The Simpsons Still Doesnt Understand the Problem with Apu

In 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu released a documentary titled The Problem with Apu, a feature that tackled the stereotypical Indian character on The Simpsons. Though Kondabolu, who is Indian-American, loves the classic comedy series, Apu rankled him for years, so he used the documentary to explore the problematic tone of the character (voiced by Hank Azaria, who is white), in addition to broader issues about representation. In an interview last year, he told Vanity Fair that Apu is fatally flawed for a number of reasons, but predominantly because its “a white persons perception of an Indian immigrant.“ The documentary made waves. Azaria himself told TMZ that he watched it and thought it made “some really interesting points.” And that, essentially, was that—until now.

On Sunday, The Simpsons baked a response to the Apu controversy into the latest episode, titled “No Good Read Goes Unpunished.” In one scene, Marge Simpson is seen reading a book called The Princess in the Garden to her daughter Lisa. Though the book used to be considered problematic, it has been re-written to meet modern standards. Despite the effort, Lisa isnt impressed by the new version. “Well, what am I supposed to do?” Marge says, frustrated.

Lisa responds by breaking the fourth wall. “Its hard to say. Something that started decades ago, and was applauded and inoffensive, is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” she says. She then looks at her nightstand, upon which rests a framed photo of Apu, emblazoned with the caption, “Dont have a cow!”

It was a surprisingly glib response considering the conversation that the documentary has started, as well as Azarias previously thoughtful response. Apu wasnt a contested character when the show began, but he is now—oh well? Was that really the best retort that Team Simpson could muster: meeting a frank dialogue about South-Asian representation in media with a shrug of the shoulders and a flippant jab at Apus religion?

Kondabolu quickly responded to the scene on Twitter, expressing his disappointment. “Man, I really loved this show. This is sad.”

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

Many Twitter users that Kondabolu responded to also pointed out that it was additionally cruel to have Lisa Simpson deliver the line, considering her reputation as the most progressive character in the show. In addition, the line “Dont have a cow!” seemed like a direct mockery of Hinduism.

Writer and executive producer Al Jean seemed prepared for the negative response. Before the episode, he tweeted that viewers should be prepared for a “Twitter explosion in act three.”

He also responded to folks who took issue with Lisa saying that Apu was “applauded” in the past. “Respectfully Hank won an Emmy for voicing the character in 1998. Only 20 years ago,” he tweeted.

After his first few tweets went viral, Kondabolu issued one more blanket response to the entire controversy on Twitter, summing up his thoughts on the scene: “Congratulations to the Simpsons for being talked about & being seen as relevant again.”

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