Times are changing and so are “The Simpsons.”
In a recent episode, Homer Simpson, who is voiced by Dan Castellaneta, revealed in an episode entitled, “McMansion & Wife” on Oct. 22, that he had stopped his years-long tradition of choking his son, Bart, according to People.
In the episode, Homer shakes hands with his new neighbor Thayer, who is voiced by Hank Azaria. Thayer comments on how Homer has “quite the grip.”
“See, Marge, strangling the boy has paid off,” Homer tells his wife, before adding, “Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed!”
Homer Simpson hinted in a recent episode of "The Simpsons" that he would no longer choke his son Bart.
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 7, 2023
“I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed,” the character said of one of the oldest recurring bits on the show.https://t.co/dRunR2n3U3
The long-running cartoon television show first began on December 17, 1989 and centers around the Simpson family, consisting of Homer, his wife Marge, their son Bart, daughter Lisa, and baby Maggie.
Since the show’s beginning, Homer has been known for moments in which he strangles Bart, who is voiced by Nancy Cartwright.
While Homer’s declaration that he was no longer strangling his son is recent, IGN reported that the last time Homer was seen strangling Bart was in Season 31, which aired from 2019 to 2020.
This is not the first time the television show has removed something controversial from its show. In 2020, Azaria, who had voiced the Indian-American character, Apu announced that he would no longer be acting as the voice for the character.
In 2017, a documentary made by Hari Kondabolu led Azaria to come to terms with his portrayal of Apu, which had been criticized that the character had been made into a racist stereotype of Indians.