The Simpsons

They go to an alien planet?

Who's drawing a line? I'm legitimately asking about the episode they go to an alien planet. I haven't seen it and I want details.

But yeah, there's a line between those things. A line thousands of light-years wide.

The City of New York vs Homer Simpson
The Cartridge Family - homer gets gun
The Joy of Sect - cult episode
Treehouse of Horror VIII - Homega Man, fly vs fly, easy bake coven
Das Bus - lord of the flies ep
Lisa the Skeptic - angel skeleton
Trouble with Trillions
Simpson Tide - homer joins navy

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Bart Star - bart plays football
Lisa's Sax - flashback
Girly Edition - lisa becomes news anchor
Dumbell indemnity - moe gets girlfriend
Realty Bites - marge as real estate agent
Lost Our Lisa - Isis exhibit
Lisa the Simpson - simpson gene
Principal and the Pauper - fake skinner
King of the Hill - homer climbs mountain
Natural Born Kissers - married sex life
Trash of the Titans - homer is garbage commissioner
This Little Wiggy - bart and ralph friends
Last Temptation of Krust
Two Mrs Nahasapeemapetalons
Miracle on Evergreen terrace - bart destroys presents
Bart Carny
All Singing and Dancing

The dividing line is where I think "great Simpsons" ends

Heh, makes me laugh every time.

They’re removing Apu cause it’s a racist character

www.indiewire.com/2018/10/simpsons-drop-apu-character-adi-shankar-1202015372/

Honestly, I thought Apu evolved past outdated stereotypical caricature around the time he married Manjula. The only thing that's really left of it is that he works at a convienience store, other than that he's a fairly well-rounded character. I guess you can be offended that he's voiced by a white guy, but Azaria also voices Carl as well as doing a George Takei impression for various Asian characters.

Personally I think the City Wok guy on South Park is more offensive than Apu is. But South Park gets a pass simply for being South Park.

Adi Shankar looks like a way more cnutish representation of an american Indian than apu ever did.

This campaign is embarrassing. Wait til they find out how the character of Homer J Simpson represents white middle America.

I've been pondering this throughout the day and have read up more on The Problem With Apu, which I haven't seen though I hope to one day to see these arguments in greater detail.  One thing I will say is that I don't blame the filmmakers for this, since they had a valid criticism and voiced it.  If some of the things they claim happened to them actually did happen (and I have no reason to doubt that they did), then that's just horrible.

I do think The Simpsons is a victim of its longevity.  A lot of the world it built is based off of an image of the real world in the late 80's and early 90's and it based many of its characters off of stereotypes of that era, of which some are outdated and some are not.  It's one of the things I think is partially to blame for its creative decline, since these archetypes are based in a specific era it's difficult for them to relate to modern times.  Apu is in a lineage of ethnic characters that were played by white guys, which goes back to the beginning of film from the blackface of Al Jolson to Mickey Rooney in Breakfast at Tiffany's, which are all acts that didn't age well as modern tastes change (though I argue that viewing these sort of films in a vacuum is important to film history).  Those images were outdated by the time The Simpsons started but in the late 80's the white male still had dominance and as a result the entire Simpsons cast is Caucasian.  Had The Simpsons started today chances are diverse characters would be played by diverse cast members.

Or not.  The Cleveland Show still happened.

While I think the argument of subtle racism is valid to a point, I think the racism is interpreted by the viewer itself.  Apu as a character is harmless.  He's proud of being an Indian and he embraces his heritage and culture.  You could argue the show mocks his culture and religion, but the show mocks American culture and Christianity as well which makes these arguments moot.  Some of the racism arguments I've read seem to be based off an experience with someone outside of the series projecting a racism through Apu as opposed with Apu on the series itself, though a resentment to the series seems to result.

One thing I feel most need to remember is a seventh season episode of the show called Much Apu About Nothing.  In the economy is blamed on illegal immigrants and Apu is threatened with being deported.  Despite Apu's love of his family he also loves America and is saddened at the idea of leaving.  Apu is then given an easy out in fake documents supporting a falsehood of having been born in America, but when Apu is forced to deny who his is, where he comes from, and his native culture he finds that he can't follow through.  In his attempt to pass an exam to gain legal citizenship he actually proves that despite being an Indian to his core that he may know more about America and what it means to be an American than anybody in Springfield.

I can't stress this enough, this episode is arguably more important in today's political climate than it was when it aired.  And I myself can't find a character offensive on a racial level when they're used to tell a story this powerful about immigrant compassion and cultural acceptance.

I'm at peace with the idea that Apu will no longer be on the show.  Why should I complain when he's been on a show for twenty-nine years already.  I also feel it's not my place to deem him offensive.  I think that's reserved for people who have more to lose in this battle than I do.  But while I understand the argument I find myself not quite agreeing with it.