Now Is Your Chance to Write a Series About the Simpsons.
After comedian Hari Kondabolu’s documentary ” The Problem with Apu” and a strange defensive response from The Simpsons, producer Adi Shankar wants to shoot a series about “The Simpsons ” about the APU. To get the script, he runs a screenwriting competition . If you agree with Shankar and Kondabolu that Apu is a crude stereotype, then read the competition rules:
We’re looking for a script based on the “Apu” character set in the world and canon of The Simpsons, which takes the character of Apu and cleverly subverts it, turns it around, intelligently writes it out or develops it. who takes a sneaky mockery and turns it into a grain of truth, wrapped in a funny insight known as true satire.
This competition is open to people of all nationalities and cultures, however, if you do not have experience with Indian culture in America, you may not have the perspective and experience to write well on the topic.
The competition will be judged by a jury of South Asians and other minorities working in the entertainment industry. The deadline for applications is June 30th, no fees will be charged.
Shankar, while a seasoned producer for movies and Netflix, doesn’t actually work for Simpson or for Fox, but he shouldn’t. Although he plans to hand the winning script over to the writers and producers of the show, if and when they reject it, he says he will do the episode himself.
He’s done it before – his2015 pirate episode of Power Rangers has 21 million views on YouTube. Add all the press attention to the competition, and Shankar’s unofficial episode will generate more buzz than the typical episode 29 of the actual show.
Stunt projects like these are a great way to get the attention of aspiring writers; author Billy Domineau got his first agent thanks to his startlingly clever 9/11 Seinfeld script , and two months later he was on staff writing for Family Guy . So any writer with a deep understanding of comedy and Indian-American culture should seriously consider submitting a script.
Shankar told IndieWire, “ Apu is not even a stereotype. The Indian stereotype is: We are doctors, we are smart people, technology leaders, Microsoft CEO, Google CEO … [Apu] is an imprecise, fabricated archetype created by the Simpsons and carved into American Integrity through brute force for over 30 years. ” He’s looking for the best way to discuss it in the form of an episode of The Simpsons , whether he wants the show or not.
The actual show here does not seem to outperform Shankar. While Apu’s voice actor Hank Azaria agrees with some of the character’s criticisms , showrunner Al Jean was kind of a jerk about it , and Matt Groening said this week that Apu ‘s critics “like to pretend they’ve been wronged” – as if Hari Kondabolu exposed himself to America’s racists just for fun. So if you want to put Gröning in his place and you have the opportunity to do so in writing, now is your chance.
Apu Screenwriting Contest: Crowdsourcing The Simpsons Cure | Lionfish