'The Simpsons' to stop casting white actors to voice characters of colour amid BLM outrage

'The Simpsons' has made a revolutionary change in their game as Fox has officially announced to an international daily that they will 'no longer have white actors voice non-white actors'. The announcement came after actor Hank Azaria, who has been an integral part of the show for years now, stepped down from his role as the Indian immigrant store owner, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon. The recurring character, who runs a popular convenience store in Springfield, has been a subject of controversy for being stereotypically South Asian as well as for being voiced by a white actor.

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In an interview with an international daily, Azaria said the decision was made after a years-long process of examining his own feelings and listening to the opinions of people who said they had been offended by Apu. He said that he didn't feel right in working with the character after realizing that it had not been thought of by a community in a particular way.

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Controversy has surrounded the character since the release of a 2017 documentary called The Problem with Apu, in which writer Hari Kondabolu argued Apu perpetuates racial stereotypes through mannerisms and an exaggerated accent. Apu has been a character on the Fox television series since 1990.

The Simpsons is the latest addition to the list of animated series that have decided to step away from casting white actors in roles of color. Earlier this week, Big Mouth's Jenny Slate and Central Park's Kristen Bell announced that they are leaving their roles on the shows, which will both be recast with a Black or mixed-race actor.

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About the show

Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie, the yellow family of five, have emerged as pop-culture icons over the years in the series, which is a satirical depiction of working-class life. A lot of supporting characters in the show are often those of othr ethnic backgrounds. Created by Matt Groening- globally recognized as a pioneering animator, The Simpsons made its debut in 1989 and is the longest-running sitcom in American history with a collection of over 675 episodes spanning 31 seasons all of which are available on Disney+ Hotstar Premium.

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