A running gag on The Simpsons may no longer be used in the show, with characters hinting that the joke will be put away for good.
The joke in question, in which the main character Homer Simpson chokes his son Bart, was acknowledged in a recent episode of the show in which Homer greets his neighbor with a handshake. The neighbor commends Homer on his strong grip in the handshake, with Homer joking to his wife that "strangling the boy has paid off."
DEMOCRATIC PARTY ELDERS SOUND THE ALARM ON BIDEN
"Just kidding. I don't do that anymore," Homer said. "Times have changed."
In a new Simpsons episode, Homer Simpson reveals that he stopped strangling Bart as times has changed. pic.twitter.com/LUR06RbqbY
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) November 5, 2023
The show, which has been on the air since 1989, has featured Homer choking his son as a running joke throughout many of its 35 seasons. The joke has not been featured in the show for several years, though, with Homer mentioning he does not do it anymore being the first acknowledgment in several seasons, according to TMZ.
In an episode of the show from season 22, Homer attended a therapy group in which he learned he was harming his son through his attacks, with the show hinting that the ongoing joke would end. This ultimately did not happen because the joke resumed in the following seasons.
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In 2019, the Walt Disney Company purchased 21st Century Fox, netting the company a multitude of films and franchises, including The Simpsons. The show, which has a reputation for predicting real-life events, predicted Disney buying Fox in 1998.
The Washington Examiner contacted Disney for comment.