John Cleese has mocked The Simpsons actor Hank Azaria in a satirical apology for making fun of “white English people” in Monty Python.
Azaria, who is not Indian, apologized earlier this week for the hurt he caused the Indian community by voicing The Simpson’s Indian character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon.
“It’s not about congratulating me for the response because I’m a big part in creating the problem, to begin with,” Azaria said on Monday’s episode of the podcast Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard.
“So nothing takes that away except maybe an amends over time which I am attempting to make.”
Azaria went on to say: “I really do apologise. It’s important. I apologise for my part in creating that and participating in that. Part of me feels like I need to go to every single Indian person in this country and personally apologise. And sometimes I do.”
Cleese responded to Azaria’s apology, saying he was “not wishing to be left behind by Hank Azaria.
“I would like to apologise on behalf of Monty Python for all the many sketches we did making fun of white English people,” Cleese said.
“We’re sorry for any distress we may have caused.”
Not wishing to be left behind by Hank Azaria, I would like to apologise on behalf on Monty Python for all the many sketches we did making fun of white English people
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 13, 2021
We're sorry for any distress we may have caused
In another tweet discussing “woke-ism,” Cleese said: “Started out as a good idea – ‘Let’s be nice to people’ – and finished up as a humourless, censorious, literal-minded, posturing idiocy.”
Started out as a good idea – Let's be nice to people' – and finished up as a humorless, censorious, literal-minded,
— John Cleese (@JohnCleese) April 14, 2021
posturing idiocy https://t.co/nRc53bUvMp
