Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?

Although many of the romantic comedies that Mindy Kaling enjoys and the stories of her sexually-liberated friends center on one-night stands, she cannot imagine herself participating in one. Kaling explains that she finds being wanted sexy, but she is not eager to invite someone home that she does not know: “The idea of going to a stranger’s house at night, or having that stranger over to my house, sounds insanely dangerous” (154). The writer appreciates it when her friends share stories of their one-night stands, but she often interrupts, confused by how they are so open with others.

Kaling does not understand what “hooking up” means, and her friends act shocked when she asks for clarification: “It’s not that I’m some pervert looking for lurid details (this time, anyway). It’s just that I have no idea what you are talking about” (157). She challenges readers to only use “hooking up” to refer to sex and “making out” to describe everything else.

Kaling learned that leaving a party without telling anyone is sometimes referred to as an “Irish exit.” She feels that this is a more polite way of exiting a large party. Rather than bothering the host or expecting people to stop their conversations to say goodbye to you, Kaling argues it is better etiquette to simply leave or make an excuse.