Homer is no longer going to strangle Bart in The Simpsons: “Times have changed”

Bart Simpson’s rolling eyes and tongue sticking out will no longer be part of the animated series landscape.

After 34 years on the air and more than 750 episodes produced, The Simpsons must move with the times and adapt their content. Times have changed, Homer must chase away his deviant behavior, in total discordance with an awakened era.

Among them, the running gag from the animated series where Homer exerts a chokehold on Bart to reprimand him. Homer squeezes his eldest’s neck so hard that his eyes pop out of their sockets. Although it is a typical action of Homer and Bart’s father-son relationship, the scene has always been criticized for its brutality.

The Simpsons pay discreet tribute to the victims of the Paris attacks

In an episode titled Love is a Many Strangled Thing from season 22, Homer had attended classes to become a better father. During class, a top basketball player (played by former NBA star Kareem Abdul Jabbar) strangles Homer to show him what it’s like to be “young, small and terrified”. Traumatized by his experience, Homer later discovers that he is unable to strangle Bart. However, in season 24, Homer does it again and strangles Bart in front of his friend, Milhouse.

Recently, the third episode of season 35, refers to these years of strangulation – which did not please everyone. When Homer shows up, a new neighbor named Thayer points out how strong his grip is.

“See, Marge, strangling the kid paid off. Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. The times have changed“, blurts Homer.

The episode first aired in late October, but Homer’s remark generated online conversation when the scene was posted by a viewer on X:

The Simpsons were praised for owning up to the end of this joke, but this isn’t the first scandal the show has encountered. We remember in particular the Apu case, which was the subject of a documentary by Michael Melamedoff titled The Problem with Apu (2017), since the Indian character is in fact voiced by the actor (white) Hank Azaria.

The Simpsons will they adapt to these times, on all levels?