'The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening says he is 'proud' of Apu; says he has plans for him

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening got candid in an interview with USA Today about the future of the characters on the show, the upcoming milestone, among other things. During the conversation, Groening was asked about Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and the controversy surrounding the character. Groening said he was still "proud" of the show's Indian character. 

He said that he has "ambitious plans" for the character and that he will be back on the show. He mentioned that while the plans are in progress he would have to see if the stories "work". He also revealed that no one has been hired yet to voice Apu. 

Matt was also asked about the stereotype of using the name "Apu" for the character to which he replied that he found Apu's stories "fantastic" and complex. He said that he was "proud" of the character that was developed on the show. He went on to say that he was sure to open up a "chasm" of criticism, even though it wouldn't matter what he would say. 

He also expressed his opinion on recasting the voice artists for the diverse characters on the show. He said that while it wasn't his idea, he was fine with it. He explained that the actors were not assigned a specific character. The actors would be given roles based on the characters that were developed by the creators. They got actors to voice multiple characters in different voices, calling it the "fun of animation". He also said that he was all for being inclusive based on diversity.

The controversy around Apu on The Simpsons

Matt Groening's The Simpsons had a variety of diverse characters including Fat Tony, Edna Krabappel, Dr Nick the Hispanic teacher, and more. But one of the most well-known characters is Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian who migrated to America and owns a convenience store in Springfield, called Kwik-E-Mart. The character was voiced by Heat actor Hank Azaria.

Concerns about the character being racist were raised in 2007 by many citizens of the Indian American community but no action was taken. In June 2020, the makers were called out for the stereotypical depiction of the character Apu on The Simpsons by Comedian Hari Kondabolu. Kondabolu created a documentary called The Problem With Apu in which he spoke about the character showing negative caricature.

Soon after that Hank Azaria stepped down as the voice artist of Apu. Following his action, other actors who voiced diverse characters too stepped down including Kristen Bell, Jenny Slate and Mike Henry.  The Simpsons celebrated their 700th episode on Sunday, March 21, 2021.