One of the most notoriously irreverent programs in the history of television is willingly tossing aside its reputation in favor of rabid PC virtue signaling.
Speaking to late night host Stephen Colbert, who ditched his Comedy Central gig to become perhaps the least funny person on TV, Simpsons voice actor Hank Azaria apologized to the audience for his allegedly “racist” portrayal of Apu, a recurring Indian immigrant character on the program.
Azaria told Colbert that his “eyes have been opened” since the November 2017 release of the documentary The Problem With Apu, which was made by self-described comedian Hari Kondabolu. He indicated that he is willing to “step aside” from his role to allow a voice talent of actual Indian heritage to take his place.
This is demonstrative of a larger problem enveloping Hollywood and American comedy in particular. Comedy, by its very definition, is supposed to make people uncomfortable, and that often means portraying people in a certain way — often offensive. Laughter is a response to this discomfort. Through this, comedy allows content creators to talk about and engage issues in a way they wouldn’t normally be able to.
It’s also worth noting that Apu is far from being the only “stereotypical” character in The Simpsons. For more examples, look no further than the image to the left. Should those voice actors apologize too?
~ Facts Not Memes
