The Simpsons: 10 Greatest Apu Moments
Apu's stay in Springfield appears to be over, but it was nice while it lasted.
Producer Adi Shankar set Simpsons fans into a frenzy recently as he claimed Apu would soon be cut from the show. Al Jean, showrunner of The Simpsons, has since poured cold water on these rumours, stating that Shankar did not work for or speak for the show.
Apu’s been dogged by controversy in recent years, ever since Indian comedian Hari Kondabolu suggested the character was racist. Voice actor Hank Azaria has obviously exaggerated his accent for comedy. But also, Apu is one of the most developed characters the show has; he’s got a Doctorate in Computer Science, he’s a successful business owner and a married father of eight. Even the accent argument falls apart when compared to Cletus, Luigi and Groundskeeper Willie.
Some have even suggested Apu is an example of good representation, despite the accent. After all, jokes about Apu rarely have his Indian heritage as a punchline. Compare that to the much more recent character of Raj in The Big Bang Theory, and Apu looks like a paragon of TV Asians.
He’s had some terrific moments during his time in Springfield. It’s yet unknown what his fate will be, but whatever happens, he’s got one hell of a highlight reel.
10. Billy And The Clonesaurus
This one doesn’t affect the story at all really, and there are certainly better moments where Apu has played his part in Springfield history. Fans could debate all day whether this is his funniest line (he’s had some great ones over the last 30 years), but this exchange with Skinner is definitely one of his most iconic.
The episode itself centres on Skinner and Bart’s friendship after the principal is fired. There’s a lot of good moments in this classic episode, including a certain exchange at the Kwik-E-Mart. Apu only has one scene, but it’s probably the most memorable part.
Skinner tells Bart of his plans to write the Great American Novel, about a theme park where dinosaurs are brought back to life. He plans to call it ‘Billy And The Clonesaurus!’, but when Apu overhears this, he flips out. How can Skinner not have heard of the bestselling novel Jurassic Park? Or the box office smash adaption? And then to give it a name nobody could ever like?!
The cherry on top though after this rant is Apu’s bright delivery as he closes with ‘Thank you, come again’.