On Thursday night at the American talk show The View, Priyanka Chopra finally spoke about her views towards the controversial cartoon character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon in the American animated sitcom The Simpsons.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is the caricature of an Indian old man who plays the role of a side character, mainly as comic relief in the Simpsons saga. This character has recently been judged and tried for its derogatory portrayal of stereotypical Indians through exaggerated accents and insulting mannerisms, as well as an inelegant lifestyle. When asked about her opinions regarding the matter, Quantico star Priyanka Chopra spoke strictly for the given motion.
During her stay in America as a teenager, when Simpsons was all the hype, Priyanka confesses that she was bullied and asked offensive questions by her fellow classmates regarding knowledge they had derived from Apu’s behavior.
Priyanka highlighted the fact that the people of color have more representation in today’s society than they had had in America 30 years back. Hence, during the 80s, introducing a character like Apu did not arouse any widespread dissatisfaction, because the Americans were not bothered to fight for the rights of the misinterpreted Indians.
30 years hence, the voice of the insulted Indians has been heard. It is foolish for the mass to believe that the Indian Americans watching a family sitcom on their television are going to sit unbothered as their ancestry is ridiculed in the episode. Priyanka Chopra completes her opinion by saying that even though many might wonder why the world is pressed on erasing a stereotype in a petty cartoon, the lesson resides within the fact that such a popular global cartoon such as the Simpsons should live up to their responsibility of meeting out fair treatment to the entirety of its audience.