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'Simpsons' Criticized for Response to Apu Controversy
Hollywood Reporter ^ | April 9, 2018 | Ryan Parker

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."


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Chit/Chat; Society; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: apu; fox; hollywood; mattgroening; pc; pcpolice; racism; simpsons; sjw; sjws; television; thesimpsons; thoughtpolice
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To: VanDeKoik

Never heard or thought of that before though I was a devoted viewer for about 15 years, but, now that you point it out, of course you’re right! LOL!


21 posted on 04/09/2018 2:16:12 PM PDT by j.havenfarm ( 1,000 Posts as of 8/11/17! Still not shutting up after all these years!)
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To: EdnaMode
I love this Apu rant.

Thank you, come again ;)
22 posted on 04/09/2018 2:16:14 PM PDT by Trillian
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To: dfwgator

My favorite Itchy and Scratchy episode is, “Why do Fools Fall in Lava?”


23 posted on 04/09/2018 2:18:58 PM PDT by caddie (Tagline: Tag, you're it.)
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To: EdnaMode

It’s a cartoon. Cartoons poke fun at people. App is the mideastern caricature, Ned Flanders is the Christian caricature, Smithers - the brown nosing office boy, Mr. Burns the idiot business president, Homer - doofus husband/father .... and the list goes on. It’s comedy. Laugh at it.


24 posted on 04/09/2018 2:22:16 PM PDT by al_c (LIBERAL - Laughable Iconsiderate Blaming Entitled Ranting Anti-christian Loudmouth)
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To: MrEdd

25 posted on 04/09/2018 2:23:24 PM PDT by Trillian
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To: caddie
My favorite Itchy and Scratchy episode is, “Why do Fools Fall in Lava?”

If you like that, you'll love Happy Tree Friends.

26 posted on 04/09/2018 2:24:44 PM PDT by al_c (LIBERAL - Laughable Iconsiderate Blaming Entitled Ranting Anti-christian Loudmouth)
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To: EdnaMode

All of “The Simpsons” characters are stereotypes.
Apu: “Thank you and comment again”


27 posted on 04/09/2018 2:29:21 PM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: EdnaMode

It's only a matter of time until this story.

28 posted on 04/09/2018 2:35:07 PM PDT by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: EdnaMode

This show has been on for almost 30 years and now the Left is bitching about something they don’t like about it?


29 posted on 04/09/2018 2:45:31 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Democracy: The cliff's edge of Marxism)
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To: rlmorel

The reason there’s no controversy is because Homer is NOT stereotypical of white men. He is an aberration and everyone knows it. That’s what they’re so p*ssed about, its what drives the whole “white privlege” myth: jealousy.


30 posted on 04/09/2018 2:55:42 PM PDT by FrdmLvr
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To: EdnaMode
"The Simpsons response to The Problem with Apu: a callous and resentful shrug."

Good. That's how the liberals' SJW complaints should be handled.

31 posted on 04/09/2018 3:23:14 PM PDT by Oatka (tHE)
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To: Dilbert San Diego

“So then, we are supposed to be politically correct, but aren’t supposed to talk about political correctness??”

The PC’s want absolute devotion. You are never to discuss the dynamics of PC, what is really is, how it works. or that there was a time when he had true freedom.

Wasn’t Mr. Orwell smart?


32 posted on 04/09/2018 3:25:02 PM PDT by Luke21
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To: EdnaMode

Apu is a hard working business owner and family man.

What a terrible stereotype.


33 posted on 04/09/2018 3:29:21 PM PDT by seowulf
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To: EdnaMode

I don’t know. Seems like a real dick move from the writers. Simpsons has trucked in stereotype characters from day one, and they’ve often addressed that in the stories in good way. And they’ve had a couple of good episodes where they talked about Apu being a bad stereotype and worked with it. This bit seems to really to be a bit of a middle finger, once again acknowledging the stereotype but this time just right out saying they’re not going to do anything about it (studiously forgetting they have in the past) is kind of rude.


34 posted on 04/09/2018 3:30:01 PM PDT by discostu (It's been so long, welcome back my friend, to the show, that never ends.)
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To: seowulf


Apu is also Pro-Second Amendment.
35 posted on 04/09/2018 3:30:42 PM PDT by dfwgator
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To: EdnaMode

They seem to WANT Indian Americans to be marginalized minorities. They’re not. They go where they want, do what they want and are very successful in America. Apu as a character isn’t depicted any worse than Irish or Italians were.


36 posted on 04/09/2018 3:37:21 PM PDT by TalBlack (It's hard to shoot people when they are shooting back at you...)
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To: EdnaMode

total bullshit. Apu is presented as a kind-hearted and lovable character. He’s also an entrepreneur who owns his own business and obviously a hard worker.


37 posted on 04/09/2018 3:56:47 PM PDT by catnipman ( Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)
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To: EdnaMode

Zero sympathy. Left eating its own. I swore off Simpsons about 16 years ago.


38 posted on 04/09/2018 4:01:06 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: EdnaMode

“The Simpsons response tonight is not a jab at me, but at what many of us consider progress.”

He does get it.

L


39 posted on 04/09/2018 4:01:41 PM PDT by Lurker (President Trump isn't our last chance. President Trump is THEIR last chance.)
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To: FrdmLvr

LOL, to be honest, I have always felt he IS stereotypical of white guys...that was the whole point.

So he’s an idiot. Most men are at some point (some of us more or less often) And we like bacon. And donuts.

But as a “white guy”, I can laugh at him, because...I can laugh at myself when I have to...:)


40 posted on 04/09/2018 4:24:51 PM PDT by rlmorel (Leftists: They believe in the "Invisible Hand" only when it is guided by government.)
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