It was also a meta or self-referential joke about what was going on with The Simpsons itself, at the time.

Bush 1, Herbert, had actually specifically attacked the Simpsons in a speech he gave about American moral values.

All the people that wanted to ban Magic cards, DnD, Pokemon, Harry Potter?

They also wanted to ban the Simpsons, and of course later, South Park.

1990?

The Simpsons was only on season 2, this is the 9th episode of the 2nd season.

This is back when The Simpsons were a radical departure from the standard family show, was a vicious critique of much of the bullshit fake nonsense image that America pretended it was, before the show uh, Flanderized itself into basically meaningless pablum.

...

These hardcore moralists, dominionists, theofascists... they never went away!

They just held their tongue a bit more, untill Trump told them it was ok to stop doing so.

People who didn't grow up in and then escape a strongly right wing upbringing just don't get it, and its why so many people are surprised that such a rapid shift to facism can and is occuring.

These people have nothing other than their malformed superiority complexes and out of date traditions.

Of course they would and will always jump at any chance to impose their idiot will by force and double think.

Its all they know.