The Problem with Apu
Comedian Hari Kondabolu confronts his cartoon nemesis, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, the Indian convenience store owner from 'The Simpsons.'
23 February 1983, Columbia, South Carolina, USA
14 February 1962, Manhattan, New York, USA
23 April 1977, Montclair, New Jersey, USA
12 February 1972, Evanston, Illinois, USA
22 August 1975, London, England, UK
5 March 1966, Bombay, India
24 August 1964, Hopedale, Massachusetts, USA
8 December 1983, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
25 April 1964, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
13 November 1955, New York City, New York, USA
24 June 1976, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, USA
29 September 1970, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
28 February 1984, New York City, New York, USA
18 January 1974, USA
November 20, 2017
It's a must-see, in fact, especially if it makes us uncomfortable. Because it's [Hari] Kondabolu, at least we'll laugh through the discomfort.
November 20, 2017
The Problem With Apu, is drowned out by frustration that he can't land an interview with the character's voice actor, Hank Azaria.
November 17, 2017
Kondabolu argues that with so few media depictions of characters of Indian descent, just one can disproportionately shape how an entire culture is seen by American viewers.
November 20, 2017
[Hari] Kondabolu is a patient and deliberate interviewer, pushing and pulling back in equal measure, bringing out moments of real vulnerability in some subjects and allowing others to wrap themselves in the contradictions of their own arguments.
November 21, 2017
The film is an interesting door to a useful discussion about portrayals of people on TV...
November 20, 2017
The Problem with Apu ... welcomes viewers into the conversation by gently weaving the narrative between Springfield and the real world.
November 20, 2017
A congenial and persuasive argument for why Apu must go.
November 20, 2017
Kondabolu raises some troubling questions. I'll never be able to watch "The Simpsons" without thinking about this again.
November 16, 2017
Ideally, the stakes of Kondabolu's documentary are higher than just the future of The Simpsons or Hank Azaria's esteem...unfortunately, Kondabolu stops short of imagining a better version of The Simpsons or a world beyond Apu.
November 19, 2017
The Problem with Apu often unfolds like a movie-length Daily Show segment -- and that's a compliment -- deftly outlining the stereotypes South Asian people still struggle with in media depictions.
November 20, 2017
[Hari] Kondabolu's debut film The Problem with Apu is a 49-minute weird hybrid of comedy, documentary, and animated boxing match.
November 19, 2017
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.
