When you think of The Simpsons, plenty of iconic moments and jokes come to mind. The unmistakable sound of Maggie sucking her dummy, Bart’s many witty comebacks, Marge’s epic hair height, and Homer wrapping his hands around Bart’s neck when he’s in trouble while yelling “Why you little…!”
If you’re a child of the 90s, these are all moments you grew up with. But as 35 seasons have passed (yes, 35 seasons!), the image of Homer strangling cheeky Bart is not sitting particularly well with viewers.
In fact, some have gone as far as encouraging people to cancel Homer over the long-running joke.
Want more TV news? Sign up to Kidspot’s Talking TV newsletter for all the up-to-date news sent straight to your inbox.
Fans call to cancer Homer over strangling Bart
When The Simpsons premiered back in 1989, cartoonist Matt Groening perfectly captured the frustration of a fed-up parent of a mischievous child with Homer’s angry face matched with Bart’s bulging eyes.
Now, after much chatter online, the iconic American animation has listened to viewers’ complaints and has made a big change.
From now on, we will no longer see Homer handling his son in such a way, and the decision is perfectly addressed in episode three titled ‘McMansion & Wife’ of season 35.
While visiting a new neighbour, Thayer, with wife Marge, Homer reaches out to shake the man’s hand.
It is when his strong grip is noted that Homer takes the opportunity to point out that he has changed his ways.
“See, Marge, strangling the boy has paid off,” Homer remarks, adding: “Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”
RELATED: The real meaning behind this common nursery rhyme
Fans applaud the big change in Homer’s behaviour
It didn’t take long for viewers to note the change on social media after the new episode aired, with many applauding the creators of the long-running show for not ignoring the chatter around Homer’s behaviour and instead embracing the idea of progressive parenting.
“Homer strangling Bart had always been a sticking point in my love for 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,” one person shared on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“I knew my man Homer was gonna learn. He’s a smart fella,” another added.
Meanwhile, others said the change should have happened a long time ago.
“Took them long enough,” one insisted.
RELATED: Calls for ‘Love Actually’ to be cancelled
The Simpsons is moving on with the times
It’s not the first time The Simpsons has faced backlash over some inappropriate themes shared over the years.
Creators came under fire over the popular character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, an Indian immigrant and owner of Kwik-E-Mart who boasted a thick Indian accent and had many mimicking him around the globe with his iconic line: “Please Come Again”.
Hank Azaria, who was the voice behind the character, expressed his unease with the stereotype.
“Through my role in Apu and what I created in Hollywood messaging – which is a big deal in this country and around the world – I helped to create a pretty marginalising, dehumanising stereotype,” he told filmmaker Hari Kondabolu in 2023.
The character was slowly phased out from 2017 after the release of a documentary titled “The Problem with Apu.”
Read related topics:Shows To WatchViral Posts
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
247