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Thread: The Simpsons Thread

  1. #1

    The Simpsons Thread

    Hard to believe this thread doesn't already exist on a board I frequent.

    You may have heard of the controversy with the Simpson's and their portrayal of Apu. I was reminded about it today because of this article:

    https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/25/enter...apu/index.html

    It's impossible for me to understand this on the level of those complaining but I've always viewed the Simpson's as an equal opportunity offender. I thought the whole purpose was to take stereotypes and mock them, from Homer being an oafish dad to Marge being a subservient wife. Dr Hibbert emulating Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable, Mr Burns being the corrupt wealthy person, Mrs Crabapple as the disengaged school teacher and Principal Skinner being the straight arrow authority figure who is also a momma's boy. Apu is the same thing. It always seemed to me to be the point that not all Indians are convenience store workers. Further a commentary that in America we take a computer science genius who is an immigrant and force him in a career beneath his real skills.

    In fact that was what was so comical of George HW Bush's criticism of the Simpson's back in the day because he mistook it being a celebration of an awful American family when really it was a mockery of it.

    So maybe Apu needs to go, but I really think people are missing the point.

    One of the finest pieces of satire I've ever seen was this bit by The Onion.



    What made it so great is that both sides thought it was mocking the other side and they were right. I think the Simpson's has been doing this for years (making fun of everything) and thus not a reason to suddenly throw up our arms and call it racist.


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    Last edited by Rocker Ute; 04-25-2018 at 12:24 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocker Ute View Post
    Hard to believe this doesn't already exist on a board I frequent.

    You may have heard of the controversy with the Simpson's and their portrayal of Apu. I was reminded about it today because of this article:

    https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/25/enter...apu/index.html

    It's impossible for me to understand this on the level of those complaining but I've always viewed the Simpson's as an equal opportunity offender. I thought the whole purpose was to take stereotypes and mock them, from Homer being an oafish dad to Marge being a subservient wife. Dr Hibbert emulating Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable, Mr Burns being the corrupt wealthy person, Mrs Crabapple as the disengaged school teacher and Principal Skinner being the straight arrow authority figure who is also a momma's boy. Apu is the same thing. It always seemed to me to be the point that not all Indians are convenience store workers. Further a commentary that in America we take a computer science genius who is an immigrant and force him in a career beneath his real skills.

    In fact that was what was so comical of George HW Bush's criticism of the Simpson's back in the day because he mistook it being a celebration of an awful American family when really it was a mockery of it.

    So maybe Apu needs to go, but I really think people are missing the point.

    One of the finest pieces of satire I've ever seen was this bit by The Onion.

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lpzVc7s-_e8

    What made it so great is that both sides thought it was mocking the other side and they were right. I think the Simpson's has been doing this for years (making fun of everything) and thus not a reason to suddenly throw up our arms and call it racist.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    sense

    I love the Simpsons, so many great one-liners. There's a local radio station that plays a lot of Simpsons one-liners after commercials vs. bumper music. Just listening to those make you realize what brilliant writers they have employed. I wish my sense of humor was a little more high-brow, but I could watch them all day (pants optional)

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