Apu Returns to The Simpsons with a New Voice after Nine Years of Silence
Apu, the owner of the Kwik-E-Mart store from the Simpsons animated series, received new lines for the first time in nine years. The character went silent for a long time after being accused of spreading racial stereotypes, and now he's back with a new voice, voiced by actor Sunil Malhotra. Who Apu is, why his image caused controversy and how the authors decided to return the hero is in the Izvestia article.
Who is Apu from The Simpsons
Apu Nahasapimapetilon is one of the residents of the fictional American city of Springfield, where the action of The Simpsons takes place. He came from India and works in a small shop where the characters of the animated series come in. He has a wife, Manjula, and eight children.
Why was the character accused of spreading stereotypes
In 2017, Indian—born American comedian Hari Kondabolu released the documentary The Problem With Apu. He explored how the cartoon salesman influenced attitudes towards South Asians.
The claims concerned both the image itself and the choice of performer.: The Indian hero was voiced by a white American, Hank Azaria. Kondabolu and his interlocutors said that Apu's voice and lines were used to mock them. Therefore, the dispute went beyond whether the joke in the animated series was successful.
At the same time, Kondabolu remained a fan of The Simpsons. In an interview with NPR, he explained: there are enough caricature characters of different nationalities in the series, but other groups are much more diverse on television. For many South Asians, Apu has long been one of the few recognizable characters who look like them.
The comedian also emphasized that replacing an actor by itself would not eliminate all claims: scripts, character traits, and the ability to show people outside the usual cliches are important.
Why did Apu go silent for nine years
In January 2020, Azaria announced that he would no longer voice the Apu. At the same time, the character remained in the series.
His last remarks before his return were back in 2017. Then Apu would appear in the background without any dialogue. Therefore, the "cancellation" of the hero actually turned into years of silence: the authors kept him in Springfield, but postponed returning to full-fledged plots.
How did Apu come back and who is voicing him now
The return took place in the Halloween episode The Revengening. The scriptwriters played up the lack of a hero: Apu appears in the form of a mysterious avenger, and the residents of Springfield are forced to explain why they ignored him.
Sunil Malhotra, known for his work on The Legend of Korra, accepted the role after discussing the character's future with the producers. He was interested in whether the authors' approach to the Apu had changed. Manjula has also received a new voice, voiced by Janina Gavankar. Executive producer Matt Selman stated that Apu and his family will appear more often.
"We love this character," Selman said, explaining that the team wanted to bring him back in the spirit of The Simpsons and give him the opportunity to develop.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
