Are South Asian Comedians Perpetuating Harmful Stereotypes?
Mindy Kaling, best known for her work as an actress, writer, and producer on shows such as The Office and The Mindy Project, has faced criticism for some of the things she has said in the past. Some of these comments have been viewed as problematic or stereotypical.
Specifically, Kaling has faced criticism for the portrayal of Indian-American characters on her shows, including The Mindy Project and The Sex Lives of College Girls. Some have argued that her characters are stereotypical and do not accurately represent the diversity of experiences within the Indian-American community. Are Kaling and others in the South Asian community not being fair with their self-deprecation?
Recently, Aqil Dhanani took to TikTok to dissect a clip where an Indian character refers to themselves as an “Indian loser.” Building on content from another TikTok user, @totallyprincessjasmine, Dhanani calls out Kaling and stand-up comedians Russell Peters and Lily Singh:
“If you're in America and you want to be racist against Black people, you can deep dive into the ancient tomes of racism and find a stereotype or a slur. Same with East Asians, same with Latinos. But if you want to make fun of South Asians, where do those insults usually come from? South Asian comedians," he says. "Mindy Kaling, Russell Peters, Lilly Singh, what do they talk about? Our parents talk funny and they beat us and we eat stinky food and we are stinky and there's hair all over."
You can see his full critique here:
Speaking from personal experience, he relayed an anecdote about treatment he received in high school from white friends who defended it as "because a Brown person said it on TV."
Overall, while Mindy Kaling, Russell Peters and Lilly Singh undoubtedly have had many successes in their careers, some of their comments and actions have been seen as problematic and perpetuating stereotypes. It is important for public figures to consider the impact of their words and actions on marginalized communities - including their own.