The Problem With Apu: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 4 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 29 Ratings

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2.8

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2.8	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 29 Ratings

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Season Details & Credits

truTV | Season Premiere Date: November 19, 2017

Summary: The documentary from Hari Kondabolu features interviews Utkarsh Ambudkar, Aziz Ansari, W. Kamau Bell, Whoopi Goldberg, Dana Gould, Sakina Jaffrey, Aasif Mandvi, Hasan Minhaj, Aparna Nancherla, Kal Penn, Russell Peters, and Mike Reiss about The Simpsons' character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

Genre(s): Movie/Mini-Series, Documentary

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Season 1 Episodes

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Critic Reviews

Danette Chavez

Nov 20, 2017

Though the ending isn’t tidy, the film still offers a lot of insight from Kondabolu’s contemporaries like Aziz Ansari, Aparna Nancherla, Kal Penn, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Russell Peters, and several more. Read full review

Melanie McFarland

Nov 20, 2017

[Hari Kondabolu has] taken the issue in hand skillfully here, regardless of whether his message changes how the audience, and Azaria, view Apu from now on. Read full review

Verne Gay

Nov 20, 2017

A congenial and persuasive argument for why Apu must go. Read full review

Daniel Fienberg

Nov 20, 2017

Not all documentaries need to "show both sides," but it becomes disingenuous when Kondabolu declares, "I realize some of you think I'm some annoying PC social-justice warrior" and then calculatedly skips those voices, and disappointing when Kondabolu and friends wonder what can be done about Apu now and there's nobody around to make it into a real conversation. Still, there's great virtue in getting that conversation started and, in under an hour, The Problem With Apu does that well. Read full review

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User Reviews

BobLamm

Aug 31, 2018

Excellent, important statement about stereotyping of Indian Americans and South Asians in general. Very funny at times, very disturbing at times, very moving at times.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

entitet

Nov 23, 2017

The problem with Kondabolu is his strong emotional hate for Apu and what that character (i.e. the people imitating the character) has done to him, which is sad of course. The people imitating Apu to his face are a-holes. But even tho he's pretty levelheaded; if you really hate something, theThe problem with Kondabolu is his strong emotional hate for Apu and what that character (i.e. the people imitating the character) has done to him, which is sad of course. The people imitating Apu to his face are a-holes. But even tho he's pretty levelheaded; if you really hate something, the reasoning becomes strongly subjective and by that, the way you narrate the documentary becomes subjective and pretty flat. The hate against Azaria felt a bit over the top. He probably have his fair reasoning for not doing the documentary, so it doesn't feel fair to judge him that hard. And Azaria is not the entire Simpsons. He probably had to consider that.
So what's the problem with Apu? The Simpson became a hugely popular long running show. Apu became popular and beloved, hence a recurring character. With that said: Apus funny line "Thank you come again" and repetition is the problem with Apu. Yes, The Simpsons are poking fun at many stereotypes, just as many other shows and movies do, but there has probably never been a show with a character as loved, popular and recurring with a funny phrase as Apu. That makes the thing stick. If the stereotypical Italian chef was the popular character, he would be "the problem." Is this reversible now? Will things change if they kill him? The show is out there now - 29 seasons. It won't disappear. Or is it damage done, lesson learned, let's not repeat this.… Expand

4 of 6 users found this helpful42

Bebe66

Nov 10, 2018

Apu, the hard working gentlemen, who likes his job, with a PhD in computer science and is a volunteer fire fighter who also owns a sports car and has had sex with many women in Springfield and also has a beautiful wife and children, is a harmful stereotype? I wish I could be like Apu ****Apu, the hard working gentlemen, who likes his job, with a PhD in computer science and is a volunteer fire fighter who also owns a sports car and has had sex with many women in Springfield and also has a beautiful wife and children, is a harmful stereotype? I wish I could be like Apu **** hell. Also for a comedian, this guy doesn't seem to have a sense of humor… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

KingDonald

Nov 21, 2017

This is a story about people with no sense of humour getting offended at people that do. It is a story about people who have so little problems in their lives that they have to go looking for them.

11 of 19 users found this helpful118

ElWinster

Jan 25, 2018

More nonsense and hypervigilance from the shame culture which pretends to bring critical awareness to non-issues. Actual racism is intolerable and should be pulled into the light and erased, but it takes a special mix of self-loathing and stupidity to become so incensed at cartoonish satireMore nonsense and hypervigilance from the shame culture which pretends to bring critical awareness to non-issues. Actual racism is intolerable and should be pulled into the light and erased, but it takes a special mix of self-loathing and stupidity to become so incensed at cartoonish satire that you spend the time and money to make a documentary about what we already know; Apu is an unrealistic caricature of real people. So is Luigi the pizza guy. So is Willie the groundskeeper. So is Flanders. Pick and choose your intended offended, hypocrites, the rest of us will be laughing without a shred of passive hatred or indirect racism in our hearts. The world knows what Apu is and isn't concerned -- ironic that those who regard themselves as the most "woke" of us are the ones asleep to anything other than scoring imaginary social points with their mock outrage. Apu forever. Thank you, come again!… Expand

6 of 7 users found this helpful61

Seasons & Episodes

77

Series Overview
Season 1

77
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: November 19, 2017
- No episode information is currently available for this season