W. Kamau Bell Profile picture
Apr 9, 2018 β€’ 15 tweets β€’ 5 min read Twitter logo Read on Twitter
The Simpsons, 1989 - 2018 #RIP 😒
I think the fact that they put this "argument" in the mouth of Lisa's character, the character who usually champions the underdogs and is supposed to be the most thoughtful and liberal, is what makes this the most ridiculous (as in worthy of ridicule) and toothless response.
My friend @harikondabolu made a beautiful & powerful film. It took guts to do it. He knew he was going after a sacred cow. (Pun intended.) He knew many people would just watch the trailer or see the poster or just hear the title & immediately just hate on it & him.
& my friend @harikondabolu had to convince a network to air it even though that network has NOTHING ELSE ON ITS AIRWAVES EVEN CLOSE TO THIS. & Hari included some of the most powerful & respected South Asian Americans to speak their truth, showing that he wasn't alone on this.
I always tell the #UnitedShades crew that comedy can fix any creative issues. That's what comedy's for. It can't fix real world issues. But it can get you out of a creative jam. The Simpson's, 1 OF THE GREATEST COMEDIES OF ALL TIME, coulda dug deep & wrote their way out of this.
I can't find a recent image of it but just Google image search "Simpson's writers room". I think I'm about to crack the case of why The Simpson's aren't more sensitive to these issues, Gumshoes! πŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™€οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™€οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈπŸ™Žβ€β™‚οΈ
The "argument" the episode makes is basically things used to better before political correctness when nobody cared about all these groups. It ignores the facts that ALL THESE GROUPS ALWAYS CARED ABOUT ALL THESE GROUPS. But these groups' complaints weren't respected/supported.
Black people always had to explain why Nigger Jim was named Nigger Jim in Huckleberry Finn to our Black children.That didn't start when white people noticed how "weird that was" in the 1990's. πŸ€”
I'm sure South Asian parents who took their kids to see "Annie" in 1982 had to explain to their kids why Punjab, an already problematic "magical" servant, was played by Geoffrey Holder, a Trinidadian-American. Something to the effect of, "We aren't cast in many movies in the US."
The entire anti-political correctness argument is...

"I don't get why you're complaining that your toe was stepped on when I never felt my toe being stepped on... What does me wearing steel toed boots & you not having shoes have to do w/ anything?" - Steel toe boot factory owner
It's even more noteworthy because this is the era that on 1 hand created President Trump & on the other (Black) hand created Black Panther. Art always takes a side. Usually it's regressive vs. progressive. It's up to the artists to choose a side. & it's up to the ppl to buy it.
Most importantly if you haven't already, watch my friend @harikondabolu's film. It is amazing, bold, reckless, & important. & I'm not just saying that because I'm in it.

It's called The Problem with Apu. It's truly great. My friend's making a difference.

trutv.com/shows/the-prob…
Submitted without further comment.

"WHAT COULD THE SIMPSONS POSSIBLY DO TO FIX IT?"

Dunno. I'm not as smart or funny as The Simpsons writers. But I do know House of Cards & Transparent are each doing AN ENTIRE SEASON w/o their main character, so I'm pretty sure The Simpsons could figure it out... if they cared.πŸ€”
Hey @TheSimpsons! You might wanna see if this guy is available. You could even have @HankAzaria play the new Sephardic Jewish owner of the Quik-E-Mart, if he's worried about only playing 999,999 voices on the show instead of an even 1,000,000. 😁 

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More from @wkamaubell

Sep 23, 2018
Tonight is gonna be hard. But join me as I watch the premiere of the final season of #PartsUnknown. Me & Tony went to Kenya. We spent time in Nairobi & on safari at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Watch w/ me as I livetweet. Let's celebrate him & his amazing life's work. #UnitedShades
I'll be livetweeting #PartsUnknown w/ me & Tony here. If you have any thoughts or questions I'll try to respond. It's a stunning episode. #UnitedShades #ShadesUnknown
Producer @diamondmofallon told me that part of the reason that the #LGBT segment was included in the show was because we cover those issues in #UnitedShades. #PartsUnknown #ShadesUnknown
Read 9 tweets
Sep 4, 2018
As a kid I heard, "Think Global. Act local." The older I get the more I think of that. So while the news overwhelms us everyday w/ massive problems, I've begun to focus on smaller things I can help. & @DonorsChoose helps me support my local teachers. donorschoose.org/kamau?active=t…
A few months ago, @DonorsChoose noticed me tweeting out their projects & gave me a spot on their National Advisory Council. & now that's it #BackToSchool time they made me a page w/ my local schools in the East Bay whose teachers need support. Here it is! donorschoose.org/kamau?active=t…
There are over $200,00 worth of needs on @DonorsChoose among Oakand, Berkeley, Richmond, Richmond, & El Cerrito. That's a lot, but the East Bay is birthplace & home to some heavy hitters. I'm hoping some of you can help by spreading the word &/or donating. donorschoose.org/kamau?active=t…
Read 5 tweets
Jul 19, 2018
I find giving school kids the supplies they need to succeed is the perfect antidote for the awful news. Try it yourself.

These kids need $182 for pens, paper, pencils... YOU KNOW THE STUFF ALL STUDENTS NEED AND DESERVE!!! donorschoose.org/project/suppli…
You all knocked that one out quick! Here's another @DonorsChoose. Kids. Need. Books. donorschoose.org/project/bringi…
That was quick! Anybody got any parts of $170 to help these kids get BASIC SCHOOL SUPPLIES??? donorschoose.org/project/supply…
Read 4 tweets
Jun 18, 2018
This is about to begin... again. #UnitedShades
That white guy next to me works on #UnitedShades. Tommy is THE BEST!!!!
This book was over 30 years overdue from the Mobile public library. (I'm sorry.) Once I knew I had had it out more than 10 years, I dreamed of returning it - & filming it. Dreams come true. I felt compelled to give a donation. Most expensive book I don't own. 🀣🀣🀣#UnitedShades
Read 4 tweets
May 7, 2018
This is the official #UnitedShades Sikhs in America thread. Respond here if you want to make sure I see your tweet. #SikhsOnTV
I love the opening of this show. It makes a bigger point overall about America and "religious freedom". #UnitedShades
SOOOOO MANY MISPRONUNCIATIONS IN THIS SIKH 101 SEGEMENT!!!

To my Sikh sisters & brothers, I'm sorry. Thanks to @Angadgsingh, these will be fixed for the re-airings. #UnitedShades
Read 13 tweets
Apr 14, 2018
As a Black man who was kicked out of a coffee shop in 2015 (not Starbucks but The Elmwood Cafe in Berkeley, CA) I have some thoughts. When I was kicked out, I was nervous they might call the cops. But they didn't. Probably because I was with my wife & her white skin. 1/
(If you don't know the story of my getting kicked out of The Elmwood Cafe in Berkeley California, I told the story on @ThisAmerLife a couple months later. You can listen here.) But here I sit 3 years later & NOTHING has changed... 1/2 thisamericanlife.org/557/birds-bees…
After it happened, me, the owner & some activists had a community meeting. The owner promised to end implicit bias in his cafe, the stores on his block, the neighborhood, the city then I guess the galaxy. Here's the website he built for it laying fallow. implicitbiastraining.com
Read 18 tweets

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