The couch gag, Bart's recurring phrases on the school blackboard, Homer's well-known "D'oh " and the father of the family choking the eldest of the Simpson family's children. Those are some of the memories that come to mind when we think about "The Simpsons," the well-known FOX television series located in the town of Springfield. Until now.
The third episode of the 35th season of "The Simpsons" brings a change that has surprised their fans. Homer will not choke Bart again. It was a recurring gag that had not appeared since season 31 and now, it has been announced, so it will not appear again in the well-known and long-running animated fiction. It happens during the episode titled "McMansion & Wife," in which Homer and Marge meet their new neighbors and Homer shakes his new neighbor's hand.
Faced with this small gesture, the new character reacts with surprise at the strength of the grip of the Simpsons patriarch who, immediately afterwards, says to his wife: "See Marge? Strangling the boy paid off." The surprised look of the rest of the characters gathered in the following scene leads Homer to assure that, despite being a frequent act, it would no longer be seen in the show: "Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed":
I just found out that, after over 30 years, The Simpsons has finally retired their long-running gag of Homer strangling Bart.
Took them long enough lmao pic.twitter.com/JuHyNu1eiK
— Simon A. (Baby Lamb Creations) (@BabyLamb5) November 2, 2023
'The Simpsons' sparks controversy with the withdrawal of the gag
Like everything that surrounds 'the yellow family,' the withdrawal of this gag was full of controversy. Many people had been calling for the withdrawal of this action for a long time. In fact, the long-running series even made an episode (the seventeenth episode of the twenty-second season) in which, remember Meristation As, NBA star Kareem Abdul Jabbar strangled Homer so that he understood what Bart felt every time his father carried out this attack.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on "The Simpsons" pic.twitter.com/ofvY1rJGhp
— IG: SterlingPiketeh (@SterlingPiketeh) September 1, 2014
The action achieved the desired result and Homer found himself unable to strangle Bart again. Although it didn't last long. Eight episodes later, fans returned to see Homer strangle Bart. And he continued to do so until season 31 where, some fans of the well-known fiction claim, Homer was never seen strangling his son again. Something that many fans of the series supported:
I mean, the last time Homer did it was at Season 31 so this isn't shocking. https://t.co/6RizAb9noX
— Out of Context Simpsons Couch Gags (@OOCCouchGags) November 5, 2023
Homer strangling Bart had always been a sticking point in my love of The Simpsons. I knew it was an old school cartoon gag and not an affirmation of child abuse, but I'm glad they got rid of it. Good on you, @HomerJSimpson, good on you. https://t.co/Hux9ObKUAR
— settofaze (@settofaze) November 4, 2023
is it just me or is the simpsons stopping homer from strangling bart a bit ??? confusing.
it was a joke, but now i feel like all this time ive been watching homer abuse his son. before, it was just tom and jerry esque humour. idk idk idk. just thoughts
— abi / biznatch (@coldwarrabies) November 5, 2023
However, there are also fans who do not agree that "The Simpsons" should get rid of one of the characteristic scenes of the well-known show. Several Internet users went to X (formerly Twitter) to express their discontent at not being able to see Homer strangling Bart again :
I grew up watching this show and never had the urge to choke anyone. People are fucking weak now. Rip the Simpsons. https://t.co/XSAgD5SxQP
— Adam Crigler (@AdamCrigler) November 6, 2023
Fun fact: it wasn’t socially acceptable to choke people, especially your child, when The Simpsons premiered.
So…what changed? https://t.co/Ncisous318
— loudmouth (@Fligherferhire) November 6, 2023
*Update:
Speaking to People magazine, Simpsons producer James L. Brooks denied that Homer was going to stop strangling his son Bart. "Nothing is being tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing," Brooks continues. "He'll still be strangled-[if] you want to use that horrible term for it. He will continue to be loved by his father in a specific way," Brooks assured the magazine.
