'End of an era': The Simpsons 'retires' iconic character after nearly three decades on show
The character made his first appearance in Season 9 back in 1997.
The Simpsons has retired an iconic character after being a staple on the show for nearly three decades.
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Fans of the series have been shocked to learn that Barry Duffman, voiced by Hank Azaria, may not appear in future episodes.
It was revealed during the episode titled “Seperance”, which aired on January 4., where Duffman announced his retirement as the mascot and chief spokesperson for Duff Beer.
He is known for his catchphrase “Oh yeah!” and has been a mainstay on the show since his first appearance in Season 9 back in 1997.
Duffman said on Sunday's episode: “The Duff Corporation has, uh, retired that character forever.
“All the old forms of advertising are now passé. Corporate spokesmen, print ads, TV spots — today’s kids can’t even sing the jingles.”
In the episode, a parody of Apple TV’s Severance, Duffman also attempted to get Homer a job at a corporation called EOD, before eventually deprogramming himself from the firm.
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Tributes to the iconic character have poured in on social media.
“An end of a era guys pour one for Duffman's retirement,” one user wrote.
Azaria, who also plays other Simpsons characters including Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, and Superintendent Chalmers, has previously said that he “dreads” playing Duffman.
He said in 2020: “There are certain voices I save, like Duffman will blow me out in a second.
“I have to save Duffman for the end and I actually dread it. Like, ‘Oh no, I got a lot of Duffman to do today.'”
Duffman’s exit comes just two months after another character, Alice Glick, was axed from the show.
She was the First Church organist and a regular character for 35 seasons.
But in a recent episode, she died during a sermon.
Confirming Glick’s death,, Executive producer Tim Long told People: “In a sense, Alice the organist will live forever, through the beautiful music she made.
“But in another, more important sense, yep, she's dead as a doornail.”
Some fans have speculated that the move to ditch both characters could suggest that animated series could soon end.
“The theory that the new movie is actually going to be the send off for the whole show is only growing,” one fan wrote on X.
“They’re so preparing to wrap up the show with The Simpsons Movie 2 there’s no way out of it,” said another.