Once upon a time, Kwik-E-Mart convenience store owner Apu Nahasapeemapetilon was one of the most beloved side characters in The Simpsons. The character was the focus of several episodes in the show’s golden era, joining Homer’s briefly popular barbershop quartet The Be Sharps, heading to India in “Homer and Apu”, and tying the knot with Manjula in “The Two Mrs Nahasapeemapetilons”.
But trouble began brewing in the 2010s, and if you tune into newer episodes expecting an update on how Apu is doing, you’re likely to be disappointed. So what exactly happened to Apu?
Who needs the Kwik-E-Mart?
The basic answer is times change, and what was cool in the 1990s doesn’t necessarily fly with audiences today. In 2017, the Apu situation came to a head with comedian Hari Kondabolu’s documentary The Problem with Apu. This criticized the character for leaning into stereotypes of South Asian people, outlined the problems with white voice actor Hank Azaria playing him, revealed stories of people being bullied with Apu quotes from the show, and explicitly called out the show’s racism. As Kondabolu said:
“He’s funny, but that doesn’t mean this representation is accurate or right or righteous. It gets to the insidiousness of racism, though, because you don’t even notice it when it’s right in front of you.”
The Problem with Apu received widespread praise, and The Simpsons staff was clearly affected, though not in an especially positive way. In 2018, they aired the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished”, in which Marge discovers a childhood book she loved contains things that are now offensive. She and Lisa then look at a picture of Apu, with Lisa saying:
“Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive, is now politically incorrect. What can you do?”
The Simpsons creator Matt Groening also wasn’t particularly happy, saying in an interview with USA Today that:
“I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended.”
While The Simpsons writer and producer, Mike Reiss, wrote in his memoir about his time with the show that The Problem with Apu was a “nasty little documentary”.
It seems that Kondabolu hit a nerve, and The Simpsons team were stung by being accused being racist after the character had been a fan-favorite for more than two decades.
Hank Azaria steps back
But even if The Simpsons writers and production were offended at the accusation of racism, voice actor Hank Azaria took the criticisms on board. In 2018, he said in an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that he’d be “perfectly willing to step aside” from the role, and did just that in 2020. This came against the background of the George Floyd protests, after which the producers confirmed that The Simpsons would no longer have white voice actors voicing non-white characters.
Azaria apologized for “racism, my participation in racism, or at least in a racist practice or in structural racism, as it relates to show business or … all the above.”
Some characters (like Carl) were recast, but others have simply been sidelined.
Apu’s fate
Apu’s final voiced performance came in the season 29 premiere “The Serfsons” in 2017, though he hasn’t necessarily disappeared from the show altogether. His most recent appearance came in the season 33 episode “Poorhouse Rock”, which aired on May 22, 2022. Here he’s seen in a video presentation by Bart, though doesn’t speak.
It’s somewhat disappointing that The Simpsons has so severely sidelined Apu. Perhaps it’s still stinging from The Problem with Apu, or perhaps no voice actor of South Asian origin is willing to step up and voice the still-controversial character. Sidestepping this issue rather than tackling it is disappointing for a show that has a long history of promoting inclusivity (though with a couple of major missteps along the way…).
If showrunners were to use Apu going forward, we’d like to see The Simpsons tackle this issue head-on, though with The Problem with Apu now six years old, it may be too little, too late.
So, Apu is indeed still in The Simpsons, but don’t expect him to speak or play a role in any of the plots anytime soon.