The Problem With Apu to re-air amid The Simpsons controversy
Viewers will have another chance to consider The Problem With Apu this weekend.
TruTV has announced that it will re-air the documentary, which examines the stereotypical nature of The Simpsons character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, this Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The encore will come one week after The Simpsons briefly and controversially addressed issues raised in the documentary, and will immediately precede the Fox’s comedy’s next episode.
First aired last November and hailing from South Asian-American comedian Hari Kondabolu, The Problem With Apu scrutinizes The Simpsons’ portrayal of Apu, a convenience store owner with a heavy Indian accent provided by Hank Azaria, a white actor. The documentary includes input from actors and comedians including Kal Penn, Hasan Minhaj, and Aziz Ansari.
On last Sunday’s episode, “No Good Read Goes Unpunished,” The Simpsons finally responded, as Lisa turned to the camera and said, “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” She also looked at a picture of Apu featuring Bart’s catchphrase, “Don’t have a cow!”
The episode was widely criticized online, with detractors including Kondabolu and EW’s own Piya Sinha-Roy and Dana Schwartz. Sinha-Roy wrote, “By dismissing the issue with a simple ‘What can you do?’ The Simpsons ignores what it really can do, and thus casually brushes aside the very real — and negative — impact of the Apu stereotype.”
The Problem With Apu is also available to stream on the TruTV website and app, as well as various other digital platforms.
