Apu pawns the ‘Guardian’
Update: Check out what’s on the front page of the Guardian right now (top right column):
This piece on the Simpsons / 7-Eleven issue was posted on the Guardian (UK)’s blog this morning.
Comedian Peter Sellers’ crude attempt at an Indian accent was once so widely reviled among British Asians that the famed sketch show Goodness Gracious Me’s working title was Peter Sellers is Dead. Now the ‘bud bud ding ding‘ accent has been revived in a tasteless advertising promotion across the black waters in America.
While promoting a movie, the 7-Eleven chain has temporarily transformed 11 U.S. convenience stores into Kwik-E-Marts, the fictional cornershop from the much-beloved cartoon series The Simpsons. The stores have new Kwik-E-Mart signage and sell KrustyO cereal, Buzz cola, doughnuts in toxic pink, and other products directly from the show.
The makeover is a clever instance of life imitating art. But The Simpsons has long irritated some Indian-Americans because of the thickly stereotypical character of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the effete cornershop owner with fractured English, excess fertility, bizarre religious practices, illegal immigration status and a penchant for cheating customers.
Apu is quite a unique character on The Simpsons. Unlike the show’s parodies of policemen and Irish-Americans, he’s the only character to mock a small American minority relatively unknown in the mainstream, and he’s by far the most visible immigrant. For desis (South Asians) growing up in America, just one eighth as concentrated and visible here as in the UK, Apu shadowed us at every turn. Until the rise of American Idol chanteur Sanjaya Malakar, Apu was the most widely-known Indian after Mahatma Gandhi. And he has that fake Peter Sellers simulacrum of an Indian accent. Apu’s voice Hank Azaria, a Greek-American, is a brown man doing a white man doing a brown man.
To be sure, Apu has many redeeming qualities: a loving wife, a passive-aggressive cunning, and a Ph.D. Culture vulture Simpsons fans have felled entire rainforests arguing that he’s a parody of a stereotype rather than the stereotype itself. But the plain fact is that most viewers are laughing at Apu, not with him. They’re enjoying the simple pleasures of a funny, singsong brown man with a slippery grasp of English.
Even worse, any benevolent subtleties in the Apu character have been obliterated by 7-Eleven’s bizarre promotion, which moves a crude ethnic stereotype into the real world. Desi franchise employees, among others, are being asked to don Kwik-E-Mart costumes with Apu nametags, come to work under banners mocking their ethnicity, and bid customers goodbye with the phrase, ‘Thank you, come again!’ Sadly, that catchphrase, along with ‘go back to your 7-Eleven,’ are such common ethnic slurs in America, actor Kal Penn reclaimed it with bitter irony in the hit comedy Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. Among desis, at least, it was met with applause.
In a highly telling decision, 7-Eleven excised any mention of Apu’s fly-covered hot dogs and rotten food when designing its Kwik-E-Mart signs. That would be poor business. But the company also expanded upon Apu’s bad English, giving him lines originally written for a less prominent character. Making fun of an immigrant’s fluency? That’s good business.
Racism or no, desi and non-desi franchisees alike seem delighted with the sales bump from the promotion. But one wrote of his outrage in a forum for 7-Eleven franchisees:
This is an absolute embarrassment for our company… The vast majority of franchisees are immigrants… [A]ccepting our portrayal of Apu is nothing less [than] accepting the images portrayed years ago in the U.S. of black people with very black faces, big lips and white teeth… [T]hat image is considered racist, so does Apu [seem] to me… I cannot imagine any store willing to rebrand to Kwik-E-Mart even for a day… I am not proud to be part of this promotion.
Like the minstrel shows he refers to, other corporate mascots also began as caricatures of American slaves. Pancake mascot Aunt Jemima and rice maven Uncle Ben survived only after being softened and morphed into avuncular friends. Apu too has been grandfathered into America’s affections after 19 years on television. But as Slate magazine wrote, ‘It’s worth remembering what these spokescharacters truly are: a final, living vestige of Jim Crow America.’
Today, we expect American companies to promote racial tolerance. Yet like an outbreak of a long-dormant virus, 7-Eleven is spending millions to push a crude ethnic stereotype well past its expire-by date. It’s tin-eared and unconscionable. The company should cancel Apu and issue an apology.
(Also check out the comments on the Guardian blog.)
on Monday, July 16th, 2007, 9:35 am in Issues, Simpsons, TV › 
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Wow, Manish, you really got slammed there by the Guardian blog readers. Seemed as if 80 percent of them didn’t really read your article. Why is it that when someone offers a critique like this, the responses often devolve into:
(a) How dare you try to ban this movie/artwork/song/picture! This is ______, free speech, First Amendment, raaaah!
(b) Well, YOU guys are racist too, so shut up.
(c) It’s COMEDY. If you critique one aspect of it, you just don’t get COMEDY. You’ve got a stick up your ass. You must be a very serious person!
(d) Well, what about the white Americans he stereotypes (the reverse racism argument)? That’s just as racist (ignoring the fact that there are other representations of them)!
People are dumb.
Here’s an interesting article about Apu by Rohin at Pickled Politics (British equivalent of SM/UB): http://www.pickledpolitics.com/archives/52
Don’t agree with all of it, but I also don’t really see it as a “response” to Vij’s piece…really I think the offense is more at the crude promotion than anything, not at the sanctity of Apu’s character…you can enjoy the show and still think the promotion is stupid. Gah. Why is that so hard to understand.
Here’s Rohin’s followup:
Right! Manish I promise I will pen a meaningful response TONIGHT! I am determined to find some time. Especially after the 175 comments over at the Grauniad, which, to be honest, I’m not going to read properly.
PS - My piece was entitled ‘Much Apu About Nothing’ on PP and ‘The World of Apu’ on DR…cheeky! But then again…there are a very limited amount of Apuns.
BTW Manish, that is a shit-eating grin you display in your picture next to the Guardian article :) It almost seems like you’re trying to mock Apu!
Rohin, may I humbly suggest:” A pu-lague ‘pon your stores!”?
Or, “This is the kind of tedious nonsense Apu with which I will not put.” Should go down well with the fish-and-chip-eating masses, right?
Alright, alright, I’ll shut apu now.
That was a photo for a dating site, so it may very well have been :)
Oh dear, that’s like wearing the same dress to a party. I’ll have to revise. Did I mention your great taste in headline humor? ;)
As an Indian (not a “desi”), I can assure you that no Indian I have ever met has felt offended by Apu. The Simpsons is a cartoon that repeatedly plays on stereotypes to great effect. The show is harmless and has a big heart, unlike its descendants such as Family Guy or South Park. The stereotypes are not only for the brown skinned - Autralians, Brazilians and others have been spoofed with broad brushes, as have been American Christians, Politicians and “white trash”.
Hypersensitivity does no one any good.
As far as the Indian “accent” goes, you must admit that the myriad accents from the subcontinent (I can count over 6 from my state alone - Kerala) are very hard to put on. Peter Sellers actually did a fairly decent job. I know Indians who talk sort of like that. Indians themselves love to make fun of grammatical mistakes and differing accents. Elitist English-speakers make fun of their vernacular cousins, and North Indians make fun of the South Indian difficulty in mastering Hindi. Their imitations of South Indian accents are in fact far more mocking that the imitations by westerners.
This is human nature! It will never go away. One should be more concerned about the tacit racism that underly assumptions of western “cultural superiority” that go together with the missionary capitalist system.
Yohan,
It helps to be more directly affected by something in order to be offended by it. Like Manish and others have repeatedly said, I think the Apu stereotype mostly affects second-generation and recently-emigrated desis in America. And within those groups, mostly blue collar and younger (18 and younger) desis. I grew up hating the Simpsons b/c kids in high school would constantly bully my brother using the Apu accent and mannerisms. My geography teacher once said, “Thank you come again” in the Apu accent after discussing India. It was mortifying…yes, this is the part where everyone espouses the insanely rich benefits of irony and satire, but PUT YOURSELF in the shoes of a 16 year old growing up in a school with only a few desis. A strong sense of irony and satire at that age made you a “faggot.”
I think there are some desi high schoolers who aren’t as affected by the Apu character, only if b/c they’ve grown up in an America that has an increased awareness of desis (as in, we didn’t grow up with Jhumpa Lahiris, Kal Penns, etc.), as well as larger number of desis in the population in general. Young students seem to find desi pride at an earlier age. BUT, I still think there are a lot of bullied kids who put up with this Apu-related harassment. And you have to understand - sometimes “Apu” isn’t even mentioned during the bullying, it’s just that mock accent which people keep trotting out over and over again.
Oh and just b/c a show repeatedly plays on all stereotypes doesn’t mean all stereotypes are the same! Most people know Ned Flanders or Homer Simpson doesn’t represent the average white man; not true for the Apu stereotype.
Hmmm. Very true, Savitre. I imagine things are different in “middle America.” I’m currently doing my PhD in Boston, and in general I have not seen any sort of racist behavior here. Perhaps Manish should have written about such experiences in his Guardian article.
I lived in South Carolina till I was 9, after which my family moved back to India. I was here during the Simpsons rise to fame, but was too young to experience any bigotry. Perhaps if I had stayed in SC I would have experienced what you guys have. [My mother spoke of "dot-busters" and Paki-bashers in New Jersey in the 80s - clearly the stereotypes were in place long before the Simpsons came along.]
But one must be very clear - there is no escaping bigotry in the “home country.” South Indians living anywhere north of Bombay have to deal with ignorance, ridicule, and even skin-colour related chauvinism. Not just in school, but even in college and after. People from the North East of India are referred to as Chinese; Sikhs are the butt of countless dumb-blonde type jokes. And we haven’t even broached the topic of caste. We of the middle class can easily ignore the fact that the caste system is in many ways worse the same as racism in the west. Ironically, many Indians in the US support organizations in India that are anti-minority and communal.
The process of intergration into the US culture will probably be slow, but I think eventually it will happen. We can only hope that eventually “good” stereotypes (doctors, engineers, businessmen) compete with the less flattering ones. But there is no escaping skin colour, and the covert racism that goes along with it.
Manish, congratulations on bringing this issue to attention of a wider audience. I like this article in Guardian better than ur earlier ones. This covers the issue really well from all sides. They know now, a lot of Indian americans dont like what they are doing with Apu and simpsons. Keep it up Manish, you are the voice of a lot of Indians here who are unhappy with the whole incident and the show.
absolutely pathetic. i suppose if some scottish exchange students were ridiculed in Iowa you would demand that the Simpsons “deal with’ the Groundskeeper Willie character. Bullying is bad but don’t blame the Apu character for some name calling that went on in a middle school somewhere. And also, where is the proof that any store had actors in face paint doing crappy Apu accents. This weak-ass victim mentality you’re exhibiting belies your personal insecurity.
Yohan,
What does bigotry in South Asian have to do with bigotry here? That’s like saying that Africans in America have no claim to racism and discrimination because of inter-tribal warfare in Africa. That’s like saying that if an Argentine guy in Texas is beat up because of his “Spanish-sounding” last name, he has no right to complain b/c there is colorism and racism in Buenos Aires. I’ve only been to India to visit family and haven’t had any substantive experiences there, so I don’t need the guilt trip/history lesson.
Martis,
You seem to be the insecure one. And, uh, once the Groundskeeper Willie character becomes used as ammunition against Scottish-American students on a regular basis in America (FU-KNEE how that hasn’t happened yet!), then you’ll have a point.
I’m not justifying bigotry here. I’m just saying it exists everywhere. You have to give people time to welcome newcomers into their society. The Irish, the Italians, the African-Americans, the Jews, the Hispanics - even they have not been fully absorbed, but things are constantly getting better. History is on your side! Eventually Indians will have their very own Anti-Defamation League. In the meantime let your own example prove the stereotypes wrong! That’s what I do. That’s all anyone can do. Trying to campaign against a harmless cartoon character will not help the cause - it will make NRIs seem overly sensitive, subjecting people to even more ridicule. Laugh it off. At least try.
But having reaquainted myself with how much I love Apu’s character on the show, I think culture is richer for having had him on television. he is neither evil nor perfect, but has both qualities - a well-fleshed out character, if you ask me. High schoolers will find reasons to make fun of minorities and oddballs, whether or not they get ideas from television.
Here’s an interesting article: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/78/story_7843_1.html
It’s an interesting debate, I’ll grant you that. No need to get worked up about it.
Wow-ee, really?!
Actually, I’m realizing more and more that folks like you are the ones getting worked up about this. A few people said, “Hey, this promotion is kinda offensive” and suddenly it’s a “campaign” that desi Americans are mounting against Fox…not really. Indians don’t really get worked up about stuff like this. Insult Hinduism - then they’ll come out in droves!
To quote South Park, “Simpsons did it! Simpsons did it!” Episode 151, in 1995. ^__^
All i can humbly submit to your gracious self is lighten the f@$k up. Most times people have assumed my brown ass to be a doctor. Now does anyone complain about that stereotype? I have a Phd in Computer Science and funded that by working as a clerk in a motel. So, I’m sorry if offended you by reinforcing every stereotype that makes your life a living hell. Anyways, I find it offensive that you find it offensive being assumed to be a convenience store clerk. Somehow makes me think that you think our hard-working, enterprising 7-eleven brothers are beneath you and will never measure up to you. Who’s the bigot here? I grew up in family of convenience store clerks, motel owners and cab-drivers. I’m very proud of my family and the fact that they worked very hard to give me a good life and an excellent education. I own up to my heritage as it starts in this country.
Finally, if someone whitetrash thinks “Thank you, come again.” is the ultimate put down, then they are not very original nor very intelligent. You can’t be far more intelligent if you let them offend you.
I started a software company and am writing a novel. Another walking stereotype here. Doesn’t mean the TV show should spread ‘em.
Nope, they’re putting bread on the table and in many cases doing quite well. It’s the American dream, and more power to them. But the ones doing the Simpsons promotion specifically are polluting the commons– they get the direct financial benefit without bearing the diffuse cost of higher racism backed by a $xM promo campaign.
so are you offended by parminder nagra on ER? That’s a TV show spreading one of these nasty stereotypes.
Did I miss something, or isn’t the entire show about doctors?
Writing a novel!
what is it about? when do we expect to see it in the bookstore?
Honestly Manish, I see your point. But very tangentially. These desis are polluting the commons as much as Jay-Z, P Diddy and 50 cent are polluting it for black people. You may call it a modern day minstrel show but the truth is that they’re selling a very negative thug image and making millions off it. In fact, they have converted a very negative image of crime and thuggery into a multi-billion dollar franchise. And other members of their community ride on that. While no desi has made a billion dollar franchise out of the Appu image (maybe Vikram Chopra…he’s the only desi who sounds like Appu), there must be some sweet revenge in selling white folk boxes of crappy cereal for $8. It’s called making lemonade when life gives you lemons.
I was at a convenience store once standing in line when the clerk stepped out. Everyone around was looking at me thinking I’m the clerk and scanning my chest for my “Habib” name tag. Was I offended? No! Does it make a great story to pour white guilt on people after a few drinks…Abso-F#$kin-lutely. There’s nothing funnier than making a room full of white people uncomfortable. The point is you got to take power away from people who wanna put you down and put it in your own hands. Just like the word n@#ger has been defanged, don’t you think we should defang “Thanks you, come again” and embrace it as our own?
BTW, do tell what the novel is about. I think it might be interesting. And congratulations on popping up on CNN, the guardian and all these places. I only came to know about your blog after reading the Guardian online.