According to The Hollywood Reporter, creators behind The Simpsons are caught in a controversy this week after their latest episode attempted to respond to critiques over the show’s depictions of race, particularly through the character of Apu.

Efforts to shed light on the stereotypical and racist aspects behind the character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon have been spearheaded by comedian Hari Kondabolu, who recently created a documentary around the very subject titled The Problem with Apu.  

The documentary inspired conversations over The Simpsons’ failure to treat race in a progressive manner. The creative minds behind The Simpsons attempted to handle these critiques in its latest episode.

The latest episode, which aired on Sunday night, featured Lisa discussing a book that changed its content to avoid controversy. In response to the issue, Lisa’s dialogue included the line, “Something that started decades ago and was applauded and inoffensive is now politically incorrect. What can you do?” The shot then switched to an image of Apu.

The moment was presumably a direct confrontation to Hari Kondabolu’s criticism of The Simpsons. Kondabolu posted a series of responses on Twitter.

Wow. “Politically Incorrect?” That’s the takeaway from my movie & the discussion it sparked? Man, I really loved this show. This is sad. https://t.co/lYFH5LguEJ

— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 2018

In “The Problem with Apu,” I used Apu & The Simpsons as an entry point into a larger conversation about the representation of marginalized groups & why this is important. The Simpsons response tonight is not a jab at me, but at what many of us consider progress.

— Hari Kondabolu (@harikondabolu) April 9, 2018

Some viewers were amused by the gesture. At the same time, many have also argued the show failed to make any significant addition to the conversation on race and that show creators only made the controversy surrounding the series worse.

Representatives speaking for 20^th Century Fox released a brief statement on the issue, claiming that the producers behind The Simpsons have no response to the incident and that the episode should “speak for itself”. Considering the hot debate around the issue spreading around the internet following the episode’s air date on Sunday, it doesn’t appear as though The Simpsons will be able to escape this topic any time soon.

New episodes of The Simpsons air on Sundays at 8pm. Hari Kondabolu’s documentary The Problem with Apu can be seen on TruTV’s website.