Common Sense Media Review
By Marina Gordon
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Short docu looks at narrow representation with humor.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Problem with Apu
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Comedian and podcaster Hari Kondabolu looks at the impact of having a single stereotyped character -- in this case an animated one -- represent an enormous part of the world population in THE PROBLEM WITH APU. He talks with fellow South Asian entertainers, looks at the history of "brownface," and attempts to get Hank Azaria to give up voicing the role. Will he succeed?
Is It Any Good?
In recent years South Asian Americans have starred in TV shows, movies, comedy specials -- one has even become vice president of the U.S. Vut back in 1990 there was only one South Asian voice that most TV viewers knew: Apu, The Simpsons' Kwik-E-Mart proprietor. In the opening of The Problem with Apu, an audience member shouts Apu's most famous phrase, "Thank you, come again," to comedian Hari Kondobolu during a 2015 standup routine, hardly for the first time. Other South Asian entertainers tell Kondobolu that Apu cast a shadow over their lives and careers as well. The documentary is brief but effective, and thanks to Kondabolu's easy manner and sharp wit, it's unexpectedly entertaining and moving.
Kondobolu tries unsuccessfully to get Hank Azaria, the voice of Apu, to talk with him. Not covered in The Problem with Apu is the news that the documentary had its intended effect: Azaria stopped voicing Apu in 2020 and apologized in 2021 on the Armchair Expert podcast. Kondabolu tweeted in response: "@HankAzaria is a kind & thoughtful person that proves that people are not simply 'products of their time,' but have the ability to learn & grow. Nothing. But. Respect."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the purpose of The Problem with Apu. Documentaries always have specific aims: to entertain, inform, persuade, or inspire. How many of these categories are relevant to this film? Do you think creator Hari Kondobolu successfully accomplished these goals?
What role does humor play in the documentary? Does it make you approach the topic less seriously than a more serious tone might?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 19, 2017
- Cast : Hari Kondabolu , Kal Penn , Utkarsh Ambudkar , W. Kamau Bell
- Network : Max
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : November 30, 2021
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