"The Simpsons" have quietly retired a scene from their hit cartoon: Homer Simpson will no longer strangle Bart!
While many elements in the legendary Fox series remain constant over its three-decade history, there have been some adjustments. Notably, Homer Simpson has ceased strangling his son Bart, acknowledging that "times have changed."
This act of strangling Bart was one of the show's most recurring gags, typically occurring when Bart misbehaved. As Homer shouted, "Why you little," he would grip Bart's neck, causing his son's eyes to bulge.
However, this gesture has not been portrayed for quite some time, and the change was explicitly acknowledged in the latest episode of the show's 35th season, titled "McMansion & Wife."
In a previous episode from season 22 titled "Love Is a Many Strangled Thing," therapist Dr. Zander attempted to make Homer recognize his errors when he strangled Bart.
In this episode, the tall basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a friend of Dr. Zander, confronts Homer and makes him understand what it feels like to be young, small, and frightened by repeatedly strangling him.
Despite traumatizing Homer, this did not prevent the strangling gag with Bart from appearing in subsequent episodes.
Debuting on Fox in late 1989, Matt Groening's groundbreaking show, "The Simpsons," sparked controversy from the beginning. One of the parts is due to the recurring scenes of a furious Homer venting his frustration at Bart's behavior by choking him, causing the boy's eyes to bulge out.
In the recent episode "McMansion & Wife," the round, and seemingly reformed, lead character revealed that he has moved on from this punitive practice during a conversation with a new neighbor named Thayer, as reported by The Independent.
Fans quickly expressed their surprise on social media platforms like X.
One person said: Wokeness is strangling the life out of the Simpsons.
A second wrote: Times have only changed because of people giving in to these offended nut jobs! They’re like children and need to grow up and recognize reality from fantasy.
A third commented: The Simpsons is a woke fest. I grew up with it but its time to leave it now.
Someone else said: I'm so offended, seeing a fictional yellow cartoon character strangling another fictional yellow cartoon character.
Watching the video below:
