Documentary: The Problem with Apu by Hari Kondabolu

I've liked Hari Kondabolu since seeing a YouTube clip (profanity warning) of why he doesn't use an accent in his comedy acts. When Roku and HBO Max finally resolved their differences, the first movie I watched was his 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu. The documentary is an excellent walk-through about the importance of representation in popular culture, a topic which I've covered in this blog's entries on TV shows, movies and documentaries. There were several points the movie made which stand out for me.

The writers on The Simpsons never considered the impact the character Apu had on actual people. When Hari was interviewing a former producer who pointed out that the show's portrayal of the evil oligarch Mr. Burns was stereotypical and Hari pointed out that one couldn't compare the positions of oligarchs and convenience store operators in society, the producer said that the only consideration in the writers' room was whether dialog was funny. Hari then points out that the only reason Apu and his accent are funny is because society is racist.

The "target" of Hari's criticism was never solely Hank Azaria, the actor who voiced the character Apu. Hari aims his sights towards the writers, producers and the audience who laughed at the minstrelsy.

Finally, the film encourages victims of misrepresentation not to accept it. Society's acceptance of negative stereotypes may actually prompt their victims to accept them and adopt them. Resistance and reclamation of humanity are the proper course of action.

I have watched The Simpsons for decades, and I regret not noticing the negative portrayal of South Asians Apu's character promoted. Hank Azaria has pledged not to voice the character, and I can't remember the last time Apu appeared in an episode of The Simpsons. I don't think the show lost anything by dropping it.