MovieChat Forums > The Problem with Apu (2017) Discussion > What we have learned from this is

What we have learned from this is

posted 6 years ago by EricCartmanBrah (436)
17 replies | jump to latest

Creating a redneck family of 30 being all inbred with an IQ roughly the same number? Not offensive to any farmer/southener.

Creating a Texas character whose entire personality is being a gun loving madman? Not offensive to any Texan.

Creating an Italian character whose entire personality is a restaurant chef who only thinks about food with bad English? Not offensive to any Italians. Creating other Italians who all are a part of a criminal mafia organization? Not offensive to any Italians either

Creating a Sea Captain whose entire personality is being a poor English speaker with pirate tendencies acting like he belongs at a madhouse? Not offensive to anyone in that work industry

Creating a Scottish character whose entire personality is being an eccentric violent alcoholic? Not offensive to any Scotsman.

Making all republicans on show being depicted as Mr. Burns and other evil caricatures having a headquarter in a castle looking like it belongs to Dracula? Not offensive to any republican

Having all nerds in the show wearing glasses and being social outcasts and creepy towards women? Not offensive to any nerd.

Having an Indian character on the show who runs a store which is basically 7-Eleven speaking weirdly? Super offensive and outdated Indian-American stereotype who must be removed from the show, period!!!!!

On top of all of this, Apu has received far more characterization than most other supporting characters on the show. He has never been just a throwaway comedic relief character, he has been the center of a ton of different subjects with dedicated episodes to his name.

On a last note, to every person reading this who supports this outrage. Have you never been to a 7-Eleven were the store clerk was Indian and he didn't remind you even the slightest bit of Apu in the way he talked? Come on, be honest here...

[–] atarofker (344) 6 years ago

Oh quit your whining. I can't believe people actually openly are fighting to get a chance be racist. What a time to live in.
#PunchANazi

[–] Satan2016 (25525) 6 years ago

Nobody is being racist except you! #PunchSJWs

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Excellent response, Satan.

[–] Painbow (156) 6 years ago

You're not fighting racism, you're simply getting sexually aroused by telling others that they're racist.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

You’re right but the point was that for the past 30 years Apu was the only representative of Indians in mainstream media.

So they felt like his voice in particular was a put down.

I don’t think all were offended, I think he’s milking this for fame, burnhe still has a point.

I’m irish-Australian and shake my head at the poor impersonation of both accents in movies.

The Irish impersonations in the Simpsons were kind of funny but the Australian ones were just terrible.

It’s hard not to get a little annoyed when someone is misrepresenting you.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

If you think of yourself as an individual, as opposed to a faceless robot in a tribe, these things won't bother you.

[–] AssetsonFire (145) a year ago

Big deal, Indians were 0.3% of the US population 30 years ago, even now they're barely over 1%. They're lucky to even be included.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

On top of all of this, Apu has received far more characterization than most other supporting characters on the show. He has never been just a throwaway comedic relief character, he has been the center of a ton of different subjects with dedicated episodes to his name.

Actually, this here is probably why Apu is being held to a stricter standard than the others you mentioned: BECAUSE he's a main character and appears so regularly, and is voiced by one of the main voice actors.

I'm not sure what's supposed to be offensive about him, but perhaps the more recent 8 babies that have become a permanent attachment to him... perhaps those are some of the cultural insensitivity that's being focused on, and it COULD be in bad taste due to the serious nature of overpopulation in India.

Those babies were used well once, and everything else with them has been a distracting slog where I see them and think "Oh yeah, Apu is still here, still dealing with those dumb babies. Wearing 8 nipples, okay that's cute."

I don't know if anyone complained about Apu or if this is just an idea of one of the writers/producers (I think the latter is the case), but overall I agree that it's silly to remove him when the show is intended to portray negative, mocking caricatures of just about everyone except Lisa (who trades off with Homer as the central character of the show, depending on the episode in question).

Personally, I suspect:

1. They're getting rid of him because the babies are dragging him down and no one can think of a role for him anymore.

2. Getting rid of him for the supposed cultural sensitivity reasoning will manufacture good karma in people's minds instead of just having Apu vanish or killed off.

3. Overall, it's mostly just a marketing ploy, drumming up this "controversy" before a pre-planned axe just to get the Simpsons name out there some more.

[–] bobbynynex (1505) 6 years ago

indians are whiny people, ever work with any of them?

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

I speak to Indians any time I call customer service for any company from any country. They always try their best to make sure they provide good customer service. I have only met one whiny Indian in my life and he was a rich kid who felt guilty about being rich in a country full of poor people and, hence, resorted to virtue-signaling and whatnot to push his guilt onto other people.

[–] HorrorMetal (862) 4 years ago

Exactly! Very well said!

[–] TheArgentinian (7061) 4 years ago

Those aren't minorities that have been historically discriminated against. Try again, sweetie.

[–] EricCartmanBrah (436) 4 years ago

First of all, that is a lie. Second, even if they hadn't, so what? Why would that be relevant today? Italians have been far more discriminated against than Indians in the US. And Southerens aren't discriminated against? Every single goddmann Hollywood movie with them present has them depicted as hateful racist borderline illiterate idiots. Like every Netflix original features them as the bad guys acting like this.

[–] TheArgentinian (7061) 4 years ago

Awww, poor rednecks...

I do stand corrected on Italians, though. I now remember seeing Frank Sinatra's PSA on bigotry. But that was a long time ago and no one attacks Italians anymore.

[–] AssetsonFire (145) a year ago

So you're outraged by 'historical discrimination' (which seems to amount to a handful of movie characters doing bad accents) against a practically non-existent Indian population, but contemptuous of rednecks. Says it all.

[–] thenewnexus (1911) 4 years ago

To quote Alec Baldwin on SNL - Its not what you did its how you make us a feel.

I m sure it's mostly white dudes offended

[–] liscarkat (18367) a year ago

The main focus of the show is a middle-aged straight white guy who is a total idiot/moron. Middle-aged straight white guys are not offended.