This is my everything.

Caity Weaver is a goddamn national treasure.

I have a reason to share this now.

Such a huge fail on all levels. And really, you’re going to use Lisa to make this point? She would be the one holding the rally against the racist character if they cared character continuity.

It’s also pretty shitty for them to use Lisa, who has always been a stand-in for the social justice-inclined, to complain about political correctness. It’d be like having a new Lord of the Rings where Frodo extols the virtue of holding on to earthly riches and power.

It’s a bit of everything. The fact it’s a White guy almost gleefully enjoying the fact it’s racist (a lot of it shows how Hank is aware of what he’s doing), the fact the attempts at character development over the years have all still been stereotypes of India (lots of children, arranged marriages), how it doesn’t…

One of my favorite phrases is, “It can be two things.”

They obviously new it was wrong early on - why else would they go out of their way to make Apu such a sympathetic character? The episodes about him potentially getting deported and his arranged marriage came in the 7th and 9th seasons. I’m sure at some point there was a sense in the writers’ room that they needed to…

Like most things I arrived late to Janelle Monae but I am beyond obsessed. I had Make Me Feel and Django Jane on repeat all weekend.

You’re correct on this IMO. The ramification of Apu was the fact that tons of people were just quoting him because they found his accent and the things he said hilarious. This RARELY had anything to do with the content of what he said but was more due to the accent itself.

“Thank you come again” or “Would you like a…

Only allowed to make fun of white people.

I’m 36 next month. when I was a kid, the Simpsons was viewed as a very dangerous, almost punk rock show. they really are being dishonest about the nature of their own show.

Agree. It’s always been problematic. Also having Lisa say, “It’s hard to say. Something that started decades and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” is extremely out of character for her and something she would never say. Seems intentional to add some sort of intellectual…

“Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect.” 

When I first came to the US, I had a pretty thick Indian accent. It was my Freshman year in high school. I’m sure the kids would’ve made fun of my accent either way, but the most common thing was for them to either say “thank you come again” to me or to ask me to do it. It certainly didn’t help that I spoke English…

Worst part is they use the one character who’s usually seen as socially aware on the show to go “nope, I’m letting this one pass.”

I love the Simpsons but I still have to say that the racism surrounding Apu was always there, it’s just that nowadays we’re finally calling this type of stuff out more. You don’t get a free pass just because it’s from a time that people cared less.

“You have a point. How do you think we should address this?”

Maybe if your show’s been on so long that one of your first characters is now a modern version of Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you should just make something new.

I can’t believe this show is still on, but I can believe a show that stopped being funny 20 years ago has writers and producers this out of touch with the current cultural climate of America.