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The Nahasapeemapetilon Reconciliation: Apu’s ‘Voice’ Hank Azaria Does a Promo for Hari Kondabolu’s New Comedy Special

The Nahasapeemapetilon Reconciliation: Apu’s ‘Voice’ Hank Azaria Does a Promo for Hari Kondabolu’s New Comedy Special

  • More than a decade after the Indian American comedian launched a campaign against the stereotypical depiction of Apu in the “The Simpsons,” a mockingly apologetic Azaria urges all to go see “Vacation Baby.”

Nearly six years ago, a memorable fight or debate, however, one sees it, broke out on the sidelines of the entertainment world. It didn’t appear to be much at that time, even though unobtrusively it began to reverberate across the television and film industry in the U.S. It was a critically well-received documentary “The Problem With App,” by an up-and-coming Indian American stand-up comedian Hair Kondabolu.

The documentary centered around “The Simpsons,” the animated comedy series and an enduring cult favorite for over three decades. Kondabolu’s contention was that the depiction of the Indian immigrant character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon voiced by Hank Azaria had been hurtful and harmful to South Asians in the West.

With its overly accented depiction of App’s character in the satire about American life, the comedian explained how the series with its “outsized cultural footprint,” hurts the image of South Asians living in America and lamented the representation of brown people in the entertainment industry. The implication was that Apu, in Azaria’s, albeit hilarious ways, became a modern-day minstrel figure. The central narrative thread of the documentary was how Kondabolu tries and fails to get an interview with Azaria to speak about the issue.

“It’s honestly one of the greatest pieces of stand-up that I’ve ever seen in by life,” Azaria says in the clip with deliberate exaggeration.

To his credit, Azaria, arguably the most celebrated voiceover artist, not only went on every talk show and sympathized with Kondabolu’s contention, but eventually in 2020 ceased to play the role of Apu, the character named to honor Satyajit Ray’s App’s Trilogy. Once he said he feels like he should apologize to “every single Indian person in this country.” Acknowledging that “there were very good intentions on all of our (writers) parts,” Azaria said that they “tried to do a funny, thoughtful character. And just because there were good intentions, it doesn’t mean there weren’t real negative consequences that I am accountable for.”

The final time that Azaria voiced Apu was in 2017 and since then, Apu has appeared only as a background character.

It was a culturally defining moment for the way ethnic minorities are depicted in American entertainment media. And now it has come a full circle when Azaria has graciously done a promo on YouTube, sans the Indian accent, for Kondabolu’s new stand-up comedy “Vacation Baby.”

“It’s honestly one of the greatest pieces of stand-up that I’ve ever seen in by life,” Azaria says in the clip with deliberate exaggeration, and turning to Kondabolu he adds, “I pretty much had to do that, didn’t I,” in a mock apology. “Absolutely,” Kondabolu replies laughing heartily.

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Perhaps now that he has helped Kondabolu promote his special, which premiers on April 18 on YouTube, Azaria “can now clear his conscience for good,” says Hershal Pandya in a report in the Vulture.

While the controversy has now drawn to a happy conclusion, it is worth noting that not all Indian American fans of the “Th Simpsons” agreed with Kondabolu taking umbrage. Another Indian American stand-up comedian Akaash Singh made a 20-minute special for YouTube titled, “Bring Back Apu,” saying, “Apu is not racist. He’s the American dream.” He jokes that “here is a brown man married to a beautiful brown woman, owns his own business, selling overpriced products to unwitting white people.” As if to say that’s for real.

It raked in one million views in a week.

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  • The Apu cancellation was a pile of sheet. Offence taken where it was not needed. I don’t want us to go the way of some other ethnic groups where they want everybody else to walk on eggshells. Pathetic.

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