The Problem with Apu
- 2017
- 49m
IMDb RATING
3.8/10
3.1K
YOUR RATING
Comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his cartoon nemesis, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian convenience store owner from Les Simpson (1989) and the larger issue of how Western culture depicts ... Read allComedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his cartoon nemesis, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian convenience store owner from Les Simpson (1989) and the larger issue of how Western culture depicts Southeast-Asian communities.Comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his cartoon nemesis, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian convenience store owner from Les Simpson (1989) and the larger issue of how Western culture depicts Southeast-Asian communities.
Vivek Murthy
- Self
- (as Vivek H. Murthy)
Hank Azaria
- Self
- (archive footage)
Featured reviews
- "You're the one who hate Indians, Hari. Not Simpsons"
- How is this disrespectful when it used to be true for first generation immigrants? Your family got its privileges and you don't have that accent because you're not an Indian, just of that descent. So, don't speak on our behalf, you idiot!
- What, whoever this guy is, doesn't understand is, he is not Indian enough to have a say in it. In fact, he is probably more racist towards people of South Asia than the writers he is blaming. He hates our accent but welcomes our victim card, making all his stand ups about this and this only.
"How many times has been in India? How many shows has he had here? I didn't even know he existed till now and he feels entitled to represent my entire race."
- He also completely disregarded one thing: however racist it might feel:
You should be grateful to them, not grumpy. Don't try to convert your emotional baggage into others' guilt.
Has it been much more focused on media ignoring minorities, instead of bashing a cartoon character which, in the end, seems just like PR a thing quite a lot (at least to me), this movie would have much more impact and obviously, much less views. Blaming Azaria for trying to talk on his own matters is a bit out of line. But besides, it does bring a lot questions and views and,fortunately so, even some answers but for me, this was definitely not the way to focus on the problem, even though yes, in the better version of the document, Apu would have every right to be mentioned.
Hari's stand-up is second-rate and contrived, which did not garner him the fame he desired despite having access to the media apparatus through connections and wealthy parentage. So he went the route of feigned offense and propelled the zeitgeist of "cancel culture" along its unfortunate trajectory.
As we can see after the release of the film and its brief discussion in the press, Hari has again disappeared into obscurity, no doubt wondering what famous piece of entertainment he can latch onto next. Perhaps he will next cover issues which actually affect Indians and Indian-Americans instead of being critical when cartoon voice actors are not the same ethnicity as their characters (for very specific instances). That, however, is doubtful because it would not get him very much attention and would require considerable effort.
As we can see after the release of the film and its brief discussion in the press, Hari has again disappeared into obscurity, no doubt wondering what famous piece of entertainment he can latch onto next. Perhaps he will next cover issues which actually affect Indians and Indian-Americans instead of being critical when cartoon voice actors are not the same ethnicity as their characters (for very specific instances). That, however, is doubtful because it would not get him very much attention and would require considerable effort.
I never heard of the guy who starred in this documentary. The.main reason.this guy created the documentary in the first place is that nobody ever heard of the idiot. He only created the show because he does not have a career and he is trying desperately to get a career. His standup routine shown in the documentary is terrible and completely amateurish.
Picking on Hank Azaria will NOT get this unknown loser a career. The loser should get a bookkeeping.certificate from a junior college and get a real job. This untalented idiot is an immature kid who will NEVER have a career in showbiz.
Picking on Hank Azaria will NOT get this unknown loser a career. The loser should get a bookkeeping.certificate from a junior college and get a real job. This untalented idiot is an immature kid who will NEVER have a career in showbiz.
After watching this film, I think Hari Kondabalu is reaching with a lot of these arguments. For example, "'Thank you come again' has haunted Indian children for over a century." I am of Pakistani and Indian descent, and not once was I "haunted" or compared to Apu growing up in the United States during the 90's. I have talked with many of my South Asian friends/family about this film, and most of them also have never experienced such a comparison.
Look I appreciate these actors sharing their stories and creating a dialogue about the lack South Asian representation in Hollywood, but using Apu and the Simpsons as a scapegoat is completely misguided. Like many others have mentioned, the film seems to miss the point that the Simpsons is a light-hearted satire, and the show pokes fun at SO many different stereotypes. That's one of the many reasons why we love the Simpsons! Overall, I really don't think there's a strong argument here, and I wouldn't recommend this film...
Look I appreciate these actors sharing their stories and creating a dialogue about the lack South Asian representation in Hollywood, but using Apu and the Simpsons as a scapegoat is completely misguided. Like many others have mentioned, the film seems to miss the point that the Simpsons is a light-hearted satire, and the show pokes fun at SO many different stereotypes. That's one of the many reasons why we love the Simpsons! Overall, I really don't think there's a strong argument here, and I wouldn't recommend this film...
Did you know
- TriviaBy the beginning of 2020, Hank Azaria had stepped down from the role of Apu. Later that year the producers of the Les Simpson (1989) declared that white actors will not longer voice non-white characters.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Brain Dump: The Apu That I Know (2018)
- How long is The Problem with Apu?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- El problema con Apu
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime
- 49m
- Color
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