About

Bart Hits Homer With A Chair is a series of image macros, photoshop and object label memes using a screen-capture from the animated television comedy The Simpsons. The image features the child character Bart Simpson about to hit his father Homer, who sits in a tub, with a chair. Additionally, the scene became the subject of various YouTube edits.

Origin

On December 1st, 1996, The Simpsons episode "A Milhouse Divided" (season eight, episode six) aired in the United States.^[1] In the episode, Bart's best friend Milhouse's parents divorce. Milhouse's mother begins dating a stunt man, who challenges Bart to break a chair over his back. Impressed, Bart attempts the stunt on his unsuspecting and bathing father (shown below).

Spread

On March 30th, 2016, Tenor.com^[2] uploaded a gif of the moment (shown below).

In April 2018, Facebook users began posting object-labeled versions of the screen capture. On April 17th, Facebook^[3] user Brett Connell posted a version based on the song ""Africa" by Toto":/memes/africa-by-toto. The post (shown below, left) received more than 1,400 reactions and 185 shares in less than one month.

Over the next few weeks, members of Simpsons Shitposting began posting meta and photoshopped versions of the meme. On April 28th, Facebook^[4] user Ian Moir posted an all-text version of the image. The post (shown below, center) received more than 2,400 reactions, 100 comments and 120 shares. On May 4th, user Michael Slack posted a version that replaced Homer with an image of Bart from the 1995-episode "King-Size Homer."^[5] The post (shown below, right) received more than 1,200 reactions, 25 shares and 20 comments in 24 hours.^[6]

Video Edits

Following the popularity of the image macros, people began posting video remixes of the scene. These included edits of the scene that change the outcome and others that change the audio. The earliest known remix was posted by YouTuber Nathan Ellis in which Bart kills Homer. When posted to Facebook,^[7] the post received more than 900 reaction and 80 shares.

Revenge

On May 17th, Redditor^[8] Homemade_Dank_Memes published a version of the meme in which a second panel shows Homer about to hit Bart with a chair. The post (shown below, left) recevied more than 27,000 points (91% upvoted) and 250 comments in 24 hours.

The meme inspired a series of versions in which more panels were added (examples below, center and right).

Various Examples

External References