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by jheriko
3825 days ago
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just to clear up. i am actually an arab. i think apu's name is a joke on the exceptionally long names of sri lankans... and yes, it is casually racist - or at least pokes fun at a nationality if not a race (whatever the case, its not a good joke imo). +1 for video. |
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First of all, it's not casual. It's not an offhand, unintended remark that nonetheless reveals a hidden negative bias. Apu's name was very deliberately - the opposite of casually - chosen by the show creators.
Second of all, it's not racist. The name, by itself, imports nothing negative about Apu. It does not say Apu is inferior, nor does it show an intention of harm against Apu.
What does the name do? It shows an interesting human difference, that in some cultures, it is common to have much longer names than in others. The name points that out, and to most viewers that is amusing because they aren't used to such names. Their culture's average name length is far shorter.
But there is nothing positive nor negative about having a shorter or a longer name. Apu's name isn't making a negative statement about Apu - unless you have a bias against long names / south Asian names. If you do, then Apu is just directing your attention to your own bias.