The Simpsons

They sold it in New York City. So it can't be all bad, right?

 

I could literally spend hours gawking at the stereotypes that used to form the basis of magazine ads.

 

Chief Wahoo wonders what the big deal is.

 

Man, the show's response is really shitty and weak. That's disappointing.

 

I have mixed feelings. It's easy to see why people would find the voice in particular offensive

But taking into account I haven't really watched in several years, so maybe there is stuff in more recent episodes I'm not aware of, I still think that's missing the point of the character and the show. Apu was the smartest, most well educated guy in town, but people don't see him that way because of the lens we view immigrants. I always thought that was the joke, not an exaggerated accent.

The Simpsons made almost every character a stereotype of some kind, generally as a way to comment on a larger point.

Then again, I can't put myself in the shoes of a South Asian kid getting called Apu in school because his classmates don't know any better.

 

Isn't that exactly how Ragu defended Kimmel?

 

It’s definitely the point.

It’s defensible (and funny) because of the kind of joke it is, not just because “it’s a joke” is a blanket defense.

 

This is their sign the show stayed on the air too long. The country's entire ethos changed underneath it.

 

The intent, context and content of a joke stopped mattering 30 years ago.
If someone is offended, then the joke is offensive. That has become the social norm over the past 30 years.

 

You're just looking for something to offend you!

’Simpsons’ Creator Matt Groening Addressed The Apu Controversy