Watch The Problem with Apu For Free

Sadly Over-hyped

It's hard to see any effort in the film. There's no comedy to speak of, no real drama and, worst of all.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Hari Kondabolu's documentary dives into the title character from the Simpsons. He attacks the stereotype of Apu, yet, he makes his argument more about emotions than about fact. The people he interviews is clearly biased in how he interviews mainly Indian-Americans and people who support his case. He attempts to get Hank Azaria, who plays Apu, to be interviewed for the documentary. When Azaria turns him down, he gets furious with Azaria. He talks about privilege, which is important to talk about, but he doesn't dive in with logic and his complaints are based too much on emotion and not enough on facts.It is always important to talk about racism and stereotyping. However, "The Problem with Apu" and Kondabolu don't realize that the Simpsons sees these stereotypes as satire. Not to make fun of these people, but to simply make a joke. Kondabolu takes it too personal when the Simpsons isn't intentionally being racist, but just trying to get laughs.

This film is NOT saying you should feel bad for liking The Simpsons or the character of Apu. It is merely explaining how stereotypes like Apu can have real, negative effects in the context of our culture and society.Hari's arguments are very intellectually honest, and are presented with plenty of humor. He has reasonable responses to all the defenses of the Apu stereotype.Essentially, the biggest problem with Apu is that, because he the only Indian character on American TV for many years, many Americans came to only view Indians through the Apu stereotype. Imagine if Homer Simpson was the only depiction of white Americans on TV? It wouldn't be a fair portrayal. Neither is Apu, but because the character was created in an environment detached from actual Indians, perhaps it was easier to miss the problematic nature of defining a billion-plus people with a single character who sells expired junk food and has eight kids with his arranged-marriage wife.

Do not listen to the bad reviews on this site. Their arguments are addressed and refuted in the documentary itself. This is a nuanced documentary about the representation of South Asian people in the US media. It presents the character of Apu in a bigger context of lack of representation and stereotyping. Yet, it does not condemn the show as a whole. The author himself, a fan of The Simpsons, is not even sure how to solve the problem with Apu. The film is entertaining, has great interviews, and is really funny.

I can't help but notice the ratings of this film have been assaulted by ignorant trolls who haven't even seen the film, because it only just came out a few hours ago.The Problem With Apu follows comedian Hari Kondabolu as he talks to major names in Indian American society from Aziz Ansari to the surgeon general. It asks a lot of tough questions and also really informs those who don't know, what it's like to have such limited representation in media. This film is not an assault on The Simpsons or anybody who likes them. Hell, Hari even says he has always loved The Simpsons and he owes the show for being one of the many things that inspired him to be a comedian.It merely points out the dangers of having the only person representing an entire race in media for years being a stereotype.I invite anybody who wants to learn more about representation in media or anyone who thinks this film will just be a brown guy whining for an hour to watch this film. It is very educational, funny, and insightful. I highly recommend this film. For my friends it was a great and new perspective they weren't used to seeing. For me, it was empowering to have my thoughts, as an Indian American working in the American film industry, finally given a voice.