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New SIMPSONS Documentary Explores THE PROBLEM WITH APU

For nearly 30 years, The Simpsons has chronicled the lives and misadventures of the title characters and their fellow residents of Springfield, USA. The Kwik-E-Mart owner, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, has been among the show’s most popular supporting characters during its run. In the early seasons of the show, Apu was largely a one-note stereotype figure, who was fleshed out in later seasons as a family man with a life outside of his Simpsons interactions. But that doesn’t necessarily change some of the problematic aspects of Apu’s portrayal, which persist to this day.

This fall, TruTV is releasing comedian Hari Kondabolu‘s Simpsons documentary, The Problem With Apu, which will explore the cultural impact of the show’s most prominent Indian character. Along the way, Kondabolu speaks to several actors and comedians of South Asian descent, including Hasan Minhaj, Sakina Jaffrey, and Kal Penn for their thoughts on Apu. And in the newly released trailer, they don’t hold back. Penn outright states that he hates Apu, and therefore he hates The Simpsons as well.

According to Kondabolu, he’s been dealing with his feelings about Apu for 28 years, and this documentary has been in the works for some time. As seen in the trailer, Kondabolu managed to get some comments from former Simpsons writer Dana Gould, who was very frank in his assessment of Apu’s character. It’s less clear if Apu’s performer, Hank Azaria, will also directly participate in this documentary. However, there are many clips of Azaria voicing Apu, including a commencement speech.

The Problem With Apu will debut this fall on TruTV.

How do you feel about Apu’s portrayal on The Simpsons? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Image: TruTv

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