The beloved cartoon made its debut in 1989 and holds the record for being the longest-running scripted show in television history.
Fans are flocking to the internet to express their disappointment long-running animated sitcom, The Simpsons announced a significant change that will be effective immediately.
Who Are The Simpsons?
The show revolves around a typical family household, delivering a satirical parody of American working-class life through their adventures. Homer is the father and husband who works at a nuclear power plant as a safety inspector even though he is in no way qualified for the role. Marge is a stay at home mother who looks after Bart, their oldest and only handful of a son, Lisa, their intelligent second child who loves the saxophone, and Maggie, the youngest child who is rarely seen without her red pacifier.
Simpsons fans are quite familiar with Homer’s tendency to punish Bart by gripping his neck so tightly that his eyes pop out and his tongue protrudes.
Despite being one of the most iconic and hilarious aspects of the show, in recent years, this action has come under frequent criticism for its graphic nature, even being labeled as brutal.
In the third episode of season 35, titled “McMansion & Wife,” Homer announced that he’s changed and will no longer lose his temper with Bart.
It all unfolded when Homer extended his hand for a handshake, and the new character commented on the strength of Homer’s grip, to which he responded, “See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off.”
Homer then quickly added, “Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”
At first it seemed like a callback of all the times Homer strangled his son on the show with a cartoonish effect, but fans who have kept up with the most recent seasons know that the show hasn’t shown the animation since season 31 that aired from September 2019- May 2020.
Fans Are Far From Happy
The alteration has stirred deep disappointment among fans, directed primarily at the show’s writers and production team, as it was one of the longest-running gags in the series. Enraged fans voiced their discontent online, expressing their frustration with the abrupt decision.
“He’s been doing it forever. Why change it now?” one outraged fan posted.
“Where’s the fun in that, retire the whole show at this point,” retorted another.
In the show’s early days, Fox initially hesitated to commit to purchasing a full 13-episode season. However, the tenacious and award-winning director/screenwriter, James L. Brooks, was not one to accept rejection.
Leveraging a film deal he had with the company already, Brooks pressed the network to take on The Simpsons. The rest was history.
While the show has certainly had it’s share of changes, it seems as though it’s going to take fans a while to get over this one. Admittedly, the change is disappointing to us too, but no one can judge Homer for trying not to have CPS come knocking on his door.