Tell us: Should 'The Simpsons' really cut Apu? Fans react to 'lightning rod' race debate

Megan DeLaire
Shelly Ramsammy poses with a representation of Apu, fictional owner of the Kwik-E-Mart from the long-running televsion cartoon show “The Simpsons” at a 7-11 store that was converted to a Kwik-E-Mart to promote “The Simpsons Movie” on July 2, 2007 in New York City.
Shelly Ramsammy poses with a representation of Apu, fictional owner of the Kwik-E-Mart from the long-running televsion cartoon show “The Simpsons” at a 7-11 store that was converted to a Kwik-E-Mart to promote “The Simpsons Movie” on July 2, 2007 in New York City.

Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart? Apparently many fans of The Simpsons do, despite the fact that the cartoon store’s proprietor, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, is considered by some to be a lightning rod for racial stereotyping.

An unconfirmed report in IndieWire that the show’s producers are planning to axe the longtime character stirred up a frenzy online over the weekend.

If the rumour sown by Castlevania producer Adi Shankar — who is not connected to The Simpsons — is true, it signals the culmination of an ongoing debate over the beloved but problematic Indian convenience store owner.

The Simpsons’ showrunners have heard and addressed complaints about Apu for years, but it was with the release the 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu that the debate went mainstream.

The film examines how Apu, a stereotyped Indian man with a thick accent, came to be adopted as a racial slur against Indian-Americans and immigrants.

In interviews about his documentary, creator, and executive director Hari Kondabolu has said he doesn’t believe The Simpsons’ writers should kill Apu, but rather should empower him and add new dimensions to his character.

Many of the show’s fans, however, argue that he is already a multi-dimensional and complex character. In an opinion editorial for CBC, comedian Rajiv Satyal highlights moments throughout the series where Apu’s sensitivity and intelligence shine, like when he shares his expert knowledge of the U.S. Civil War in the 1996 episode, “Much Apu About Nothing.”

In a tweet on Oct. 28, Al Jean responded to Shankar’s claim about the show axing Apu but didn’t confirm or deny the rumour.

“Adi Shankar is not a producer on the Simpsons,” Jean said. “I wish him the very best but he does not speak for our show.”

Whether or not the rumour is true, it has gone over abysmally with viewers, if the overwhelmingly negative response on Twitter is indicative of the mood of a wider audience.

Many, including Kondabolu, have said that to remove Apu from the show entirely, rather than working to improve representation of Indian and South Asian characters, would miss the point of the debate.

Others are simply angry to see Apu go and consider him a casualty of radical political correctness. Some Twitter users pointed out how most of the show’s familiar faces perpetuate stereotypes, and to give them the same treatment — removal — would leave the show with few, if any, characters.

Another cohort is less bothered by Apu’s removal than by the outrage surrounding it. Some of those users have speculated that many of the people upset by the rumoured change likely lost interest in the series years ago.

There are people who stand behind the move though, some of whom say they have been victims of stereotyping exacerbated by the character.

What do you think? Would it be wrong of The Simpsons’ writers to cut Apu from the show? Let us know by responding to the poll above or have your say in the comments below.