PAPER and Hulu Celebrated “Not Suitable for Work” In NY + LA

An impressive mix of talents and tastemakers across the entertainment industry were invited to launch the series, as well as PAPER readers, for the two events taking place in both Los Angeles and the show’s spiritual home, New York City. Across both coasts, it was a love‑letter‑to–New York–twentysomethings — an all-star diva group including Ian Smith (otherwise known as Ian Is Ugly… we disagree!), Ariel Martin, Atiana De La Hoya, Nesrin Danan, Angel Merino, Uche, and Wildin Pierrevil. The guests were party to a series of, well, parties. These seriously fun activities managed to highlight the humor of the show — this is a Kaling production, after all — and pay ironic homage to just how work-focused Not Suitable For Work’s characters are.

Festivities kicked off as soon as everyone’s laptops shut. Upon entrance, guests picked up their Delulu Identity badges with various phrases like “Hello, I’m Booked & Emotionally Busy” and deli-style raffle number pulls at check-in, which did, in fact, amp up to a full Casper mattress giveaway. Trust, our fingers were crossed. A series of canapés flowed around the room, with the title screen flashing on screens throughout the spaces, a DJ including the incredible Dede Lovelace in NYC (um, duh?), and an insane oyster cart where you could knock back 1, 2, or 15 depending on your level of interest.

Abby’s “Stylist Corner” transformed the space into a fashion-fueled playground, complete with clothing racks, curated wardrobe pieces, and a custom T-shirt embroidery station where guests could personalize tees with cheeky phrases like “Nepo Baby” and “Funemployed,” nodding to the series’ most iconic storylines. Custom cocktail napkins emblazoned with phrases like “Per My Last Breakdown” and “Circle Back After I Spiral” further leaned into the show's sharp humor, serving as both a playful celebration of its themes and an instantly relatable touch for guests throughout the evening. Nearby, an NSFW-inspired restaurant photobooth moment—an exact mirror from the show itself—invited guests to strike a pose with themed props before receiving professionally shot photos instantly delivered to their phones.

In NYC, our favorite (fictional) investment banker AJ Pascarelli, played by Ella Hunt, surprised guests with an appearance and gathered round the guests to introduce the show’s utterly brilliant cast for an intro and applause. Clips from the show were screened to the guests - to more applause, of course — until it was time for the party to continue.

These two PAPER and Hulu launch events highlighted the cultural conversation surrounding the show while giving guests an inside look at what makes the television series such an exciting addition to Hulu's larger roster. The show might be named Not Suitable For Work, but its celebratory events were entirely suitable for the show’s stellar cast and brilliant, entirely zeitgeist-worthy script.

In case you haven’t tuned in yet, the show is a nuanced portrayal of five incredible friends navigating careers alongside their own relationships, ambition and dreams, whilst they transition into adulthood. So even if you missed out on the events in NYC and LA, you can find yourself in on the joke, at home or anywhere as Not Suitable for Work is now streaming on Hulu and Disney+. New episodes Tuesdays.