Posted on 11/12/2017 12:17:43 PM PST by EdnaMode
“After a while, you’d watch The Simpsons on a Sunday and you’d get a sense of how you’d be made fun of at school on Monday, based on what Apu did in the latest episode.”
Hari Kondabolu doesn’t mince words about the impact the character on the long-running animation had on his own life. “Kids in the playground would always mimic the accent and say ‘Thank you, come again!’ or ‘Hello, Mr Homer!’” the Indian-American comedian tells BBC Culture. “Sure, growing up in New York City everyone tries to be funny. If you grow up there you learn to make jokes and how to make comebacks, but it’s hard to counter an accent – what’s your comeback for an accent?”
For years Apu Nahasapeemapetilon was the only person of South Asian descent depicted on US TV at all – a problem because he is a broad stereotype whose clownishness is his singular purpose. He exists to provoke a laugh. He is a cartoon literally and figuratively. What’s especially troubling about Apu as a stereotype is that, until recently, very few viewers in the US outside of the Indian-American community have addressed, talked about, or even recognised that Apu is a stereotype. “I used to write for [African-American comedian] W Kamau Bell’s show Totally Biased and he told me, ‘No one’s discussed Apu. You and your community have discussed this for two decades, but no one else in America thinks Apu is problematic.’”
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Italians love Fat Tony the mafia guy. We’re not insecure like the loser ethnics.
OK that's Homer, but isn't this whinge about Apu?
>>They stay together at work, and conspire to get all their friends hired...<<
And write the worst code ever.
[Groundskeeper Willie:] Aye, sure the BBC'll stand up for Apu. . .but when are they gonna stand up for Groundskeeper Willie?!!! I'll tell ya when: never! Englishmen and Scots are natural enemies! Like Welshmen and Scots! Or Japanese and Scots! Or Scots and other Scots. . .
[Principal Skinner:] You Scots sure are a contentious people.
[Groundskeeper Willie:] You just made an enemy for life. . .
I suggest banning all 623 episodes and all products about the show : )
If you fail to show an Indian, it is racism.
If the Indian sounds like someone from India, it is racism.
If the Indian does not sound like someone from India, it is racism.
Got it yet?
I no longer watch the Simpsons because it became a leftist rant, but it gets good reviews from some Christian groups for the positive portrayal of Ned Flanders, the ultimate Christian. I’ve noticed that at least it doesn’t portray the American family as husband, wife, son, and daughter; also, they do attend church. Like King of the Hill, it has some positive portrayals; they also attend church, and there is a medical reason as to why they only have one child. In both cases, husbands are the primary breadwinner, while the wives raise the children (working part-time on occasion); they don’t have ex-wives or children out of wedlock.
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