View production, box office, & company info. On Sunday night’s episode, “The Simpsons” addressed criticism that its character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon was a racist stereotype. The latest episode of the Simpsons has addressed controversy surrounding Indian character Apu for the first time. His quest in the game is to redeem himself for unknowingly selling the tainted Buzz Cola that has made the residents of Springfield insane. His apology was cold comfort, given my past, but the validation and acknowledgment still mattered. A further strain came up when Apu was unfaithful to Manjula, causing him to briefly move out and even making him contemplate suicide. MAN 2 I'd like two dollars worth of gas, please. Lisa is bored by this revised version, and Marge asks what she should do; Lisa replies "It's hard to say. "The Sweetest Apu" is the nineteenth episode of The Simpsons' thirteenth season. Hank Azaria has apologised for voicing the Indian character Apu on The Simpsons. The episode comes after the documentary The Problem with Apu was released last November.. Homer feels bad and lets Apu live at the Simpson's home while he is unemployed. It has flaws and I expected better from an Apu episode, but Much Apu About Something is still an enjoyable Simpsons. Azaria said, "There hasn't been an outcry over these [other] characters [which play on non-South Asian stereotypes] because people feel they're represented. He Has Eight Kids. "[1] He was voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the episode "The Telltale Head". Hank - who's white - had played the convenience store owner since 1990. Apu responded by purchasing a forged birth certificate from the Springfield Mafia that listed his parents as American citizens Herb and Judy Nahasapeemapetilon from Green Bay, Wisconsin, but, when he realized he was forsaking his origins, he abandoned this plan and instead successfully managed to pass his citizenship test with help from Lisa and Homer Simpson. "[42][43][44][45], Azaria announced on January 17, 2020, that he and the production team agreed to allow him to step away from voicing Apu, "unless there's some way to transition it or something". “The Simpsons” addressed the controversy surrounding the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in Sunday night’s episode in a brief scene that some viewers felt was a … ", "Matt Groening confirms what's happening with Apu on The Simpsons", "Hank Azaria will reportedly no longer voice Apu on, "Why Hank Azaria Won't Play Apu on 'The Simpsons' Anymore", "Opinion: Hank Azaria apologized for playing Apu on 'he Simpsons.' It's a little, uh, stereotype,' and they were like, 'Eh, that's all right. [27] In 2017, Kondabolu released the hour-long documentary The Problem with Apu; in the film, Kondabolu interviews other actors and comics of South Asian heritage about the impact that the character of Apu has had on their lives and the perception of South Asians in American culture. Directed by Steven Dean Moore. No other program enjoys quite the same notoriety, and with that popularity comes … The Simpsons responded to stereotype and racism accusations about popular character Apu in a recent episode Conflict arises between Apu and his nephew Jay after he transforms the Kwik-E-Mart in to a more up to date store. The Simpsons creator Matt Groening weighed in on the controversial past and uncertain future of Apu by calling him "one of the most nuanced characters" on the show.The longest-running scripted primetime television series in American history, The Simpsons just recently aired its 700th episode. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Apu_Nahasapeemapetilon&oldid=1022871425, Fictional immigrants to the United States, Fictional people with acquired American citizenship, Fictional vegan and vegetarian characters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 13 May 2021, at 00:18. Kavi works for several American companies taking service calls using General American, cowboy, and Jamaican accents.[7]. This causes difficulties for the family but finally they decide to get on with their life. [45], In the April 12, 2021 episode of Dax Shepard's podcast Armchair Expert, Azaria apologized for "racism, my participation in racism, or at least in a racist practice or in structural racism, as it relates to show business or...all the above." MAN 1 I need one twenty-nine-cent stamp. Bubber01. In the episode, a referendum is placed on the ballot that will require all illegal immigrants in Springfield to be deported. [21][22] During the 2007 7-Eleven promotion, some members of the Indian-American community voiced concerns that Apu is a caricature that plays on too many negative stereotypes. With Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith. [10] His surname is Nahasapeemapetilon, and it was first used in the episode "A Streetcar Named Marge". APU Four … You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. In 1985, Apu was a member of the barbershop quartet The Be Sharps, along with Homer Simpson, Barney Gumble, and Principal Seymour Skinner. (17 Jan 2016). However, he is won over when he meets Manjula at the wedding, and the two decide to give the marriage a try, with Manjula noting nonchalantly that they can always get a divorce. The Simpsons responded to stereotype and racism accusations about popular character Apu in a recent episode [5] He and his family are devout Hindus, and he particularly venerates Ganesha. Manjula brings the octupulets over to the Kwik-E-Mart to visit Apu, but unfortunately he becomes upset after the kids completely trash the store. One reaction to Azaria's apology came from actress/writer Mellini Kantayya, who in a Washington Post opinion piece, wrote that hearing Azaria's concession "and for him to say so not in a carefully crafted PR statement, but in a conversation long after the news cycle had moved on, caught me off guard. Written by The Simpsons fans are furious with how the show addressed the Apu controversy in Season 29 Episode 15. "[26], In 2016, Kondabolu announced his intention to produce a documentary about "how this controversial caricature was created, burrowed its way into the hearts and minds of Americans and continues to exist – intact – twenty-six years later". 20th Century Fox says controversial 'Simpsons' Apu episode 'speaks for itself' WATCH: Comic releases documentary exploring the problems with 'Simpsons' character Apu. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Not to be confused with Much Apu About Nothing. " She wanted to get the voice perfect, so in between takes she listened to tapes of Azaria reading lines for Apu, to make sure her voice could realistically be Apu's mother's. By Michael Rothman "The Simpsons" is facing backlash online after the iconic show addressed criticism around one of its longstanding characters, who is now considered a stereotype that is out of touch with the current … [4] Apu is a vegan, as revealed in the season 7 episode "Lisa the Vegetarian". Whether you're ready for the return of your favorite show or need to catch up, May is packed with an array of returning series. Sanjay has a daughter named Pahasatira, and a son named Jamshed, all of whom share the Nahasapeemapetilon surname. Opinion: Hank Azaria apologized for playing Apu on ‘The Simpsons.’ I accept. "Much Apu About Nothing" is the 23rd episode of The Simpsons' seventh season. Apu fusses at his wife and begs her to take their kids and leave, while Homer and Bart enter the store and buy beer keg for the American Civil War reenactment of the Battle of Springfield. It has been over two years since 'The Simpsons' Kwik-E-Mart clerk Apu … I accept". After the news, many people are wondering if Apu’s character will be taken out of new episodes of The Simpson’s entirely, or … Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu made a … Apu moves in with the Simpsons after losing his job when Homer gets ill from the contaminated food; James Woods takes over the Kwik-E-Mart. After learning that Apu will be deported if the measure passes, Homer helps him prepare for a United States citizenship test so that he can become a legal citizen. Azaria reached his conclusions after years of learning and reflection. On Ice! Read More. [17] Hank Azaria has won three Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance, winning in 1998 for his performance as Apu, again in 2001 for "Worst Episode Ever", and a third time in 2003 for "Moe Baby Blues" for voicing several characters, including Apu. Like other Simpsons characters, Apu is not afraid to tackle a serious issue. “I … With Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Yeardley Smith. "After a while, you'd watch The Simpsons on a Sunday and you'd get a sense of how you'd be made fun of at school on Monday, based on what Apu did in the latest episode… Use the HTML below. He remained an illegal immigrant until Mayor Quimby proposed a municipal law to expel all undocumented aliens. [22][26] In a 2007 interview, Azaria acknowledged some of this criticism when he recalled a conversation with the writers of the show during the inception of the character: "Right away they were like 'Can you do an Indian accent and how offensive can you make it?' "Much Apu About Nothing" is the 23rd episode of The Simpsons' seventh season. Back in Springfield, James Woods fills in Apu's position. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on February 10, 1994. Marge introduces Lisa to her favorite childhood book, but is shocked by its racist stereotypes and attempts to rewrite it to suit modern sensitivities. Much Apu About Something It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 5, 2002. Ambudkar had previously worked on a 2016 episode of “The Simpsons,” in which he played Apu’s nephew, who takes charge of the Kwik-E-Mart … The Problem with Apu is a 2017 documentary film written by and starring comedian Hari Kondabolu and produced and directed by Michael Melamedoff. This episode's title is the second time The Simpsons spoofs the title of William Shakespeare's play "Much Ado About Nothing". Despite this, 7-Eleven reported that many of its Indian employees reacted positively to the idea, but noted that it was "not a 100 percent endorsement". What can you do?" It was written by Richard Appel and directed by Steven Dean Moore. [32], In an interview with USA Today, creator Matt Groening dismissed the criticism of the Apu character, saying, "I think it's a time in our culture where people love to pretend they're offended". Episodios de la temporada 27 de Los Simpsons, My ranking of ALL 704 "The Simpsons" episodes. I really want to see Indian, South Asian writers in the writers' room, genuinely informing whichever direction this character takes. I accept. 20th Century Fox says controversial 'Simpsons' Apu episode 'speaks for itself' WATCH: Comic releases documentary exploring the problems with 'Simpsons' character Apu. '"[11][12] In a 2013 interview with The Huffington Post, Azaria said it should not be expected that the character's accent would "suddenly change now" or that the character would be written out, saying, "I'd be surprised if [the show's writers] write him any less frequently because he's offensive. The Simpsons fans are furious with how the show addressed the Apu controversy in Season 29 Episode 15. [28], In April 2018, The Simpsons reacted to the controversy surrounding Apu in the episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished". Get a sneak peek of the new version of this page. The Simpsons creator has been slammed over his defense of Apu (Picture: Fox) The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has been hit with backlash from … After getting food poisoning from eating Kwik-E-Mart food, Homer gets Apu fired, and Apu comes to stay with the Simpsons. Apu loses his job at the Kwik-E-Mart after he sells Homer tainted meat. 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