For quite some time now many people have called out “The Simpsons” and their controversial character- Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. “The Simpsons” have been on air since 1989, and they brought humor to television sets all across America. One of their most popular side characters over the years has been Apu, an Indian immigrant and the proprietor of the fictional store, the Kwik-E-Mart. He made his first appearance in February 1990 and is voiced by Hank Azaria. Azaria does voices for many other Simpsons characters including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, and Carl Carlson.

Controversy has surrounded Apu. There has been criticism for the character’s alleged stereotype of Indians and being voiced by a non-Indian. In 2017 a documentary film written by Hari Kondabolu titled “The Problem with Apu” highlighted some of the issues with the character. Hari Kondabolu and other southeastern Asian Americans described their perspective on Apu and what it was like for the character to represent them in the media.

Most of the interviews consisted of criticisms of the writers of “The Simpsons”. They claimed the character was a stereotype and racist. Some of the blame was shifted to the voice actor Hank Azaria. Many feel it is offensive for a white person to voice an Indian character. They were angered that their heritage was represented by Azaria doing an accent. These accusations from the documentary are what caused criticism of Apu to spike.

“The Simpsons” responded to the criticism in one of their most recent episodes this year. It’s clear that the writers and producers don’t see eye to eye with everyone on the topic. For nearly thirty years Apu has appeared on the show without much conflict. Now a new generation of Indian comedians, actors, and writers are saying enough is enough. They no longer want Apu to represent them in the media. In the eyes of “The Simpsons” writers and producers, this issue should be put on the shelf for the time being.

Hank Azaria himself has spoken out. He wants to make a change with the character he has voiced for 28 years. He is willing to call it quits and no longer play Apu. How this will play out for the rest of the show and its characters is unknown. We don’t even know how much longer “The Simpsons” will be on the air. It will be interesting to see what direction the show decides to in.

I’ve loved “The Simpsons” my whole life, even when they are in a rut and they aren’t that funny. And Apu has been one of my favorite side characters from the beginning. “The Problem with Apu” brought the controversy into the mainstream. We should all ask ourselves what we think about this topic and how it affects us. No one is saying that you have to hate “The Simpsons”. Even after the documentary “The Problem with Apu” aired, I still watched “The Simpsons”. But then I put myself in the shoes of Hari Kondabolu, Aasif Mandvi, Kal Penn, and other Indian actors. It made me think about the issue and it should make others at the very least consider someone else’s point of view.