Current Events > Hank Azaria APOLOGIZES as a WHITE GUY for portraying APU NAHASAPEEMAPETILON!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

The Simpsons Hank Azaria who voiced the loveable character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon on the Simpsons has apologized for participating in "structural racism" as the Emmy winner continues to voice other characters on the show including Moe Syzslak and Chief Wiggum.

He's voiced Apu since 1990 when he made his debut until February of last year where he said he no longer will be voicing the rule as the decision was made in part of a broad culutural shift in animation and the industry believed people of colour should be voiced by minority actors

In a conversation with Dax Shepherd and Monica Padam he said he wished he'd committed to exiting the role many ears before he actually did and said "I've had a date with destiny with this thing for 31 years. Part of me feels like i need to go around to every single indian in this country and personally apologize and sometimes i do when it comes up"

He took a moment to apologize to Padman who is indian-american whose community was done a disservice by his racially insensitive caricature of the convenience store owner and said "I know you weren't asking fo rit but it's important. I apologize for my part in creating that and participating that"

He's called for other changes in animation and said "If it's an Indian character or a Latinx charcter or a black character, please let's have that person voice that character. It's more authetnic, they'll bring more of their experience to it and let's not take jobs away from people who don't have enough"

In 1988, Azaria was asked if he could do an indian accent leading to his portray which he modeled the accent of Peter Seller's comedy in 1968 which has been criticized for it use of racial stereotypes and then the use of brownface.

Azaria added "What i'm not realizing of course, is that i can feel that way as a white guy, because i'm not living with the consequences of those things at all"

He credits his thanks to AA where he needed to shut up, listen an dlearn from the aftermath of criticism

In his perspective, the character was created with good intentions but that doesn't mean there weren't real negative consequences he says he has to be held accountable for

Do you agree with Azaria?

https://i.imgur.com/UsxNF3L.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/Op3aNDV.png

https://i.imgur.com/Gp4chRD.jpg
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It's fine, let's stop pretending twitter trolls aren't idiots

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Full Throttle posted...

indian

Why didn't you use an uppercase to signify it as a proper noun?
Usually only see that as a sign of disrespect.

He shouldnt have to apologize. He did an amazing job.
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I miss Apu

The Simpsons is pretty much all Hank Azaria has had, since Herman's Head got cancelled.

Theres literally nothing wrong with someone voice acting a character thats a different t race

this is so stupid

Full Throttle posted...

He took a moment to apologize to Padman who is indian-american whose community was done a disservice by his racially insensitive caricature of the convenience store owner and said "I know you weren't asking for it but it's important. I apologize for my part in creating that and participating that"

So in other words this is just about him getting to feel better.

Coolest of cool guys.

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Apu sounds like an Indian person and has a job that is very common among Indian people, how is that offensive?

Lol his last name

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DJWMVR_yfM

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Background_Guy posted...

Apu sounds like an Indian person and has a job that is very common among Indian people, how is that offensive?

You know that many, many Indian people in America don't talk with a stereotypical accent right

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CADE FOSTER posted...

I miss Apu

He's still on the show, they just got an Indian dude to voice him. Same thing with Carl.

At the end of the day, Hank Azaria means well. I don't see how people can seriously get a bug up their ass about this, at least not to the point where it's a hill that they choose to die on.

"he apologized for being white and voicing an indian character? he should keep voicing the indian character instead of apologizing like a leftist sjw baby! this is #cancelculture!" - Hank Azaria still has a job, and Apu still exists as a character. Chill out.

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Blue_Inigo posted...

You know that many, many Indian people in America don't talk with a stereotypical accent right

So? A lot of people do have accents, especially immigrants like Apu. Don't be exclusionary.

Background_Guy posted...

So? A lot of people do have accents, especially immigrants like Apu. Don't be exclusionary.

Do you know anything about Apu's background

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Blue_Inigo posted...

Do you know anything about Apu's background

...Do you?

I'll believe his apology when he donates all the money me made from voicing Apu to BLM

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Yet, nobody gives a shit about Groundskeeper Willie.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Yet, nobody gives a shit about Groundskeeper Willie.

Scots don't have rights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dNPOwsTeGg

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If memory serves right, Apu went to the University of Calcutta and got a degree in information technology or something. Then he went to the US and got a job in a convenience store, which he learned to love more than his eventual wife from an arranged marriage and their eight children.

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Background_Guy posted...

Scots don't have rights

You can't even get a decent haggis in 'murica! anymore.

Questionmarktarius posted...

Yet, nobody gives a shit about Groundskeeper Willie.

MAKE ROOM FOR WILLIE!


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Is this recent?

I thought he already apologized for this nonsense.

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Background_Guy posted...

...Do you?

Yeah I do. Sounds like you don't though. Hank Azaria is just a white dude using an accent made up by other white dudes to make fun of Indians.

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Blue_Inigo posted...

Yeah I do. Sounds like you don't though. Hank Azaria is just a white dude using an accent made up by other white dudes to make fun of Indians.

Sure, it's slightly exaggerated for comedy, but Indian immigrants do sound like that

Background_Guy posted...

Sure, it's slightly exaggerated for comedy, but Indian immigrants do sound like that

Are you basing that on The Simpsons? lol

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Darmik posted...

Are you basing that on The Simpsons? lol

I'm basing that on Indian people. Have you met any?

Background_Guy posted...

I'm basing that on Indian people. Have you met any?

Yes I have worked with several. None of them talked like Apu.

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Darmik posted...

Yes I have worked with several. None of them talked like Apu.

Well whoopee do, you've worked with Indian people without strong accents. Doesn't mean you should deny the existence of those with strong accents.

Darmik posted...

Yes I have worked with several. None of them talked like Apu.

Were they immigrants like Apu or the Australian/Westernized version?

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Background_Guy posted...

Sure, it's slightly exaggerated for comedy, but Indian immigrants do sound like that

Come on dude, it's a lot easier just to say the first part without the bolded. If you actually did meet Indian people with accents you would know that the way Apu talks and enunciates English words is not even close to being accurate.

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Lorenzo_2003 posted...

Were they immigrants like Apu or the Australian/Westernized version?

They had Indian accents if that's what you were asking.

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Prestoff posted...

Come on dude, it's a lot easier just to say the first part without the bolded. If you actually did meet Indian people with accents you would know that the way Apu talks and enunciates English words is not even close to being accurate.

Maybe a professional linguist could pick out the pronounciation differences but Apu's accent is what a strong Indian accent sounds like to 99% of English speaking people

Background_Guy posted...

Apu's accent is what a strong Indian accent sounds like to 99% of English people

You do know the only reason people like you think this is because the majority of your exposure to Indian accents was from a white voice actor mocking one?

It's funny by using this defense you are basically reinforcing why Hank knows it's an issue. He wasn't trying to be accurate. He was trying to be funny.

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Background_Guy posted...

Maybe a professional linguist could pick out the pronounciation differences

No, you can easily pick that up just by talking to people with Indian accents.

Background_Guy posted...

but Apu's accent is what a strong Indian accent sounds like to 99% of English speaking people

Did you just realize that what you said here is the primary reason many Indian Americans had a problem with Apu to begin with? Like I'm not trying to be an SJW or anything, but you just unknowingly prove their point. Like the whole reason Hank Azaria wasn't aiming for accuracy was for comedic reasons, that's literally it.

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i'll never understand how white people flip out over this shit but they took no issue with big bang theory for basically having an indian minstrel show for 5 seasons
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like raj's character on bbt was infinitely worse than apu. and its made worse by the fact that it was a real life depiction of an indian in a medium that doesn't have many if at all to begin with and they made him do his stereotypical song and dance for the white audiences

it was literally no different than shit youd see in the 30s and 40s with black actors

fucking disgusting lorre never got any heat for it
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SJWs: have a diverse cast of characters!
Also SJWs: you cant voice a character who isnt exactly like you!

whats next? A white artist being forbidden from drawing black characters?

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Bass_X0 posted...

SJWs: have a diverse cast of characters!
Also SJWs: you cant voice a character who isnt exactly like you!

whats next? A white artist being forbidden from drawing black characters?

this is not the take
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totalnerdken posted...

So now the goal is what? To find an east Indian person who sounds like a white guy that was playing an east Indian character?

family guy didnt have a problem with cleveland
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totalnerdken posted...

So now the goal is what? To find an east Indian person who sounds like a white guy that was playing an east Indian character?

They already did. Apu's had a different voice actor for over a year.

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I don't think apu was written in bad faith, but a lot of the apu jokes are tired indian sterotypes that people use against indian americans (and maybe in other countries too)

If he weren't so pointedly indian for the purposes of stereotypical jokes then it wouldn't stand out so much that his voice actor is white.

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As an Indian, i loved Apu.
Fuck Hari Kondabolu. Just a no talent hack.

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Wetterdew posted...

I don't think apu was written in bad faith, but a lot of the apu jokes are tired indian sterotypes that people use against indian americans (and maybe in other countries too)

If he weren't so pointedly indian for the purposes of stereotypical jokes then it wouldn't stand out so much that his voice actor is white.

For sure. A University educated Indian man who moves to America and becomes a convenience store clerk who delights in ripping off his customers, selling expired food and engaging in unethical business practices, who loves his store more than the wife he got through an arranged marriage and their eight children. It's a massive list of stereotypes about Indian people, and it always has been.

I like Apu as a character, but you've gotta acknowledge the function he served in the common American zeitgeist and what image the character perpetrated. He became a relatable, fleshed out dude over time, and he was funny - but it's hard to deny that the character was used to further some really ingrained racist shit about Indian immigrants.

And to the user making a point about Raj in TBBT - I agree. Raj is another example of "haha Indian guy Hindu controlling parents isn't it funny how Indian he is". But rather than arguing that Raj is the worse example, I would say that Raj is A) another example of the stereotyping and racism that Indians face in America alongside Apu, and B) a contemporary reminder that the environment where a caricature like Apu came to prominence is still very much in place.

Both characters ultimately have a lot of character, and a lot of people regard them fondly. But it's worth mentioning that a lot of their character stems from racist stereotypes, including other characters making pointed comments at the expense of their heritage.

Characters like Apu and Raj further stereotypes like Indians predominantly being store clerks, grifters, effeminate and afraid of commitment, subject to arranged marriages and having close to a dozen children - and most of that is Apu, but Raj is still a target for his heritage and he shares effeminate features and being afraid of commitment. Am I wrong in assuming he has controlling, stern, fundamentalist parents as well?

Again, I grew up watching the Simpsons, and I like Apu. But alongside my enjoyment of the show, it's worth looking back at it and its influence and realising aspects of it that have been fucked up.

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AbellaDanger posted...

this is not the take

it actually is.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tgsvs-pKibE

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MrMallard posted...

They already did. Apu's had a different voice actor for over a year.

I haven't heard him talk since season 28, and I've watched up to the end of season 31.

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coh posted...

Theres literally nothing wrong with someone voice acting a character thats a different t race

this is so stupid

Questionmarktarius posted...

Yet, nobody gives a shit about Groundskeeper Willie.

This is true. Scotsmen just getting shat on per the usual.

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