The Simpsons

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

The first episode of The Simpsons — "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire" — originally aired 22 years ago today.

Some people on this board have never known a world where the Simpsons weren't on TV.

BTW - The Simpsons are a way better series than Seinfeld ever was.

 

[Cosmo]

Now you're just trying to taunt Buck.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Buck cheated in the long-ago poll Simpsons vs. Seinfeld.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

The results of that poll are not in dispute. Except by the same people who think the Moon landing was faked, and that the government uses one dollar bills to track you.

 

[Buck]

The Associated Press and the First Amendment Coalition conducted an extensive review of those poll results.
The poll results are good, despite the continued Al Gore whining about stolen elections.

 

[NickMordo]

BTW - The Simpsons are a way better series than Seinfeld ever was.

My stance on that statement is clear.

 

[KJIM]

Got a kick out of this when the kerfuffle started:

‘The Simpsons’ Responds to Criticism About Apu With a Dismissal

Responds to a documentary, "The Problem with Apu."
You Love ‘The Simpsons’? Then Let’s Talk About Apu

Of course Apu is caricature. So is everyone else on the show.

It's a cartoon.

 

[jr/shotglass]

No caricature for you!

 

[Dick Whitman]

Got a kick out of this when the kerfuffle started:

‘The Simpsons’ Responds to Criticism About Apu With a Dismissal

Responds to a documentary, "The Problem with Apu."
You Love ‘The Simpsons’? Then Let’s Talk About Apu

Of course Apu is caricature. So is everyone else on the show.

It's a cartoon.

Now hold on a second. You could justify any racial stereotype that way.

"It's a joke!"

 

[Dick Whitman]

 

[Dick Whitman]

 

[Songbird]

 

[Dick Whitman]

 

[Dick Whitman]

 

[jr/shotglass]

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

 

[Dick Whitman]

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

 

[TheSportsPredictor]

Chief Wahoo wonders what the big deal is.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

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

 

[Jake_Taylor]

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.

 

[Guy_Incognito]

Now hold on a second. You could justify any racial stereotype that way.

"It's a joke!"

Isn't that exactly how Ragu defended Kimmel?