Whoever thought that the little bumper cartoons between skits on The Tracey Ullman Show would become one of the most popular animated shows on television with one of the hottest toy lines on the market? But, it is and it does. And, inhabiting the fictional town of Springfield, home of the Simpsons, is resident KWIK-E-MART manager Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. Hailing from Ramatur, Pakistan, Apu is one of the few South Asian characters on television. Because of this, the character is also surrounded with much controversy. Several have criticized the show for perpetuating stereotypes of South Asians in the media. His heavy accent and his working at a convenience store have been troublesome for many. But, in the world of The Simpsons, everybody is insane and everybody is a stereotype. At the end of the day, we feel for Apu. We don't sit there and continuously laugh at the stereotypes. In a May 23, 1999 article in The Contra Costa Times, India Abroad Center for Political Awareness Executive Director Debasish Mishra noted, "Our (organization's) view is as mixed as the community's. If you were to watch Apu just for one show, you know it's a stereotype. Anyone who watches it regularly, it's a very developed character." Click here to read the article from The Contra Costa Times on South Asian representation in "mainstream" media.

Apu Nahasapeemapetilon The Simpsons 2000, Playmates Toys The Simpsons As for the toy, it's great. The likeness to the two dimensional cartoon is uncanny. Like the other Simpsons toys, Apu has "Intelli-Tronic Voice Activation," which means that he can interact with other action figures in the line. He can say over forty phrases, including, "Welcome to the KWIK-E-MART!" and "I take it from your yelling that you like my tofu dogs." This is one of my favorites!

Wish List for The Simpsons The following are items I still need to complete the set. If you notice any other items that should be added, please e-mail me. Coming in May 2001, Apu will be featured in Pin Pal Shirt.

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