The Simpsons seems to have revealed the first sad news of 2026, which is the retirement of one of its beloved characters, Barry Duffman.
Duffman was a part of the series for almost thirty years, and his absence will surely be felt in future seasons, having said goodbye in a Breakup-thematic episode on Sunday January 4.
In the parody episode, Duff Beer spokesperson Seperance revealed that his role as the company’s mascot had now ended, saying: “The Duff Corporation has retired this character forever.” All old forms of advertising are now outdated. Corporate spokesperson, print ads, TV spots. Kids today can’t even sing the jingles.
Viewers got a glimpse of the character later in the episode, but without his iconic uniform, which really hammered home the retirement.
The character made his first appearance in an episode in 1997, titled “New York City vs. Homer Simpson”, and quickly became a staple of the series.
Not more than two months before Barry Duffman’s retirement, the series discontinued another beloved character, First Church organist Alice Glick, who had been with the series for more than 34 years.
