'The Simpsons' Producer Assures Fans Homer Won’t Stop Choking Bart

Now in the middle of its 35th season, 'The Simpsons' was recently the subject of some decidedly clickbaity stories about the long-running joke.

November 13, 2023

A key comedic component of Homer and Bart’s relationship on The Simpsons is not being halted, despite what you may have read in recent headlines.

According to James L. Brooks, founder of the production company behind the classic animated sitcom (Gracie Films) and an executive producer on the series, Bart will “continue to be loved by his father in a specific way.”

Brooks spoke with Eric Andersson and Dory Jackson for People over the weekend about the recent Simpsons episode “McMansion & Wife,” which included a joke from Homer about how “strangling the boy has paid off” when it comes to the strength of his grip. In the episode, Homer further joked that he “[doesn’t] do that anymore” because “times have changed.”

Reactions to the moment were quick, with many positing it as some sort of confirmation that the familiar sequences would no longer be included in the show. Notably, the most recent instance of Bart and Homer rolling out their choking bit occurred during the show's 31st season.

“Don’t think for a second we’re changing anything,” Brooks told People for a piece published Sunday. “Nothing's getting tamed. Nothing, nothing, nothing. He'll continue to be strangled—[if] you want to use that awful term for it.”

As fans know, the clickbaitiness of it all was previously addressed in an animation shared to social media.

The Simpsons is currently in the middle of its 35th season on Fox following its double renewal at the top of the year. The most recent episode, Sunday’s Mike Scully-penned “Iron Marge,” featured a guest appearance from Megan Mullally. Next up is the timely “It’s a Blunderful Life,” which debuts at the end of this week.