Feb 27, 2020

Hank Azaria explains why he stopped voicing Apu on "The Simpsons"

For decades, Hank Azaria has been the voice of Apu Nahasapemapetilon, the Indian-American convenience store owner on The Simpsons. Over the years, he has asked himself if that is enough.

Azaria's conclusion is that it is not okay; in January, Azaria, who is white, told Slashfilm that he would not be voicing Apu. The announcement came after a heated public debate about the character's racist connotations, sparked by the 2017 documentary The Problem with Apu.

In a new interview with The New York Times this week, Azaria elaborates on her decision.

"Once I realized that people thought of this character that way, I didn't want to be a part of it anymore. I felt uncomfortable."

As comedian Hari Kondabolu states in the documentary, the problem with Apu is that he embodies negative stereotypes about Indian Americans and perpetuates them because of the popularity of the show. He is petty, impertinent, demeaning, and speaks with a caricatured accent. Kondabolu describes Azaria's performance as "a white man imitating a white man and making fun of my father."

Apu's defenders were quick to point out his positive traits - he is highly intelligent - and the nuances of his characterization. Initially, Azaria himself, along with others, argued that stereotyping is simply what "The Simpsons" does. As he told the NYT, his initial reaction to the documentary was: "We're making fun of everybody. Don't tell me how to laugh."

But as the controversy heated up, he began to open up. He read books about representation, attended seminars on racism, and discussed the issue with Indian-American friends and colleagues. Many told him that Apu had done a great deal of damage because for years he had been the only one to represent their ethnicity on television. The reason there is no backlash [against other caricatures on The Simpsons] is because they feel they are being represented," he said. 'They don't take it personally or feel oppressed or insulted by it. [The context in which Apu was created (1990) has intensified the criticism. In the past, Azaria admitted that he was explicitly asked by the show's white writing team to make the Indian accent as offensive as possible. The actor drew inspiration from the Indian and Pakistani shopkeepers he knew, but he was browned out of the 1968 feature film "The Party," in which Peter Sellers was cast as an Indian. Azaria admits that at the time he was unaware that the film could be interpreted as racist." It represents a real blind spot I had."

In 2018, he told Stephen Colbert that he was "willing to step back" from the character; about a year ago, he told the show's executive producers he wanted to do so. 'They were very sympathetic and supportive. They were all in agreement."

. @HankAzaria addresses controversy surrounding @TheSimpsons character "Apu." #LSSC #Appoo #TheSimpsons pic.twitter.com/pkmYgcX4Il

- The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) April 25, 2018

But are they- Throughout this controversy, the show's upper management shown little sympathy for Apu's critics. When reached for comment, creator Matt Groening told USA Today: "I think we live in an age in our culture where people like to pretend they're offended." Apu is loved around the world. We love him, too. You can count on us."

Whether Apu stays or goes is out of Azaria's hands. The series is produced by Fox (now a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company), but executives at the network have said in the past that they would leave such decisions to the show's creative team (as detailed in this report from Vulture).

For Kondabolu, the question of whether Apu will remain a character is secondary to Azaria's seriousness on the subject. He told the NYT, "I'm glad Hank did the work that so many people don't do." "I feel like he's a really thoughtful guy, and I feel like he's got the big picture."

Either way, Azaria will remain on "The Simpsons," where he voices many of the characters.

Either way, Azaria will stay on "The Simpsons". 'I love this show,' he said. 'I love this show. The character of Apu was played with love, pride, and the best of intentions. My message is that things are done with really good intentions and can have negative consequences."

Was Azaria right - should Apu stay - let us know in the comments below.