He argued that the Apu character had a serious and insidious effect, and that the use of humor in the portrayal is an artful way of making racism more appealing; this would hypothetically be relieved by the introduction of a range of brown characters. [7], In a 2015 interview Azaria acknowledged the character's impact as fodder for widespread racially motivated bullying that targets children with South Asian heritage. Actors Aziz Ansari, Kal Penn, Maulik Pancholy, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Samrat Chakrabarti, Sakina Jaffrey, Aasif Mandvi, and Hasan Minhaj[1][7][10] relate childhood anecdotes of being called "Apu" by other children or having the character's catchphrases from the show said to them by strangers because of their perceived heritage. Self - author of 'The Simpsons: An Uncensored, Unauthorized History'. Only one can be named "Best in Fair.". But Hari Kondabolu has a problem with Apu", "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.19.2017| Showbuzz Daily", "Ay caramba! "[24], The Simpsons episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished", first aired on April 8, 2018, was widely received as a response to Kondabolu's film. Title: Turner International operates versions of core Turner brands, including CNN, TNT, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and TCM Turner Classic Movies, as well as country- and region-specific networks and businesses in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. Kondabolu wrote on Twitter that he was disappointed that the message of his film had been reduced to the concept of "politically incorrect". [6] Kondabolu eventually decided to expand the one-minute segment about Apu into an hour-long documentary. Hari riffs on celebrity encounters, identity politics, and why firefighters are better than cops. Check out the our favorite "Bob's Burgers" episodes that parody other movies and TV series. The film explores encounters with negative stereotypes, racial microaggressions, and slursagainst people of Indian and So… [9], In the film Kondabolu speaks with other South Asian-American entertainers about the impact of Apu on their lives. In 1973, Hollywood actor Bing Russell starts an independent minor league baseball team in Portland consisting of outcasts and misfits, and turns them into unlikely overnight success. With Hari Kondabolu, W. Kamau Bell, Kal Penn, Aziz Ansari. [33], Azaria announced in January 2020 that he "won't be doing the voice anymore, unless there’s some way to transition it or something. Looking to watch The Problem With Apu? [7] The film was given special screenings featuring live appearances and talkback with Hari Kondabolu in the fall of 2017, preceding its release on the truTV network on November 19. Turner operates more than 180 channels showcasing 46 brands in 34 languages in over 200 countries. Show them as sluts and bar dancers, drug dealers, and what not, but that's alright but apu is a problem, hmm. Looking for some great streaming picks? [16], Daniel Fienberg, writing for The Hollywood Reporter, praised the documentary for providing "its thesis against the character's acceptability ... with such clarity, it's hard to imagine it generating an adversarial response more cogent than that hoary classic 'It's a joke, stop taking it so seriously,' which is no response at all.'' Initially, he liked the character Apu because the character was the only representation of his family's culture regularly aired on television in the United States. Kondabolu compares this instance of Azaria portraying a caricature of an Indian shopkeeper to blackface and interviews African-American actress Whoopi Goldberg who is a longtime collector of racist ephemera from the 20th and 21st centuries. [11] Kondabolu traces the origins of The Simpsons character to a legacy of brownface performance by actors such as Peter Sellers in The Party . As he grew older, Kondabolu became more critical of Apu, saying, "he's funny, but that doesn’t mean this representation is accurate or right or righteous. The Problem with Apu is a 2017 documentary film written by and starring comedian Hari Kondabolu and produced and directed by Michael Melamedoff. Feature documentary about the rise and fall, and rebirth of ex-NBA star, Stephon Marbury. [10] 250,000 people watched the initial airing on its first-run. 26 of 33 people found this review helpful. "[3], Filming for The Problem with Apu began in April 2016. "[2], According to Kondabolu, his mother taught him that "you can criticize something you love because you expect more from it. He also found the documentary lacked imagination in finding a solution to creating a more nuanced portrayal of Apu: "that lapse of Kondabolu’s imagination is the documentary’s real waste. I really want to see Indian, South Asian writers in the writers' room, genuinely informing whichever direction this character takes. Nine high school students from disparate corners of the globe navigate rivalries, setbacks, and hormones on their quest to win the international science fair. Add the first question. .. Kondabolu told the BBC, "Apu was the only Indian we had on TV at all so I was happy for any representation as a kid." What can you do?" [35], "The Problem with Apu - Credits - truTV.com", "The Simpsons' Apu: 'A stereotype hiding in plain sight, "You Love 'The Simpsons'? Apu doesn't represent every indian guy.. get a life! An unprecedented look at the iconic shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), the "man behind the curtain", and the screen murder that profoundly changed the course of world cinema. "[19], Justin Charity, writing for The Ringer, agreed with the film's argument, but found the pursuit of Azaria to appear in the film "a prevailing distraction from more ambitious consideration of the ideal future of The Simpsons and the cultural shifts that have rendered Apu increasingly unpalatable." Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Consider 'The Problem With Apu, "Hari Kondabolu Doesn't Know How to Solve 'The Problem With Apu, "TV picks for Nov. 19-23: 'The Problem With Apu,' 'Godless,' 'Anne of Green Gables, "The Simpsons Still Doesn't Understand the Problem with Apu", "The Simpsons Addressed Hari Kondabolu's Problem With Apu By Shrugging at the Problem", "The Simpsons' 'Sad' Response to 'The Problem with Apu, "The Simpsons responds to Apu controversy with a shrug about political correctness", "Apu actor 'willing to step aside' from role", "Hank Azaria will reportedly no longer voice Apu on, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Problem_with_Apu&oldid=981232851, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 1 October 2020, at 02:37. The Problem with Apu View production, box office, & company info, ‘The Simpsons’ Replaces Hank Azaria With Alex Désert as the Voice of Carl in Season 32 Premiere, The Simpsons Recasts Carl Carlson for Season 32 Opener, The Simpsons Recast: Better Things Actor Replaces Hank Azaria as Carl, Best Documentaries to Widen Your Perspective, AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: The Toons of the 2020 Oscars. Is 'The Simpsons' really racist? [23] In addition, a writer for The Simpsons, Al Jean, tweeted about the episode: "It's actually in favor of us saying people are too critical. Goldberg agrees with the interpretation of Apu as a form of brownface. The Problem with Apu often unfolds like a movie-length Daily Show segment -- and that's a compliment -- deftly outlining the stereotypes South Asian people still struggle with in media depictions. An astronaut named Gary and his planet-destroying sidekick called Mooncake embark on serialized journeys through space in order to unlock the mystery of where the universe actually ends and if it actually does exist. In 2017, comedian Hari Kondabolu released a documentary titled The Problem with Apu, a feature that tackled the stereotypical Indian character on The Simpsons. "[20] Neal Justin of Minneapolis Star Tribune noted "any criticism directed at the show’s portrayal of the convenience-store owner in his documentary...is drowned out by frustration that he can’t land an interview with the character's voice actor. The Problem with Apu 49 min • Expires October 17 Indian American comedian, Hari Kondabolu, takes a journalistic deep dive into The Simpsons character Apu to find out how and why this stereotypical character has managed to stick around for so long. Those Who Can't is truTV's first foray into full-length scripted comedy. However, Fienberg criticized it as being "half a documentary", saying "it becomes disingenuous when Kondabolu declares, 'I realize some of you think I'm some annoying PC social-justice warrior' and then calculatedly skips those voices, and disappointing when Kondabolu and friends wonder what can be done about Apu now and there's nobody around to make it into a real conversation. [12] Additionally, he draws out a range of opinions from his peers; for instance, while Kondabolu said that despite Apu he still loved The Simpsons, Kal Penn said the character ruined the show for him. "[18] Meenasarani Linde Murugan, writing for the Los Angeles Review of Books, contrasted the documentary's progressive advocacy with the view of media diversity promulgated by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai: "In celebrating how far we have come, we should not only remember how brownface and brown voice persist on contemporary television, but also call out those public South Asian figures who would use this same history of ridicule to leverage a vision of the future wholly run by corporations that would further racial and economic inequity. Hypocrisy? (2017). The film explores encounters with negative stereotypes, racial microaggressions, and slurs against people of Indian and South Asian heritage disseminated through the character. Well Indians stereotype foreigners in their movies with an awfully hinglish accent from dacades! Cynthia and Mary show up to collect Cynthia's inheritance from her deceased grandfather, but the only item she receives is an antique sword that was believed by her grandfather to be proof that the South won the Civil War. In doing this, she finds the book loses its "emotional journey". In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed. [4] In 2012 Kondabolu worked as a writer on the show, and Bell heard him railing against Apu for fomenting racial stereotypes about Indians. [14], The documentary received mostly positive reviews from critics, with review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes ranking the film at 89% out of 19 reviews, with an average critical score of 8/10,[15] and Metacritic assigning a score of 77/100 based on four reviews. Now, he may be best known his bizarre and scandalous lifestyle. All Rights Reserved. "[17], Scott Pierce of The Salt Lake Tribune found the documentary "thought-provoking and entertaining", and concluded that "Kondabolu raises some troubling questions. Kondabolu grew up watching The Simpsons and cites it as a major influence on his comedy and cultural savvy. It's a comedy show. [8] Kondabolu reached out to Azaria to be interviewed for the film, but Azaria declined for fear that his words would be manipulated by the film's editing process. Use the HTML below. This documentary profiles women who were tested in 1961 for spaceflight, but had their dreams dashed when only men were chosen to become astronauts. Ridley Scott’s television directorial debut centers upon two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet. The series, co-created by Jordan Peele, debuted in 2018 as the #1 new cable comedy. This FAQ is empty. Bell then told Kondabolu that if he did not write it into a stand up comedy routine and perform it on the show, Bell would fire him. Kondabolu went on to cite other portrayals of South Asians in mainstream television and film—such as a man eating monkey brains in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and an actor petting a stuffed mongoose in a metroPCS commercial—as racist.