Watching this video made me realise that benching Apu was a mistake. Because as a character, he is not punched down on, he is reliably one of the more considerate and nuanced characters in the show. He’s not a Cletus-like character, and the jokes about his Indian heritage are not mean spirited.
Did you watch the documentary itself, or did you just watch that 45 minute takedown of it presented by a white guy wearing USA flag shorts telling us why he thinks Hari Kondabolu doesn’t understand racism?
I did watch the docco, and unfortunately it doesn’t really make it’s case coherently or entertainingly. That’s pretty bad because the creator is meant to be a comedian, and he really should have been able to ruin Shearer’s career but he’s just not all that great.
As for Apu, the reason he sucks is that he started as a caricature but somehow ended up a main character, and the creators have kind of painted themselves in a corner. Is he meant to be a wacky stereotype like the Italian chef, or are we meant to have pathos, like Skinner? Add that to the fact that there just aren’t many Indians on screen, and you have Apu as mostly the only Indian representation on TV.
It’s anachronistic, orientalist, and just a bit lame to do jokes like that. Heck, it was lame when they created the character, that’s why the specific note was not to make him Indian, but Shearer did it anyway.
Evidently you dont know Max, he is very self aware, and is a leftist.
That character you see there on the screen isn’t an animated version of himself, it’s a character - he’s far more pityful than the real Max, and (I think that its in this video) references how his own appearance is going to trigger judgement, as he looks like a skinhead.
In any case, I don’t need to watch the documentary fully, if its ideas are represented fairly, right?
So, then, does it present the ideas of the documentary fairly?
Because you are inferring it doesn’t, even though you likely haven’t watched the video I posted.
The voice actor maybe felt bad about being a white guy reinforcing indian stereotypes, or maybe felt pressured, but either way decided that he wasn’t going to voice him anymore, and they decided not to replace him and instead just never give Apu a line again.
Yeah, all those stereotypes of Indian people being successful business owners, loving husbands, dedicated fathers, and all around decent folks really give the wrong idea about Indian people.
not so much; the topic had kind of become a whole thing within the comedy/entertainment circuit on account of Hari Kondabolu making a documentary about it.
It was a detailed and nuanced discussion about the wider nature of invisible racism, and therefore attracted a ton of kneejerk reactions from people who hadn’t watched it but sure as hell had opinions. In the end it was just easier to let it lie than get tied up in an intractable discussion on whether an Indian person playing up an Indian stereotype for the entertainment of a mainstream audience is still harmful or not
Writing the show while various groups without any sense of humor move goalposts around is what killed the show. Make no mistake, it may still airing, but it’s been garbage for a long time.
I just… sometimes reel when thinking about how long it’s been really bad… like, phoned in, then joked about phoning it in, then cozyed into how lazy it could all be… imho makes a great argument nothing should last 10+ seasons
I haven’t watched the Simpsons in SOOOOO long. They really benched Apu?
Watching this video made me realise that benching Apu was a mistake. Because as a character, he is not punched down on, he is reliably one of the more considerate and nuanced characters in the show. He’s not a Cletus-like character, and the jokes about his Indian heritage are not mean spirited.
Did you watch the documentary itself, or did you just watch that 45 minute takedown of it presented by a white guy wearing USA flag shorts telling us why he thinks Hari Kondabolu doesn’t understand racism?
I did watch the docco, and unfortunately it doesn’t really make it’s case coherently or entertainingly. That’s pretty bad because the creator is meant to be a comedian, and he really should have been able to ruin Shearer’s career but he’s just not all that great.
As for Apu, the reason he sucks is that he started as a caricature but somehow ended up a main character, and the creators have kind of painted themselves in a corner. Is he meant to be a wacky stereotype like the Italian chef, or are we meant to have pathos, like Skinner? Add that to the fact that there just aren’t many Indians on screen, and you have Apu as mostly the only Indian representation on TV.
It’s anachronistic, orientalist, and just a bit lame to do jokes like that. Heck, it was lame when they created the character, that’s why the specific note was not to make him Indian, but Shearer did it anyway.
Evidently you dont know Max, he is very self aware, and is a leftist.
That character you see there on the screen isn’t an animated version of himself, it’s a character - he’s far more pityful than the real Max, and (I think that its in this video) references how his own appearance is going to trigger judgement, as he looks like a skinhead.
In any case, I don’t need to watch the documentary fully, if its ideas are represented fairly, right?
So, then, does it present the ideas of the documentary fairly?
Because you are inferring it doesn’t, even though you likely haven’t watched the video I posted.
The voice actor maybe felt bad about being a white guy reinforcing indian stereotypes, or maybe felt pressured, but either way decided that he wasn’t going to voice him anymore, and they decided not to replace him and instead just never give Apu a line again.
Yeah, all those stereotypes of Indian people being successful business owners, loving husbands, dedicated fathers, and all around decent folks really give the wrong idea about Indian people.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Model_minority
Thanks. Not replacing him was an odd choice, though.
not so much; the topic had kind of become a whole thing within the comedy/entertainment circuit on account of Hari Kondabolu making a documentary about it.
It was a detailed and nuanced discussion about the wider nature of invisible racism, and therefore attracted a ton of kneejerk reactions from people who hadn’t watched it but sure as hell had opinions. In the end it was just easier to let it lie than get tied up in an intractable discussion on whether an Indian person playing up an Indian stereotype for the entertainment of a mainstream audience is still harmful or not
Yep. And Hank Azaria has a fuckton of other characters to voice, and there’s a huge universe, so no Apu isn’t really a show killing problem.
Writing the show while various groups without any sense of humor move goalposts around is what killed the show. Make no mistake, it may still airing, but it’s been garbage for a long time.
aw did someone ick your yum? did someone say “hey that’s racist as fuck” and were right, so society moved on and it left you back in the 70s rofls?
various groups without any sense of humor… jfc…
Can’t say the same about the writing tho 😅
FORREAL
I just… sometimes reel when thinking about how long it’s been really bad… like, phoned in, then joked about phoning it in, then cozyed into how lazy it could all be… imho makes a great argument nothing should last 10+ seasons
F