You can't pick Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa or Maggie

Even if I think of it as 'The Ralph Wiggum & Friends Show'?

All options used to be special and fun to watch, now they kinda suck

He's not wrong.

But I'd say the best supporting characters are Ned Flanders, Moe, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, Troy McLure, and Rainier Wolfcastle. I haven't watched The Simpsons for years. I must be forgetting some.

Hans Moleman

So there's a controversy with the Simpsons right now where after a documentary "The Problem with Apu" came out last year criticizing the show for an Indian stereotype, they basically told the PC police to go fuck themselves on the show last night

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live- ... sy-1100853

When I did watch the show it was Mr Burns

Which is the right approach to take.

Apu is an immigrant owns his own business and is a good family man, is highly intelligent and has a PHD, and is the hardest working guy in town. Such an insulting depiction.

I haven't seen the documentary. What is the biggest issue(s)? I'm not downplaying any kind of racial issues, and I can clearly see when a show plays up glaringly obvious stereotypes for laughs (Han on 2 Broke Girls was a horribly-written Asian character). But I don't understand why Apu's depiction is so egregious. He's not a villainous character. In fact, I think most, if not all, would view him favorably on the show as a good side character.

A few criticisms seem to stem from casting people telling Indian (or Pakistani, in Kumail Nanjiani's case) actors to do an "Apu accent" for a role. That's not really on The Simpsons that the show is so ingrained in the conscience of viewers that you can say "Apu accent" and know exactly what someone means.

I'm obviously not in the Indian-American community, and maybe someone could shed some light on the other side of the issue. But while a character created in the early 1990s is definitely a caricature, he's not portrayed as a bad person. Lots of stereotypes in the performance? Sure. I get that. But I just don't think it should be on The Simpsons to, 30 years later, re-write the character in one entire, very special episode.

I do admit that the show did a horrible job responding. It was one of those "maybe it was best not to say anything" moments.

I think two of his biggest issues are Apu having a stereotypical job for an Indian (convienience store owner) and that a white guy in Hank Azaria voices him, saying his voice comes off as a white guy making fun of Indian people (It apparently was inspired by Peter Sellers brownface in The Party). He compares it to minstrel performances. A lot of Indian actors say growing up were bullied with the Apu voice. Some of the documentary uses Apu as a launching point to talk about the lack of opportunities for other Indian actors outside of stereotype roles

But Indian people do run convenience stores. So what's the problem? Maybe the Indian community wants Apu to be something that Indians are not. For what reason, I do not know. I suggest changing Apu into a villain that secretly is a neo-Nazi and fucks kids in his store room. That should make them happy. Showing that Indians can aspire to more than just convenience store owners. At least that won't be stereotypical ... which for some reason is a bad word these days.

Liberals really need to re-group and go after actual social problems. Not this trivial bullshit.

I'm not into the argument. Apu is a beloved Simpsons character. People using his voice in a negative way is up to people, not the Simpsons writers. And if Hank Azaria voicing him is a concern, is there a similar concern for Dr. Hibbert, a black character, being voiced by Harry Shearer?

Again, I don't have any history to base this on, being white. But I just can't go with this argument at all.

What about Smithers?

The *only* long-time gay character (who's fairly recently out, I believe) has been voiced by a non-gay for decades. Outrageous!! Should all gays be offended at the effeminate portrayal of Smithers coupled with the fact that it's some straight man emulating stereotypical homos for laughs? Or all the gay steel mill workers being prancing, dancing queens? I watched the Simpsons regularly for a solid 15 years and can't recall much else in the way of queer representation.

I *understand* the feelings some Indians/whoever-else have (re: the "documentary") as I have absolutely felt similar things in regards to the endless stream of hetero actors being so brave for playing gay or really getting the mannerisms down and more! There aren't very many gay characters so when they're played by straights (while all the straight roles are *also* played by heteros) it's not really leaving much for "us."

So, in essence, I kind of feel like my issue with Apu suddenly being a topic that needs to be dealt with is that why stop with Apu? Why is *only* Apu offensive enough to the right people that he's "fixed" for the sake of the Indians? Why not Smithers? Or Hibbert? Or any other character voiced by a human person that isn't their real-life representation?

To me, this is why even if you have some personal problem with Apu--so what? Get over it. There are other representations nowadays so if Apu riles you, take your business elsewhere. I found various depictions of homos to be "offensive" enough to stop watching various shows over the years, but I missed the memo where I was supposed to make a big fuss so that everyone feels my feelings.

Short version: remove the tree trunk from your asses and stop whining about Apu

I haven't seen the documentary, but I saw a clip of Hari Kondabolu on The Daily Show. He doesn't have a problem with Apu. I think he said he even thinks the character is funny. His biggest problem is that Apu was basically the most famous (and practically only) representation of an Indian in popular culture who also happened to be voiced by a white man. He'd like more representation of Indian characters with actual Indians playing them.

While I think he's annoying, I can't disagree with that argument. Every other argument he brings up is where his footing begins to get shaky. I think most of The Simpsons audience gets that Apu is a heightened stereotype in a show full of nothing but heightened stereotypes, but I could see being frustrated with Apu if he's the only stereotype representing my culture out there.

And while I think that's a valid argument, the show should've never addressed it. It was never going to end well for them.

I don't know. I understand the argument, it just sucks that it's on The Simpsons and Hank Azaria. Having white people play non-white characters in animation is not a new development, and is still prevalent today. Look at Mike Henry playing Cleveland on Family Guy. Do I think a black character should be played by a black voice actor? Sure. I guess I'm in the camp where, if we're going to do this, let's do it everywhere.

And maybe the documentary addresses all that. I'd be curious to watch it.

The show definitely should never have addressed it. That was cringe-worthy. I don't know who they thought that would appeal to. It was somewhere firmly between "we're dead serious" and "we're making light of it", exactly where they shouldn't have went.

It’s kind of bogus. Maybe relevant 15 years ago. Why not attack the entire Indian family on the Big Bang theory that after only go for cheap less kind hearted and horribly unfunny, and all speak perfect English. Despite all the success the nation has seen in the last decade, and they have nearly 4 times as viewers.

Thankfully it’s was just to get the guy 15 minutes, and I actually think the simpsons did the right thing. They have no problem with the other ethnic backgrounds that pretty much 3 guys have almost contributed to all of them.

Somebody should make a groundskeeper willie doc

People love to pretend they're offended.

Apu is being written off the show

So now they will get complaints about not being diverse enough.

The solution was simple but they were definitely foolish to use a "its not a big deal" defense. That doesn't fly in 2018. They should have just an episode from Apu's point of view where they address and apologize for the issue while showing that he has always been more than a stereotype.

My answer to the question is Moe. He can play the hero, a supportive friend or an antagonistic asshole without ever betraying his character. And he can do it all with a healthy amount of jokes about depression. What a guy! The Flaming Moes episode is also a top ten, maybe 5 for me.

My favorite one off supporting character is from my #1 favorite episode- Hank Scorpio.

It's funny how nobody cares when Family Guy or South Park are racist. I find Consuela hilarious but I always thought the Mort and Jew jokes were pushing it on Family Guy and could be looked at really badly by a future generation

South Park did have a thing a few years ago, where they had a throwaway gag at the end of an episode involving Randy dressing up like Lorde. Some website made a big deal about it, so South Park used that for their very next episode. "We wouldn't want anyone having fun at her expense." Simpsons just can't respond in real time like that. the Apu episode was a year after the controversy and therefore seemed petty.

I think Mr. Burns has to be the old reliable. They kind of created the perfect spectrum of pure evil to feebleness. He can pretty much be put in any situation for a laugh.

I would have said Skinner but not since he pronounced a fraud. His mother jokes always killed me.