I'm Sick Of This Abu(se)

Often people perceive stereotypes only for its negative depiction of foreign cultures and ethnicities. Cases like the recent backlash against Abu’s character in The Simpsons are an example in which people argue against misrepresentation of a culture as it negatively affects the way that culture is perceived. However in the case of Abu I’m left scratching my head at why Abu’s character has suddenly become a problem despite being around for as long as he has. It’s not that I can’t see how a person could be offended by Abu’s blatant stereotypical depiction of Indians, but it is not like Abu is the only character in the show who is a blatant stereotype of another culture. Where’s the controversy for groundskeeper Willie, who’s bright red hair, quick to anger nature, and obnoxious accent make him a dead ringer for the most stereotypical Scottish person on the planet? Despite his character being equally as obvious of an “offensive” stereotype as Abu, people haven’t rallied against the show to get rid of groundskeeper Willie. Even Homer Simpson, could be considered an offensive stereotype of an American citizen, from his bald head and overweight body to his lack of any intelligence. Homer is the typical average American through and through, but even the main character, a being who the audience sees the most of, hasn’t rustled anyone’s jimmies even though his harmful stereotyping could be considered even more present than Abu. Chief Wiggum is an obvious jab at the stereotype that cops are completely incompetent forces of authority, Mayor Quimby pokes fun at the “corrupt politician”, Mr. Burns is a satire of a greedy businessman. All of the character’s in The Simpsons are stereotypes, so the show should just be canceled if misrepresentation is an issue. But The Simpsons is a comedy, a satire meant to use these stereotypes as a way of viewing American culture in the 90’s. You couldn’t have The Simpson’s without stereotype, it’s linked directly to every character in the show, so the notion that Abu should be removed as if he was the only character exhibiting the stereotypical traits of his culture seems ridiculous. This entire controversy speaks more towards the country’s ever growing sensitivity issue than of stereotype in itself, as I’ve clearly demonstrated through other characters in the show.
I conclude in saying The Simpsons is a wonderful case study in the use of stereotypes, as every character in the show the benefits in using stereotypes as a lens into our own culture and the way it’s exaggeration of character shows us a lot about the way we perceive other people ourselves. While the stereotypes can be seen as harmful they are ultimately being used as a vehicle to make a grander point about the society we as a whole live in, and thus removing characters that gave it that lens to begin with takes away from the story as a whole. Stereotypes obviously aren’t always used beneficially. Racist depictions of African Americans in the 20th century only propagated the racial bias people had against black culture. Stereotypes can be used to harm as well as it can be used to help, and it is ultimately up to the people using it to determine whether they want to use it to help or to harm.