After accusations of racism | Simpsons never stop learning

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from The Simpsons has a voice again. Photo: Imago/Cinema Publishers Collection Apu Nahasapeemapetilon speaks again after a year-long break. The seller in the “Kwik-E-Mart” of the animated US cult series “Simpsons” has a new voice actor: the actor Sunil Malhotra. With Apu, his wife Manjula also returns as a speaking character. Her voice is now that of actress Janina Gavankar. Both are US citizens with Indian roots.

This is how the new voices differ from their predecessors Hank Azaria and Jan Hooks. Azaria and Hooks are both white and probably don't speak a single one of India's 22 official languages, let alone any of the over a hundred other languages ​​spoken in India.

Apu's silence was preceded by a debate about racism and stereotypical portrayals of Indian migrants in the series. It was initiated by comedian and Simpsons fan Hari Kondabolu with his documentary “The Problem with Apu” (2017). In it, Kondabolu speaks to several actors with Indian roots who were asked during castings to “speak like Apu” – that is, to imitate an exaggerated Indian accent in English.

Hank Azaria, who voiced Apu for decades, said he was based on the portrayal of an Indian by a white British actor in the 1960s, but did not want to renew his role after the criticism. The fact that he got it at all is also due to the fact that the makers of the series initially gave several roles to the same speaker, primarily for financial reasons. Azaria still voices at least ten recurring supporting characters in the series.

It is clear that the replacement of Apu's voice is not only pleasing, but overdue. There is also no denying that Apu corresponds to the stereotypical Western image of an Indian in the USA: He lives in an arranged marriage, is vegan, has eight children and sells his goods at overpriced prices.

The series also addresses the precarious situation of a migrant family in the USA. An episode from 1996 is about a law for the deportation of migrants without valid papers, including Apu. In typical Simpsons fashion, the episode specifically parodies immigration policy at the time, namely a 1994 California law that sought to strip immigrants of employment rights and government benefits.

The series makers also didn’t leave comedian Hari Kondabolu’s criticism unanswered. They took it up in 2018 in an episode that was about so-called political correctness. Kondabolu expressed dissatisfaction with this reaction. Other Simpsons fans, however, pointed out that the series deliberately plays with clichés and stereotypical characters, even if these can offend minorities.

The extent to which racism against people with South Asian roots is widespread in the USA is shown not least by racially motivated attacks by white US citizens on migrants in recent years. Series with millions of viewers like “The Simpsons” can contribute to perpetuating stereotypical or even racist images of migrants. Nevertheless, you have to take a stand for “The Simpsons”: There are hardly any other series that deal so critically with current socio-political events. Since 1989, the creators have directed their humor against the violence and war caused by prevailing US politics. The fact that Apu is now spoken by someone who doesn't have to do an exaggerated Indian accent shows that the series can also work on itself.

Other media have corporations or billionaires behind them. We have the nd.Genossenschaft and readers like you. That makes us independent and that’s exactly how we want to remain. But it also means: without you the calculation won't work. We need 300,000 euros by the end of the year.

You can donate directly here, one-time or regularly, so that nd stays.