I have always loved The Simpsons. I own most of the dvds, watched it religiously, still quote it or reference it from time to time. Probably still will. It’s that much a part of pop culture.
With that caveat, I now admit it is time to say goodbye to The Simpsons. Following the documentary, The Problem with Apu, a film exploring the South Asian stereotypes inherent in the character of Apu and how it affects actual South Asian people, the show and the show runners had the opportunity to speak up in a progressive way. They chose instead to blow off the criticism.
And then the creator, Matt Groening, added his two cents:
In an interview with USA Today, Groening is asked if he has any thoughts about the Apu criticism, to which he replies, "Not really. I’m proud of what we do on the show. And I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended."- https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a20087209/matt-groening-the-simpsons-apu-controversy/
The creators and creatives of the show don’t care that people are hurt by this characterization. Shamefully, I have never given much thought to it before. I have no excuse. I have none now but I have less ignorance and I need to say goodbye because I need not be a contributor to the harm.
"When someone says you are hurting them by your action, if you persist- then the harm becomes intentional."- Barbara Munson