--- title: Simpsons Controversy Sparks Viral Story About Real-Life Apu description: After "The Problem With Apu," The Simpsons' responded to the controversy. Now, one man's story about a real-life Apu is going viral. canonical: https://time.com/5235065/the-simpsons-response-apu-controversy-viral-story/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-04-10T19:08:50.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-12T09:05:43.257Z og:title: Man's Story of Growing Up With Father Like Apu Goes Viral After 'Simpsons' Controversy og:description: "Everybody has an opinion about Apu" og:url: https://time.com/5235065/the-simpsons-response-apu-controversy-viral-story/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7b6ffb14c519f8fa/6988e5bb22fb850f7de23ab5/gettyimages-468306048.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3000 og:image:height: 1688 og:image:alt: FOX's "The Simpsons" - Apu and Marge og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Man's Story of Growing Up With Father Like Apu Goes Viral After 'Simpsons' Controversy twitter:description: "Everybody has an opinion about Apu" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt7b6ffb14c519f8fa/6988e5bb22fb850f7de23ab5/gettyimages-468306048.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Man's Story of Growing Up With a Father Like Apu Goes Viral Following _The Simpsons_ Controversy > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=8be3de86-64a2-4ce3-a840-e817a419bcb7&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) ## Video: The Problem With Apu - Official Trailer truTV [Watch (HLS stream): The Problem With Apu - Official Trailer truTV](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PHqpw6R0.m3u8) (2:06)  _Published 2018-04-09. The Problem With Apu Official Trailer_  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Apr 10, 2018 7:08 PM UTC The Problem With Apu Official Trailer  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Apr 10, 2018 7:08 PM UTC In the wake of [_The Simpsons_‘ attempt](http://time.com/5232896/the-simpsons-respond-apu-controversy/) to address the [stereotyping controversy](http://time.com/5023017/hari-kondablou-the-problem-with-apu/) surrounding [Apu](http://time.com/5047539/simpsons-hank-azaria-apu-racist/), one man’s story of growing up with a father similar to the character is going viral. After Sunday’s episode of the animated comedy included a scene in which Marge and Lisa discussed political correctness in 2018 before the camera panned to a photo of Apu with the words, “Don’t have a cow,” written on it, the show was criticized by some who saw the response as dismissive. > [](https://twitter.com/soham%5Fburger/status/983200703660351488) The problematic nature of Apu Nahasapeemapetilon — an Indian immigrant who is the proprietor of the fictional town of Springfield’s local Kwik-E-Mart — was cast into the spotlight following the November release of comedian Hari Kondabolu’s documentary, _The Problem With Apu_ _._ Now, Twitter user Amar Shah is making waves with his own personal story of being raised by a father who owned a convenience store. “Everybody has an opinion about Apu, but did they ever talk to someone who owned a convenience store or gas station or work in one or grow up in one? You know, like my dad and I?” Shah tweeted on Monday. > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983457101786898438) Kondabolu later noted that he and his team had, in fact, interviewed Indian small business owners for the documentary, but the footage didn’t make the final cut. “Brother, thank you for sharing,” he wrote. “We interviewed Desi small business owners & it was left on the cutting room floor due to time. This still haunts me. There’s nothing wrong with working in a gas station or store. These stories should be told with the honesty & care you just showed.” Read Shah’s full story below. > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983457101786898438) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983458945451913216) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983460947531632642) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983461438680371200) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983461835620929537) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983462594378895360) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983463046566891520) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983463577200848896) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983464373023838208) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983464749026496512) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983465095803088896) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983465540223229953) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983466220530884608) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983466365892878337) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983467085987766273) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983467940350758913) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983468782814400512) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983469866664497152) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983470662978297856) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983471385841405953) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983471784820461569) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983472135883624448) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983472450456440832) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983473076313706496) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983473539213905920) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983484345460711424) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983542370573660160) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983543983115730944) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983559906455425024) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983560941177536512) > [](https://twitter.com/amarshahism/status/983561229024288769) ## Transcript I hate Apu. Hate Apu. And because of that I dislike the Simpsons. The whole series? Yeah. I love the Simpsons because. You hate yourself. [ MUSIC ] My name is [ UNKNOWN ], I've had a great career filled with laughter, critical acclaim. I should be completely happy but there's still one man who haunts me, Apu Nahasapeemapetilo Please pay for your purchases and get out and come again. How many of you've had to deal with being called apu or that being referenced? The Simpsons stereotypes all races. The problem is we didn't have any other representation. Cabbie, cabbie, cabbie, deli Delhi, Delhi. [ LAUGH ] Doctor. You know a white guy does the voice? A white guy doing an impression of a white guy making fun of my father. [ LAUGH ] How do you feel about that? I'm making a movie about how much I dislike it. Right away they were like you do an Indian voice and how offense can you make it? [ LAUGH ] I immediately began to talk this way. I was like it's not tremendously accurate, it's a little stereotype. They're like, that's all right. They want the accent to sound like this and they want your tongue to be really pulled back. So [ UNKNOWN ] was going into a room having to do that exact thing in front of people like a monkey. [ SOUND ] [ NOISE ] There are accents that, by their nature, to white Americans sound funny, period. It's funny because it's racist. Does Apu count as the minstrel since it's brown paint, a white guy's voice? He has all the qualifications. Remember, please children, that in life There is nothing that is not so disgusting that it cannot be sold on a heated roller at a nearly criminal markup. [ SOUND ] Now I realize some of you think I'm some annoying PC social justice warrior that's very sensitive. And you're probably thinking, come on, snowflake, let it go. Well I have let it go. For 28 years. 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