Admittedly I'm not a fan of raunch, but I've enjoyed the American Pies and Porky's over the years. But Mindy Kaling's attempt at smart witty raunch falls flatter than (insert crass sexist joke about breasts here).
Imagine Kaling's delightful Never Have I Ever cross-bred with Sex and the City. But the problem is everything here is in your face, lacking subtlety. That includes the characters, who are reduced to tropes and stereotypes (Mindy, do you really want us to view your college stand-in as a nymphomaniac?!?). The actors are winning and establish some chemistry. But it's hard to care whether or not the rich golden girl will come out, the poor gal from the sticks will replace her lost scholarship, the Mindy character will stop admiring herself in a mirror (while boffing every jock on campus) long enough to focus on academics and please her stereotypically demanding Indian parents... The stakes may be high but the resolutions are pat and contrived.
I've heard this compared favorably to Sex Education but that does the Brit delight a disservice. I wish SLoCG had its nuanced view of growing into our sexuality. I wish it had the charm, cleverness and complexity of Kaling's high school sister, Never Have I Ever (using McEnroe as a narrator - priceless)!
What's next, Mindy, B-School or your answer to Grey's Anatomy? Or will you jump back to nursery school? One thing's for sure: You should have taken a gap year before writing this.
Imagine Kaling's delightful Never Have I Ever cross-bred with Sex and the City. But the problem is everything here is in your face, lacking subtlety. That includes the characters, who are reduced to tropes and stereotypes (Mindy, do you really want us to view your college stand-in as a nymphomaniac?!?). The actors are winning and establish some chemistry. But it's hard to care whether or not the rich golden girl will come out, the poor gal from the sticks will replace her lost scholarship, the Mindy character will stop admiring herself in a mirror (while boffing every jock on campus) long enough to focus on academics and please her stereotypically demanding Indian parents... The stakes may be high but the resolutions are pat and contrived.
I've heard this compared favorably to Sex Education but that does the Brit delight a disservice. I wish SLoCG had its nuanced view of growing into our sexuality. I wish it had the charm, cleverness and complexity of Kaling's high school sister, Never Have I Ever (using McEnroe as a narrator - priceless)!
What's next, Mindy, B-School or your answer to Grey's Anatomy? Or will you jump back to nursery school? One thing's for sure: You should have taken a gap year before writing this.
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