One of The Simpsons‘ longest-running jokes appears to be no more after Homer Simpson announced that ‘times have changed’ in a recent episode.

Since the show first hit our screens in 1989, the show has featured an often repeated scene where Homer yells “why you little!” before wrapping his hands tightly around his son’s Bart’s neck.

Bart’s tongue proceeds to pop out of his mouth and his eyes bulge as he gasps for air.

The violent scene has appeared on t-shirts, mugs and countless episodes.

Despite being one of the most recognisable scenes in animation, Homer signalled a change of heart towards his son in the recent episode McMansion & Wife, which aired in the US on October 22.

When Homer and wife Marge meet their new neighbour, he comments on Homer’s strong handshake.

Homer replied: “See, Marge, strangling the boy paid off,” before adding “Just kidding, I don’t do that anymore. Times have changed.”

While the episode aired several weeks ago, the significance of the exchange was only highlighted by fans on X (formerly Twitter) this week.

The Independent newspaper reported that the show actually hasn’t featured the long-running gag for several years although it was never addressed in the show until now.

The series made references to the violent scene over the years, but still showed Homer strangling Bart up until Season 31, which aired between 2019 and 2020.

Tweet from @BabyLamb5

In Season 22, an entire episode entitled, Love is a Many Strangled Thing, addressed the issue of parent-on-child violence, where Homer attends a “fathering enrichment class” and is traumatised after a larger man – voiced by former NBA player Kareem Abdul Jabbar – makes him feel “young, small and terrified” after strangling him.

However, in the Season 24 episode, Love is a Many-Splintered Thing, Homer’s heavy hands were back as frightening Bart’s friend Milhouse by using the choke hold on Bart.

The end of the controversial child beating is not the first time The Simpsons have altered its tropes to meet modern expectations.

The show was criticised form many years for its stereotypical portrayal of Indian shopkeeper Apu Nahasapeemapetilon and the casting of American Hank Azaria to voice him.

In his 2017 documentary, The Problem with Apu, comedian Hari Kondabolu claimed the comic portrayal of Apu gave viewers permission to poke fun at Indian people and meant Indian actors in Hollywood were typecast.

Azaria later publicly apologised for voicing Apu and announced he would no longer be providing the voice of the Kwik-E-Mart clerk.

“There were very good intentions on all of our parts and we tried to do a funny, thoughtful character,” Azaria said of the character in 2021.

“Just because there were good intentions doesn’t mean there weren’t real negative consequences for the thing that I am accountable for,” he added.