Modi's arrival at the G20 summit 'announced with Apu meme'
- Published
Some Indian-Americans have complained that the Simpsons character is racist
An Argentine news channel has come under fire for displaying an image of the Simpsons character Apu as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Buenos Aires.
Cronica TV used the headline "Apu arrives" as the Indian PM's plane touched down for the G20 summit.
Some say the portrayal of the Indian shopkeeper is racist.
Social media users responded angrily to the use of the image.
Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has been part of the animation series since 1990 and is voiced by Hank Azaria, a white actor, who puts on a heavy Indian accent.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose 鈥榓ccept and continue鈥.
Indian-American comic Hari Kondabolu made a documentary about the character in 2017, arguing that Apu was founded on racial stereotypes.
Mr Kondabolu told the 大象传媒 at the time that the character was problematic because he is defined by his job and how many children he has in his arranged marriage. Others defended the show and said all its characters were stereotypes.
In response to Cronica's use of the character Mr Kondabolu tweeted: "This couldn't be true, right?"
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose 鈥榓ccept and continue鈥.
Others pointed out that the comparison was disrespectful to a foreign leader.
Allow Twitter content?
This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read and before accepting. To view this content choose 鈥榓ccept and continue鈥.
Mr Modi's arrival at the G20 was not the only one to stir up social media controversy.
When French President Emmanuel Macron arrived on Thursday he was greeted by an empty runway, as the Argentine delegation had not arrived on time to meet him.
- Published9 April 2018
- Published6 March 2018
