10 Worst Things Homer Simpson Has Done
2. Constantly Chokes His Son
Is it worse than causing the deaths of two people? The fact those two incidents can be explained away to some degree and this, to quote the show itself, ‘horrible act of child abuse’ is part of his consistent parenting style, means it just pips Maude and Grimey into second place.
It’s often more lampshaded or lampooned these days, with Homer finding new ways to strangle Bart, like an extension cord, belt or just choking Bart’s robot replacement (although as per the rules, that last one is in a Treehouse Of Horror and therefore wouldn’t count).
In Behind The Laughter, the show examines the negative effect the constant abuse has had on Bart, and in later episodes Bart complains it hurts when he swallows. To an extent, it’s all done with a wink and in a show so know for its cartoonish, over the top nature, there’s no suggestion that Homer is actually a dangerously abusive father.
Back when Bart was the star, Homer was an antagonist of sorts, trying to put an end to Bart’s constant pranks. Now that he’s the main attraction though, the justification for his actions is getting a little thin.