The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening has reacted to the recent controversy over the voicing of Indian character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, following the release of last year's documentary The Problem With Apu.
The show has come under fire over the last year for the voicing of Indian Kwik-e-Mart employee Apu. American writer Hua Hsu labelled the theatrically thick voice as 'soft racism', and while not calling the show racist, argued that while it may have been intended to thwart stereotypes, only served to entrench them.
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Now, in a wide-ranging interview with USA Today, Matt Groening defended the voicing of Apu.
Asked if he had any thoughts on the accusation that Apu was a stereotype, he said: "Not really. I'm proud of what we do on the show. And I think it's a time in our culture where people love to pretend they're offended."
Groening's response was in stark contrast to the show's executive producer (and writer) Al Jean.
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Writing on Twitter, Jean said:
The Apu controversy was recently addressed - albeit vaguely - in a Simpsons episode entitled 'No Good Read Goes Unpunished'. During the episode, Marge reads Lisa a heavily amended text of a book with potentially culturally insensitive sections edited out.
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Turning to the camera, Lisa responds: "Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?"
The statement was seen as a response to the criticism that Apu's voicing could be deemed offensive, and also echoes a growing trend of editing books for modern audiences who might find certain words and themes offensive.
However, critics also described the response as 'toothless' and a 'jab at progress'.
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Hank Azaria, who voices Apu - among other characters - has stated that he may consider retiring the voice in the wake of the controversy.
In 2017, American comedian Hari Kondabolu (whose family come from Pradesh, in India) released a document entitled The Problem With Apu.
The documentary notes the fact that for a time, Apu was the only character on mainstream US television of south Asian heritage but was voiced by a white actor, and questions the micro-aggressions and racist stereotypes it may have perpetuated.
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In the aftermath of its release, Azaria said: "I think the documentary made some really interesting points and gave us a lot to think about and we really are thinking about it.
"Definitely anybody that was hurt or offended by it, or by any character or vocal performance, it's really upsetting that it was offensive or hurtful to anybody."
Featured Image Credit: PA / 20th Century FoxTopics: Animation, TV and Film, the simpsons, Race, US Entertainment
