Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

“Some of the first math I understood was that I was closer to twice Ashley’s weight than to her weight.”

Kaling explores Body Image and Self-Confidence throughout the text. In the first chapter, she explains that she was “chubby” as both a child and an adult. The comparison of her own size to the sizes of her classmates impacted how Kaling saw herself and her identity. The writer outlines various types of being larger-sized and the names applied to them in society. Now that Kaling is older, she embraces her status as “chubby.”

“What I’ve noticed is that almost no one who was a big star in high school is also a big star later in life. For us overlooked kids, it’s so wonderfully fair.”

Kaling presents an altered view of the pursuit of Hollywood fame and challenges the notion that it is related to popularity or even attractiveness. She suggests that there is value in effort and that hard work can open doors. For Kaling, Pursuing a Career in Film Media requires gumption, stamina, and study.

“I wish there was a song called ‘Nguyen and Ari,’ a little ditty about a hardworking Vietnamese girl who helps her parents with the franchised Holiday Inn they run, and she does homework in the lobby, and Ari, a hardworking Jewish boy who does volunteer work at his grandmother’s old-age home.”

Kaling’s weight was not the only feature that set her apart from her classmates. Her parents were both Indian immigrants, and she knew that her life did not directly mirror the popular song “Jack and Diane” that allegedly epitomized American adolescence. When Kaling was in high school, she was involved in clubs and academics and spent her evenings with her family. Kaling credits this with helping prepare her for her career.