When comedian Hari Kondabolu isn't delivering incisive jokes about politics and identity, he's dreaming of being locked inside a magical bakery. Plus, Hari tells us why you shouldn't ask him about Indian food, and shares his take on whether famous Simpsons food scenes with Apu are racist or not.
Hey there, Dan, here with another Sporkful Reheat for you.
This one features a conversation taped live on stage with comedian Hari Kondabolu, who is, you know, this guy, he's thoughtful, he's hilarious, he's insightful.
And I spoke with him in the months after the release of his documentary the Problem With Apu, which delved into some of the problematic aspects of that Simpsons character, the ways that it played up racial stereotypes.
So we got into that.
We also covered a lot of other ground, including a recurring dream that Hari used to have when he was a kid where he was locked in a bakery overnight by himself, surrounded by donuts, cupcakes, pies, Napoleons.
So you're gonna hear about that, too, and more.
Now, as always, if there's an episode of the Sporkful you want us to pull out of the deep freezer, please let us know.
Send me an email or a voice memo to hellosporkful.com.
tell me your name, where you are, what episode you want us to reheat, and why.
Thanks so much and enjoy my conversation with Hari Kondabolu.
This is the Sporkful.
It's not for foodies, it's for eaters.
I'm Dan Pashman.
Each week on our show, we obsess about food to learn more about people.
And we're coming to you live from the Bell House in Brooklyn.
New.
That was great.
I told you we didn't need to practice.
Joining me now is a standup comedian whose work I have loved for so many years.
He's smart and silly and incisive, and he manages to get into some pretty deep issues of identity and politics without ever losing sight of the fact that he's a comedian.