'The Simpsons' will address Apu in wake of documentary: Azaria

Los Angeles, Jan 14 (PTI) Hank Azaria, who lends hisvoice to the beloved character, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from"The Simpsons", said the makers of t...

Los Angeles, Jan 14 (PTI) Hank Azaria, who lends hisvoice to the beloved character, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon from"The Simpsons", said the makers of the hit animated sitcomwill address the controversy after it was criticised for beingracist.

The actor's comments come after the documentary "TheProblem With Apu" by comic Hari Kondabolu explored the mannerin which elements of the character allegedly reinforce racialstereotypes.

Azaria, 53, said it was "upsetting" for him bothprofessionally and personally if Apu's part had caused griefto anyone as it was never the intent, reported EntertainmentWeekly.

"The idea that anybody, young or old, past or present,was bullied or teased or worse based on the character of Apuon The Simpsons, or the voice or any other tropes of thecharacter is distressing, especially in post-9/11 America.

"The idea that anybody was marginalised based on it orhad a hard time was very upsetting to me personally andprofessionally. It's a character I've done for 29 years now,and I've done it with a lot of love, and joy, and pride. Thatcertainly wasn't the intent. The intent was to make peoplelaugh and bring joy. For it to cause suffering or pain in anyway, it's disturbing, actually," he told reporters at the TCAin Pasadena during a panel.

Azaria said he believes it is important to listen whenpeople express themselves about racial issues; what the makersof the sitcom are planning to do.

"The most important thing to do is listen, try tounderstand, try to sympathise, which is what I'm doing. I knowthat 'The Simpsons' guys are doing that too; they're giving ita lot of thought, and we've discussed a little bit. They willdefinitely address - maybe publicly, certainly creativelywithin the context of the show - what they want to do, ifanything, with the character," he said.

Azaria had earlier said Kondabolu's documentary helpedraise an "important conversation" with respect to Apu's part.

PTI RDSRDS.

This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com