Homer Simpson has officially stopped strangling his own son, and The Simpsons producers are hilariously calling out reports about it. On Season 35, Episode 2, “McMansion & Wife,” which aired on Oct. 22, Homer joked that strangling Bart all those years paid off after giving a firm handshake. He then shared he doesn’t “do that anymore. Times have changed.” Homer was definitely known for strangling his son throughout The Simpsons‘ run, but the last visible one was during Season 31.
Since the episode aired, many fans have given their thoughts on the revelation. In an exclusive from Variety, the executive producers of the long-running Fox animated series put out a response only fitting for The Simpsons. With Homer strangling Bart, a speech bubble has him saying, “Why you little clickbaiting-!!” Meanwhile, Bart, not able to speak, is holding a phone that says “Simpsons: No more strangling.” The EPs also noted that “Homer Simpson was unavailable for comment as he was busy strangling Bart.”
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It’s been a few seasons since Homer last strangled Bart, so it’s not too much of a big deal. However, now that it’s been seemingly confirmed that he has matured, at least when it comes to that aspect, fans are now starting to respond to it. It’s been a long-running gag on the series for years and was even included in . While there may no longer be strangulations between the father and son, their relationship has not changed, and it’s still as entertaining and somewhat sad as ever.
The Simpsons has been renewed through Season 36, so there is still a lot to look forward to on the series. Plus, we are only several episodes into Season 35. Fox just aired the latest Treehouse of Horror and brought on a trio of new scary and crazy stories. So, at the very least, that is one tradition that The Simpsons is still including after all these years. It’s also usually a lot less violent and doesn’t promote child abuse. Many fans have applauded Homer for being a “good dad,” while others don’t necessarily like the change. Change may be hard, but it does make it easier knowing that it’s been four seasons since the last time Homer strangled his son.
New episodes of The Simpsons air on Sundays as part of Fox’s fan-favorite Animation Domination block at 8:30 p.m. ET. Just remember that strangulation is not included.
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