Homer Simpson's Bare Butt: Long-Banned by Fox

The famous animated bottom is one victim of Fox's standards and practices department.

Fox might have renewed The Simpsons for a 23rd season, but one thing we're not going to see in it? Homer's bare bottom.

Longtime Simpsons show-runner Al Jean tells New York Magazine that the network which broadcasts The Simpsons has become increasingly prude over the years about cartoon obscenity.

For example, it was decreed a few years back that The Simpsons could no longer show Homer's posterior.

"There was a period where we could show Homer's a--," said Jean. Then that changed: "They said we couldn't."

There was a problem with the changed policy. Jean noted that repeats of the show on Fox stations still had the forbidden body part.

"I then went back to them and noted that the repeats where we had showed it are airing in syndication at 6 p.m.," said Jean.

The logic didn't work. Homer’s butt was: “Banned. Completely."

This enforcement will get a true test in the Thanksgiving night broadcast premiere of The Simpsons Movie. There are three major gags which would need addressing under the new policy -- Homer giving a mob the middle finger, Bart exposing his privates and Marge using the Lord's name in vain.