment. The best part? She is neither annoying nor arrogant. Mindy comes across, both in her show and in her book, as being just like us–pursuing her career and building her life, albeit with a touch of insecurity that she is working on but managing with grace and a self-deprecating sense of humor.

Forget the bra-burning, man-hating, emotionally distant feminists of the 70′s, forget the baby-boomer Working Girl feminists of the 80′s that neglected family and happiness to prove themselves in the male-dominated workplace. This is a new era. In this version we make the rules, we set the tone and we do what makes us happy. Everyone criticizes our generation for being the one that needs to prove we can “have it all.” I say that’s not the point. The objective is not to prove to anyone else that we can “have it all”, whatever “it” may be. It’s about proving to ourselves that the criteria for our own happiness is for us to construct.

I happened to notice that big earrings make Mindy happy and that she likes necklaces but seems to be trigger-shy about them for some reason. Well dear, don’t hold back. Here are a few tips to help you bejewel yourself with abandon:

If you wear gold, go for modern and funky designs. Large gold chandelier earrings tend to look either a bit dated or a bit ethnic these days and should only be worn if you are intentionally going for a specific look.

Herve Van Der Straeten earrings available here.

Use color to make your face pop–the more vibrant the better.

Erickson Beamon earrings available here.

Busty girls should keep necklaces short to avoid looking bulky. If the necklace has a V-silouette you can get away with going a bit longer but the end of the V should hit well above your cleavage to avoid looking like a lobster bib.