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20th Century Fox has decided. After more than a year of controversy, the studio chose to eject Simpson the character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, as well as his wife Manjula and his eight children. The famous grocer, of Indian origin and very pronounced accent, will no longer make any appearance in the cult animated series from the 31st season. A decision revealed by the producer, Adi Shankar, who, in an interview to the specialized site
indiewire
(identified by
Slate
), said "they (Editor's note: the pundits of the studio) have decided to separate to avoid further controversy".
For many years, the character of Apu is indeed accused of conveying racist clichés about individuals from India and countries around. The controversy around the protagonist Simpson had taken a new dimension in 2017 with the broadcast of the documentary The Problem with Apu (The problem with Apu in French), in which the American comedian of Indian origin Hari Kondabolu pointed out several reasons for which the character would pose problem. Through several interviews, including those of young people who claim to have been harbaded during their childhood because of Apu, the actor, accompanied by other celebrities like Whoopi Goldberg and Aziz Ansari, denounces the dramatic way in which the grocer at caricature (interpreted in its original version by Hank Azaria) may have influenced the representation of South Asian communities.
The documentary made a big splash in the United States, so much so that the writers of the series created in 1989 by Matt Groening decided to address him a direct answer in an episode diffused in April. "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and harmless is politically incorrect today. What can we do ? "Said Lisa Simpson, face-down, before turning to a photograph of Apu. Shortly after the broadcast of the episode, the actor Hank Azaria said, in an interview with
Guardian
that he would be "ready to depart" and wanted to see "more Indians and characters from South Asia among the writers."
A scenario to rehabilitate the character
During the last three seasons of Simpson, which is currently in its 30th version, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon only appeared on very rare occasions. According to producer Adi Shankar, the famous manager of Kwik-E-Mart has finally been permanently wiped off the map of Springfield, and probably will not be entitled to a farewell episode. Last April, Shankar had launched a call to the scenarios to offer an intelligent answer to the controversy. The script he had selected would have, in his words, allowed the character to "evolve from a creation of white men from Harvard to a fresh, funny and realistic representation of Indians in America".
For the producer, who is responsible for the film Dredd and the animated series Castlevania, the decision to oust Apu and avoid any controversy is a mistake, especially from a series that became famous for its satirical character. "If you're a fiction that makes cultural commentary and you're too scared to comment on a culture, then you're a loose fiction. It's not a step forward or a step back, it's just a huge step on the side that does not solve the problem. "Adi Shankar badures: the scenario he has chosen to rehabilitate Apu will still be entitled soon to his adaptation (unofficial, of course) on the YouTube channel of the producer, Bootleg Universe.
Suffering from competition and a very long (and almost endless) career, The Simpsons also draws fewer and fewer spectators to the United States. According to Forbes, the audience for the series has declined steadily over the years, dropping from an average of 8 million viewers in 2006 to 4 million in 2016. The sign that it is time to end the adventures of Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa?
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