Much Apu About Nothing? Writer Responds To PC Controversy Over 'Simpsons' Character

NewsBusters ^ | July 21, 2007 | P.J. Gladnick

[PJ-Comix]

A recent article by writer Manish Vij, The Apu travesty in The Guardian has stirred up something of a hornets nest of controversy as was chronicled here in NewsBusters. Vij took a strictly PC approach and condemned the portrayal of Apu from "The Simpsons" as being racist. However, his opinion is far from universal among people of ethnic Indian background. Journalist Saptarshi Ray who is based in the Washington, D.C. bureau of The Guardian has a very different view of the Apu character in his response, The wonder of Apu:

Apu may run the local shop, he may indulge in some jiggery-pokery with best before labels and he may count "five-finger discounts" as among his pet hates but he is also intelligent, funny, assertive and impatient with stupidity.

It seems that Mr. Ray has a far better better understanding of "The Simpsons" show than Vij:

Apu forms part of the contrary texture of the Simpsons - there are stereotypes everywhere but many of them don't behave along stereotypical lines. There was, in fact, a bowling team called the Stereotypes consisting of the Sea Captain ("Arr"), Groundskeeper Willie the Scot ("Hoots mon!"), Cletus the redneck ("Gawd damn") and Luigi the Italian chef ("Mama mia") who asked Apu to join, but he was instead claimed by Homer's team, the Pin Pals. He was also in the Be Sharps with Homer, Principal Skinner and Barney Gumble, a Beatles-like band that played a rooftop gig to George Harrison's derision that "It's been done before".

Additionally, Ray points out that the Apu character is far more complex than the narrow stereotype painted by the PC Vij:

Apu may work at the Kwik-E-Mart but his adventures take in everything from being part of the town volunteer firefighters - where, in one scene, Homer, Krusty and Apu are described as "Christian, Jew and miscellaneous" by Reverend Lovejoy. "I am a Hindu, there are over 700 million of us" retorts Apu. "Oh, that's super," beams the Rev - to having a penchant for public nudity. So which stereotype does he fit exactly?

Where Apu comes into his own is that he is never embarrassed about his own beliefs, identity or mannerisms. He openly displays his Hindu gods such as Ganesh and Vishnu in his store ("Mr Simpson, please do not offer my god a peanut"), he talks with authority and affection on a range of subjects...

Apu also holds a PhD in computer science but has been at the Kwik-E-Mart since his student days paying off his loans. If that is stereotypical of Asian-Americans I empathise with the financial constraints but am buoyed by the qualifications for serving customers.

Apu has an Indian accent because he is Indian, as in from India; he tries to swindle his customers because he is a shopkeeper with flexible morality, like Arkwright, the very white, very English, shopkeeper in Open All Hours; he is suspicious because he has been shot eight times ("all Kwik-E-Mart employees must be trained in the deadly arts").

...if Apu is a stereotype it is by virtue of him being America's favourite Indian. The movie campaign may have overlooked and marginalised the feelings of many Asian-Americans and the way they're portrayed but Apu bucks the stereotype as often as he is a victim of it...

Can we expect a public debate in the near future over the Apu character controversy? This is something I'm sure the producers of the upcoming "The Simpsons" movie are sure to relish. You just can't buy publicity like that. Controversy usually means more ticket sales.

[PJ-Comix]

This will probably be my last post for about a week. Moving today and in a few minutes have to take down my modem and turn in to Comcast. Then they have to send someone out to my new place, about 7 miles from here, to re-install. Hopefully sooner than later.

[Seruzawa]

Excellent demonstration of just how ignorant and shallow the liberal pc crowd is.

[ASA Vet]

Simpsons? Isn’t that the cute little short cartoon on the Traci Ulman show?

[InvisibleChurch]

By the arms of Vishnu, I swear I am NOT a characterization of a Kwiki-Mart employee!

[B-Chan]

My opinion

[i_dont_chat]

Successful moving day to you. See you on the other side. (of the move).

[Vision]

What I don’t understand is why someone would pay $10 to see a tv show. The 7/11 quickie mart marketing ploy is genius and they probably will need it to get people in the door.

[joylyn]

I’m moving too — 400 miles, not 7 — and am trying to prepare myself for a week or two of internet withdrawal. It’s scary to me that I’m actually worried about this!

But I do love Apu. There would be very little comedy without stereotypes to play off of.

[CountryBumpkin]

So it took Vij the better part of two decades to notice that The Simpsons has a myriad cast of characters across the racial spectrum intentionally created to be “cartoonish” stereotypes? In Vij’s mind, why is it not OK for Apu to be a stereotype but apparently OK for all the other characters? It seems to me that Vij is either insecure or is harboring his own racial “issues”. Out of curiosity, would Vij prefer that Apu work at a customer service hotline under a European-sounding alias? Of course, then Apu would have to leave Springfield and move to India. ;)

[Zman]

Much Apu about nothing.........

[L98Fiero]

“So it took Vij the better part of two decades to notice that The Simpsons has a myriad cast of characters across the racial spectrum intentionally created to be “cartoonish” stereotypes?”

LOL, my thoughts exactly. That boy ain’t too quick.

[Jabba the Nutt]

OK, the depiction of Apu is racist. What about the depictions of Homer, Marge, Bart, Mr Burns, Flanders, etc., etc., etc. Seems to me it’s an open-and-shut case of anti-White racism. Where am I going wrong?

[ThomasThomas]

All the characters on the Simpsons make fun of somebody. Well except principal Skinner. Now he is real.

[texas booster]

What will the MSM discover next?

That Hank Hill is a stereotype of a suburban Texan?

[Publius6961]

There is only one human culture that has no sense of humor. Fortunately.
To me that tells me that they are either aliens, os somehow not completely human.
I don't think that people in India or Pakistan who are not muslim lack a sense of humor. One of the classic signs of humanity is the ability to laugh at oneself.

One of my foavorite movies is not close to being among the best 100 of all time, but it is my favorite nonetheless, for its portryal of a Pakistani fellow-scientist: Short Circuit.

[Moonmad27]

Best line ever of Apu’s - when someone says “you only live once”, he says “Speak for yourself.”

[Psycho_Bunny]

lololololol.....Vij's article is 100% Pure Drama Queen stuff.

His writting leaves me with the impression that he's a really nice moron.

[B-Chan]

Reverend Lovejoy’s snotty daughter once called Bart “yellow trash”.

[boop]

I went to the Kwik-E-Mart in Seattle. it was as absolutely packed as can be and the Indian owners/employees were having a great time joking with the customers. And they were making a TON of cash. I’m sure the promotion was voluntary and made some people VERY wealthy.

[MozarkDawg]

Best line ever of Apu’s - when someone says “you only live once”, he says “Speak for yourself.”

[A_Former_Democrat]

I guess you just can’t say anything or stereotype anyone . . .unless of course it’s whites, Christians, Southerners, small towners, farmers, or males. Oops, left out heterosexuals.

Everyone else is a “protected class” who never does anything wrong (e.g. crime, spreads disease/terror) and doesn’t deserve any criticism or ridicule regardless.

[gcruse]

“Much Apu about nothing...”

What would Hindu?

[PJ-Comix]

I’m moving too — 400 miles, not 7 — and am trying to prepare myself for a week or two of internet withdrawal. It’s scary to me that I’m actually worried about this!

I'm mostly moved in now. I will be spending the rest of the week moving the rest of my stuff bit by bit. Supposedly I will be reconnected late Tuesday. In the meantime, use library computers like I am right now.