CNN — (CNN) — Times really have changed. Homer Simpson has, according to the animated character, stopped strangling his son Bart – bringing to an end a long-running (and outdated) gag on the show.

The family sits around listening to Marge (Julie Kavner) talk in The Simpsons' "Bad Boys... For Life?" Image via Fox If you've given up on The Simpsons, it's time to come back. The long-running series ...

J.S. Gornael has a BA in English with a Creative Writing Emphasis in Poetry and an MFA in Fiction. He has taken workshops in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction (though mostly the second). Half-cinephile ...