Is This Pc Too Far Or Just Cartoon Fun?

[cassa333]

One of the things about cartoons, whether for adults or children, is that all the characters have to have clear and easily identifiable traits so I really can't get behind all this silly nonsense about The Simpsons character Apu.

The only people that seem to care are people willing to be offended. I get really tired of it when in reality it means very little other than to identify one character from another.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-43892039

[douglas9401]

I still smile when I think of Groundskeeper Willie's tribute to Petula Clark. :-)

[Kromovaracun]

I always thought Apu was quite a well-rounded and interesting character (as are most of the Simpsons' cast).

[sp1814]

I always used to find it interesting that Carl and Dr Hibbert were characters as opposed to caricatures. My assumption is that at the time, the writers wouldn't have dared using racial stereotypes for them, but weren't worried about Apu.

Incidentally, from what I've read (and what I saw in the documentary on this), people aren't demanding that the character be written out. Hank Azaria has suggested stepping aside to allow an actual Asian actor to fill the role, and has also said that having Asian scriptwriters join the show would make sense.

His first suggestion wouldn't make sense - whatever people think, he is the voice of Apu. Also, people who don't regularly watch the show don't understand that whilst Apu's voice is a bit Amos and Andy-ish, he is a very well-rounded character, whose storylines don't only revolve around the usual tales associated with Indians.

The show is way more gentle in its stereotyping compared to (say) American Dad and Family Guy.

[anotheoldgit]

Bazile

Shouldn't that be "are the Simpsons still going"?

[naomi24]

No, aog. 'The Simpsons' is a programme. That would be like saying "Are Coronation Street still going?"

[sp1814]

AOG

Grammatically, you’re both correct.

Bazile is right to ask ‘is the simpson still going?’ because he didn’t capitalise anything - so he could be referring to the show itself.

You are also correct, because you referred to ‘the Simpsons’, ‘The Simpsons’. The former is a collective noun for the central family. The latter is the title of the show they appear in.

But you’re slightly more right than Bazile because he thumbed his nose up at capitalisation throughout.

[sp1814]

Correction:

Youare also correct, because you referred to ‘the Simpsons’, not The Simpsons’.

[naomi24]

sp, Bazile is clearly referring to the show. He’s talking about the writers running out of ideas. Therefore ‘Is the Simpsons still going?’ is correct.

[anotheoldgit]

sp1814

Thank you sp, I hope that has cleared that one up.

Don't normally bother with such things but Bazile went out of his way to correct a spelling mistake that I made the other day.

[naomi24]

aog, that's what's called believing what it suits you to believe. ;o)

[douglas9401]

O, wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as others see us!

Just saying.

[youngmafbog]

Oh deary deary me.

I believe there are (is) around 600 episodes of the Simpsons and 1 film.

I doubt very much that many more will be done, so what would be the point of the last dozen or so being right-on when the other 600 will be repeated over and over again anyway?

I've seen pretty much every episode and the file (I was the only one in the cinema who laughed at the cat much to the rest of the families embarrassment). As far as I can recall the Apu character never takes the pee, and in fact can be quite informative of Hindu religion. Other characters such as the fat middle aged man Homer or the fat white drunk Barney are the but of the jokes. Perhaps as a chubby middle aged man I should take offence at that?

[jim360]

"I doubt very much that many more will be done..."

I think that's sadly optimistic. The Simpsons stopped being brilliant years and years ago, but it's still a money-making machine for Fox.

[youngmafbog]

Yes, later episodes are truly lacking. So go fiddling around with it and that will probably see the end of it although I really dont see how much longer it can go on for as they are quite expensive to make.