Racism...Forever?

Correct - some racial humor is taboo. When The Simpsons heard years ago that Indians were being harassed with "thank you, come again" they should've considered retiring Apu. I bet he was a money maker tho.

Hari goes into it here

I first saw Apu when I was, probably, 9 or 10. It was during the first season, I think. I was a Simpsons fan; I was excited about it. The idea of having a cartoon on primetime as a kid was exciting. And seeing Apu, it actually was really great initially because it was like, “Oh my god, we went from not existing at all to being represented in some way.”

When you have nothing, you’ll settle for anything and that’s exactly the position I felt. I was excited, I felt the accent was funny and that was that – there wasn’t much thought about it. I think probably between fifth- and seventh-grade, you realized this isn’t just a cartoon character but it’s kind of being wielded as a weapon because there’s no other representation of brown people, and specifically, South Asian: we’d be called “Apu,” our parents would be mocked, I was worried about my parents talking, I was worried about their accents. That’s kind of when you started to see it was a problem. Over the course of time – especially when you’re a teenager and you’re already vulnerable and thinking about identity – you realize either nobody sees you or when they see you, they see you in this way: as a punchline, as not a full person. There’s also a sense of who has power and who doesn’t and race is a part of that. Apu certainly didn’t make my life easier.

http://bedfordandbowery.com/2017/11...olu-explores-the-problem-with-apu-in-new-doc/

It's easy for you to dismiss it because you didn't live it like he did. Just like me or any other white guy doesn't really know what it's like to be black in America.

 

This is also why Rowan Atkinson coming to Boris Johnson's defense in relation to his "Burka Joke" is an example of someone monumentally missing the point, even if his intentions might have been more honorable.

 

My neighbors next door - we used to refer to them as 'the perfect family' as a jibe. Their kids were mocked relentlessly because of how Christian they were. They got tormented with the Flanders okily dokily hidily doodilly talk. In fact, I remember a number of kids getting this treatment.

Native English speakers make fun of every accent and even make fun of the various regional American accents.

Austin Powers used a British accent and awful teeth to mock them, but that's fine because Brits are in a position of power.

Maybe we should not be allowed to mimic the Borat vernacular because Kazakstan is an economically depressed country and they are majority Muslim.

Larry the Cable Guy appropriated the Southern accent and mocked hillbillies and rednecks. You don't think kids who moved from the south were mocked because of the things he said? Or would this not count because they are not an ethnic or religious minority. A counterargument could be made that they should be immune to mockery because of the extreme poverty that many whites face in the rural South. Nevermind, they are white, so mock away.

It's not that people can't accept that Apu labeled people and contributed to stigmas, but this happens to literally every group of people and policing of what we are allowed to say is dangerous, especially when it is decided that only certain groups are allowed to say certain things and only certain groups are allowed to be targeted as the butt of jokes.

 

I forget in the episode of the election of the 2 allies, was the doctor a Republican (rich) or a Democrat (black)?

 

Doesn't Apu have like 10 kids too?

 

He has octuplets. Is that offensive too?

 

Yeah. Possible. OK.

 

Investigated as a "possible hate crime," eh? Yeah maybe. You think?

 

Allowed? The producers of the Simpsons are not going to be *prevented* from mocking south Asians via Apu. And anyone can still say whatever they want about dark-skinned people. Campaigns like these are simply to indicate "go ahead, but lots of folks are going to think you're a dick for doing it, and they're going to say so with their feet and their wallets."

 

And petitions.

https://www.change.org/p/fox-broadc...simpsons-a224c10f-4dee-4d4b-bef2-25c70d2f362f

 

You pretty much just described ME, you moron... but don't let that stop you from stereotyping

 

This right here was your high point.

 

And?

 

Don't admit to that.

 

Oh brother. So now Matt Groenging not only has to write Apu off his sitcom, but the PC police want the entire show canceled. And after you get the "The Simpsons" shitcanned perhaps you can focus on "The Big Bang Theory" and its stereotyping of Raj. Obviously it also needs to be taken off the air too.

 

The petition seems to have gathered 22 signatures after four months.

Well, 23 now that Seymour Butz has added his name.

 

The Big Bang Theory needs to be taken off the air solely for being a godawful show. Any other reason is throwing gasoline on that fire.

 

I like that Texan nerd

 

Haha. Foster Whittaker the 23rd?

 

Do they still use a laugh track? That did me in when I tried to watch it.

 

I never got that show either. The Office is on Comedy Central often so I put that on for some yuks.

 

*Whispers* The Simpsons hasn't been good for ages and at this point it's almost depressing to watch the zombified inferior version of a once truly great show. At its peak, there was nothing better on TV.

 

Well...

 

So don't watch then. Even if The Simpsons is a mere shadow of what it once was that still makes it a great show.