Ep. 67: How to Crowdsource the Cure to an Industry Problem

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">This week on</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">TIFF Long Take</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, Rob chats with producer and YouTube personality Adi Shankar. Last month, Shankar (whose films include</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Dredd</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">and</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Grey</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">) launched</span> <a href= "https://writers.coverfly.com/competitions/view/80"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Apu Screenwriting Contest</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, an online competition to which writers are encouraged to submit a spec script for</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Simpsons</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">that subverts, pivots, or writes off the character of Apu. A mainstay in</span> <em><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Simpsons’</span></em> <span style="font-weight: 400;">universe,</span> <a href= "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGzvEqBvkP8"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Apu has long been a controversial figure</span></a> <span style="font-weight: 400;">for what many see as a stereotypical and hurtful portrayal of Indian Americans. Shankar has promised that the winning script will be made, either as an official</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Simpsons</span></em> <span style= "font-weight: 400;">episode or as a self-financed episode in Bootleg Universe, Shankar’s YouTube series.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Shankar talks about the massive cultural influence of</span> <em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">The Simpsons</span></em><span style= "font-weight: 400;">, why he finds the character of Apu so damaging, and his frustration with the show’s reluctance to acknowledge or address the problem.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">He also discusses where the inspiration for his spec-writing contest came from, his track record of circumventing traditional Hollywood practi