Fox Television Group bosses Dana Walden and Gary Newman weighed in on the ongoing controversy surrounding The Simpsons and the character of Apu at Fox's Television Critics Association summer press tour presentation.

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"We have had conversations with [executive producer] Jim Brooks and his team, and we’ve left it up to them," Walden said, when asked how the show intended to tackle the criticisms leveled against it over the past year. "They’ve treated the show and their characters with so much respect, we trust them to handle it in a way that will be best for their show... I’m not sure yet what they’re going to do, but we thought that should be their decision."Last season, The Simpsons chose to directly address the concerns raised by Hari Kondabolu's 2017 documentary The Problem With Apu , which explored the cultural impact of the Indian character and how he inadvertently shaped and perpetuated racial stereotypes, featuring interviews with celebrities of South Asian descent who revealed that they had grown up being bullied and mocked because of the way the character was portrayed.In the episode "No Good Read Goes Unpunished," the show essentially told viewers who were uncomfortable with Apu's portrayal not to overreact, since the show has always traded in caricatures and stereotypes (from Bumblebee Man to Groundskeeper Willie). The social media response was swift and vocal on both sides of the debate, with some fans expressing disappointment and others agreeing with the show's take , resulting in creator Matt Groening and showrunner Al Jean weighing in . Groening Tweeted, "I think it’s a time in our culture where people love to pretend they’re offended," while Jean said, "I truly appreciate all responses pro and con. Will continue to try to find an answer that is popular and more important right."Walden said that "in a day of social media where fans are able to have a very public forum, I can’t say I was surprised [by the backlash]," adding, "I thought it was good information for the creators to receive and I know they focused on what the reaction was and I’m sure that’s partially informing how they will move forward."The man behind the voice of Apu, Hank Azaria, seemed to take the criticisms on board during an appearance on The Late Show: "The most important thing is that we have to listen to South Asian people, Indian people, in this country, when they talk about what they feel and how they think about this character, and what their American experience of it has been," calling for more representation behind the scenes. "In television terms, listening to voices means inclusion in the writers' room. I really want to see Indian, South Asian, writers in the writers room. Not in a token way, but genuinely informing whatever new direction this character may take, including how it is voiced or not voiced."The Simpsons Season 30 premieres Sunday, September 30 on Fox.