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Whether you most recently watched The Simpsons last weekend or over a decade ago, you likely recall seeing Homer Simpson strangle his son Bart at some point.
As it turns out, however, that won’t be a bit of physical comedy that fans of the long-running series should expect to see going forward.
In “McMansion Wife” the third episode of season 35 that aired on October 22, Homer addresses why he will no longer wring his hands around Bart’s neck until his eyes bulge out of his head. The 35th season premiered back on October 1, 2023.
After shaking hands with his new neighbor Thayer, who remarks that Homer has “quite a grip”, the iconic suburban working-class family responds with the following:
“See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off,” replies Homer. “Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”
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It’s actually been quite some time since Homer did the choking gag (pun intended), with the last occurrence being back in 2019/20 during Season 31 of the iconic animated comedy series.
As a longtime appreciator of running jokes — which The Simpsons, now in its 35th season, is obviously chock-full of — being able to explain away what used to be an iconic image of the series in a quick, passing line deserves respect.
This isn’t the first time that The Simpsons has made changes to adapt to the times, as the series has gotten rid of numerous offensively stereotyped characters and themes over the years, such as Hank Azaria voicing Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, for example.
The Simpsons, created by Matt Groening, first premiered on Fox on December 17, 1989. The series has since become the longest-running American animated series, the longest-running American sitcom, and the longest-running American scripted primetime television series, and as a result, an entrenched fixture of American pop culture.