There has been a lot of controversy about the role lately.
A few months, a documentary was released titled The Problem With Apu, which dealt with the representation of the minority character in what has become an increasingly problematic way.
Not that Apu has been represented any differently over the years, but the public’s awareness that the initial representation of the character is viewed, by today’s standards, as being quite racist.
Then in April, the show attempted to tackle the problem directly, and fans were left very disappointed with how that turned out, which you read all about here.
The folks behind the show then promised to deal with the problem in a better way, following the backlash, despite the strong arguments that perhaps some viewers are being too sensitive about the subject.
On Tuesday night, actor Hank Azaria – who voices Apu, as well as Moe, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy and several others – was a guest on Stephen Colbert, and the topic came up:
.@HankAzaria addresses the controversy surrounding the character ‘Apu’ from @TheSimpsons. #LSSC #Apu #TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/pkmYgcX4Il
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 25, 2018
Azaria’s statement of wanting more Indian and South Asian writers in the room for when coming up with the future of a much loved character is a well-intentioned one, as well as the fact that he states he is willing to step aside from voicing the character if that is what the transition requires, is also a big step in the right direction.
All eyes will be on the show to see what they do next.
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