Summary
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In the Season 37 episode “Seperance,” which aired on January 4, 2026, the man behind the Duffman mascot, Barry Duffman, announced that the Duff Corporation has retired the character forever
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The iconic spokesperson cited the decline of traditional advertising as the reason for the move, noting that corporate mascots, TV spots, and jingles have become passé and no longer resonate with younger audiences
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First introduced in 1997 and voiced by Hank Azaria, Duffman officially traded his signature red cape and beer-can belt for civilian clothes, appearing out of uniform for the remainder of the episode to signal a permanent departure
Springfield’s most bombastic spokesperson is officially hanging up the cape. In the latest Season 37 episode of The Simpsons, titled “Seperance,” the show revealed the permanent retirement of Duffman, a beloved fixture of the series for nearly 30 years. On the January 4, 2026 broadcast—a clever parody of the thriller Severance—the man behind the mascot, Barry Duffman, announced that his days of hip-thrusting and third-person catchphrases are “forever” over.
Rather than a dramatic character death, the retirement was framed as a corporate shift. Entering the Simpson home in civilian slacks and a dress shirt, Barry explained that the Duff Corporation has retired the character because traditional advertising—mascots, TV spots, and jingles—no longer resonates with today’s youth. “All the old forms of advertising are now passé,” he revealed, signaling a meta-commentary on the changing landscape of modern marketing.
Voiced by Hank Azaria since his 1997 debut in The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson, Duffman was famous for his red-and-blue suit and beer-can utility belt. While the show’s writers have “retired” characters before, Barry remained out of uniform for the duration of the episode, even after deprogramming himself from a rival corporate cult. When asked for comment on the future of the icon, a representative for the show simply shared a classic image of the mascot with the playful note: “Duffman says a lot of things. Oh yeah!”
