It feels as if everyone and their mother is watching “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo,” the new Netflix show about decluttering. That includes Mindy Kaling.
The actress and writer made a funny reference to Kondo’s best-selling books and “spark joy” method of organizing on her show “The Mindy Project” in 2016.
During the season 4 episode “There’s No Crying in Softball,” her character, Mindy Lahiri, remarks, “I did that Japanese decluttering thing where you hold something, and if it doesn’t bring you joy, you throw it out. I got rid of all my vegetables and the electric bill.”
So naturally, she checked out Kondo’s show after it premiered on Jan. 1. Kaling shared her thoughts on “Tidying Up” with HuffPost while promoting her new partnership with Protein One.
“I saw the first episode. She’s so adorable and seems incredibly wise,” said Kaling. “Her little, tiny dresses and cardigans. She looks like a Christmas ornament. I’m very taken by her.”
Kaling said she was struck by one thing about “Tidying Up” that she feels differentiates it from other decluttering and makeover shows.
“When she came in and gave her advice, I thought, ‘Oh, she’s going to sit there and help them do their whole house.’ But then she just quietly disappears, and they have to do it themselves. And I think I’m much more used to the shows like ‘Extreme Home Makeover’ or ‘Queer Eye’ where they kind of do everything for you,” Kaling said.
“And I thought that was very profound because even though it’s made for much less of a delicious before-and-after montage, I hope that’s how you actually learn how to make the change yourself, versus just having someone swoop in and then two weeks later, you’re a slob because you didn’t actually do any of it yourself,” she continued. “I thought that was very profound ― although I did wish the before and afters were a little bit more dramatic. But I was very transfixed by her. I mean, who wouldn’t be?”
So is Kaling going to start asking her 1-year-old daughter, Katherine, which toys spark joy for her?
“Oh, no!” she exclaimed. “I’m in that phase when you quietly in the dark of night take away toys that irritate you and like, put them in the garage. That’s what I’ve been doing.”
