The Simpsons shopkeeper Apu is axed in racism storm

FOR nearly 30 years, he has been one of the most recognisable faces in Springfield.

But the popular Simpsons character Apu is to be cut out of the long-running animated comedy following a race row.

The shopkeeper, who runs the town’s Kwik-E-Mart store, has been a permanent fixture since the show’s inception in 1989.

But some viewers have criticised The Simpsons because they believe Apu ‘bolsters racial stereotypes’ about Indians.

Apu, voiced by white actor Hank Azaria, has octuplets with his Indian wife – whom he met Row: Apu and Hari Kondabolu through an arranged marriage – and is known for his catchphrase ‘Thank you, come again’.

Film producer Adi Shankar wrote on Twitter: ‘I got some disheartening news, that I’ve verified from multiple sources now. They’re going to drop the Apu character altogether. They aren’t going to make a big deal out of it or anything, but they’ll drop him altogether just to avoid the controversy.’

Comedian Hari Kondabolu, who made a documentary called The Problem With Apu, said: ‘Of course he’s funny, but that doesn’t mean this representation is accurate or right. It gets to the insidiousness of racism… because you don’t even notice it when it’s right in front of you. It becomes so normal that you don’t even think about it.’

Simpsons creator Matt Groening said all characters are built on comic stereotypes, and that this is ‘a time where people love to pretend they’re offended’.