XPost: rec.arts.tv
From: weberm@polaris.net

Following recent criticism that the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon
pushed negative South Asian stereotypes, The Simpsons addressed the
controversy on Sunday's episode.

In the episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished," Marge and Lisa
indirectly discuss the portrayal of Apu. In the scene in question,
Marge has edited a new version of The Princess in the Garden,
tailoring it to what would be acceptable and inoffensive in 2018.
Marge reads the story to Lisa, but the new version is much shorter
and lacking in an "emotional journey" for the central character.
Both Marge and Lisa then 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?"

Last November, the documentary The Problem with Apu explored the
problematic nature of Apu and looked at how non-South Asians would
use the character's exaggerated mannerisms and catchphrases as slurs
or as casual racism. Directed by Michael Melamedoff and written and
starring comedian Hari Kondabolu the documentary interviewed a
number of prominent celebrities of South Asian descent including
Aziz Ansari, Kal Penn, Aasif Mandvi and Hasan Minhaj.

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.

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
� Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 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.
� Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 2018

See the clip below. https://www.mrctv.org/videos/simpsons-no-good-read-goes-unpunished-
offensive

--
Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)

XPost: rec.arts.tv
From: travoltron@defender.uni

They shouldn't have said anything. Nothing is ever good enough for an
SJW. If they kill off the character they'll be pissed off that you
killed off the only Indian character on the show. If you have him go
back to India, they'll write articles likening you to Trump calling ICE
on Apu.

If I were them, I'd just stop using the character so much. Limit him to Kwik-E-Mart scenes only. Maybe do some meta humor where he's trying to
lose his accent because some assholes are harassing him and he's taking
mood stabilizers so that he doesn't say funny things anymore.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)

XPost: rec.arts.tv
From: barmar@alum.mit.edu

In article <pajpp8$usa$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
Travoltron <travoltron@defender.uni> wrote:

They shouldn't have said anything. Nothing is ever good enough for an
SJW. If they kill off the character they'll be pissed off that you
killed off the only Indian character on the show. If you have him go
back to India, they'll write articles likening you to Trump calling ICE
on Apu.

If I were them, I'd just stop using the character so much. Limit him to Kwik-E-Mart scenes only. Maybe do some meta humor where he's trying to
lose his accent because some assholes are harassing him and he's taking
mood stabilizers so that he doesn't say funny things anymore.

You're quite right that at this point there's practically no way the
Simpsons could appease the critics. On a show like this, what's the
point of having a character like Apu if he doesn't behave
stereotypically?

--
Barry Margolin
Arlington, MA

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)

XPost: rec.arts.tv
From: invalid@invalid.invalid

On Wed, 11 Apr 2018 11:48:53 -0400, Barry Margolin
<barmar@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

In article <pajpp8$usa$1@gioia.aioe.org>,
Travoltron <travoltron@defender.uni> wrote:

They shouldn't have said anything. Nothing is ever good enough for an
SJW. If they kill off the character they'll be pissed off that you
killed off the only Indian character on the show. If you have him go
back to India, they'll write articles likening you to Trump calling ICE
on Apu.

If I were them, I'd just stop using the character so much. Limit him to
Kwik-E-Mart scenes only. Maybe do some meta humor where he's trying to
lose his accent because some assholes are harassing him and he's taking
mood stabilizers so that he doesn't say funny things anymore.

You're quite right that at this point there's practically no way the
Simpsons could appease the critics. On a show like this, what's the
point of having a character like Apu if he doesn't behave
stereotypically?

The producers are just flaunting their "yellow privilege"

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)

Hank Azaria, Voice of Apu on ‘The Simpsons,’ Offers to Step Aside After Criticism:

"The actor who portrays Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the thickly accented convenience
store owner on “The Simpsons,” said Tuesday that he would be “perfectly willing
and happy to step aside” as the voice of the character."

See:

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/arts/television/apu-the-simpsons.html

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: www.darkrealms.ca (1:229/2)