Remember how we told you there was a shakeup coming to Springfield? Specifically, a wildfire report concerning long-running Fox animated comedy series “The Simpsons,” and the possibility of Homer no longer strangling Bart. Well, co-creator and producer James L. Brooks has a thing or two to say about reports of this long-standing gag ending.
“Don’t think for a second we’re changing anything,” Brooks said in an interview. “Nothing’s getting tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing.”
Dialogue in the episode “McMansion & Wife,” which aired last month, refutes this. When Homer and Marge go next door to visit their new neighbor, Thayer, he comments “Whoa, that’s quite a grip,” when shaking hands with Homer. “See, Marge? Strangling the boy paid off,” Homer comments. “Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”
This exchange and the fact that Homer has not strangled Bart since season 31 led many to draw the conclusion the show was done with the on-running gag. While it seemed most fans were fine with letting the bit die, some were very upset by the change. [Editor’s note: We’re looking at you, Nerdbot commenters.]
But this is all a moot point now considering the team has seriously backtracked in the past week. Starting with this drawing of Homer strangling Bart
Brooks seems to have strengthened this (lack of) change. “He’ll continue to be strangled — [if] you want to use that awful term for it,” Brooks said. “He’ll continue to be loved by his father in a specific way.”
We’d like to remind Brooks that Merriam-Webster defines strangling as “to obstruct seriously or fatally the normal breathing of.” So we aren’t sure how Homer isn’t strangling Bart with his hand around his throat. Often to the point where his son’s eyes are bugling and his tongue hangs out.
No matter what you want to call it, the on-running bit is still going to be a part of “The Simpsons,” which has already been renewed through season 36.
