TruTV has been promoting their upcoming documentary titled The Problem With Apu. The film centers around the on-screen depiction of a Simpsons side character, the titular Apu. The documentary’s creator, comedian Hari Kondabolu, sought to spark a conversation surrounding the negative stereotypes seen in the character.
Conversation online has been heated to say the least. Those who agree with Kondabolu believe that his film will shine a light on the underrepresentation of Indians in Western entertainment. His main point is that Apu’s behavior is somewhat acceptable in the context of the show but becomes problematic when Apu is the one of only representations of the ethnicity on TV.
On the other hand, many folks believe that since The Simpsons stereotypes almost every different group, there is no point complaining about the way one group is portrayed. These people have a difficult time understanding where Kondabolu is coming from and believe that his film is entirely unnecessary.
I'm British. I could either take this particular Simpsons joke at my expense on the chin or react like an immature, whining, attention seeking spaz because it concerns a group I belong to. Hmmm… pic.twitter.com/fljLXSeut4
— R.A.C (@TheHandofCicero) November 12, 2017
So there's a new documentary about Apu from @TheSimpsons and I'm just like, Simpsons parody all stereotypes, does everything in this world need people are offended over little things? #TheProblemwithApu pic.twitter.com/peR3FaWnV3
— Lorcan the Hedgehog (@LorcanHedgehog) November 12, 2017
#TheProblemWithApu @truTV there is no problem with apu, there is only a problem with apyou. pic.twitter.com/i5hZNIONG7
— Robert Salazar Jr (@RobertJr1998) November 11, 2017
Man, people are more pissed about me making #TheProblemWithApu than I have ever been about Apu. And the documentary hasn’t even come out yet!
— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) November 13, 2017
Thankful for @harikondabolu #TheProblemWithApu. Also love that the NYT calls him "successful comedian" – thank you @nytimes for your constant masterful statement of the obvious after the fact https://t.co/v0oFAqkYZO
— Tom O'Keefe (@_TomOKeefe_) November 12, 2017
#Satire is complicated, and #Apu represents many of those complications, but the goal of satire is to spark conversation and consider the world differently. Looking forward to @harikondabolu’s documentary! #TheProblemWithApu #strugglewithsatire https://t.co/RE0g1yPz6x
— PsychoTheorist (@PsychoTheorist) November 12, 2017