Over the course of its long, long run,The Simpsonshas seena number of characters say goodbye to Springfield: Maude Flanders, Edna Krabappel, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Herb Powell, and so on. For most, the characters no longer appear on the show because of an actor’s death (characters Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure were key supporting charactersup until the death of their “voice,“Phil Hartman) or simply haven’t been brought back (likeDanny Devito’s character, Homer’s half-brother Herb Powell, who hasn’t appeared in years, but for no apparent reason other than there’s been no story,apart from the Season 36 premiere, that brings him back).
One of the series' longest-running characters, however, just seemed to slowly slip into the background after having been a main recurring character for the bulk of the Simpsons' run, and the last time he welcomed anyone to the Kwik-E-Mart was back in Season 29.We are, of course, talking about Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, and there’s a reason why he no longer appears as a speaking character.
‘The Simpsons’ Apu Became the Lone Representation of South-Asians on American TV
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (hereon simply “Apu”) wasoriginally conceived as a nameless convenience store clerk, simply called “CLERK,” and written by writerMatt Reissin the margin of the script were the words “definitely not Indian,” looking to avoid such an obvious cliché. ButThe Simpsons' versatile voice actorHank Azaria,asked by one of the producersif he wouldtryan Indian accent,used a heavy, stereotypical South-Asian accent during the table read, and it cracked the room up.
The voice stayed, and the world was introduced to Apu in the classic first-season episode"The Telltale Head.“He became one of the series’most popular recurring characters, almost always behind the counter of the Kwik-E-Mart, dispensing Squishees and hispopular catchphrase, “Thank you, come again.” He was the lead character in a few episodes as well, including “Homer and Apu,” which featured the Emmy-nominated song “Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?” and was the character that provided the rationale for the appearance ofPaulandLinda McCartneyin the series-changing episode “Lisa the Vegetarian.”
But the popular public image of Apu was that of the convenience store clerk, purveyor of questionable food, and “Gigantic Asses” magazines, with that heavy South-Asian accent.AlthoughThe Simpsonswriters and Azaria himself never meant for it to happen, that image became the predominant stereotype of South-Asian people throughout America.Utkarsh Ambudkarexplains it like this (perEntertainment Weekly):
“We just were underrepresented. We didn’t have any other representation in this country. That creates a problem when the most popular show on television is showing mainstream America what an Indian is.”
“The Problem With Apu” Creates Problems for Fox and ‘The Simpsons’
That depiction of Apu remained unchallenged for years, while the use of the name “Apu” and “Thank you, come again” grew into slurs used against the South-Asian community. Then came 2017’sThe Problem With Apu, a documentary by comedianHari Kondabolu, that initiated a public discussion on how the character negatively impacted Indian Americans as a racial stereotype. Whether the documentary simply opened the eyes of the public to it, or if those who always had an issue with Apu were finally just given a voice, was secondary to the fact that the conversation blew up to such a point it couldn’t be ignored.
The thing is, instead of recognizing that the winds of change were blowing and maintaining the status quo simply wasn’t going to work,The Simpsonsarguably made what is the series' most mind-numbing, tone-deaf, and cringe-worthy statement in defense of Apu, in a scene from “No Good Read Goes Unpunished” (as summarized byEntertainment Weekly):
The scene begins with Marge reading a bedtime story to Lisa that had been neutered with social justice buzzwords. “What am I supposed to do?” Marge asks when Lisa complains. “It’s hard to say,” says Lisa, breaking the fourth wall and looking directly at the camera. A photo of Apu on the nightstand helped make it very clear they were no longer talking about the fictional bedtime story. “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” “Some things will be dealt with at a later date,” says Marge, also to the camera. “—If it all,” Lisa concludes.
The response wasripped to shreds across social media, and it was clear thatThe Simpsonsseverely underestimated the impact of Kondabolu’s insightful documentary.
‘The Simpsons’ and Hank Azaria Put Apu on Mute
TheSimpsons' response may have been tone-deaf and, quite frankly, stupid, but at leastone member of the cast went public with his misgivings about the character: the voice of Apu himself, Hank Azaria.On an episode ofThe Late Show with Stephen Colbertthat aired shortly after, Azaria admitted that he would be willing to step aside from the role for no other reason than it being the right thing to do, and suggesting that South Asian writers in the writer’s room should help direct the future of Apu.
So,when news came down in 2020that Azaria andThe Simpsonsteam agreed that Azaria would stop voicing Apu altogether, it didn’t come as a surprise. Since then, Azaria has been very open about his remorse for having helped to “create a pretty marginalizing, dehumanizing stereotype,“citing the story of a Middle Eastern manbeing called Apu repeatedly while being attacked in his store as particularly eye-opening to the extent of the damageThe Problem with Apuwas addressing.
‘The Simpsons’ Renewal Through Season 40 Means the Long-Running Show Has To Face This Huge Issue
The series is approaching a huge milestone, so it’s time to ask the hard questions.
By then, Apu had already made his last notable speaking appearance in Season 29’s “The Serfsons,” which aired on August 02, 2025. But the question of whether putting Apu on mute is the right thing to do or not is a contentious issue itself. For some,silencing Apu addresses nothing,and removes a prominent minority character from TV that could still be of value in turning around the conversationin conjunction with the South Asian community.
The problem, though, is that it may simply be too late. The announcement in 2020 thatwhite actors would no longer voice people of coloronThe Simpsonsworks for a character like Carl Carlsen, now voiced byAlex Désert, because his voice was never a caricature of African-American speech, whereas Apu’s was an exaggeration from the start, and a “real” South Asian voice would be at odds with the history of a character who has been defined in one way for decades.Right or wrong, Apu has effectively been cut from the show entirely,and it would seem that he has been shown the exit door of the Kwik-E-Mart, with the words, “Thank you, don’t come again” following him out.
