View source for The Problem with Apu

{{Short description|2017 American documentary film}}
{{Infobox television
| image          = The Problem with Apu.jpg
| image_upright  = 1.0
| image_alt      =
| caption        = Promotional poster
| genre          = 
| creator        = 
| based_on       = 
| writer         = [[Hari Kondabolu]]
| screenplay     = 
| story          = 
| director       = Michael Melamedoff
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* Hari Kondabolu
* [[Utkarsh Ambudkar]]
* [[Aziz Ansari]]
* [[W. Kamau Bell]]
* [[Samrat Chakrabarti]]
* Shilpa Dave
* [[Noureen DeWulf]]
* [[Whoopi Goldberg]]
* [[Dana Gould]]
* [[Sakina Jaffrey]]
* [[Aasif Mandvi]]
* [[Hasan Minhaj]]
* [[Vivek Murthy]]
* [[Ajay Naidu]]
* [[Aparna Nancherla]]
* John Ortved
* [[Maulik Pancholy]]
* [[Kal Penn]]
* [[Russell Peters]]
* John Powers
* Mallika Rao
* Rohitash Rao
* [[Sheetal Sheth]]}}
| narrated       = 
| music          = 
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| num_episodes   = 
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* Michael Melamedoff
* Michael J. Cargill}}
| editor         = 
| cinematography = 
| runtime        = 49 minutes
| company        = 
| budget         = 
| network        = [[truTV]]
| released       = {{Start date|2017|11|19}} 
}}

'''''The Problem with Apu''''' is a 2017 American documentary film written by and starring comedian [[Hari Kondabolu]] and produced and directed by Michael Melamedoff. It focuses on the character [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]], an Indian immigrant in the animated sitcom ''[[The Simpsons]]'' who, for a period, was the only figure of [[India]]n heritage to appear regularly on mainstream U.S. television. The film explores encounters with negative [[stereotype]]s, [[Minstrel show|minstrelsy]], [[racial microaggression]]s, and [[racism|slurs]] against people of Indian and South Asian heritage.

==Background==
[[File:Hari Kondabolu.png|thumb|Kondabolu in June 2016]]
Kondabolu grew up watching ''[[The Simpsons]]'' and cites it as a major influence on his comedy and cultural savvy. Initially, he liked the character [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon|Apu]] because the character was the only representation of his family's culture regularly aired on television in the United States. Kondabolu told the [[BBC]], "Apu was the only Indian we had on TV at all so I was happy for any representation as a kid." As he grew older, Kondabolu became more critical of Apu, saying, "he's funny, but that doesn't mean this representation is accurate or right or righteous. It gets to the insidiousness of racism, though, because you don't even notice it when it's right in front of you."<ref name="Blauvelt, 2017">{{cite news|last1=Blauvelt|first1=Christian|title=The Simpsons' Apu: 'A stereotype hiding in plain sight'|url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20171027-the-simpsons-apu-a-stereotype-hiding-in-plain-sight|access-date=10 November 2017|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=November 6, 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Hankazaria05.jpg|thumb|left|Azaria in November 2005]]
According to Kondabolu, his mother taught him that "you can criticize something you love because you expect more from it."<ref name="Leight, 2017">{{cite magazine|last1=Leight|first1=Elias|title='Simpsons' Doc 'The Problem with Apu' Confronts South Asian Stereotypes|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/new-simpsons-doc-explores-legacy-of-apu-caricature-w505935 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170928180344/http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/new-simpsons-doc-explores-legacy-of-apu-caricature-w505935 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 28, 2017 |access-date=11 November 2017|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=September 28, 2017}}</ref> His first public critique of ''The Simpsons'' character came at the insistence of [[W. Kamau Bell]] during the first season of his [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] television show ''[[Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell|Totally Biased]]''.<ref name="Rao, 2013">{{cite news|last1=Rao|first1=Mallika|title=Is It Time To Retire Apu?|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/20/the-simpsons-apu-racist_n_3956603.html|access-date=10 November 2017|work=Huffington Post|date=20 September 2013}}</ref> In 2012 Kondabolu worked as a writer on the show, and Bell heard him railing against Apu for fomenting [[racial stereotype]]s about Indians. Bell then told Kondabolu that if he did not write it into a [[stand up comedy]] routine and perform it on the show, Bell would fire him.<ref name="Official Site">{{cite web|title=Hari Takes Aim at a Beloved Stereotype|url=http://www.trutv.com/shows/the-problem-with-apu/videos/hari-takes-aim-at-a-beloved-stereotype.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110114744/http://www.trutv.com/shows/the-problem-with-apu/videos/hari-takes-aim-at-a-beloved-stereotype.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 10, 2017|website=truTV|access-date=10 November 2017 }}</ref> In his bit, Kondabolu criticizes voice actor [[Hank Azaria]] (who is of [[Sephardic Jewish]] descent), calling him "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father". Kondabolu went on to cite other portrayals of South Asians in mainstream television and film—such as a man eating monkey brains in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom]]'' and an actor petting a stuffed [[mongoose]] in a [[metroPCS]] commercial—as racist.<ref name="Kondabolu, 2012">{{cite news|last1=Kondabolu|first1=Hari|title=Mindy Kaling, Apu & Indian Americans|work=Totally Biased|publisher=[[FX (TV channel)|FX]]|date=2012}}</ref> Kondabolu eventually decided to expand the one-minute segment about Apu into an hour-long documentary.<ref name="Ito, 2017">{{cite news |last1=Ito |first1=Robert |title=You Love 'The Simpsons'? Then Let's Talk About Apu |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/arts/television/the-problem-with-apu-the-simpsons.html |url-access=subscription |access-date=2017-11-11 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=2017-11-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110232620/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/arts/television/the-problem-with-apu-the-simpsons.html |archive-date=2017-11-10 |location=[[Los Angeles]] |url-status=live}}</ref>

In a 2015 interview, Azaria acknowledged the character's impact as fodder for widespread racially motivated [[bullying]] that targets children with South Asian heritage.<ref name="Matz, 2015">{{cite web|last1=Matz|first1=Jenni|title=Hank Azaria|url=http://emmytvlegends.org/interviews/people/hank-azaria#|website=[[Archive of American Television]]|access-date=10 November 2017|language=en|date=April 6, 2015}}</ref> Kondabolu reached out to Azaria to be interviewed for the film, but Azaria declined for fear that his words would be manipulated by the film's editing process. He agreed to have a discussion facilitated either by [[Terry Gross]] on the public radio program ''[[Fresh Air]]'' or on [[Marc Maron]]'s podcast ''[[WTF with Marc Maron|WTF]]'', but according to Kondabolu, Azaria rescinded the offer once it was accepted.<ref name="Meraji and Demby, 2017">{{cite news|last1=Meraji|first1=Shereen Marisol|last2=Demby|first2=Gene|title=Live From Chicago...It's Code Switch!|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/transcript/transcript.php?storyId=564162692|access-date=19 November 2017|work=NPR.org|publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|date=November 15, 2017|language=en}}</ref>  The two met in 2023 and discussed the issues on ''[[Code Switch]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gajewski |first=Ryan |title=Hank Azaria on Why He Chose to Not Appear in 'The Problem With Apu': 'I Was Really Freaked Out' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hank-azaria-the-problem-with-apu-hari-kondabolu-1235403083/ |date=26 April 2023 |access-date=13 August 2023 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240406182914/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/hank-azaria-the-problem-with-apu-hari-kondabolu-1235403083/ |archive-date=2024-04-06 |url-status=live |quote=Hari Kondabolu, who wrote the 2017 documentary, sat down with the actor for their first public conversation about the project that helped lead Azaria to no longer voice the 'Simpsons' role. |issn=0018-3660 |oclc=44653726}}</ref>

==Themes==
In the film Kondabolu speaks with other South Asian-American entertainers about the impact of Apu on their lives. Actors [[Aziz Ansari]], [[Kal Penn]], [[Maulik Pancholy]], [[Utkarsh Ambudkar]], [[Samrat Chakrabarti]], [[Sakina Jaffrey]], [[Aasif Mandvi]] and [[Hasan Minhaj]]<ref name="Credits">{{cite web|title=The Problem with Apu – Credits |url=http://www.trutv.com/shows/the-problem-with-apu/blog/complete-credits/complete-credits.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026145933/http://www.trutv.com/shows/the-problem-with-apu/blog/complete-credits/complete-credits.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 26, 2017|website=[[truTV]]|access-date=10 November 2017 }}</ref><ref name="Ito, 2017" /><ref name="Page-Kirby, 2017">{{cite news|last1=Page-Kirby|first1=Kristen|title=See 'The Problem with Apu', Netflix hit 'Okja' and the Alexandria Film Festival|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2017/11/09/see-the-problem-with-apu-netflix-hit-okja-and-the-alexandria-film-festival/|access-date=10 November 2017|newspaper=[[Washington Post]]|date=9 November 2017}}</ref> relate childhood anecdotes of being called "Apu" by other children or having the character's catchphrases from the show said to them by strangers because of their perceived heritage.<ref name="Blauvelt, 2017" /> They also relate stories of becoming trained professional actors and being asked to deliver lines in the style and accent of Apu.<ref name="Ito, 2017" />

Kondabolu compares this instance of Azaria portraying a caricature of an Indian shopkeeper to [[blackface]] and interviews African-American actress [[Whoopi Goldberg]], who is a longtime collector of racist [[ephemera]] from the 20th and 21st centuries. Goldberg agrees with the interpretation of Apu as a form of [[Racial brownface|brownface]].<ref name="Ramanathan, 2017">{{cite news|last1=Ramanathan|first1=Lavanya|title=He loved 'The Simpsons'. But Hari Kondabolu has a problem with Apu.|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/he-loved-the-simpsons-but-hari-kondabolu-has-a-problem-with-apu/2017/11/08/b37c2426-bdac-11e7-8444-a0d4f04b89eb_story.html|access-date=10 November 2017|newspaper=Washington Post|date=November 9, 2017}}</ref> Kondabolu traces the origins of ''The Simpsons'' character to a legacy of brownface performance by actors such as [[Peter Sellers]] in ''[[The Party (1968 film)|The Party]]''.

In parts of the documentary, Kondabolu expresses his appreciation for ''The Simpsons'' as a subversive and culturally astute institution on the landscape of mainstream North American media.<ref name="Steinberg, 2017">{{cite news|last1=Steinberg|first1=Don|title='The Problem with Apu' Explores Ethnic Issues in 'The Simpsons'|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-problem-with-apu-explores-ethnic-issues-in-the-simpsons-1510160479|access-date=10 November 2017|work=[[The Wall Street Journal]]|date=8 November 2017}}</ref> Additionally, he draws out a range of opinions from his peers; for instance, while Kondabolu said that despite Apu he still loved ''The Simpsons'', Kal Penn said the character ruined the show for him.<ref name="Ito, 2017" /> Kondabolu said: "I made this film to not only talk about the origin of Apu and highlight the impact of such images in media, but also to celebrate the diversity and complexity of my community."<ref name="Leight, 2017" />

==Production and release==
Filming for ''The Problem with Apu'' began in April 2016.<ref name="Ito, 2017" /> The film was given special screenings featuring live appearances and talkback with Hari Kondabolu in the fall of 2017, preceding its release on the [[truTV]] network on November 19.<ref name="Page-Kirby, 2017" /> 250,000 people watched the initial airing on its first-run.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-11-19-2017.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121233435/http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articles/showbuzzdailys-top-150-sunday-cable-originals-network-finals-11-19-2017.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-11-21|title=Updated: ShowbuzzDaily's Top 150 Sunday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.19.2017|website=Showbuzz Daily |access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref>

Kondabolu appeared on ''[[The Daily Show with Trevor Noah]]'' to promote the film. He argued that the Apu character had a serious and insidious effect, and that the use of humor in the portrayal is an artful way of making racism more appealing; this would hypothetically be relieved by the introduction of a range of brown characters, although he did say he did not really care about Apu.<ref>{{cite news |title=November 13, 2017 – Hari Kondabolu |work=The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Season 3 |url=http://www.cc.com/episodes/1xp96j/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-november-13--2017---hari-kondabolu-season-23-ep-23021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171114064149/http://www.cc.com/episodes/1xp96j/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-november-13--2017---hari-kondabolu-season-23-ep-23021 |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 14, 2017 |type=Television program |format=Video |publisher=[[Comedy Central]] |date=November 13, 2017 |number=23}}</ref>

==Reception==
The documentary received mostly positive reviews from critics. [[Review aggregator]] [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gave the film an approval rating of 90% based on reviews from 21 critics, with an average critical score of 8.3/10,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_problem_with_apu/|title=The Problem With Apu (2017)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=March 3, 2022}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] gave it a score of 77 out of 100, based on four reviews.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/tv/the-problem-with-apu|title=The Problem With Apu |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=February 24, 2018}}</ref>

Daniel Fienberg, writing for ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', praised the documentary for providing "its thesis against the character's acceptability ... with such clarity, it's hard to imagine it generating an adversarial response more cogent than that hoary classic 'It's a joke, stop taking it so seriously,' which is no response at all." Fienberg nonetheless criticized it for skipping over counterarguments.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/problem-apu-review-1059649|title='The Problem With Apu': TV Review|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=2017-11-27|language=en}}</ref>

Scott Pierce of ''[[The Salt Lake Tribune]]'' found the documentary "thought-provoking and entertaining", and concluded that "Kondabolu raises some troubling questions. I’ll never be able to watch ''The Simpsons'' without thinking about this again."<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.sltrib.com/artsliving/tv/2017/11/19/ay-caramba-is-the-simpsons-really-racist-consider-the-problem-with-apu/|title=Ay caramba! Is 'The Simpsons' really racist? Consider 'The Problem With Apu' |newspaper=The Salt Lake Tribune|access-date=2017-11-27|language=en-US}}</ref> Meenasarani Linde Murugan, writing for the ''[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]'', contrasted the documentary's progressive advocacy with the view of media diversity promulgated by [[Federal Communications Commission|FCC]] Chairman [[Ajit Pai]]: "In celebrating how far we have come, we should not only remember how brownface and brown voice persist on contemporary television, but also call out those public South Asian figures who would use this same history of ridicule to leverage a vision of the future wholly run by corporations that would further racial and economic inequity."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/the-problem-with-apu-and-the-fcc/|title="The Problem with Apu" and the FCC - Los Angeles Review of Books|work=[[Los Angeles Review of Books]]|access-date=2017-12-24|language=en-US}}</ref>

Justin Charity, writing for [[The Ringer (website)|''The Ringer'']], agreed with the film's argument, but found the pursuit of Hank Azaria to appear in the film "a prevailing distraction from more ambitious consideration of the ideal future of ''The Simpsons'' and the cultural shifts that have rendered Apu increasingly unpalatable." He also found the documentary lacked imagination in finding a solution to creating a more nuanced portrayal of Apu: "that lapse of Kondabolu's imagination is the documentary's real waste."<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theringer.com/movies/2017/11/16/16666564/the-problem-with-apu-simpsons-hari-kondabolu|title=Hari Kondabolu Doesn't Know How to Solve 'The Problem With Apu'|work=The Ringer|access-date=2017-11-27}}</ref> Neal Justin of ''[[Minneapolis Star Tribune]]'' noted "any criticism directed at the show's portrayal of the convenience-store owner in his documentary&nbsp;... is drowned out by frustration that he can't land an interview with the character's voice actor."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.startribune.com/tv-picks-for-nov-19-23-the-problem-with-apu-godless-anne-of-green-gables/458092733/|title=TV picks for Nov. 19-23: 'The Problem With Apu', 'Godless', 'Anne of Green Gables'|website=[[Star Tribune]] }}</ref> Many Indian fans expressed dissatisfaction with the documentary and genuinely liked Apu.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sunkara |first=Bhaskar |date=2018-11-01 |title=Don't get rid of Apu. He's a hero to many of us |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/01/apu-simpsons-hero |access-date=2023-10-18 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2018-05-09 |title=The Simpsons: Not all Indians think Apu is a racist stereotype |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-44027613 |access-date=2023-10-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=2021-10-28 |title=Perspective {{!}} To many Indian Americans, Apu is offensive. To me, he’s my dad. |language=en-US |work=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/posteverything/wp/2018/04/25/to-many-indian-americans-apu-is-offensive-to-me-hes-my-dad/ |access-date=2023-10-18 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

In October 2018, in the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[The Problem with a Poo]]", [[Mr. Hankey]] is expelled and sent to a land where "people don't care about bigotry and hate" – [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] – where he is welcomed by Apu. The episode ended with a title card, ''#cancelthesimpsons'', similar to the promo for ''South Park'' which called for the cancellation of itself, leading many to assume that the episode was ''South Park'' siding with the documentary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/south-park-cancel-the-simpsons_us_5bbebe99e4b054d7ddef75e2|title=Surprise ''South Park'' Ending Is a Massive Troll of ''The Simpsons''|first=Ed|last=Mazza|date=11 October 2018|work=[[Huffington Post]]}}</ref> On the DVD commentary, ''South Park'' creators [[Trey Parker]] and [[Matt Stone]] stated that the people on ''The Simpsons'' are their friends, and that the episode was not a jab at ''The Simpsons'' but at the documentary and the critique of Apu, and that they found it amusing how many misinterpreted the joke as an attack on ''The Simpsons''.<ref name="Commentary">{{cite video | people=[[Trey Parker|Parker, Trey]]; [[Matt Stone|Stone, Matt]]|date=2019|title=South Park season 22 DVD commentary for the episode "A problem with a Poo"| medium=DVD|publisher=[[Comedy Central]]}}</ref> In addition, a writer for ''The Simpsons'', [[Al Jean]], tweeted about the episode: "It's actually in favor of us saying people are too critical."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-showrunner-responds-south-park-apu-ending-1151504|title='Simpsons' Showrunner Responds to 'South Park' Apu Ending|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=11 October 2018 |language=en|access-date=2020-01-24}}</ref>

== ''The Simpsons'' response ==
''The Simpsons'' episode "[[No Good Read Goes Unpunished]]", first aired on April 8, 2018, was widely received as a response to Kondabolu's film.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/04/the-simpsons-problem-with-apu-response|title=The Simpsons Still Doesn't Understand the Problem with Apu|last=Desta|first=Yohana|date=April 9, 2018|magazine=Vanity Fair|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://slate.com/culture/2018/04/the-simpsons-shrugged-off-critics-of-apu-via-lisa-and-marge.html|title=The Simpsons Addressed Hari Kondabolu's Problem With Apu By Shrugging at the Problem|last=Harris|first=Aisha|date=April 9, 2018|work=[[Slate Magazine]]|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/monkeysee/2018/04/09/600794630/the-simpsons-to-the-problem-with-apu-drop-dead|title='The Simpsons' To 'The Problem With Apu': Drop Dead|last=Holmes|first=Linda|date=April 9, 2018|work=NPR.org |publisher=[[National Public Radio]]|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/the-simpsons-sad-response-to-the-problem-with-apu|title=The Simpsons' 'Sad' Response to 'The Problem with Apu' |last=Wilstein|first=Matt|date=2018-04-09|work=The Daily Beast|access-date=2018-04-11|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/4/9/17215860/the-simpsons-problem-with-apu-response-controversy|title=The Simpsons responds to Apu controversy with a shrug about political correctness|last=Framke|first=Caroline|date=April 9, 2018|work=Vox|access-date=2018-04-11|publisher=[[Vox Media]]}}</ref> In it, Marge finds that a book she loved as a child contains elements that would now be considered offensive, and edits the book herself to remove these elements. In doing this, she finds the book loses its "emotional journey". She and Lisa then look to a picture of Apu, and Lisa comments that "something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive, is now [[Political correctness|politically incorrect]]. What can you do?" Kondabolu wrote on Twitter that he was disappointed that the message of his film had been reduced to the concept of "politically incorrect".<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/simpsons-addresses-apu-stereotype-controversy-1100853 | title = 'The Simpsons' Addresses Apu Stereotype Controversy | first = Abid | last = Rahman | date = April 9, 2018 | access-date = April 9, 2018 | work = [[The Hollywood Reporter]] }}</ref> In an interview with ''[[USA Today]]'', creator [[Matt Groening]] dismissed the criticism of the Apu character, saying "I think it's a time in our culture where people love to pretend they're offended".<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2018/04/27/thesimpsons-matt-groening-new-record-fox-animated-series/524581002/|title='The Simpsons' exclusive: Matt Groening (mostly) remembers the show's record 636 episodes|first=Bill|last=Keveney|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=April 27, 2018|access-date=May 2, 2018}}</ref> ''Simpsons'' writer and producer [[Mike Reiss]] wrote in his 2018 memoir ''[[Springfield Confidential]]'' that he believed that Kondabolu had made a "nasty little documentary" and that taunting Indian children about Apu was not racist but "kids [being] dicks".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Ryan |first1=Kyle |title=A life writing for The Simpsons fails to embiggen an insider's book about the show |url=https://www.avclub.com/a-life-writing-for-the-simpsons-fails-to-embiggen-an-in-1826548683 |access-date=January 2, 2022 |work=[[The A.V. Club]] |date=June 11, 2018}}</ref>

During an appearance that same month on ''[[The Late Show with Stephen Colbert]]'', Azaria said that he would be "perfectly willing to step aside" from the role of voicing Apu, saying that he was increasingly worried about the character causing harm by reinforcing stereotypes and that "the most important thing is to listen to Indian people and their experience with it ... I really want to see Indian, South Asian writers in the writers' room, genuinely informing whichever direction this character takes."<ref>{{cite news|title=Hank Azaria ready to 'step aside' from ''Simpsons'' Apu role|work=BBC News |date=25 April 2018 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43892039|access-date=25 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180425120920/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43892039|archive-date=25 April 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Kondabolu had a positive reaction to Azaria's comments.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-43892039|title=Apu actor 'willing to step aside' from role|date=25 April 2018|publisher=[[BBC]]|access-date=21 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180701132606/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-43892039|archive-date=1 July 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

Azaria announced in January 2020 that he "won't be doing the voice anymore, unless there's some way to transition it or something."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Colburn |first1=Randall |title=Hank Azaria will reportedly no longer voice Apu on ''The Simpsons''|url=https://www.avclub.com/hank-azaria-will-reportedly-no-longer-voice-apu-on-the-1841065310|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|access-date=January 17, 2020|date=January 17, 2020|postscript=none}}</ref> In June 2020, in response to the [[George Floyd protests]], the show's producers announced in a statement that ''The Simpsons'' will no longer have non-white characters voiced by white actors.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Thorne|first=Will|date=2020-06-26|title='The Simpsons' Will 'No Longer Have White Actors Voice Non-White Characters', Producers Say|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/the-simpsons-will-no-longer-have-white-actors-voice-non-white-characters-producers-say-1234691910/|access-date=2020-06-29|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/jun/27/the-simpsons-says-white-actors-will-no-longer-voic/|title='The Simpsons' says White actors will no longer voice non-White characters|author=Blake, Andrew|website=[[The Washington Times]]|date=June 27, 2020|access-date=April 24, 2021}}</ref>

In the April 12, 2021, episode of [[Dax Shepard]]'s podcast ''Armchair Expert'', Azaria apologized for "racism, my participation in racism, or at least in a racist practice or in structural racism, as it relates to show business or&nbsp;... all the above." One reaction to Azaria's apology came from actress and writer Mellini Kantayya, who in a ''[[Washington Post]]'' opinion piece wrote about Azaria's concession:{{cquote|... and for him to say so not in a carefully crafted PR statement, but in a conversation long after the news cycle had moved on, caught me off guard. Azaria reached his conclusions after years of learning and reflection. He recognized how his work had hurt Indian Americans and wanted to start making amends. That's why I cried. His apology was cold comfort, given my past, but the validation and acknowledgment still mattered.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/22/hank-azaria-apologized-playing-apu-i-accept-i-appreciate-it/|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|title=Opinion: Hank Azaria apologized for playing Apu on 'The Simpsons'. I accept. |last=Kantayya |first=Mellini|date=April 22, 2021|access-date=April 24, 2021|archive-date=April 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422141839/https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/22/hank-azaria-apologized-playing-apu-i-accept-i-appreciate-it/}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|url=https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/hank-azaria|author=[[Shepard, Dax]]|series=Armchair Expert|number=314|title=Hank Azaria|date=April 12, 2021|access-date=April 24, 2021|archive-date=April 13, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413111925/https://armchairexpertpod.com/pods/hank-azaria}}</ref>}}In April 2023, Azaria and Kondabolu met for the first time in a public forum to discuss the documentary and how it impacted both comedians on NPR’s ''Code Switch'' podcast.<ref name="Meraji and Demby, 2017" /> Azaria thanked Kondabolu for “dragging and pushing me into this conversation”. Kondabolu responded “It means a lot to hear you say that. I know you’ve told me privately the impact that I’ve made, but to hear that publicly is a really big deal to me because one of the things that frustrated me after the film came out is that I was getting death threats […] So for you to say it now does mean a lot.”

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|7588752}}
* {{rottentomatoes|the_problem_with_apu}}
* {{Metacritic television}}

{{The Simpsons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Problem with Apu, The}}
[[Category:2017 documentary films]]
[[Category:2017 films]]
[[Category:American documentary television films]]
[[Category:Documentary films about animation]]
[[Category:Documentary films about television]]
[[Category:Films about Indian Americans]]
[[Category:Works about The Simpsons]]