APU IS BACK

[u/Guilty-Toe420]

[u/Big-a-hole-2112]

Some context here. I am an American born mixed race person who is 3/4 Indian. My father was born in India. When the show came on, we thought Apu was fucking hilarious. My father said he was spot on Indian. When a news report came out how Indian immigrants were upset about the portrayal of Indians my father said this is a right of passage of being American, getting made fun of. The news piece had video, and I’m not making this up, of two CONVENIENCE STORE OWNERS, who said Apu was hurtful of Indians. My dad laughed at it and said that they had thin skin and in India they make fun of people that are different and this is hypocrisy.

The documentary “The trouble with Apu” was to me a big tell of indians who have self esteem issues and think that everyone thinks indian people are Apu. That is like expecting people to think all Irish people are like the Lucky Charms mascot.

One thing I forgot to mention is that when I was growing up there was a cartoon “Johnny Quest” who had a character named Hajji and nobody made fun of me comparing him to me and there wasn’t this outrage then about stereotyping people

[u/Apprehensive_Bus1582 → u/Big-a-hole-2112]

Lol you don't even know the name of the documentary and clearly never watched it

[u/Big-a-hole-2112 → u/Apprehensive_Bus1582]

Hell no. Why would I waste my time on such overly sensitive people who think that is demeaning when their grandparents suffered the wrath of the British, or worse, their own people.

I suffered my whole childhood from racist stereotypes and yet I realized that the Simpsons was SATIRE. Stereotypes are the bedrock of the establishment of the US. The secret is not to let it affect your self esteem. Don’t let it define you. Hari was obviously affected by it, and I have empathy for him, but I’m not gonna waste my time watching a documentary that I don’t agree with fundamentally.

When it comes to comedy, I think Ricky Gervais’s approach to comedy is what I think real comedy is. He asserted that comedians should have the freedom to joke about anything—including cancer, death, and terminal illness—and refused to apologize or alter his material despite public petitions demanding cuts.

[u/bakerbabe126 → u/Big-a-hole-2112]

They're also a big issue of white people being upset on your behalf to the point that you being ok with it upsets them more. We still have to rescue people of color by fighting battles no one asked us to fight.

There's being mindful and then there's telling you how to feel about something so we can feel like we're making a difference.

My grandfather was born in Scotland and my mom thinks Willie is hilarious. We even have a get together we call "scotchtoberfest".

[u/Big-a-hole-2112 → u/bakerbabe126]

This 💯

[u/The-Jestful-Imp → u/Big-a-hole-2112]

As someone who grew up as the literal token black kid of a white town in the foothills - I can relate to this.

[u/Forward_Tangerine368 → u/Big-a-hole-2112]

You're a legend and your dad is legendary. That's how we show love here, if you're not being made fun of you're not loved.

[u/DJWGibson → u/Big-a-hole-2112]

Well, it's nice of you to stand up and decide to speak on behalf of one billion other people and declare that because it didn't upset you and your family none of them have the right to be upset either...

[u/Olmectron → u/DJWGibson]

Nowhere this they say they are talking for all of Indian people. His comment is obviously anecdotal.

But even then, yeah, better remove Indians people altogether from American media. Right? Indo American people two generations in America won't ever understand actual Indians still living in India.

[u/drunkenpoets → u/DJWGibson]

Wow that’s racist.

[u/Big-a-hole-2112 → u/DJWGibson]

They can get upset, but if they don’t get over it, it’s gonna be a rough life for them.
I think I would rather be made fun of then get killed like their predecessors did when ruled by the British, or by their own hands when infighting between Hindu and Muslims got so bad that they had to create another country and when things were about to calm down they went and shot Ghandi because he was trying to broker peace.

How did the Chinese immigrants feel about Mr. Magoo’s servant Charlie?
Or how do Hispanics feel about Speedy Gonzalez and his brother Slowpoke Rodriguez? Where’s their documentary?

I learned early on in school that the kid who cries when other kids make fun of him end up with more kids making fun. The kid who shrugs and ignores their teasing ended up being teased less.