WB Rants: Apu Controversy.

Werebelushi:

I may have addressed this already but the Apu controversy...I love the character and personally I think whoever did that documentary got too offended at the fact people were quoting that character at his stand-up shows, out of all the characters to complain about why Apu specifically? These people don't get there is more to him than an accent and his nationality. Apu is not a stereotype, this is basically like the Mr Popo or Jynx controversy all over again. From what i've heard, actual Hindus do like Apu and find the character in general to be inoffensive and funny, some people are just overly sensitive and can't take a joke. I mean if someone I knew created a character who has a crush on an undead character and if I made a comment suggesting...'Can't you ever get a date with someone who has a pulse?' I would explain before-hand that it's not a serious response and that's a joke because I know I would be offending them if I called that person a necrophiliac because of their character, even if they did get offended though I would pretty much just say that it's just a joke and that I didn't mean to offend them, I wouldn't berate them for being a bit oversensitive about it or call them spineless losers who need to stop being crybabies. I would say 'look, i'm sorry you took my joke personally. I just thought that because you had a crush on an undead being in fiction that it makes you a necrophiliac when clearly that's not the case. It's just a joke, no need to get offended. I understand you were peeved off. You have to understand not all that the jokes I make appeal to everyone.'

Why Apu though? I mean out of all the characters to go after why Apu? I mean you literally have tons of other characters who are 'stereotypes' yet nobody has ever complained about how Homer is sort of a bumbling dad stereotype, you don't see actual dads complaining about being compared to Homer, or actual mothers complaining about being compared to Marge, and you don't see actual children complaining about being compared to Bart since well...Bart's essentially a role-model to children anyway, a bad role-model but a role-model nonetheless. Yeah I can see some people having problems with Doctor Hibbert known because of the whole being based on Bill Cosby thing. But Apu, really?

There were rumors about trying to get rid of the character but those were rumors, and they are keeping the character but Hank Azaria says he might consider stepping down, which is a shame because I always love Hank's performance as this character. He's very well-developed and he's a likable character. If there's any voice people should be complaining about it, it's Dan Aykroyd as Tom Everett in Caddyshack II, he sounds so dumb and dopey sounding...like the voice you use to make fun of stupid people. I'm just saying people get offended over the stupidest things sometimes.

The real problem isn't Apu but rather the coemdian who thought it would be a good idea to do a documentary about how the character offended him, I hate that bastard with a passion but i'm not going to do hate-art fics about him even though it clearly isn't him in the fic, i'm not going to harasss him about it, however I would like to tell him to shut up.