‘The Simpsons’ Co-Creator Says Homer Will Keep On Strangling Bart: “Nothing’s Getting Tamed”

Jake Kanter
·1 min read
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Homer Simpson is not about to change his ways.

Amid speculation that The Simpsons patriarch is about to stop strangling his son, Bart, the show’s co-creator has confirmed that Homer’s habit will die hard.

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James L. Brooks told People: “Nothing’s getting tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing … 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.”

The Simpsons itself signaled a move away from Homer’s unique brand of punishment during the episode McMansion & Wife, which premiered on October 22 on Fox.

Homer’s new neighbor commented on the firmness of his handshake, with Homer telling his wife: “See, Marge, strangling the boy has paid off. Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”

Furthermore, the website IGN claimed that Homer has not strangled Bart since Season 31, which aired between 2019 and 2020.

Brooks’ intervention, however, supported a meme posted by The Simpsons X (formerly Twitter) account last week in response to the strangle saga.

Homer strangling Bart has been an ongoing Simpsons gag since the original animated shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987.

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