Controversial!?! Indians React to APU in Simpsons!

[@jwec9867]

Quick facts about Apu: - Owns his own successful business. - Supports 8 children and loving happy wife. - Volunteer fire fighter. - Most romantic man in Springfield and notably good in bed. - Proud American citizen. (As apposed to someone who complains and doesn't contribute.) - More articulate/intelligent than a lot of the main and other side characters. If the creators were racist or trying to be offensive Apu wouldn't be this well rounded. Occasionally, he engages in stereotypes and his accent I would say is a stereotype but I don't think it comes from a malicious place. No one ever brings up Groundskeeper Willie for Scottish stereotypes for some reason? BUT this is all just my opinion based partly on comedian Akaash Singh's stand up bit on growing up with Apu on Tv.

[@ivankawnartist]

I'd say you pretty much nailed it. That's how I feel. He is at times sporadic; he's a character, indeed. He's not portrayed overtly as a joke; as you mentioned, his high quantity of valuable qualities. Peter Griffin is a clown, and in one's head that person can never doubt that watching family guy. Apu is not depicted that way, I feel.

[@MrZadir-nu7bd]

Agree 100% I remember watching as a kid and thinking Apu was one of the more hard working mature adults in Springfield.

[@theriomrasputin8233]

Hopefully, whoever voices Groundskeeper Willie, is themselves, Scottish. Otherwise,...

[@ivankawnartist]

@@theriomrasputin8233 Read the room.

[@yamahajapan5351]

He also has a PhD in computer science…

[@マイク-q2m]

Apu was one of the few characters on the Simpsons that had real morals and values.

[@marcpower4167]

Well.....he did cheat on his wife. But he was very remorseful and spent years making it up to her.

[@memeco50]

How about Flounders?

[@lostalex77]

Didn't he knowingly sell expired and rotten food?

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@lostalex77 Yes, regularly and he even was fired when he was caught that one time.

[@Dragon-Believer]

Band-Maid is awesome :) (The OP has a Band-Maid album logo as his profile picture)

[@ants-in-my-eyesjohnson1271]

When Apu said, "Finally I am an American." and tossed the Jury duty letter in the trash he was acting like an American. The 'I don't care' attitude. His personality switched on a dime. 😂😂😂

[@simplulo]

Funny that the hosts didn't seem to understand what that was about. They should google jury+nullification.

[@americanmutt9089]

During one episode Apu kicks Homer out of his store, "I'm sorry I must ban you from our store. Thank you come again."

[@rossrobertson674]

That's classic Simpsons humor, one thing I always loved was how non flammable/explosive things would explode and burst into flames upon impact

[@layne6675]

For most Americans, we loved Apu because we knew he’d do the right thing. He was moral amd kind. This cartoon has a ton of other stereotypes. Groundskeeper Willy, who is a Scottish groundskeeper. Cletus, who is an uneducated, hillbilly American. The list goes on. It’s comedy. And a beloved cartoon by many. Cheers

[@MrParkerman6]

Um....NO! In the episode Marge in Chains he certainly did NOT do the right thing and was a complete asshole in that episode!

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

And Homer being fat. So yeah.. the Simpsons have ALWAYS been a comical mirror of the US american society and EVERYONE in it. No exceptions. But apparently todays generation cannot handle it because todays generation has been made thinking they are always right, even if they are wrong.

[@ericnierstedt6242]

Well would you look at some of the things he did while running the quickie Mart I wouldn’t say he was super moral. But he did have a good heart underneath and he certainly wasn’t a bad or malicious character.

[@emanuelmartinez7267]

@@ericnierstedt6242 to be fair he's one of the most moral in a town full of scumbags

[@rossrobertson674]

And also it's very common for an Indian to run a convenience store, it's a stereotype for a reason

[@souio]

One thing I noticed about Apu is that the most offended people seemed to be Indians who were born in the USA that could not relate with him, but Indians who were actually born in India seem to really love him and understand him a lot closer.

[@KarunaHD]

thst because indians in india obviosly don`t ecpirience the same type of blatant steriotypical racism so casually

[@zarach9459]

It's the same as what happened with Speedy Gonzalez, the fastest mouse in all of Mexico, for years he disappeared from the media because someone said he was a negative stereotype of Mexicans, and the reality is that Mexicans love that mouse to the point that they put his image on trucks, taxis and bicycles, there are songs dedicated to him and now he is part of the Mexican culture.

[@MsLogjam]

I loved Speedy Gonzalez. He was fast, cool, smart, and good-natured, the perfect hero. As a kid growing up in an all-white community, I thought Latino humans must be the same way and I couldn't wait to grow up, move to a city, and meet some of them. And I was not expecting any of them to scream, "arriba arriba andale andale!"

[@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer]

The 8 children thing came at a time when people having multiple babies, mostly in the US, was in the media a lot. Apu just got to be the lucky character afflicted with this in part because he was a newlywed. His character development allowed it more so than anyone else in the show. He's a good man at his wits end. The parenting struggles they show are not really that absurd. Using your feet while you hold other children is plausible and likely in that situation. His stable and loving relationship with his wife, and his support system in Springfield, helps their family to persevere and thrive. He still gets involved in all of Springfield's shenanigans, just like everyone else. He's as much Springfield as anyone else in that town.

[@TnT_F0X]

Yeah, the birthrate is low now so time for a lonely Moe Episode? xD I never noticed but havent seen any octomom in the news or anything since 2016ish

[@halicarnassus8235]

@@TnT_F0X that episode though came out in the 90s when I was a kid

[@DeidresStuff]

Omg. Let someone who was there when the episode premiered explain it. Apu got married. He and his wife were having fertility issues. The well-meaning but stupid residents of Springfield "helped" them by slipping his wife fertility drugs. The problem was that everyone was doing it. So they had 12 kids. It had nothing to do with race or national origin. He was just the only recently married character, and didn't already have kids.

[@sandpiperr]

@@TnT_F0X It wasn't even that a lot of people were having a lot of babies, it was more just that around that time there were a few instances of individual people who got a lot of publicity for having an insane number of babies in one pregnancy!

[@serania1]

@@sandpiperr around that time that new infertility drug got create and some poeple who take it got 8 baby in one go and made the news for it

[@yakamen]

As a minority in the USA and an immigrant, I've lived here 30 years. All stereotypes are rooted in a kernel of truth. If it's good natured fun, and meant for comedy no less, then I would rather everybody have a good laugh (even if it's at my expense). It's a sign of good character. That being said, I didn't grow up knowing any Indian people, and I never developed any bad feelings or bad impressions about Indian people from watching Apu on the Simpsons. I thought he was a really cool character, and not at all because I liked how he represented ANYBODY.

[@alphagt62]

Apu was always portrayed as an honest and good willed guy. A very likable guy, that the Simpsons always cherished their friendship with him and his wife. I also noticed that when the hosts of this show talked, they speak in a sing song kind of way. I find it very pleasant.

[@thebarkingmouse]

It is the white leftists who want no fun, no joy in the world.

[@5688gamble]

@@alphagt62 Except for his tendency to price gouge his customers and sell long expired food then?

[@alphagt62]

@@5688gamble well, nobody’s perfect.

[@yakamen]

@@5688gamble He was frugal! Lol

[@rexracer3221]

Apu is a very beloved character... It's too bad that so many people don't understand comedy these days and want to be offended. (But you two got the jokes and point of the humor.)

[@Dragon-Believer]

Social Justice teaches people to be offended by everything.

[@volo1826]

@@Dragon-Believer it's people devoid of purpose who only find purpose in life by trying to convice others they are morally superior and "know" better than everyone else.

[@Dragon-Believer]

@@volo1826 a lot of it came from the Soviet Union. And a lot is coming from Communist China. Social Justice is their program to destroy western civilization from the inside.

[@okamijubei]

@@Dragon-Believer Either that or just some secret racial supremacy conspiracy.

[@Dragon-Believer]

@@okamijubei that too. Socialism is usually racist. The Soviet Union was. China is.

[@melkor251]

Honestly, I think in many ways it was more racist to remove him. I understand that a few people may have been teased with being compared to Apu, but overall he was a largely positive character. But some people see representation that are slightly well rounded and not their perfect and want to shut it down. At one time Speedy Gonzalez was going to be pushed to the side as being a racist stereotype too but the good people Mexico complained about the removal of a positive Mexican Character and how that actually was racist to remove the character.

[@Jordan-ws6jy]

They removed Apu!? 😦

[@ZeldaEd123]

That's exactly the reason why I don't think the removal is gonna stick. It's eventually going to be revealed that the loudest voices who want Apu back are Indians just like how Latinos were the loudest voices for bringing back Speedy like you mentioned.

[@mbg4681]

If Apu hadn't been in The Simpsons, nobody ever would have made fun of Indians.

[@Jordan-ws6jy]

@@mbg4681 So Indians were never made fun of a single time for thousands of years before the Simpson's show and no Indian would ever have been made fun of for the last few decades since? 🤔 Sure...

[@mbg4681]

@@Jordan-ws6jy It's an honour to meet the guy "/s" was invented for!

[@els1f]

I loved the relationship between Apu and Manjula when I was a kid. It was the more realistic relationship in the series imo

[@MrParkerman6]

That is Post Good Simpsons episodes.

[@jaytrace1006]

In my opinion, Apu was a positive portrayal of an Indian-American on American television. There aren’t many. There are too many perpetually offended people in this country, and I will bet that the ones that voiced their displeasure the loudest were not of Indian descent.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

Yes, that's the detail people tend to miss when being upset about him and being portrayed by a non-Indian actor. It's still common for gay characters to be played by straight actors and as you stated, there weren't many Indian characters on American TV in general. To get a character on there that was arguably a positive role model was a pretty substantial thing and Indian-Americans since then should probably appreciate the character for what he is, a stepping stone to something more appropriate and affirming of their identity. Unlike Grandpa, Uter, Groundskeeper WIllie, Ned Flanders and similar that arguably just exist as a stereotype to be made fun of without much of a character arc to justify it.

[@RM-306]

As an Indian I always loved Apu ... bring him back... with the OG voice actor

[@imnotyourfriendbuddy1883]

My father is from Taiwan and described his US citizenship interview like that in the 70s. In front of a judge back then, naturalization process has changed. He gave answers that were too high level on the first two questions and the judge immediately approved.

[@randalmayeux8880]

When my father was 20 years old he was sent to India to fight in world war II. He was from a small town in Louisiana, USA. He was stationed in Bengal and while there he told me he had learned Bengali. I kind of doubted him but in 19 90 we went into a convenience store and my dad saw the man's name tag on his shirt he said something to him in a language I did not understand. The man replied to him and they began an animated conversation. When I asked him what was going on, my dad told me that the man was Bengali. My dad really had learned the language!

[@rockymcallister4258]

Apu was such a positive character! So sad he is gone!

[@abc123tiktok]

Apu was a stereotype but so is the entire town of The Simpsons of every race/ethnicity/religion/sex/gender. Which is part of why it is such a bizarre town with weird stories all the time. The major controversy didn't come until later seasons when people that wanted to cancel Apu but couldn't until they finally paid attention that the voice actor of Apu was white and not Indian. I can more understand that but its a cartoon. They paid a handful of people that just so happen could do 15-20 unique voice each 30 years ago. So they saved a lot of money by just having same voice actors do most of the voices on show filling up the town. Because they stuck around so long woke culture finally saw this as problem even though intentions were never bad.

[@rossrobertson674]

Idk if u remember that nintendo game punch out but every character in the game was an ethnic stereotype, and it was made by Japanese people, it's just something people did back then to be funny but now everyone wants to be offended, today you are rewarded if can portray yourself as the victim

[@jarodM6]

I never considered apu as racist. Is very fleshed out interesting fantastic and amazing character he never said anything that racist in my opinion. But because one guy wrote A book named the problem with apu he's now no longer allowed in the show

[@gonzarellious6102]

@@billw715 Absolute BS. He apologized because the insanity of the leftists. The left was coming for him and he folded, nothing more.

[@jamesnabors3643]

@@billw715 Actually, it was in response to woke activists who wrote or read the book and were looking for something to be offended by. Hank was forced to either apologize to the mob or be cancelled. There is a reason that REAL comedians do not do colleges anymore, and that is because woke culture cannot comprehend comedy because they are too eager to be a victim or virtue signal by pointing out someone that they can be "morally superior" to in that particular moment. They are the cult of the pretending offended. Most don't even understand what they are supposed to be offended about. They just hear that they are supposed to be offended about it and go with the crowd.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@billw715 He did and he really shouldn't have. But, I get why he apologized, given the spirit of canceling people, I wouldn't expect anything other than an apology regardless of what his personal opinion might be. People forget that when the Simpson's first aired there were far fewere portrayals of the character and that a handful of voice actors on the shows do virtually all the voices that you ever hear. Occasionally, you get guests on to voice a few characters, but virtually all the work is done by a few actors. Having an actor just for Apu would be a bit of a oddity. The other recurring characters that have a guest star tend not to show up as often and Apu would often show up in an episode for just a few lines before folks left the store. Later they made entire storylines about him and his family, but that was years into the series at that point.

[@rossrobertson674]

If a Scottish or Irish guy wrote a book about Cheif Wiggum or Groundskeeper Willie they'd be laughed at

[@rossrobertson674]

@@billw715 you act as if Hank Azaria had a choice, he's a typical spineless actor trying to stay in Hollywood and he knows how to play the game, Apu was no worse than the 20 other stereotypical characters the Simpsons created

[@maozedong8370]

I miss Apu.

[@smokeyverton7981]

He was my favorite to play in The Simpsons Road Rage game

[@maozedong8370]

@@smokeyverton7981 Do you mean hit and run?

[@theviolator818]

What about 15-55 million people you killed during the great leap "forward" do you miss them!.... Naw I'm just f**king with you I thought it was some of your best work 😘

[@rebeccaanne9863]

Apu is the ideal immigrant. Pulled himself up by his bootstraps, has a loving family, volunteers in his community, is true to his faith, loves America, and most importantly isn’t here for a government hand out - in fact he’s proud to be a business owner and bringing in money on his own.

[@flabbybum9562]

Enjoyed this video. I've never understood the issue with Apu. He's smart, hardworking, entrepreneurial with a shrewd business head, strong yet compassionate, he has a great sense of humour, but also takes his responsibilities very seriously. Last but not least, he's a pillar of his community.

[@MrParkerman6]

Not at all compassionate in the Marge in Chains episode.

[@flabbybum9562]

@@MrParkerman6 True, but that one was a bit of an outlier.

[@jtilton5]

The Controversy all started with some guy who got teased as a kid by being called "Apu" by bullies, and grew up to work in media and made a documentary called "The Problem with Apu" and from there it snowballed into people wanting to remove the character, or at leasr replace Hank Azeria with a Indian American Actor.

[@nunya2076]

I am a Mexican immigrant in the US. I used to watch the Simpsons as a kid and always admired Apu and had nothing but positive feelings toward him. I looked up to him. It was a clear to anyone who actually watched the show that he was a kind hard working man with great values.

[@rossrobertson674]

If anything u guys have more of a case for being offended cuz of bumble bee man, although he wasn't necessarily a Mexican stereotype but more or a crazy Mexican television show character

[@MikeJones69696]

Are you one of them illegal immigrants in America 🤔?

[@sleepyrasta420]

They should bring Apu back they could always get someone from india to do the voice. Im Scottish and i have no complaints about groundskeeper willie. Yeah he's a stereotype but i don't care it's just a laugh and think it's good they have someone Scottish on there.

[@castortroy9921]

It's unfortunate that they removed Apu nahasapeemapetilon and his family form the series I've been really enjoy your reaction very wholesome you guys are always in a good mood full of energy

[@AMLCOrey]

We must not forget these cartoons come from a different time. They were made in 1990 - 1997. That was before SRK conquered our cinemas and DVD racks, before India became a nation that flies into space and before the country had its fast development and economic boom. Apu was actually a very loveable character and I didn't see him as an insult to India. He is working extremely hard and endures lots of hardships, he has never been evil and he as well as the hardcore-christian Ned Flanders are the only ones of the men portaied in the show that did not go to Moe's Bar and spent their cash on booze. What you missed to show was the scene where Apu has a garden on top of his Quicky Mart, where he can watch cinema films for free and has ex-Beatles singer Paul McCartney and his then-wife Linda to visit him. Also, in the episode where Homer arranged a bowling-team, Apu is kept on the team and Heavy-Metal-Fan Otto is kicked out to be replaced by Mr. Burns.

[@jbsmith966]

Apu also has an incredible work ethic - " I have been shot 5 times and almost missed a day of work."

[@joshgellis3292]

Also, there’s something utterly and amazingly EPIC about how Apu casually slap shotted a HOCKEY PUCK at Lisa’s FACE- …and LISA just EPICALLY catches it right out of the air! LOL! 🤣👌

[@luisrivera3056]

lol, as we say in the U.S. " you have to take it with a grain of salt".. its innocent humor..

[@Nathan-ft7if]

He's not offensive. Most Americans love apu, and admire him, he has a lot of merchandise. There is just a group of people in America that wants to remove everything we love.

[@Aboleo80]

It's not about if he is offensive to you but to Indian Americans...

[@Nathan-ft7if]

@@Aboleo80 and when its only rich white Americans doing the complaining they are saying we are offended for you even if your not offended we are going to remove a something people love in your name. They are getting rid of aunt jemima, uncle Ben, red skins, rastus, apu, land o'lakes butter, Eskimo pie, and so on, what they have done is if your a person of color you get taken down and the only characters, images, and mascots left are just white people.

[@joseherrera8489]

Its more of him being a stereotype voiced by an non-Indian person.

[@Nathan-ft7if]

@@joseherrera8489 yes and the people in this video sound just like apu and wear the head dress. Just because something is a stereotype doesn't make it bad. It means you are trying to make a character that is the most accurate representation of that group of people, and acting is a skill. If there isn't any Indian voice actors to voice this character, your not going to get some random Indian that can't act that will cost the company lots of money having to do take after take trying to get it right when you can get a voice actor thats good at impressions that can do it in one take

[@dsmkrotj4990]

@@Aboleo80 Most Indian Americans really don't find him offensive my Dad was one of them.

[@collinscody57]

They cut the best part when there on the mountain. Apu: this Is the first convince store. Homer: this isnt very convenient.

[@brandonparisien2381]

Must you dump on everything we do?

[@badbot4ever566]

The interesting thing is the show is filled with stereotypes but for some reason the media focuses on Apu. There’s Fat Toni, Luigi, Willie, Clancy Wiggum, Krusty ,Mr. Burns,Kent Brockman, Cletus. All stereotypes but we love Apu the most.

[@douglasstrother6584]

Apu & Willie (on many fronts): Groundskeeper Willie: "You speak English with a strange accent, Laddie." Apu: "You speak English with a strange accent, angry man wearing skirt." Groundskeeper Willie: "Look there, in front of us, it's ass-kicking time!" Apu: "Indeed, there is much arse to kick!"

[@jordanwalker1988]

I can’t speak for the comedian who has a problem with Apu’s issues, but I like Apu, who proves just how many accents Hank Azaria can be a man of. (The documentary is called The Problem With Apu, btw. The comedian who made it is Hari Kondabolu. His reasons for his hatred towards Apu are understandable, but probably not entirely justified.)

[@The_Kiosk]

I think it's fair to say that most of the "controversy" over people being upset had to do with non-Indian people speaking on behalf of Indian people. Your points about comedy at the beginning said it all. There's nothing malicious here.

[@BishopWalters12]

Exactly, it's mostly rich white people under 30 that don't have a job or any real hobbies.

[@Collectthefunk]

Apu was my favorite. He was the nice guy

[@Shin_Akumi]

In australia, apu was an accurate portrayal of an indian immigrant finding the Australian dream, usually working 2 jobs to one day bring his family to a better life. He may have been a taxi driver, gas station attendee or an 7/11 employee. it was a job and he always had customers, so he always have money to send back home. All my australian born Indian friends loved apu, the worst that ever happened to them was someone would do apu accept to them as a joke, he would laugh and do it back to them lol but if you act offended, people will notice and make the joke more xD if u laugh people will move on.

[@hugehappygrin]

Feminists that are not East Indian in any way are the people complaining FOR you, obviously not WITH you.

[@paullangland6877]

That's the Social Justice Warriors in a nutshell. They're the ones being offended for the parties that they claim to be offended with, when those said parties and groups actually think the jokes are hilarious most of the time.

[@sullieduser6116]

Honestly he was the most respected character in my book he was loyal and a great friend.

[@badguy1481]

I believe the "Indian minority" in the USA (and, I would guess, the "Indian Minorities" of Canada, Australia and Great Britain) are very well thought of. They all WORK. They all have jobs. They all are educated. And MOST of them have made themselves rich. I never heard anyone say anything negative about them. These videos and the jokes are really NOT anti-Indian. They are more "in admiration" of Indian ethics and values pertaining to hard work and being "overly nice". The Indian accent, for Americans, is also very entertaining and fun to listen to and attempt to imitate.

[@simplulo]

Asok, the Indian character in the Dilbert comic strip, is known to be a genius, like all IIT graduates. My IIT friends in grad school assured me that they are not typical Indians. Probably Indian immigrants in the UK and elsewhere (not the US) are more like us mere mortals.

[@jasonv7151]

Apu had the best character development outside of the main Simpson family members. The arcs with him dealing with arranged marriage, working out issues with his marriage, and traveling to India is some of the greatest simpsons content ever. It’s a shame he’s gone

[@ragin.germasian]

I have every season on DVD available. One if the biggest Simpsons fans on the planet I'm sure. Seen the episode where Apu takes the hot coffee and Ned tries to comfort him. The scene is funny in itself but seeing their reactions to it was GOLD! I'm wiping away tears.

[@moorek1967]

You have to remember one thing, Apu might be from India but he is still an individual person with his own personality and quirks.

[@terrycarter1137]

almost like what people think about people who live in the southern part of the US. there's videos kinda using that stereotype in a funny way from "it's a southern thing"

[@chevyc5659]

I'm going to miss APU. I haven't watched the documentary but I really hope the guy that got APU removed from the Simpsons didn't do it only to become more famous

[@axelwulf6220]

30+ years, and only recently did anyone have a problem with him

[@JIMBO8472]

Apu was a fully fleshed out character and had many episodes of his own.

[@rich9987]

People from India would not be offended by APU nearly as much as Baizuo White Americans are. I can see Indians that grew up or spent a lot of time in Universities here getting offended also.

[@SwizzleStickMcGee]

I grew up watching "The Simpsons" and I really never found it offensive...even though Apu had a very stereotypical accent, he was always portrayed as one of the hardest working, and most decent/moral characters in the Simpsons universe. I was very pleased to see that you found joy in it, instead of being offended by it. You're a beautiful couple, and laughter only amplifies beauty. It was great to watch you guys laughing along 😁

[@rossrobertson674]

It's not even a stereotypical voice, it's very similar to alot of Indians including the 2 reactors

[@SwizzleStickMcGee]

@@rossrobertson674 ....meaning it's stereotypical 🤣

[@rossrobertson674]

@@SwizzleStickMcGee haha yeah, guess I meant stereotypical in the way people use that word to refer to something that they think isn't true but other people believe

[@netgnostic1627]

After knowing he had an IT background, I always wanted Apu to start an IT company and turn over the Kwik-E-Mart management to Ned Flanders.

[@marcpower4167]

The only Apu line I can think of off the top of my head that I thought people from India might be offended by: Marge asks if she can use the washroom to change Maggie, he says no, customers only. She shoves Maggie in his face and he says "Oh! That is the most pungent thing I've ever smelled! And I am from India!" Although I showed that clip and several others to a Indian colleague and he loved them all.

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

I work at a store. The owner is Indian. I have to try so hard, to never say "Thank you, come again," 😆

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

I'd imagine that the owner has heard that a few too many times, but yeah, probably best not to say it.

[@Mr.Schitzengigglez]

@@SmallSpoonBrigade he's a friend, but, yeah. I don't say that. But, he just ordered a slurpee machine. I feel like I'm being tested.. 😆

[@AyAy008]

I would highly recommend Akaash Singh's stand up comedy on Apu.

[@Grigsy]

I'm hoping a predator makes a documentary about the offensiveness about Herbert in Family Guy.

[@darthmaul13]

Great reaction guys. I’m so glad u enjoyed it . Apu with the towel & screaming was because he drank a coffee that was too hot. But it was suppose to look like bin Ladin. So that’s why it was funny. I’m Caucasian born in Scotland but raised in Canada. The Simpson r always doing jokes on Canada & then there is grounds keeper willie who is Scottish. All the characters in the show r stereo types. One issue some people had with Apu was that he’s voice by a white guy. I look at it that it’s just a voice so that shouldn’t matter. The guy who voices Willie isn’t Scottish

[@batape1965]

In the Simpson's universe, Apu was possibly the most honorable and beloved side character. I understand why some feel his character was disrespectful, but I for one will miss him.

[@ThePursoodm]

You all should react to Hari Kondabolu's take on Apu (since he is the one that made the whole "problem with apu" documentary) and Akaash Singh's response to it to do a deeper dive into why there is controversy and if you agree with it. To me it basically comes down to this. Apu is the only Indian in the show so some people take everything he does as a representation of Indians instead of viewing him as an individual. Its always been a silly show with silly comedy so Apu is going to have his moments where he looks bad but I dont think it should be deemed controversial. The show has been around since like 89' too and it should be acknowledged that times have changed when judging old episodes. Overall tho, anyone that watched this show as a kid like I did could tell you that Apu was easily one of the most normal and admirable in the show. It's bizarre that he is the one that got removed.

[@Positive_Indifference]

Apu Is My Favorite Character. 💯

[@3DJapan]

I think the main controversy is that he's voiced by a white actor.

[@seriozycie9149]

First of all Apu wa a great p;erson if you think about it for a moment , inteligent ( MENSA) , hot wfie, sports car, rich, he is a firefighter. He was in contrast to many Springfield occupants, Second - its a comedy show that parody stereotypes - its not rasisct beacuse rasicst show will make fun ONLY of minorities. Simpsons make fun of EVERYBODY ( thats difference between humor and rascism), especially white americans.

[@TheCrazyCanuck420]

Haven't watched the Simpsons in many years but one of my favorite episodes is the one where Apu was going to get deported but gets his citizenship and they deport Willie at the end (or was it Moe?)

[@dole8001]

You should react to Fisher Stevens character Ben Jabituya in the Short Circuit movies. People claim it as brownface and controversial yet many Indian people were flattered by it and thought he really was from India.

[@Vipre-]

Ben was awesome, favorite character of the franchise and blew me away when I saw him later in Early Edition.

[@paulwallis7586]

I've been wondering about this. Surely if there was something truly offensive, someone would have been able to iunderstand it was a joke. Apu was a great character. It's not as though Indians are over-represented on US TV, either.

[@user-sv2ti4sb1u]

Love Apu he's one of my favorite character on that show, not everything has to be racist...and yes I'm indian . If u don't like the character, then instead of being mad ... simplest thing to do is not watch.. the end.. Btw..love ur reactions

[@shadowswithin702]

Apu was one of the most beloved characters in the Simpsons, was there a lot of stereotypes yes. But as there are with all countries and races, but was it based on Racism I don't personally think so. People see racism sometimes where there isn't any, if we cannot laugh at ourselves sometimes life can be incredibly difficult, more so than it is already. Apu was well written and well rounded as a character, and is relatable to many people Indian or otherwise.

[@jimmy7434]

It’s a disgrace he’s gone. We can all laugh at our stereotypes.

[@JStryker47]

Apu: *rushes back to store* "Whew! And with one minute to spare!" Hans: "You took four minutes of my life and I want them back! ...oh, I'd only waste them anyway."

[@danieldpa8484]

Apu in fact a positive character…. Indians understand, American wookies don’t

[@maxbrazil3712]

Apu was the only normal person in Springfield.

[@Sunset553]

The show decided it was wrong to have a white man as Apu’s voice. Apu’s voice was from Hank Azaria, an accomplished voice actor.

[@dizzyrick7653]

They only decided that after white progressives started crying about it.

[@ladymacbethofmtensk896]

And the irony of it is that whites and Indians both originated in the same place. The Aryans who became modern Indians went east over the Hindu Kush mountains, and the Aryans who became the Europeans went west over the steppes, and traces of Sanskrit can still be heard on the Baltic coast to this day.

[@TheLocutus70]

Same thing happened to Cleveland on Family Guy. That's why I don't watch those shows anymore.

[@SmallSpoonBrigade]

@@TheLocutus70 I thought that was because they gave him a spin off show and having the character in two shows in two different places doesn't really make much sense. Pretty much any time a character gets a spin off they wind up leaving the previous show.

[@gibiscus]

Hank Azaria's actually a Sephardic Jew of Greek background (his ancestors were kicked out of Spain in 1492 and moved to the then-Ottoman Empire)...

[@AndrewSnarls]

The 'controversy' came from those who hold the political views that ONLY an INDIAN person should be voicing an Indian character and Apu was being voiced by a White man so that to them is offensive..... It makes no sense but that's the derangement in the USA right now and it's only gotten worse since the Apu controversy....... Stereotyping is part of Comedy and always has been so to be offended by it would mean you're offended by all Comedy.

[@seanwallace89]

Apu is universally loved because he is a genuine and decent person. Thus, promoting to Americans that whilst different in culture... still very good ppl.

[@kf9346]

Always one of my favourite characters. I especially loved his friendship with Lisa Simpson.

[@KRAFTWERK2K6]

Apu was one of my favorite characters and he had some of the funniest lines. And i've been a Simpson fan since this show was first broadcast here in Germany in 1991. The fact that his character was removed because SOME folks felt their feelings hurt, is just insane.... He was such a positive and interesting character. Believe it or not, because of Apu i even heard about Hinduism in first place. The reactions of you two is priceless & sweet and i LOVE it :D

[@daviddavies3637]

Apu was a great character. The Simpsons is all based on stereotypes and the best comedy has fun with people, not at them. That's something I thought always came across with Apu. A lovable character you were always rooting for. I don't think you'll see many Scots offended with groundskeeper Willie. One of my favourite Simpsons scenes is when Apu and his wife was trying for a child. She takes a pregnancy test that, much to their disappointment, is negative. Then she says: "All that sex for nothing," to which Apu relied "well, that's a pretty grim assessment." Cracks me up every time.

[@AtanoKSi]

Apu is one of the most loved characters from the simpsons, and I don't mean loved as in for example Mr Burns, who you kinda love because it's funny but you know he's evil and don't really like how he is most of the time. With Apu most people really like him because he's sweet, funny, and in some way a representation of that being from another place doesn't mean you are less part of the big family that the simpsons usually is. A lot of episodes show how the characters know Apu as somebody they can trust, I specially remember the episode where in Springfield people for some reason get in the wild west trend and everybody is dressing as cowboys, and you can see Apu in his shop with a guitar singing songs to the kids, it shortly after develops into a funny joke but idk, that scene is very sweet to me

[@MKF30]

Great reaction guys! I love Apu. Its unfortunate the Simpsons bent the knee and canceled him to pander to the PC crowd. As a Mexican American they tried to cancel Speedy Gonzalez but we Mexican Americans and Mexicans love him and were not for it. It was a bunch of people on Twitter not even Mexican. Its Crazy how everyone is so offended now days. Even fluffy the big Mexican comedian felt tbst was ridiculous he also voiced him. Haha 😄

[@CaddyJim]

There's a grain of Truth in all comedy is usually exaggerated for comedic effect

[@aasifazimabadi786]

I grew up watching Apu as a boy in New York in the 90s. He made me proud to be an Indian. That person who made that documentary should be ashamed of himself, but at any rate, "The Simpsons" is a shadow of its former self. Even before they got rid of Apu, the show should have humbly bowed out.

[@AbraCaStabra]

It gets worse by the year, if not by the episode.

[@deepakchohan9457]

So many Hindu kids got made fun of in the 90s in North America because of this .

[@attiepollard7847]

Actually no kids got made fun of in my school in the 90s

[@hinoron6528]

(Father pushing apart fighting babies with his feet). Pet owners with puppies or kittens find themselves doing this. That's really the running joke of that episode: Apu and his wife had a litter of small animals, more than children.

[@shaitanlavey]

This type of humor is to make us all realize no one is perfect, we all have quirks and must learn to cope with them. No one is spared or exempt. Most of it comes from an era where folks had thicker skin and didn't get emotional over every little thing.

[@SRGoldfish]

lol. I love how u guys “get it” I’m also Indian and I’m 100% not offended by any of this. Sometimes society makes me ask myself “should I be”? And then I smack myself and say “stop it. Feel how u feel. Don’t feel how people think u should feel” this is funny and that’s all it is.

[@ottisennes1715]

You may find this interesting . No matter how they have been portrayed , accurately or not .... I have always liked any Indian character I can remember from movies or TV. Every portrayal I can remember has been of a caring and or humorous person.

[@The_Kiosk]

If you've watched the show in any decent amount, it can be inferred that Apu is easily the hardest working person in Springfield. Even the crooks are lazy compared to him. And most of the jokes are about the dedication to providing for an enormous family. The portrayal of the voice is a white dude doing an impression that can be considered racist, and I think that was the actual controversy. The smart way for them to handle it would be for the writers and voice actor to learn more about the real accent and grammar and traditions and meld them into the show. For comparison, the portrayal of an Indian scientist who works with a sentient AI war robot in Short Circuit 1 and 2 is one you'd probably actually be offended by.

[@andres24x]

Sometimes he was smarter than mr burns himself.

[@worldelite5016]

Apu singing the Who needs the Kwik E Mart was the best.

[@The_Cosmic_Navigator]

I have been a Simpsons fan since I was a kid and Apu has always been my favorite character.

[@patrickparr3331]

"that was to quick." 😆

[@ericnierstedt6242]

For me Apu kind of was my introduction to India as a culture. I was probably nine or 10 when I started seeing the Simpsons and I didn’t know what his accent was and when they referred to him as Indian I thought he was a Native American. The episode where he and Homer went to India to get his job back was where I realized oh he’s that kind of Indian. But even then I just thought his traits were just him as a human being. I never really thought they translated to Indian people in general. I think the real problem at the time was that apu was done to poke fun at people In a satirical way, but there was no other Indian character on television to balance him out. So people thought this was what Indian people were like

[@juha369]

he was first generation indian in america....so that's why he spoke that way.....all the second generation speak English without a sign of accent, but they still speak their family tongue. so take it to heart that he's in the simpsons.

[@the98themperoroftheholybri33]

I've never understood why people began saying Apu is offensive, he's a hard working family man who is vegan

[@n.b.3918]

His last name is actually the last name of a woman one of the writers went to University with, they give her a shout out in the writers commentary and I think they mentioned they had asked her or told her they wanted to use it. Little partial fact, you can google to find out more if someone didn’t already comment this. :)

[@clownzzz4837]

Thanks for your reaction.

[@douglasstrother6584]

"Mathologer" has a number of videos on "Simpon's Math" most of which center around Apu.

[@sadlobster1]

It's ironic Apu's character was removed from the cast because some claims arose saying that he was "offensive" to Indian people. Yet here we have two such people reacting to some of his moments and THEY actually find him AMUSING

[@rhapsody710]

The writers knew that Apu was a stereotype, and they made self-referential jokes about it in many episodes. However, I would argue that they ultimately developed his character to be very multi-dimensional and very human. Which is why he is one of my favorite characters from the show.

[@Trifler500]

lol for those who don't know, most judges will actually throw you in jail for a time if you ignore jury duty. Once when I was in jury duty they told me another juror was actually sentenced to two weeks in jail for being a half hour late. I thought that was quite extreme. I mean, I understand that the whole court is held up by his not being there, but I think 24 hours would have gotten the message across.

[@jhonny94bravo58]

Apu actually got me into researching the world when I was a kid. If it wasnt for ganesha and apu I would still be using anger fuel my daily life.

[@scipioafricanus2]

she used a fertilization enhancement method in that episode. man, i've seen everyone of these episodes.