**The Simpsons isn't an overall racist show. It has perpetuated and, to an extent, endorsed racist beliefs in a harmful way, but this is more reflective of its longevity.** - Definition of racism: ['the belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race' & 'behaviour or attitudes that reflect and foster this belief'.] (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/racism) - The Simpsons have come under fire for racism because of Apu, a character many view as [a caricatured Indian-American stereotype] (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/04/22/hank-azaria-apologized-playing-apu-i-accept-i-appreciate-it/). Until recently, Apu was voiced by Hank Azaria, a white man, potentially making the caricature [more harmful] (https://www.trtworld.com/americas/why-are-blackface-or-brownface-considered-so-offensive-29939). - The show is meant to be a satire of the American family and family life, and to this end, it makes fun of all its characters. But Apu in particular was the only Indian-American representation on mainstream TV for a while. Hari Kondabolu went in-depth on this in his 2017 doc ['The Problem with Apu',] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Problem_with_Apu) where he talked generally about the harmfulness in media representations of Indian-Americans. - So I don't believe that The Simpsons is inherently racist. But looked at objectively, the show has presented 'behaviour and attitudes that reflect and foster' racist belief in their one-dimensional portrayal of characters like Apu. Despite its satirical takes on popular culture, the show does also inform it. It doesn't always address and critique [the controversies it presents] (https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/inside-simpsons-biggest-controversies-michael-21745501) enough to come across as anti-racist. Sometimes it even seems like it endorses them. - The thing is that The Simpsons has been going for 32 years. What was widely accepted then is not what is widely accepted now. While its showrunners haven't been too quick to [respond to this kind of criticism] (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-56024683), The Simpsons has shown that it's capable of continuing to change with the times. And having media that's something of a time capsule, reminding us of how cultural norms have shifted, isn't necessarily a bad thing.