The Simpsons creator Matt Groening responds to Apu controversy: 'People love to pretend they're offended'

The Indian character's representation has been thrown into question in recent months

The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has responded to the criticism surrounding character Apu for the first time suggesting that people are faking the offence.

The controversy began when American stand-up comedian Hari Kondabolu made a documentary detailing how the long-running character was used as a device to bully him when he was growing up in New York.

Animator Groening, when asked if he had anything to say about the criticism, told the USA Today: “Not really. I’m proud of what we do on the show. And I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended.”

Groening's comments follow Apu voice actor Hank Azaria's who said he'd step down from the role as it “feels like the right thing to do.”

In response to the criticism surrounding the character, The Simpsons directly referenced Kondabolu's documentary - titled The Problem with Apu - in an episode which ended with a photo of Apu accompanied by the phrase: “Don't have a cow.”

Kondabolu voiced his shock on Twitter, writing: “Wow. ‘Politically incorrect?’ That’s the takeaway from my movie and the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad.”

He later added: “In The Problem with Apu, I used Apu and The Simpsons as an entry point into a larger conversation about the representation of marginalized groups and why this is important. The Simpsons response tonight is not a jab at me, but at what many of us consider progress.”

Kondabolu's film features various celebrities - including Aziz Ansari, Whoopi Goldberg, and Kal Penn - who all discuss the problematic nature of the fictional Kwik-E-Mart owner who has been voiced by Azaria since 1990.

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