One of The Simpsons’ longest and most outdated running gags has (finally) been retired!

Fans of “The Simpsons” largely agree that Homer Simpson isn’t the best dad in the world and that he’s already made some laugh-out-loud missteps in the long run of the hit series. But even a long-running show like “The Simpsons” has to move with the times, so some may have noticed that the father of the family is at least trying to behave better in the newer episodes.

This also includes one of the longest running gags in the comedy series, which Homer himself says will now be retired. In season 35 of “The Simpsons,” in the episode “McMansion & Wife,” Homer meets his new neighbor Taylor, who points out that Homer has a pretty firm handshake when he shakes hands. Homer then replies to Marge, “You see, Marge, it paid off by strangling the boy.” But then he adds: “Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”

The accompanying clip from the episode was viewed by a wide range of fans (earlier ) shared, as you can see here:

How According to reports, Homer hasn’t strangled his son Bart in the series for a while. The last time this ‘joke’ allegedly occurred was in the 31st season of the series, which first aired in 2019-2020. Homer has previously been condemned by other characters in the series for frequently choking Bart, including in the season 22 episode “For They Don’t Know Who They’re Choking,” in which Homer himself is strangled by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

‘The Simpsons’ is also moving with the times

The documentary “The problem with Apu”, in which the portrayal of the Indian character Apu was heavily criticized. In 2020, voice actor Hank Azaria decided to leave the series and no longer voice the controversial character.

Like so many other social developments, this was addressed in the series itself, with Lisa explaining in a 2018 episode: “Something that started decades ago and was celebrated at the time and not seen as hurtful is now politically incorrect. What can you do?”

We’ll see if Homer keeps his promise and keeps his hands to himself with Bart. The 34th season of “The Simpsons” will be released on November 22 on Disney+. It is not yet known when the 35th season and the episode in question will be available on the streaming service.