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'Simpsons' Actor Hank Azaria Feels He Needs Apologize to Every Indian for Apu

"It's practically a slur at this point," he says of what the character represents.

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by Anonymousreply 54April 13, 2021 10:41 PM

Bullshit.

Go into any Indian owned convenience store in NY, and you'll find a version of "Apu."

He's a comedian. It's observational comedy, based on real life.

Is EVERYTHING outlawed now?

Pretty soon, we won't be able to talk or laugh about anything any more, for fear of being CANCELLED.

by Anonymousreply 1April 12, 2021 4:54 PM

All episodes of this terrible show featuring this racist "character" need to be deleted, never shown anywhere again! Won't someone PLEASE think of the children?

by Anonymousreply 2April 12, 2021 4:58 PM

I cannot feel bad for him.

The original creatives behind THE SIMPSONS, including the voice actors, are millionaires many, many times over. The Apu character was a red-flag issue for many years and that "woke" awareness didn't just happen yesterday. As a former SIMPSONS fan, I know they all like to think of themselves as always siding with goodness and virtue, but the show has become an enormous cash machine to everyone involved, first and foremost.

Hank, if you feel so bad, find some appropriate charity and give them your kajillions of ill-gained dollars. Or are you just auditioning for another job?

by Anonymousreply 3April 12, 2021 5:00 PM

R3, the show is satire. Apu exists. Indians should take it up with reality.

by Anonymousreply 4April 12, 2021 5:22 PM

After teasing us with full-frontal, show it already Hank!

by Anonymousreply 5April 12, 2021 5:24 PM

But Indians should be satirized and parodied by Indian actors and comedians. That's the point to be made.

Is that unreasonable?

by Anonymousreply 6April 12, 2021 5:25 PM

But gays get bubkes for Agadore Spartacus, right?

by Anonymousreply 7April 12, 2021 5:26 PM

Apu was one of the few male characters who were both competent and good natured. Shame he's considered a slur.

by Anonymousreply 8April 12, 2021 5:26 PM

This is no different than the original white actors in "Amos and Andy". He was doing a white man's perception of an Indian. So it his perception that is being satirized.

by Anonymousreply 9April 12, 2021 5:27 PM

Maybe he should apologize for being gay.

by Anonymousreply 10April 12, 2021 5:28 PM

I liked Apu.

by Anonymousreply 11April 12, 2021 5:29 PM

Wonder if they will go back and edit him out...what a shame.

Hey, what about the gay characters he has done on The Simpsons.

We need to not take things so seriously.

by Anonymousreply 12April 12, 2021 5:30 PM

[quote] This is no different than the original white actors in "Amos and Andy". He was doing a white man's perception of an Indian. So it his perception that is being satirized.

They had replaced the white actors with Black ones by the time they got to TV.

by Anonymousreply 13April 12, 2021 5:30 PM

Agree with R3. Apu at first was a clever character that satirized the stereotypes, but very very quickly it turned INTO the stereotype, and no one cared for the better part of 20 years. Now Azaria feels guilty? Enough. He needs to just stop talking about it.

by Anonymousreply 14April 12, 2021 5:32 PM

They're not going to edit out Apu in old episodes, my goodness, are we really starting THAT scaremongering bullshit so early in this thread?

by Anonymousreply 15April 12, 2021 5:33 PM

Apu was shown as dishonest and devious about the items he sold in his store, especially food. He also had 10 identical brown children who acted like monkeys. His stereotypical way of speaking has been mocked by every teenager and immature adult for the past 30 years.

I can see why he is considered an insult to many.

by Anonymousreply 16April 12, 2021 5:34 PM

They made Apu central to an episode about prejudice against immigrants, and now this!

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by Anonymousreply 17April 12, 2021 5:35 PM

Apu was about making fun of people who believe in the stereotype. The Simpson is probably the most Liberal minded show there is. The show has never intended to be mean or insulting.

Once upon a time people were able to laugh at themselves and not see everything as a triggering insult. But nowadays, you can find even online support groups for people who are offended by the word "Hello" and then other groups for those who are offended by "Hi".

by Anonymousreply 18April 12, 2021 5:46 PM

Sorry, The Simpsons, of course.

by Anonymousreply 19April 12, 2021 5:46 PM

am the simpsons making fun of stupid kids like #metoo

by Anonymousreply 20April 12, 2021 5:48 PM

It's not "scaremongering bullshit." It has happened before. M-G-M re-dubbed and repainted the Mammy Two-shoes characters from [italic]Tom & Jerry[/italic] voiced by Lillian Randolph and turned her into a white Irish scullery woman voiced by June Foray.

by Anonymousreply 21April 12, 2021 5:50 PM

uh huh

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by Anonymousreply 22April 12, 2021 5:57 PM

the gaytriarchy strikes again

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by Anonymousreply 23April 12, 2021 5:57 PM

uppity

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by Anonymousreply 24April 12, 2021 5:58 PM

Jesus, what's next: apologizing to all the gays and Guatemalans for his performance in The Birdcage?! Apologizing to the French for Along Came Polly? Apologizing to the Jews for The Smurfs?

by Anonymousreply 25April 12, 2021 5:59 PM

Apologizing to Helen Hunt for his tiny dick?

by Anonymousreply 26April 12, 2021 6:00 PM

Why hasn't Borstein been taken down for Miss Swan and Tricia Takanawa?

by Anonymousreply 27April 12, 2021 6:02 PM

When will he apologize for marrying Helen Hunt?

by Anonymousreply 28April 12, 2021 6:02 PM

Apologizing to every Indian’s gonna take a while. He better get going.

by Anonymousreply 29April 12, 2021 6:05 PM

R15. scaremongering bullshit???? It was just a question - you are going in way to hot!

by Anonymousreply 30April 12, 2021 6:06 PM

R6, yes, that is unreasonable. Everyone has the right to make observations, even satirical ones, about everything, and people have the right to be offended if they wish.

by Anonymousreply 31April 12, 2021 6:08 PM

Here's an article by an East Indian American whose dad did have a store like Apu's.

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by Anonymousreply 32April 12, 2021 6:11 PM

IMO, Apu was a somewhat well-rounded character. I find myself laughing with him more than laughing at him. Worse offenders are the Lisa and Marge characters as the "good" foils to Bart and Homer. I.e., the Lisa & Marge characters are plain boring and just a perfunctory attempt to have female characters.. So is the black M.D. (doctor) -- boring. Another perfunctory attempt.

by Anonymousreply 33April 12, 2021 6:14 PM

The crusade against Apu and Azaria's portrayal is a complete crock and woke garbage and moral posturing. The show in its prime (close to 10 seasons) was a brilliant social satire. Every single character began as a caricature on a theme, but over time each became deeply human. Apu was no exception. He was actually one of the moral/ethical cores of the show -- often serving as Homer's conscience. And also one of the most successful characters on the show. It's was a complete misreading to cancel him. That documentary filmmaker is WELL within their right to find him offensive. Just as anyone can find The Simpsons crass, unfunny or offensive. But it's another thing altogether to start a cancel crusade because a show or character doesn't fit your ideology. You need only look on YouTube, Twitter or Reddit to find an equal number of Indian-Americans who take zero issue with Apu and defend the character. But no one wants nuance or a rational discourse. The woke want consequences.

The woke mob is the new Inquisition. These would-be atheists have found their new religion in virtue signaling and faux outrage. Azaria needn't apologize for shit.

by Anonymousreply 34April 12, 2021 6:17 PM

How much are you paid for your posts, R1?

by Anonymousreply 35April 12, 2021 6:18 PM

Why don't he just apologize for existing as a white man and get it over with?

by Anonymousreply 36April 12, 2021 6:23 PM

R36, and clip his balls.

by Anonymousreply 37April 12, 2021 6:32 PM

He was quite beautiful when he was younger.

by Anonymousreply 38April 12, 2021 6:33 PM

^ Yes, he was. HUGE crush on him!

by Anonymousreply 39April 12, 2021 6:36 PM

r27 she has. then aries speares in his fat washed up post-mad i shoulda been a star rant also alleged significantly more damning comments... though debra wilson wouldn't confirm.

by Anonymousreply 40April 12, 2021 6:38 PM

r40 though the rest of the cast, specifically tigerbelly, bobby lee aka the asian andy dick, refutes it.

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by Anonymousreply 41April 12, 2021 6:41 PM

I didn't see anything offensive about the Apu character. Where are the apologies for Cletus the the Slack-Jawed Yokel and Barney the alcoholic? Is it still acceptable to mock inbred white trash and people with addictions?

by Anonymousreply 42April 12, 2021 6:43 PM

As an Indian, I have my hand out for what r3 suggests...make me your charity, Hanky.

Whenever I see Indians parodied on TV, in movies by white folks, I don’t get offended. I merely roll my eyes and grin. Life’s too short to be offended by EVERY. FUCKING. THING.

by Anonymousreply 43April 12, 2021 6:43 PM

Apu was the very definition of the immigrant who believed in the American Dream where you can make it when you work hard. And he did spend most of his time working at that store of his.

by Anonymousreply 44April 12, 2021 6:46 PM

The pic at OP is actually flattering. Azaria looks lean, handsome, and even his hairpiece is convincingly good. I wonder what kind of offers he's getting for work since his last series ended, though (where I don't think he looked as good).

He's very compact, tightly muscled, and wiry. He's 56. In interviews, he's acknowledged past issues with eating disorders, his weight, and body dysmorphia. I've seen him elsewhere in recent years where he looked far older than his age.

That's why some men shouldn't go overboard on the "zero bodyfat" obsession after 40: you will look like a withered, dried out husk if you keep it up.

by Anonymousreply 45April 12, 2021 6:48 PM

I watched a documentary about this a couple of years ago.

Side note: there is something about Hank Azaria that I just don’t like but I don’t know what it is.

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by Anonymousreply 46April 12, 2021 6:52 PM

Great article @ r32. I think many Indians would echo the same sentiments as, Amat Shah, the author of the article.

by Anonymousreply 47April 12, 2021 6:53 PM

Man, I wish all the high school bullies were dragged and doxed and canceled.

by Anonymousreply 48April 12, 2021 6:58 PM

I haven’t watched the Simpson’s in many , many years but back when I did Apu was one of my favorites.

by Anonymousreply 49April 12, 2021 9:27 PM

Before Apu, what was there? Mowgli and Punjab. A boy raised by animals whom Walt Disney cast a white boy as the voice of and the bodyguard to a bald rich white guy in a role John Huston cast a Black man in.

by Anonymousreply 50April 12, 2021 10:11 PM

[quote] Is that unreasonable?

Yes, it’s a goddamn cartoon!

by Anonymousreply 51April 12, 2021 10:28 PM

[quote] So is the black M.D. (doctor) -- boring.

It’s a parody of Bill Cosby, hon.

by Anonymousreply 52April 12, 2021 10:30 PM
by Anonymousreply 53April 13, 2021 9:12 PM

There are over a billion people in India so this apology is going to take awhile.

by Anonymousreply 54April 13, 2021 10:41 PM
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