Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the mild-mannered Indian who jumped ship to America and became the owner of Springfield's Kwik-E-Mart, has allegedly been shafted from The Simpsons after 29 seasons. Why? Well, according to some real Indians, he has come to embody a negative stereotype of them: the perpetually earnest but panicky and commitment-phobic type happily working a menial job. Another reason is because his voice actor Hank Azaria is white.
Now, I legitimately can understand those concerns. Stereotyping has been harmful for decades. But let's examine the whole show's agenda (even from 1989 on) regarding portrayals of nationality. Apu has never been its sole example of a deliberate cultural stereotype: consider the eternally angry and rude Scot Groundskeeper Willie, the Austrian direct parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger that is Rainier Wolfcastle, the Bill Cosby-esque black doctor Julius Hibbert, Italian gangster Fat Tony and the hard-living and misanthropic Jew Krusty the Klown among others. Most of the rest also also represent some other sort of stereotype: the happy homemaker (Marge), the senile elders (Grandpa and all his nursing home cohorts), the effeminately gay servant (Smithers), the incompetent and obese cop (Chief Wiggum), I could go on and on. Basically, The Simpsons has always been as much a deliberately stereotyped satire of America itself as of anywhere else.
Something else I don't understand is why Apu has only just recently raised controversy. Sure, cultural values change, but he has been on the air now for nearly 30 years! After all that time, with him having become so ingrained in pop culture, will axing him really make much difference? And as far I know he was never a taxi driver.
Nonetheless, numerous Indians and Indian Americans have since spoken out in support of Apu. But I am obviously not Indian and if I were, maybe I would take exception to him. But regardless, if he is indeed axed (something which, come to think of it, probably should've happened to the whole show at least a decade ago), among many of us he will be missed. Thank you Apu, please come again.
Now, I legitimately can understand those concerns. Stereotyping has been harmful for decades. But let's examine the whole show's agenda (even from 1989 on) regarding portrayals of nationality. Apu has never been its sole example of a deliberate cultural stereotype: consider the eternally angry and rude Scot Groundskeeper Willie, the Austrian direct parody of Arnold Schwarzenegger that is Rainier Wolfcastle, the Bill Cosby-esque black doctor Julius Hibbert, Italian gangster Fat Tony and the hard-living and misanthropic Jew Krusty the Klown among others. Most of the rest also also represent some other sort of stereotype: the happy homemaker (Marge), the senile elders (Grandpa and all his nursing home cohorts), the effeminately gay servant (Smithers), the incompetent and obese cop (Chief Wiggum), I could go on and on. Basically, The Simpsons has always been as much a deliberately stereotyped satire of America itself as of anywhere else.
Something else I don't understand is why Apu has only just recently raised controversy. Sure, cultural values change, but he has been on the air now for nearly 30 years! After all that time, with him having become so ingrained in pop culture, will axing him really make much difference? And as far I know he was never a taxi driver.
Nonetheless, numerous Indians and Indian Americans have since spoken out in support of Apu. But I am obviously not Indian and if I were, maybe I would take exception to him. But regardless, if he is indeed axed (something which, come to think of it, probably should've happened to the whole show at least a decade ago), among many of us he will be missed. Thank you Apu, please come again.
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