After 35 seasons, the writers of The Simpsons have apparently decided to retire the show’s longest-running gag: Homer strangling Bart. That’ll teach you to laugh at something that’s funny!

During a recent episode, Homer’s new neighbour comments on his firm handshake, to which he replies: “See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off .. just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”

Various outlets have since reported that the show will no longer feature Homer strangling Bart, with The Guardian especially happy about the news. Meanwhile, GB News is fuming about it, with headlines like ‘The Simpsons CAVES to the WOKE mob!’.

Funnily enough, Homer last choked Bart two seasons ago, and I don’t think anyone who still watches The Simpsons even noticed until these reports came out this week. In fact the show has only sparingly used the gag since Season 22 after Homer visited a therapist who lectured him on not physically harming his kids.

Was it necessary to officially do away with the joke though? I mean, we know ‘times have changed’, but it’s not like everyone was strangling their kids back in the 90s. It was just funny to watch Homer do it!  What next? Are The Simpsons going to move out of their house and into a flat because homeownership just isn’t realistic anymore?

Well anyway, never forget:

For the pure nightmare fuel that is Simpsons characters as real people, click HERE.