Ryan Shea

The Matt Groening cartoon The Simpsons has been the longest-running cartoon in history, and has shaped the foundation of multiple generations with its relatively realistic satirization of society through the usage of identifiable characters. However, in 2017, one of the characters, the Kwik-E-Mart shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, ended up coming under scrutiny for allegedly being a negative stereotypical portrayal of Indian ethnicity, and this controversy has since resurfaced with his voice actor, Hank Azaria, stating that he apologizes for voicing such a character. However, there are some things to look over to determine what sort of effect Apu’s portrayal actually provides.

Following the resurfacing of the initial controversy, Hank Azaria was given a call by the Hindu American Foundation to help him via group discussions akin to rehabilitation. A representative for the foundation, Shereen Bhalla, claims that, “Hank doesn’t have to torment himself for his work on The Simpsons, or at least he doesn’t have to do it alone.” That said, there are valid arguments to be brought on both sides of the table on whether or not Apu is negatively stereotyped, so to analyze, what was Apu’s primary characterization?

The main draw regarding Apu’s character on the show is that he’s presented as practicing Indian traditions to a fault, sometimes to the point of it reaching exaggerated levels, but he always tries his hardest to be a philanthropic family man first and foremost, running the Kwik-E-Mart with tact and grace. By all accounts, Apu is meant to be a wholesome portrayal of Indian-Americans, with a tad of stereotyped practices here and there, which while stereotyping is meant to demean a specific group in its conception, they don’t always prove to be what define an ethnicity in their usage if they’re underplayed and aren’t used to demean them. It’s reassuring to know that there are those from the group that Hank’s character was satirizing who are willing to help him overcome his streak of beating himself up out of guilt, but as it stands, the stance of whether or not Apu is uplifting or degrading to Indian culture is up to interpretation; it’s encouraged for people to come to their own conclusions.