Blog Post 4 “Apu’s Brown Voice”
- In Shilpa Dave’s article, “Apu’s Brown Voice”, he focuses on defining the term “brown voice” and argues how people interpret racial and cultural identity just by voice. He explains that the “brown voice” is connected to South Asians, and to further explain and back up his point he brings up Apu from the very famous American T.V show “The Simpsons.” He also points out how although Matt Groening and writers did not want to apply any negative connotation by using the voice, it made Apu a country-wide phenomenon and created this racial stereotype and expectation to South Asians.
- As mentioned before, Shilpa uses Apu as an example to explain how the “brown voice” results in a stereotype for South Asians. The first thing Shilpa does before furthering the connection between the “brown voice” and Apu, he defines the term. He defines the “brown voice” as the “act of speaking in an Indian English accent associated with South Asians…” and then explains how it represents the “vocalization of the model minority”, where if you hear someone with the accent, you assume they are successful (317). Now because “The Simpsons” is very popular, Apu became a very famous character. So as a result from his popularity, he “emerges as a highly politicized representation of a Hindu and India who fulfills the ‘model minority’ stereotype,” (323). And now all South Asian were linked the Apu and his success within the show. After explaining the connection from the “brown voice” and Apu, he ends his essay by stating how the use of it is changing. There are new Indian and Indian American directors who are attempting to change that stereotype. An example he gives is from a movie that M. Night Shyamalan is in, ‘Sixth Sense’, where he is a physician, and “uses his American voice before he comes” which takes away the “brown voice” (331).
- The term “brown voice” is the main concept that Shilpa defines and explains throughout his entire article. As discussed before, the way he defines this term he created is “act of speaking in an Indian English accent associated with South Asians.” He originated this term from the character Apu. He describes this concept of the “brown voice” He describes it as a political term as well, since it links with the success of South Asians when they hear that voice, which also connects to the model minority, as described before. It is an “instructive in thinking about how race is separated from the visual and instead voices become another marker” (318).
- Hank Azaria, who plays Apu, was a white american. So again we see this white american playing another culture. What this reminds me of is yellow face, where white americans played Asian Americans in the movie of past. An example can be from the “Forbidden City” where E. Alyn played Wong Li in the movie, and a lot of other characters being played by whites as well. This act of yellow face is the same situation that happens in “The Simpsons” with Apu.
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