After 35 seasons, “The Simpsons” appears to have released its iron grip on one of the beloved animated series’ longest-running gags. “Times have changed,” Homer Simpson announces to wife ...

Matt Groening, the show’s creator, also prepared an illustration suggesting that viewers — and media outlets — should not have taken Homer’s recent remarks so literally.

In a recent episode of “The Simpsons,” Homer suggested he would abandon one of his best-known bits: throttling his son. It is the latest example of the show tailoring itself to evolving tastes.

The Simpsons has answered a long-running question throughout the show's 35-year history. The animated series, which debuted on Fox in December of 1989, has frequently depicted Homer Simpson as an ...