Homer Simpson, the loveable oaf, won’t be changing his ways when it comes to parenting just yet, according to The Simpsons co-creator.
Earlier this month, fans were stunned to find out one of the show’s oldest gags was going the way of dodo. That is the comedic moments where Homer would grab son Bart and throttle him seconds after yelling ‘why you little’.
Though this running gag was one of the most recognizable for the show, fans hadn’t seen Homer actually strangle Bart on screen since the 31st season, which aired from 2019 to 2020.
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Homer even addressed this in episode McMansion & Wife’ of season 35.
The episode sees Evergreen Terrace welcome a new family to the neighborhood, and when Homer introduces himself to Thayer, the new character remarks how firm the handshake was.
"See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off," Homer says to his wife.
"Just kidding, I don't do that anymore. Times have changed."
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While some fans welcomed this potential decision to stop homer choking Bart, co-creator James L. Brooks weighed in on the debate and said: “Don’t think for a second we’re changing anything.”
Speaking to People, he showed an illustration of Homer strangling Bart who was holding a smartphone with a headline that read, “Simpsons: No more strangling. Homer is also seen with a text bubble above him yelling “Why you little clickbaiting-!!”
Brooks added: “Nothing's getting tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing.
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“He'll continue to be strangled—[if] you want to use that awful term for it. He'll continue to be loved by his father in a specific way.”
Brook’s comments have since begun circulating on social media and many fans have reiterated the showrunners never officially said that anything would be changing, just because of Homer’s comments.
Let’s not forget the show has been running since 1989, and has had countless jokes and episodes which indicate massive changes that never happen. Have you all forgotten about Principal Skinner, formerly known as Armin Tamzarian?
Reddit users were quick to weigh in with a slew of Simpson-related jokes now that Brooks has put the issue to bed.
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“Say what? Cartoons don't have messages, Lisa. They're just a bunch of hilarious stuff, you know, like people getting hurt and stuff. Stuff like that,” one user said in reference to the 1995 episode, Lisa the Vegetarian.
“To strangling! The cause of- and solution to- all of life’s problem,” another joked in reference to the 1997 episode Homer vs. the Eighteenth Amendment'.
Now that Brooks has cleared this all up, in reference to Marge Simpson from the episode The Boy Who Knew Too Much, 'let us never speak of [this] again.'
Topics: Film and TV, The Simpsons, Reddit