James L. Brooks is co-creator of ‘The Simpsons’.Photo:Unique Nicole/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty; Alamy
Unique Nicole/GA/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty; Alamy
The Simpsons’ patriarch will continue to get aggressive with his son, co-creator and producerJames L. Brookstells PEOPLE.
Homer Simpson, who has often strangled son Bart for laughs on Fox’s long-running animated series, seemed to suggest he would change his ways on the episode “McMansion & Wife,” which aired on Oct. 22.
Homer (Dan Castellaneta) met his new neighbor Thayer (Hank Azaria), who noted Homer had “quite a grip” when they shook hands.
“See, Marge, strangling the boy has paid off," Homer quipped to his wife Marge (Julie Kavner). “Just kidding. I don’t do that anymore.” Smiling, he added, “Times have changed.”
Homer and Bart Simpson on ‘The Simpsons’.Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
Fox / Courtesy Everett Collection
Perhaps not. Asked about that episode, Brooks tells PEOPLE, “Don’t think for a second we’re changing anything.”
Brooks then showed anillustrationof Homer strangling Bart, who was holding a smartphone with a headline that read, “Simpsons: No more strangling.” Text in a word bubble showed Homer yelling at his son, “Why you little clickbaiting-!!”
Despite Brooks’ declaration, Homer hasn’t actually strangled Bart (Nancy Cartwright) on air in some time. According toIGN, Homer last strangled Bart on screen during the show’s 31st season, which aired from 2019 to 2020.
The Simpsonshas aired on Fox since 1989.
Azaria stepped down from voicing the role in 2020, and Apu has made background appearances since.
The Simpsons family - Lisa, Marge, Maggie, Homer and Bart.Fox
Fox
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“I really didn’t know any better,” Azaria said on the Armchair Expert podcast in 2021, according toThe Guardian. “I didn’t think about it. I was unaware how much relative advantage I had received in this country as a white kid from Queens. Just because there were good intentions it doesn’t mean there weren’t real negative consequences to the thing that I am accountable for.”
And for years, Harry Shearer, who is White, voiced the character Dr. Hibbert, who is Black. In 2021,Shearer was recast with Kevin Michael Richardson.
The Simpsonsairs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on Fox.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
