'The Simpsons' under fire for response to Apu controversy

There were many viewers who felt invigorated to blast the cartoon.

Who would have thought?

The Simpsons is under fire for the way in which the show responded to controversy around one of its most classic Indian characters, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.

The outcry over the stereotypical portrayal of Springfield’s Kwik-E-Mart owner was addressed Sunday night in the episode “No Good Read Goes Unpunished" when Marge Simpson reads a book to daughter Lisa that has been changed from its original version to something not so controversial.

“Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?,” says Lisa. The show then panned to a picture of Apu.

While some viewers were fine with the response, there were many who felt invigorated to blast the cartoon.

Comedian Hari Kondabolu was among those horrified. "Wow. 'Politically Incorrect?' That’s the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad," Kondabolu tweeted. "In 'The Problem with Apu,' I used Apu & The Simpsons as an entry point into a larger conversation about the representation of marginalized groups & why this is important. The Simpsons response tonight is not a jab at me, but at what many of us consider progress."

Another comedian, W. Kamau Bell, also slammed the episode, tweeting, “I think the fact that they put this ‘argument’ in the mouth of Lisa’s character, the character who usually champions the underdogs and is supposed to be the most thoughtful and liberal, is what makes this the most ridiculous (as in worthy of ridicule) and toothless response. The 'argument' the episode makes is basically things used to better before political correctness when nobody cared about all these groups. It ignores the facts that ALL THESE GROUPS ALWAYS CARED ABOUT ALL THESE GROUPS. But these groups' complaints weren't respected/supported."