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It's interesting to me that Apu's literally a cartoon of a person (as Hari Kondabolu puts it, "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father") yet there's an unsettling quality to him. I'm conflicted, as Apu's a moderate-sized part of a piece of culture that's formative for me and it's not as though the Simpsons (the real show, up to season 7 and bits of season 8) pulled punches: they made fun of everyone and everything. Still, there's this concept of satirizing upwards -- making fun of the powerful rather than the powerless -- and mocking immigrants for their accents seems to run counter to that.
Even an episode like Much Apu About Nothing speaks so much to the immigrant experience yet does so through a racist caricature. I wonder how an episode like that might exist today, where we wouldn't accept a character like Apu so easily.
(Then again, there's a similar stereotype on one of the most popular shows on television, so what do I know?)
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September 22, 2013 -- 12:32 PM
posted by MattL
Very interesting. I'd never really thought about it before, but I think I have a bigger problem with Peter Sellers' The Party, and the guy from the Big Bang Theory, because more often than not, the punchlines are their "Indian-ness". Apu is a broad stereotype, but I feel that the jokes are less based on those stereotypes, so I've never felt that uncomfortable with the character. He's still his own person and his own character.
But there's no doubt Apu has helped ingrain that stereotype for at least one, maybe two generations of people, which is kind of sad. But I still feel the guy on the Big Bang Theory is more egregious, because it's not a 25 year old show.
September 20, 2013 -- 11:32 PM
posted by Par
Two of my favourite comedians comment on Apu, and how it may be past time to revisit the character:
"He's an example of a character who would never have been written if the show started today," says comedian Hari Kondabolu.
It's interesting to me that Apu's literally a cartoon of a person (as Hari Kondabolu puts it, "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father") yet there's an unsettling quality to him. I'm conflicted, as Apu's a moderate-sized part of a piece of culture that's formative for me and it's not as though the Simpsons (the real show, up to season 7 and bits of season 8) pulled punches: they made fun of everyone and everything. Still, there's this concept of satirizing upwards -- making fun of the powerful rather than the powerless -- and mocking immigrants for their accents seems to run counter to that.
Even an episode like Much Apu About Nothing speaks so much to the immigrant experience yet does so through a racist caricature. I wonder how an episode like that might exist today, where we wouldn't accept a character like Apu so easily.
(Then again, there's a similar stereotype on one of the most popular shows on television, so what do I know?)
September 14, 2013 -- 1:44 AM
posted by Par
September 13, 2013 -- 9:05 AM
posted by Al
Happy Friday the 13th!
September 11, 2013 -- 10:48 PM
posted by Al
Chvrches- The mother we share
because I'm a sucker for synth-pop
September 03, 2013 -- 4:21 PM
posted by alison
howdy...
All you Wet-Coast-ers might want to bookmark this site, and/or follow these folks on Twitter...
Earthquakes Canada detected a 6.1 quake today north of the north tip of Vancouver Island.
They post automatic "live" updates on Twitter, too, as @CANADAquakes ... and are currently identifying aftershocks in Port Hardy. ... no expectations of tsunamis, though.
I hope you guys aren't too shaken-up.
September 01, 2013 -- 9:34 AM
posted by anonymous
August 29, 2013 -- 1:20 PM
posted by MattL
re: The Secret
I dare not say anything else bad about the movie/book. After making that first post, a computer and video camera were stolen from my car, mere hours later. I'm concerned it's not a coincidence. The Secret is everywhere!!!!!
August 29, 2013 -- 11:41 AM
posted by Par
This cartoon is making it's way around (click it, you'll like it.) It's art inspired by the style of Bill Watterson. The words are from a 1990 commencement address he gave. Here's more on that address. It's well worth reading the whole address, but here's the gist of it:
To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble.
August 29, 2013 -- 12:46 AM
posted by alison
What looks like the most suspenseful movie of the year?
This one.
Gravity.
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