The series is reportedly cutting out Apu from The Simpsons. Amidst the mounting controversy around the much-famed animated series which had come under fire over its portrayal of convenience store kwik-owner Apu, who, first appeared on the the show in 1990, is reportedly going to be terminated from the show.
The controversy came to the fore when Hari Kondabolu’s documentary: The Problem with Apu emerged last year. The news comes from an IndieWire interview with producer Adi Shankar, who led a campaign earlier this year attempting to address the Apu problem by getting the script that he hoped for Fox to produce.
The said character has been the subject of complaints about stereotyping South Asians, intensifying in the last two years. Shankar claimed in the interview that he received news on Apu from two staff members and someone who works with creator Matt Groening. He had run a script competition for aspiring writers to come up with a script in the spirit of updating the character from a bad stereotype to a more nuanced and realistic version that positively portrays Indians in America.
However, The Simpsons showrunner AL Jean has weighed in on the claims about Apu being written out of show tweeting, “Adi Shankar is not a producer on The Simpsons. I wish him the very best but he does not speak for our show.”
Shankar then replied to Jean: “Let’s work towards common ground. The world is polarised and getting more so, and the onus is on us to bring people together. Engage in a constructive way and this matter will go to bed. I see you, now I’m asking you to see me.”
An April Simpsons episode made a glaring address to the controversy about the stereotypes embodied by Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (Indian-American owner of Springfield’s Kwik-E-Mart convenience store).
