The Simpsons Tried To Shut Down Racist Controversy Around Their Indian Character & Made It Worse
The popular animated show created by Matt Groening recently addressed the much talked about racial stereotypes of the Apu Nahasapeemapetilon character in their latest episode. In the episode aired titled No Good Read Goes Unpunished Marge and Lisa indirectly discuss the portrayal of Apu. Apu is an Indian immigrant with a PhD Voiced by Hank Azaria he runs the local convenience store Kwik-E-Mart in the small town of Springfield.
If you are a Simpsons fan and don't know about the controversy surrounding its popular Indian character, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, then you have certainly been living under a rock.
The popular animated show, created by Matt Groening, recently addressed the much talked about racial stereotypes of the Apu Nahasapeemapetilon character in their latest episode.
In the episode aired titled 'No Good Read Goes Unpunished' Marge and Lisa indirectly discuss the portrayal of Apu.
For the uninitiated, Apu, is an Indian immigrant with a PhD. Voiced by Hank Azaria, he runs the local convenience store, Kwik-E-Mart, in the small town of Springfield and is known for his thick Indian accent and catchphrase, ¡°Thank you, come again¡±.
#TheSimpsons completely toothless response to @harikondabolu #TheProblemWithApu about the racist character Apu:
¡ª Soham (@soham_burger) 9 April 2018
"Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect... What can you do?" pic.twitter.com/Bj7qE2FXWN
Both Marge and Lisa make reference to Apu, with Lisa looking at a picture of the character and saying "something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive, is now politically incorrect. What can you do?"
Most of the controversy was further triggered with the 2017 documentary titled 'The Problem With Apu', in which comedian Hari Kondabolu and director Michael Melamedoff, spoke about how the character exaggerated the South Asian stereotype.
In his documentary 'The Problem with Apu', Kondabol, speaks about how the racist stereotyping has frustrated Indian people for years.
Kondabolu responded to the episode on Twitter on Sunday. "Wow. 'Politically Incorrect?' That¡¯s the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad," he wrote.
¡°I hate Apu,¡± actor Kal Penn agrees. ¡°And because of that, I dislike The Simpsons.¡±
Wow. ¡°Politically Incorrect?¡± That¡¯s the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad. https://t.co/lYFH5LguEJ
¡ª Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) 9 April 2018
In ¡°The Problem with Apu,¡± I used Apu & The Simpsons as an entry point into a larger conversation about the representation of marginalized groups & why this is important. The Simpsons response tonight is not a jab at me, but at what many of us consider progress.
¡ª Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) 9 April 2018
Netizens also slammed Simpsons' justification for the racist portrayal, take a look:
#1
They should and could have done an entire episode with Apu responding to @harikondabolu's movie. They wouldn't have to agree with him but they missed a huge opportunity to add in more layers and be topical. Instead, they went the lazy route and did this. https://t.co/ciUq39A4t6
¡ª Wajahat Ali (@WajahatAli) 9 April 2018
#TheSimpsons completely toothless response to @harikondabolu #TheProblemWithApu about the racist character Apu:
¡ª Soham (@soham_burger) 9 April 2018
"Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect... What can you do?" pic.twitter.com/Bj7qE2FXWN
#3
I now live in a world I never thought was possible, a world where @TheSimpsons let me down. Why did you choose to respond that way?! Ugh. https://t.co/MG48ia2kYt
¡ª HUSE MADHAVJI (@HuseM) 9 April 2018
