Simpsons

Outta here

Senate Member
Jul 8, 2005
6,778
157
63
Edmonton AB
I hated Family Guy at first too, but it grows on ya - it's just so damn twisted, ya can't help but laugh!
re: the Simpsons - it's a fave in our house, but I did have to ground my son from watching it for awhile a few years ago - when he mooned me and told me not to have a cow, man. :lol:
 

jerry

New Member
Jan 17, 2006
35
0
6
The Simpsons have been terrible for at least the last 5 years. I can't stand watching the new ones; they are so pathetically not funny, it makes me mad. This show has become a parody of it's former self.

I still watch the old ones though and I never get tired of them.
 

glossprincess

Electoral Member
Feb 5, 2006
833
0
16
Anyone seen the Stewie Griffin movie?? I just saw it the other nice......funny funny funny stuff!!

The bit with Jesus kills me!!
 

Jay

Executive Branch Member
Jan 7, 2005
8,366
3
38
All these "grown ups" watching cartoons all the time...tsk tsk.
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
35,667
3,004
113
'Simpsons' star Hank Azaria apologizes to 'every single Indian person' for voicing Apu
Author of the article:Reuters
Reuters
Antonio Ferme
Publishing date:Apr 13, 2021 • 13 hours ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Hank Azaria of "Brockmire" speaks during the IFC segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 16, 2020 in Pasadena, California.
Hank Azaria of "Brockmire" speaks during the IFC segment of the 2020 Winter TCA Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 16, 2020 in Pasadena, California. PHOTO BY AMY SUSSMAN /Getty Images
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LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Hank Azaria has issued an apology for voicing Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu on “The Simpsons,” a controversial role he played for 30 years despite Apu being Indian.

“I apologize for my part in creating that and participating in that,” Azaria said. “Part of me feels I need to go round to every single Indian person in this country and apologize.”


Azaria, who began voicing the convenience store owner in 1990, spoke about the recent controversies surrounding his character on Dax Shepherd’s “Armchair Expert” podcast. In January 2020, he stepped down from voicing Apu on “The Simpsons.” The voice actor insists the character was created with good intentions but said there were real negative consequences to the portrayal.

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“I really didn’t know any better,” Azaria said. “I didn’t think about it. I was unaware of how much relative advantage I had received in this country as a white kid from Queens.”

Azaria said Peter Seller’s performance in “The Party” inspired Apu’s voice on “The Simpsons.” Seller, the white actor who portrayed the gawky Hrundi V. Bakshi in the film, wore brownface and perpetuated Indian stereotypes. Looking back, Azaria said this was “a great example of white privilege relative advantage.”

“At the time, Indian people were very upset with that portrayal back in 1966,” Azaria said. “I couldn’t be possibly passing along structural racism more perfectly, at least in a show business context, by taking something that was already upsetting and going, ‘Oh, this is wonderful!”‘

Indian comic Hari Kondabolu outlined the negative stereotypes and racial microaggressions that Apu’s character represents in his documentary “The Problem With Apu,” which was released on truTV in 2017.

Kondabolu brought in various Indian talents from Hollywood to share their personal stories of how white people bullied them by using Apu’s character. Many people used Apu’s ubiquitous line “Thank you, come again” as the punchline for their harmful and racist gestures.

Shortly after the film’s release, “The Simpsons” writers addressed the controversies surrounding Apu. In the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished,” Marge purchases an old fairytale book from her childhood to read to Lisa as a bedtime story.

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While reading the story, Marge began to realize how culturally offensive the book actually is. Toward the end of the episode, Lisa looks directly into the camera, saying: “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” She then looks over at a framed picture of Apu, which has the line “Don’t have a cow!” written on it.


Since stepping down from the role, Azaria said he has “read spoke to people who knew a lot about racism, spoke to lots of Indian people and went to seminars.”

While he still voices characters on “The Simpsons,” he is now a major proponent for casting actors of colour to voice characters of colour. Azaria said he slowly came to realize that Apu was the only representation of Indian people in American pop culture for 20 years.

“If that were the only representation of my people in American pop culture,” he said, “I don’t think I would’ve been crazy about that.”
 

spaminator

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 26, 2009
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Morrissey lashes out at 'The Simpsons' bosses for 'racist' portrayal
Author of the article:WENN - World Entertainment News Network
Publishing date:Apr 19, 2021 • 26 minutes ago • 2 minute read • Join the conversation
Benedict Cumberbatch voices an indie singer from 1980s Britain in the most recent episode of "The Simpsons."
Benedict Cumberbatch voices an indie singer from 1980s Britain in the most recent episode of "The Simpsons." PHOTO BY MATT GROENING /Fox
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Singer Morrissey was less than impressed with the latest episode of The Simpsons, which animated his former band The Smiths.

Panic on the Streets of Springfield, which aired on Sunday, featured character Lisa Simpson making an imaginary friend – a depressed indie singer from 1980s Britain.


And while Morrissey wasn’t involved in the show – with actor Benedict Cumberbatch tapped to voice him, alongside a series of 80s-inspired songs, written by Flight of the Conchords star Bret McKenzie – the rocker took to social media to release a lengthy statement, attacking writers behind the episode for portraying him as a racist.

Insisting The Simpsons had taken a “turn for the worst” in recent years, he wrote: “Sadly, The Simpson’s (sic) show started out creating great insight into the modern cultural experience, but has since degenerated to trying to capitalize on cheap controversy and expounding on vicious rumours.

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“Poking fun at subjects is one thing. Other shows like SNL (Saturday Night Live) still do a great job at finding ways to inspire great satire. But when a show stoops so low to use harshly hateful tactics like showing the Morrissey character with his belly hanging out of his shirt (when he has never looked like that at any point in his career) makes you wonder who the real hurtful, racist group is here.”


He added: “Even worse – calling the Morrissey character out for being a racist, without pointing out any specific instances, offers nothing. It only serves to insult the artist.”

Morrissey, who was notably criticized for wearing a badge featuring the logo of far-right anti-Islam political party For Britain during a U.S. TV appearance, went on to reference Hank Azaria’s recent apology for playing Indian shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

“Simpson’s actor Hank Azaria’s recent apology to the whole country of India for his role in upholding ‘structural racism’ says it all,” the How Soon Is Now? hitmaker added.

“Unlike the character in the Simpson’s ‘Panic’ episode… Morrissey has never made a ‘cash grab,’ hasn’t sued any people for their attacks, has never stopped performing great shows, and is still a serious vegan and strong supporter for animal rights.

“By suggesting all of the above in this episode… the Simpson’s hypocritical approach to their storyline says it all. Truly they are the only ones who have stopped creating, and have instead turned unapologetically hurtful and racist.”

The statement concluded: “Not surprising… that The Simpsons viewership ratings have gone down so badly over recent years. (sic)”

Show bosses have yet to respond to the star’s criticism.
 
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