Homer Simpson has been a fan favourite for many years. 29 years, to be exact. His adorable goof of a character and poor Marge trying to deal with him, while having to take care of 3 kids, each with their own fair share of adventures, is quite entertaining to watch. In fact, The Simpsons have quite the fan following among Indians as well.
But one thing about the show has always irked us. I’m talking about the cartoon embodiment of the heights of Indian stereotypes, Apu.
While Apu may come off as just a harmless cartoon, much has been said about the underlying racism in the core of his character.
And the latest to speak up about everything that’s wrong with this seemingly innocent Indian representation on the longest-running cartoon series in history is Priyanka Chopra.
When giving an interview for The View, PC was asked about her opinion on Apu in light of the recent debates about the character’s portrayal.
Never one to hold back, Priyanka went straight for the kill.
The Quantico star, as we know, did a part of her schooling in the USA. She spoke about her experience of growing up in the States when Apu Nahasapeemapetilon was pretty much the only representation of Indians on western media.
Speaking of Apu’s questionable accent, Priyanka couldn’t help but roll her eyes. She said:
PC rightfully points out how the number of Indian-Americans in America has tripled since the show first aired. This is what, she says, has led to the voices against this stereotypical portrayal and the demand for proper representation of people of colour to have grown louder.
She further adds:
“Yes, it’s a cartoon, yes it’s a pop culturally super successful show — but that gives it more responsibility!”
Watch the video here:
.@priyankachopra talks the controversial 'Simpsons' character Apu, and says it is time to "try to erase stereotypes": “Yes, it’s a cartoon, yes it’s a pop culture super successful show — but that gives it more responsibility!” https://t.co/QKtRIq4yib pic.twitter.com/Ia3r6xvmnN
— The View (@TheView) May 3, 2018
Priyanka’s relatable take on the matter has garnered her support from many on social media.
1. Evolve, not just biologically.
@priyankachopra is right. We Indians have always been offended by the portrayal of Apu, so please don’t use the excuse “but it’s been on for years, why are we mad about this now?” As society evolves, so to should the way minorities are portrayed on film & tv shows. #TheView
— Saranya Walters 🌹 (@dukebaby401) May 3, 2018
2. PC be the best!
I absolutely adore @priyankachopra – I love that she speaks up for women, Indian culture/representation and stands against the crap of #Apu https://t.co/jwpRzYo8WV
— pinsofder (@R7D) May 4, 2018
3. Always on point.
— Romey Naicker (@RomeyNaicker) May 4, 2018
4. Much needed update.
https://twitter.com/Dipexa_G/status/992066702065233920
5. A minor technical issue, but you get the point.
https://twitter.com/Ai_Vel/status/992203013916786691
Some people though just refused to see what’s right in front of them and needed to be educated a tad bit more:
1. No sweetheart, you so don’t get it.
It isn't a derogatory sterotype when it portrays a convenience store owner who's Indian or a restaurant owner who's Asian. These r successful immigrants who invest their money in community businesses & work more hours per week than most people. And I see it constantly. Lighten up
— ☘ ️Brecca ☘ ️ (@brecca_70) May 3, 2018
Preach!
Imagine knowing nothing about an issue and feeling obligated to weigh in just because you hate the idea of any non-white people speaking for themselves.
— Anil Dash (@anildash) May 4, 2018
Well at least someone has sense.
https://twitter.com/FADEdiscotheque/status/992358201558552576
Case in point.
Lighten up? Do you know how many times I was asked if my dad worked at a convenience store or if he spoke like Apu?? And it wasn't asked in a "that's so cool" way, it was a put down. Side note: I'm not Indian but then again, anyone brown must be Indian according to the Simpsons.
— aisha farooq (@farooqAISHA) May 4, 2018
Wake up and smell the racism.
I wish I could live in your bubble of ignorance, being white, clueless and having 95% of pop culture characters look and sound like me.
— We Cut Heads: A Spike Lee Podcast (@WeCutHeadsPod) May 4, 2018
Looks like this debate is not one to end any time soon. Lucky for us, we have artists like Priyanka Chopra representing Indians in the western entertainment industry at this point. She is a living example of how flawed Apu’s character is. Lighthearted satire or not, if it results in shaping an entire community’s opinion about a minority in such a misplaced manner, it’s time to rethink what construes as satire and what doesn’t.