Posted on 04/09/2018 1:40:26 PM PDT by EdnaMode
Fox's The Simpsons is under fire for the way in which the show responded to controversy around one of its most recognizable and oldest characters, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.
The outcry over the stereotypical portrayal of Springfield’s Kwik-E-Mart owner, voiced by Hank Azaria, was addressed Sunday night in the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished" when Marge Simpson reads a book to daughter Lisa that has been changed from its original version to something not so controversial.
“Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?,” says Lisa. The show then panned to a picture of Apu.
While some viewers were fine with the response (before the show aired, showrunner Al Jean tweeted, "New Simpsons in five minutes. Twitter explosion in act three," and he retweeted numerous positive takes afterward), there were those who felt like the moment was a slap in the face.
Comedian Hari Kondabolu, who last year released the documentary The Problem With Apu, was among those displeased.
"Wow. 'Politically Incorrect?' That’s the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad," Kondabolu tweeted. "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."
Comedian and TV personality W. Kamau Bell also blasted the Fox cartoon.
“I think the fact that they put this ‘argument’ in the mouth of Lisa’s character, the character who usually champions the underdogs and is supposed to be the most thoughtful and liberal, is what makes this the most ridiculous (as in worthy of ridicule) and toothless response," Bell wrote among numerous tweets on the issue. "The 'argument' the episode makes is basically things used to better before political correctness when nobody cared about all these groups. It ignores the facts that ALL THESE GROUPS ALWAYS CARED ABOUT ALL THESE GROUPS. But these groups' complaints weren't respected/supported."
Al Arabiya English journalist William Mullally wrote, "The Simpsons response to The Problem with Apu: a callous and resentful shrug."
Representatives for Fox and 20th Century Fox Television said that producers prefer to let the episode "speak for itself."
I hope they don’t start considering the other citizens in this cartoon town.
It’s a cartoon. Turn it off if you don’t like it.
EVERY character on The Simpson’s is a stereotype......................
So the Lisa character is supposed to be liberal, normally???
Really???
And then, the PC police object to anyone discussing how things were in different areas of life, before political correctness caused a strangle hold????
So then , we are supposed to be politically correct, but aren’t supposed to talk about political correctness????
And prepare to be destroyed if you make fun of political correctness?????
Notice how slanted the article is. Not one single “shut up and get over it” comment. Just an over-representation of fragile flowers whose widdo feewings got hurt.
you have to have above an 80 iq to recognize things like that though...
Don’t have a sacred cow, man.
Indians are mostly marginalized by muzzie Pakis.
Lisa is supposed to be the brains of the outfit, nominally...
If they are so passionate about something, they should put out their own product and let the marketplace decide.
But they know that they won't win that way.
So they find something successful and do their damndest to corrupt it to their will.
And if you resist, they will brand you a racist, a homophobe, a sexist, intolerant, whatever.
And their allies in mainstream media will eagerly broadcast their accusations. Until in the end the business or series or whatever either acquiesces or is forced to shut down.
These people are evil.
God forbid they actually take issue with Homer Simpson’s character...but hey, he’s a white guy, so he is fair game for ridicule.
Oh, they don’t ridicule Homer Simpson...got it!
Oh, you are a offended???
I Don’t Care.
About 3:30 in... whole routine is great... but 3:30ish is the offended nonsense...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHMoDt3nSHs
I’m just surprised that Dr. Hibbert isnt targeted because he is supposed to be the Simpson take of their then 1980s prime-time network rival, BILL COSBY.
I haven’t seen Symptoms in YEARS. Is Apu running around blowing things up now? Is that what they’re upset about?
SJW’s getting some deserved ridicule. So sick of those people.
Read Indian publications. Apu is ALWAYS used as an Indian stereotype noun.
My cousin and I used to act out that scene when we were kids LOL.
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