In Defence of Apu
Comedian Hari Kondabolu’s documentary ‘The Problem with Apu’ has been causing a stir recently. In it he proposes that the Kwik-E-Mart owner from The Simpsons is a negative and damaging stereotype of South Asian people.
Kondabolu also takes issue with the fact that Apu is voiced by Hank Azaria, a performance he describes as ‘a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father’. And he argues that Apu’s catchphrase ‘Thank you, come again!’ is fodder for racist slurs.
While Matt Groening appears defiant, a visibly mortified Hank Azaria appeared on The Late Show apologizing for any hurt caused and suggesting that the might step aside or retire the character altogether. For now it remains to be seen what will be become of Apu.
The Simpsons has been a big influence on my life. As a filmmaker, the early seasons are a constant reference point for brilliant, economical storytelling. And what I admire most about the show are its morality tales and how it deftly handled emotional storylines. So it surprised me to learn that one of its characters could have been seen as harmful.
I can’t speak to the experience of South Asian people. I grew up whiter than white in the South of Ireland. But even so, Kondabolu’s words struck me:
“Apu reflected how America viewed us: servile, devious, goofy.”
I’m not American but at the height of The Simpsons’ popularity I fell roughly into the demographic to which Kondabolu is referring - a white person with little to no experience of Indian people.
The ‘goofy’ part is hard to dispute (who in The Simpsons isn’t?) but I certainly never thought of Apu as being ‘servile’ or ‘devious’. In fact, I always thought he was one of the smartest and most industrious characters in Springfield.
So with that in mind, here’s five positive things that come to mind when I think about Apu:
- He’s proud of his religion and Indian heritage
Whenever Hinduism is mentioned, Apu is fiercely proud and defends himself and his religion, often against smug Western views.
Rev. Lovejoy: No Homer, God didn’t burn your house down, but he was working in the hearts of your friends be they Christian, Jew, or … miscellaneous.
Apu : (appalled) Hindu. There are 700 million of us.
Rev. Lovejoy: Aw, that’s super.
And whenever he’s tempted or forced away from these values, it doesn’t last long.
Homer: Hey, you got rid of that goofy sacred elephant statue.
Apu: Oh, yeah. What was I thinking with that? Who needs the infinite compassion of Ganesha when I’ve got Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman staring at me from Entertainment Weekly with their dead eyes?
2. He’s vegan
While the lifestyle is now commonplace, it certainly wasn’t in 1995 when ‘Lisa the Vegetarian’ was first broadcast.
Apu: “I don’t eat any food that comes from an animal.”
This was one of the first times that I and most of my generation had ever heard of a plant-based diet, or realised that it was a cultural norm in other countries.
3. He’s thoughtful and compassionate
In the same episode, Lisa finds the Kwik-E-Mart roof garden is a haven from pushy, carnivorous Springfielders. But she also learns not to be quick to judge.
Apu: “I learned long ago, Lisa, to tolerate others rather than forcing my beliefs on them.”
This beneficent line is the heart of the episode, and the fact that it’s spoken by an Indian immigrant is not insignificant.
4. He’s usually the smartest person in the room…
There are many examples of Apu being smarter than the other citizens of Springfield, so much so that he often has to rein it in.
5. … and he doesn’t suffer fools.
And of course, there’s this mini-masterpiece from 1994. For context, this this is an erudite Indian man rightfully excoriating an American school principal:
Last year I spent five months travelling in India and I absolutely loved it. I adore the people, the food, the character of the country. I even put on a photography exhibition of my travels. There’s nowhere else in the world like it and I can’t wait to return.
I certainly don’t mean to diminish Kondabolu’s experience or that of any South Asian person. It’s not mine to comment on and I can only speak from my own experience. And my experience was that I never thought of Apu as being ‘servile’ or ‘devious’.
Not only that, but today I’m an adult vegan who adores India and her culture. And I can safely say that as a kid growing up in Ireland in the 90s, my first ever awareness of Indian culture, of Hinduism and Veganism, was through Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.
For that, I think he’s pretty great.
