Saptarshi Ray, a Guardian journalist based in Washington DC, has written a splendid appreciation of my favorite Simpson's character:
Apu may work at the Kwik-E-Mart but his adventures take in everything from being part of the town volunteer firefighters - where, in one scene, Homer, Krusty and Apu are described as "Christian, Jew and miscellaneous" by Reverend Lovejoy. "I am a Hindu, there are over 700 million of us" retorts Apu. "Oh, that's super," beams the Rev - to having a penchant for public nudity. . . .
Where Apu comes into his own is that he is never embarrassed about his own beliefs, identity or mannerisms. He openly displays his Hindu gods such as Ganesh and Vishnu in his store ("Mr Simpson, please do not offer my god a peanut"), he talks with authority and affection on a range of subjects...
Apu also holds a PhD in computer science but has been at the Kwik-E-Mart since his student days paying off his loans. If that is stereotypical of Asian-Americans I empathise with the financial constraints but am buoyed by the qualifications for serving customers.
Apu has an Indian accent because he is Indian, as in from India; he tries to swindle his customers because he is a shopkeeper with flexible morality . . . ; he is suspicious because he has been shot eight times ("all Kwik-E-Mart employees must be trained in the deadly arts").
...if Apu is a stereotype it is by virtue of him being America's favourite Indian. The movie campaign may have overlooked and marginalised the feelings of many Asian-Americans and the way they're portrayed but Apu bucks the stereotype as often as he is a victim of it...
Of course every character in The Simpsons is a cartoon character because The Simpsons is a cartoon, but Apu has always seemed to me to be the most complex and the most likable of any of the male characters and comes in second only to Marge overall.
Man, I can't crack wise about Apu.. he's not a stereotype, he's a representative Indian person.. I grew up around Indian people in Central California..I've known many.. These are good people.. Come here with little, ask for nothing and work like dogs to get ahead. All the while keeping their Indian cultural identity while adopting American culture at the same time. I'm not slamming Latinos but if we had Indian people streaming across our southern border to get PhDs, to program our computers, to open businesses, and to become cardiologists and neurosurgeons (or just hard working everyday people..)... instead of joining violent street gangs, resisting assimilation into American culture and protesting loudly for the rights of a citizen without the responsibilities that come with becoming one... well, we'd probably be building bridges over the Rio Grande rather than fences..
Posted by: Jake | July 22, 2007 at 12:29 PM
I've loved all the Indians I've ever met.
Posted by: gail | July 22, 2007 at 01:08 PM
They do have funny accents though =)
Hey Jim, d'ja hear that guy? He wants some peint.. peeeeintt.. peeeeeeiiinnntt.
Posted by: Jake | July 22, 2007 at 01:14 PM
In all fairness, if India was sitting on our southern border, the number of computer programmers/cardiologists coming over would be vastly outnumbered by the less skilled workers.
An Indian accent is quite lovely when it's attached to a female voice.
Posted by: dorkafork | July 22, 2007 at 04:38 PM
True.. True.. India on our southern border would be an even bigger problem than Mexico.. Plus, for all their ingenuity I doubt there's an Indian out there that can slap together a decent Carne Asada burrito.. and their Thuggees make the Mexican Mafia look like Nellie Boys.. Probably best just to leave India where it's at..
Oh, and Indian women? Two words.. Hot & Hot.. Think Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat..
Posted by: Jake | July 22, 2007 at 06:01 PM