The Problem with Apu - Kal Penn Explains Why He Can't Watch the Simpsons | truTV

Kal Penn explains his hatred of The Simpsons and Hari discovers he wasn’t the only brown person bullied because of Apu.

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The Problem with Apu - Kal Penn Explains Why He Can't Watch the Simpsons | truTV

[dannytheman]

Kal Penn hates Apu for being an Indian stereotype but had no problem playing a stereotype in two movies.

[gokuhawks]

Kal Is a hypocrite. He plays a stereotype, but then complains about a stereotype.

[sukhmangat]

I'm an Indian and NEVER had a problem with Apu. I actually liked watching an Indian guy on the Simpsons. And it's not as if he was a badly written character. He was dynamic, round, he had his strengths and weaknesses. Hard working man. Tempted by other women. I never understood the problem with Apu.

[clenshin]

So let me get this straight:
Apu, someone who went to college and got a doctor's degree, owns a succesful business, is considered to be one of the few attractive men in Springfield and one of the only characters in the show that doesnt act like a complete utter idiot, is somehow bad indian representation and worthy of being hated by the indian community.

[zipgow]

Taj is literally the shittiest representation of an Indian I have seen in my lifetime. And yet Kal Penn was not only fine with taking the role for Van Wilder, but was even eager to make a feature length sequel starring the character.

[germanMan]

he hates the Simpsons because of apu, yet he stared in van wilder where he portrayed a stereotypical Indian boy complete with the fake bad accent for comic purposes. sounds like hes the self hating indian here

[bigstink]

These people weren't bullied when they were kids because of Apu.
They were bullied because they were KIDS and perceived as different.

To blame their bullying on the existence of a cartoon character is ridiculous.

[BROKENVenom]

I'm Mexican and I love Bumblebee Man

[ErichoTTA]

Kal Pen starred in "Epic Movie", which has people eating feces, throwing up in each other's mouths, treats women as cattle and insults midgets, yet he is offended by "The Simpsons"?

[TheTommyKeavy]

Penn was comfortable putting on attire representing a terrorist on a plane while using mannerisms of a plane "blowing up" in "Harold and Kumar". Oh, not to mention Kal's exaggerated 'Indian accent' for the role of "Taj"...he wasn't offended by his paychecks.

[maikerukage]

Kal Penn has an issue with Apu huh? But he's perfectly okay to make fun of people with disabilities / disfigurations, okay to make fun of sexual abuse, and women? Sounds like a case of someone only being offended when the jokes are on them. It's perfectly acceptable to make fun of things as long as it doesn't relate to you. What a hypocrite.

Fact is, there are people like Apu in the world. It's a shame that those people are made to feel bad about who they are and how they talk because people like Kal Penn consider them stereotypes and unwanted.

[curious]

Basically Kal can dish it out but cannot take it.

[smartindian]

The problem was that some viewers were uneducated and took Apu too seriously, because he was the only Indian cartoon character

[Mystrohan]

It's absolutely true that I had to put up with stupid Apu references more than a dozen times a day from idiots who thought their dumb Kwik-E-Mart joke was original and funny, and it would be something like schadenfreude to see that character gone.

It's also true that I had to put up with equally stupid references to just how much I sounded like a certain character called Kumar. Ring any bells? Look at the log in your own eye, Kalpen.

[shanemcgill]

i don't think anyone was bullied *because* of Apu. a bully would have had no trouble coming up with another put-down. i always thought Apu was one of the most intelligent and virtuous characters in the Simpsons. how nuanced can we expect an American audience to be with regard to South Asian immigrants? i think Matt Groening did a good job.

[yualwayscmecommenting]

Comedians can't take a joke? Then who the hell can?

[TurboNutterBastard.]

Kal HATES Apu but didn't mind quoting him in Harold and Kumar.

[alexro]

If you cant watch the simpsons and hate it because of a character, you must be suffering of depression and have a sad life.

[NyQuilDonut]

You don't get to call yourself a comedian if you're this easily offended by jokes.

[Brickblock]

Thanks for KILLING an actual CHARACTER with DEVELOMPENT, Apu was one of the few characters in the Simpson's that acted like a real person, not a doll like the Simpson family.