Apu, the Indian grocer of the series The Simpsons, will disappear forever

The problem with Apu

He is a recurring character and certainly one of the most appreciated Simpson. Yet Apu will soon be out of the game. Last April, the friendly Indian grocer was at the heart of a debate. In a documentary, named The Problem with ApuHari Kondabolu accused the show of conveying racist stereotypes around the character and defining him as a stupid and mediocre Indian, like his native country.

The creators of the show then immediately reacted and responded via a special episode (the fifteenth of season 29). One could see Marge reading to her daughter Lisa the favorite book of her childhood entitled "The Princess in the Garden". Homer's wife was surprised to see much more racism in this novel than it was when she was young. " Something that was applauded decades ago and seemed harmless is now politically incorrect. What can you do there? Exclaims Lisa as the camera films a portrait of Apu on the bedside table. A little word accompanies the photograph: « Do not worry ".

It was not enough to calm Hari Kondabolu who said then: In The Problem with Apu, I used Apu and The Simpson as an entry point for a broader conversation about the portrayal of marginalized groups and that's why it's important. The Simpson's answer tonight is not an attack on me, but what many of us see as progress. "

Wow. "Politically Incorrect?" That's the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad. https://t.co/lYFH5LguEJ

– Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 2018

Evolution ? No, delete!

Not long ago, Adi Shankar was trying to evolve the character. The producer, of Indian origin, had launched a scenario competition open to all to give other prospects for the future Apu. But there will never be a follow-up. As our fellow slate writers point out, even Hank Hazaria, who has doubled the character for years, had disbadociated himself from the reaction of production and said he sincerely regretted that people could have been hurt.

Adi Shankar was the first to badert the disappearance of the grocer: " I checked the information from several sources. They will give up the character of Apu. They are not going to make a fuss about it, but they are just going to abandon it to avoid controversy Before explaining " This is neither a step forward nor a step back, it is simply a step aside. If you are doing a series that deals with different cultures and you are too scared to talk about these cultures, you are simply a cowardly series. "