Madrid, Spain.
Actor Hank Azaria, voice of the Apu character in “The Simpsons” in its original version, has apologized to the Indian community for an interpretation he himself defines as “virtually an insult” in promoting the creation of stereotypes.
The character of this trader has generated controversy on several occasions, especially after the documentary “The Problem with Apu” by American comedian Hari Kondabolu, which exposed in 2017 that the character was created based on racial prejudice.
A year after he stopped giving voice to the character, Azaria has acknowledged on the podcast Dax Shepherd’s Armchair Expert that this documentary made him doubt his continuity in collaborating with the drawing of the television series.
Although the actor insists that the character was created without malice, Admits that this “does not mean that there are no real negative consequences.”
That is why the actor has stated that a part of him feels that he needs to “go to all the Indians in this country (USA) and apologize personally”.
Apu’s character has been for many years the only television representation American of the Indian and Hindu culture and this, coupled with the success of the cartoon series, has contributed to the worldwide spread of stereotypes.
“That’s how you think and represent your people in front of a lot of people in this country,” Azaria said.
Indian students
The actor has recalled a specific time he spoke with Indian students at your child’s school to find out their opinion on the character.
He mentioned a conversation with a 17-year-old man, whom he had not even seen. “The Simpsons“But he knew what Apu meant.
The creator of “The Simpsons“Matt Groening has come to admit that the characters needed a change and they are currently being studied to reinvent them in some way.
For the Apu character they have specific plans, as he will return with a new voice and a new role beyond being the manager of the Kwik-E-Mart trade.
“Intolerance and racism remain an incredible problem and it’s good to finally seek more equality and representation,” according to Groening.