Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, who has long been an iconic character on “The Simpsons,” is reportedly getting the ax. After complaints that the Kwik-E-Mart owner is an offensive stereotype of South Asians, rumors are swirling that Apu will be written out of the show.
Hank Azaria, who has voiced Apu for decades, has said that he is okay with the decision to remove Apu.
IndieWire reported that producer Adi Shankar launched a contest to find script that “in a clever way subverts [Apu], pivots him, writes him out, or evolves him in a way that takes a creation that was the byproduct of a predominately Harvard-educated white male writers’ room and transforms it into a fresh, funny and realistic portrayal of Indians in America.”
IndieWire claims that Apu “has become a controversial figure because many believe him to be an inaccurate and hurtful portrayal of Indian-Americans.”
Apu, however, is far from the only potentially triggering character on the long-running show. As long as we are ready to cut characters for being offensive stereotypes, vote below to suggest which “Simpsons” character should be eliminated next.