The Simpsons Retires Duffman, Sparking End-of-Series Fears
For a show that has built its legacy on satire, shock, and longevity, The Simpsons is now sending signals that feel less like jokes and more like final chapters. The retirement of Duffman, one of the series’ most recognizable recurring mascots since 1997, has reignited fears that television’s longest-running scripted series may be quietly preparing to bow out.
In the season 37 episode “Seperance,” a parody of Severance, viewers learned that the Duff Beer mascot had been officially discontinued. Barry Duffman himself delivered the blow inside the Simpson family living room, bluntly explaining that the Duff Corporation had retired the character “forever.” His reasoning was pointed and unmistakably modern: traditional advertising is obsolete, corporate spokesmen are passé, and today’s kids can’t even sing jingles anymore.
On paper, The Simpsons has played with this idea before. Duffman has been replaced, swapped, and mocked countless times. But this moment lands differently. Barry appears later in the episode without the iconic cape and beer-can belt, suggesting the change isn’t temporary satire but a permanent removal. The joke, this time, doesn’t reset.
What makes this retirement feel ominous is its timing. In recent seasons, The Simpsons has increasingly removed longtime characters instead of simply sidelining them. Alice Glick, Springfield’s church organist since 1991, was officially killed off earlier in season 37. Larry the Barfly, a background staple since season 10, was also written out the year before. Executive producer Tim Long has confirmed these exits are canonical, not throwaway gags.
Fans have noticed the pattern. On X (formerly Twitter), speculation is growing that The Simpsons Movie 2, scheduled for July 2027 after season 37, could function as a franchise farewell. Viewers argue that stripping away legacy characters feels less like creative reinvention and more like narrative closure.
From an industry perspective, this interpretation isn’t far-fetched. Animated shows rarely announce endings years in advance; they ease audiences into them. Retiring mascots, killing peripheral characters, and openly commenting on cultural irrelevance are classic signs of a show reflecting on its own mortality.
Duffman’s retirement is especially symbolic. He wasn’t just a joke—he represented the show’s golden-era absurdity, excess, and parody of American advertising culture. Removing him signals a conscious departure from the past rather than an evolution toward the future.
Whether The Simpsons officially ends soon or not, the message is clear: the series is no longer pretending it will last forever. And for a show built on eternal stasis, that admission may be its most unsettling twist yet.
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