Confirmation from Simpsons writer that Duff Beer is not based on Duff McKagan

[Billy Cundy]

1 minute ago, D4NNY said:

 

If you look up the writer you can see the inspiration. Close this conspiracy thread 😂

Oh god! Another case closed. Good stuff. Simpsons writers just weren’t that into GNR!!! Let’s accept it and move on.
 

yes for the love of god please close this thread haha! 

[AtlasShrugged]

20 hours ago, Billy Cundy said:

It’s hard for diehard fans of a band to appreciate how huge the great wide world is and how generally, no one knows or cares who the bass player of a rock band is. Let alone what their proclivities might be. I’m not going to argue ‘how famous was Duff’, or how well known his alcohol intake was amongst the general population in 1988… but I know about 3 people in my life who know the names of every band member from classic line up GNR. And that’s after years of them being one of the biggest bands ever. 
 

I’ve always thought (as a massive GNR fan) it was a hilariously gigantic stretch. And now it’s confirmed 🤷 

I don't think Duff is that well-known in the wider world - but he didn't need to be. The writers could have been fans and known he was a big boozer. They throw in plenty of cultural references that can be subtle.

I'm just saying that it's not as entirely inconceivable as the writer suggests in his reply. And he was a bit unnecessarily dismissive.

[Billy Cundy]

35 minutes ago, AtlasShrugged said:

I don't think Duff is that well-known in the wider world - but he didn't need to be. The writers could have been fans and known he was a big boozer. They throw in plenty of cultural references that can be subtle.

I'm just saying that it's not as entirely inconceivable as the writer suggests in his reply. And he was a bit unnecessarily dismissive.

I’ll be sure to pull him up on his manners. Nothing’s inconceivable, but it’s certainly daft. I was a teenager when duff came out with it and I remember thinking it was very far-fetched. 

[GnR Chris]

35 minutes ago, AtlasShrugged said:

I don't think Duff is that well-known in the wider world - but he didn't need to be. The writers could have been fans and known he was a big boozer. They throw in plenty of cultural references that can be subtle.

I'm just saying that it's not as entirely inconceivable as the writer suggests in his reply. And he was a bit unnecessarily dismissive.

Also not a stretch for them not to even remember where they got “Duff” from. The ‘88 Ritz show was featured prominently on TV. It’s possible they didn’t even realize they thought of the name “Duff” after hearing Axl also refer to him as “The King of Beers.” It’s kinda like when you write a melody then realize, “oh, shit, I’ve heard this before.”

It’s possible it was just someone from legal who called Duff about it and the show creators had no idea. 

[Billy Cundy]

Jesus Christ 

[AtlasShrugged]

6 minutes ago, Billy Cundy said:

I’ll be sure to pull him up on his manners. Nothing’s inconceivable, but it’s certainly daft. I was a teenager when duff came out with it and I remember thinking it was very far-fetched. 

Fair, though you would have been smarter than the average teen at the time

[Billy Cundy]

3 minutes ago, AtlasShrugged said:

Fair, though you would have been smarter than the average teen at the time

Nooooo, I was (and continue to be) dumb as shit, but I LOVED The Simpsons and I LOVED GN’R. Had all the Simpsons books about the history of the show, and those huge books that had the detailed season-by-season, episode-by-episode summaries… shout out to ‘Bart Simpsons guide to life’. Not one even alluded to GNR. Had all the dvds and listened to all the writers commentaries too.. was on fan forums too in my younger years (such a dork). 

Also, had all the GNR autobiographies, books, all the usual. Just never added up to me. I could believe Otto would be inspired by slash because Otto was a character they could use as a gateway to write about 90s American slacker culture, musicians, drug culture… there was comedy value.. and slash was (and continues to be) a far more recognisable pop culture figure than duff. But even that’s been debunked now. 

Why twist yourself into knots about it? The bloke who created it and came up with the name has literally confirmed it? 
 

also, why would a legal team run it by duff in the first instance? That’s not how the legal system works. If you’re going to infringe on some kind of trademark (which we’ve established didn’t exist), you don’t give the person you’re ripping off a heads up prior to going ahead with it.

 

 

 

[AtlasShrugged]

8 minutes ago, Billy Cundy said:

Nooooo, I was (and continue to be) dumb as shit, but I LOVED The Simpsons and I LOVED GN’R. Had all the Simpsons books about the history of the show, and those huge books that had the detailed season-by-season, episode-by-episode summaries… shout out to ‘Bart Simpsons guide to life’. Not one even alluded to GNR. Had all the dvds and listened to all the writers commentaries too.. was on fan forums too in my younger years (such a dork). 

Also, had all the GNR autobiographies, books, all the usual. Just never added up to me. I could believe Otto would be inspired by slash because Otto was a character they could use as a gateway to write about 90s American slacker culture, musicians, drug culture… there was comedy value.. and slash was (and continues to be) a far more recognisable pop culture figure than duff. But even that’s been debunked now. 

Why twist yourself into knots about it? The bloke who created it and came up with the name has literally confirmed it? 
 

also, why would a legal team run it by duff in the first instance? That’s not how the legal system works. If you’re going to infringe on some kind of trademark (which we’ve established didn’t exist), you don’t give the person you’re ripping off a heads up prior to going ahead with it.

 

 

 

I'm not getting into a twist about it - all I said was that it wasn't inconceivable that there could have been a link. Plenty of cultural references throughout the show - it's not dramatic to think this could have been simply one of hundreds. I just think the writer was unnecessarily dismissive on what isn't that much of a stretch. 

And I've said nothing about the legal side either.

It's obviously been debunked now - I don't think there's a conspiracy about keeping themselves 'legally safe' I'm just saying that it's not hard to see why people thought there might have been a link.

[Billy Cundy]

1 minute ago, AtlasShrugged said:

I'm not getting into a twist about it - all I said was that it wasn't inconceivable that there could have been a link. Plenty of cultural references throughout the show - it's not dramatic to think this could have been simply one of hundreds. I just think the writer was unnecessarily dismissive on what isn't that much of a stretch. 

And I've said nothing about the legal side either.

It's obviously been debunked now - I don't think there's a conspiracy about keeping themselves 'legally safe' I'm just saying that it's not hard to see why people thought there might have been a link.

Ok, and yes in fairness, duff came out with it so of course fans of duff and the band are going to be compelled to accept his side of things. But I stand by my initial assessment back in 2011… I’ve always believed it to be a humdinger of a stretch. 

[D4NNY]

Regardless if they did or not anyway, there is nothing illegal at all. It’s like them calling a character Willie and then Willie Nelson contacting his lawyer furious they stole his name, absolutely ABSUЯD 

I’m sure if they were inspired by Duff Mckagan they would have openly acknowledged and spoke about it and shown their respect towards Duff/GNR 

Also they have played WTTJ in numerous episodes and even in a recent episode a character declared Axl as a “GOD” so I would assume they are fans and respect the band, so I truly doubt they’d lie 

[SoulMonster]

52 minutes ago, D4NNY said:

Regardless if they did or not anyway, there is nothing illegal at all. It’s like them calling a character Willie and then Willie Nelson contacting his lawyer furious they stole his name, absolutely ABSUЯD 

I’m sure if they were inspired by Duff Mckagan they would have openly acknowledged and spoke about it and shown their respect towards Duff/GNR 

Also they have played WTTJ in numerous episodes and even in a recent episode a character declared Axl as a “GOD” so I would assume they are fans and respect the band, so I truly doubt they’d lie 

I also don't think the legality argument holds up any more. It's not illegal to satirize public figures, and you don't need their permission to do so, regardless of whether they have trademarked themselves or not.

But on the flip side, why would Duff be mistaken about this? I get that he was drunk more than half of the time he was awake and things were probably blurry. But that makes you forget things, that makes you forget dates, it makes you make simple mistakes. It rarely caused detailed hallucinations like this, and if it does it is usually more entertaining than this . Compares Slash's spiders that came crawling down the walls in Arizona with Duff's phone call from some nerds working on a new cartoon. Intoxication doesn't typically make you conjure a very specific history of being contacted by a production company asking for his approval of them using his branded name "Duff" on a beer in a cartoon series. I mean, that's too specific to just be the alcohol talking. So what was the actual root of the story? What happened that has become twisted in Duff's mind to be the creators of the Simpsons asking for his permission to use his name in an upcoming series? Is he mixing things up? Was it really something else that happened? Was it not for The Simpsons but for something else? Was it not so much the production company asking for his permission but someone else just informing him about them being inspired to name a beer "Duff"? Was it not so much asking for permission but informing him it would happen? Was it all just a very boring dream? Or maybe Duff lied to add an interesting anecdote to his memoirs?

I don't really get it. Whatever the truth is it seems a bit farfetched to me. But that's reality. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by SoulMonster

[Ratam]

Maybe was an vanity attack?

[Billy Cundy]

43 minutes ago, SoulMonster said:

 

But on the flip side, why would Duff be mistaken about this? I get that he was drunk more than half of the time he was awake and things were probably blurry. But that makes you forget things, that makes you forget dates, it makes you make simple mistakes. It rarely caused detailed hallucinations like this, and if it does it is usually more entertaining than this . Compares Slash's spiders that came crawling down the walls in Arizona with Duff's phone call from some nerds working on a new cartoon. Intoxication doesn't typically make you conjure a very specific history of being contacted by a production company asking for his approval of them using his branded name "Duff" on a beer in a cartoon series. I mean, that's too specific to just be the alcohol talking. So what was the actual root of the story? What happened that has become twisted in Duff's mind to be the creators of the Simpsons asking for his permission to use his name in an upcoming series? Is he mixing things up? Was it really something else that happened? Was it not for The Simpsons but for something else? Was it not so much the production company asking for his permission but someone else just informing him about them being inspired to name a beer "Duff"? Was it not so much asking for permission but informing him it would happen? Was it all just a very boring dream? Or maybe Duff lied to add an interesting anecdote to his memoirs?

I don't really get it. Whatever the truth is it seems a bit farfetched to me. But that's reality. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction

 

Here are my theories (just theories, conjecture, and opinions).

1. The less cynical theory - My brother and I were close in age growing up. We each have lots of funny stories from our childhood and school that we’ve told over and over again. Some have involved us both, others are about our individual experiences. We know all of these stories so well. These anecdotes are so ingrained (and from so long ago) that there have been times where one of us has told a story or mentioned something that has happened and the other one goes ‘hey, that’s MY story, that happened to me!’ And honestly, neither of us can remember who it really happened to. Time can warp perceptions, things can be said over and over, and it gets harder to keep track of the actual events and who/what was involved and what transpired. Whether it even happened at all. Humans are fallible. If we are told enough it happened, our brain can play tricks.

2. More cynical - duffs publicist encouraged him to tell this story to drum up interest, clickbait articles and have something to discuss on talk shows around the time of his book coming out. Yes. Hollywood is gross, it happens. It’s kept us lot talking, it’s a fun urban myth. Publicists will milk this stuff if it means making £££. 
 

3. even MORE cynical - we’ve discussed duffs alcohol dependence, but he was also a self admitted coke fiend. Coke literally turns you into a self-centred, self-obsessed, paranoid conspiracy theorist. Do enough cocaine and you start to wonder if the Simpsons are writing about YOU! Add booze and an inflated rock star sense of self to begin with, it’s no wonder he was thinking it.

tbh I imagine it’s a heady mix of all the above. Or… 

4. miraculously unlikely but fine, possible… a terminator from the future returned to 1988 to save John Connor and whilst he had some downtime, he rang duff and explained the simpsons would be calling it’s beer ‘Duff’. 
 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Billy Cundy

[janrichmond]

35 minutes ago, Billy Cundy said:

4. miraculously unlikely but fine, possible… a terminator from the future returned to 1988 to save John Connor and whilst he had some downtime, he rang duff and explained the simpsons would be calling it’s beer ‘Duff’. 

I'm going with this theory.

ps, I'm not closing the thread 

[Billy Cundy]

10 minutes ago, janrichmond said:

I'm going with this theory.

ps, I'm not closing the thread 

I was hoping to die quickly on this hill, but looks like it’s going to be a slow death 😂😂 

 

Update: got a chance to fanboy over Jay and he responded one last time. What a dude! Aside from all this debate, I’m just psyched I got to talk to a Simpsons writer.

https://imgur.com/a/VPlEsFs

[D4NNY]

10 minutes ago, Billy Cundy said:

I was hoping to die quickly on this hill, but looks like it’s going to be a slow death 😂😂 

 

Update: got a chance to fanboy over Jay and he responded one last time. What a dude! Aside from all this debate, I’m just psyched I got to talk to a Simpsons writer.

https://imgur.com/a/VPlEsFs

To be honest it’s a good thread for debate and everyone loves a good conspiracy! 

[janrichmond]

9 minutes ago, Billy Cundy said:

Update: got a chance to fanboy over Jay and he responded one last time. What a dude! Aside from all this debate, I’m just psyched I got to talk to a Simpsons writer.

I didn't know he wrote for Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier too. I love those two shows, I'm not a fan of The Simpsons though (don't hate me!) 

[Billy Cundy]

2 minutes ago, janrichmond said:

I didn't know he wrote for Everybody Loves Raymond and Frasier too. I love those two shows, I'm not a fan of The Simpsons though (don't hate me!) 

Yeah he’s had a pretty illustrious career! 90’s US comedy is unrivalled! 

[D4NNY]

19 minutes ago, janrichmond said:

I'm not a fan of The Simpsons though (don't hate me!) 

[janrichmond]

1 hour ago, D4NNY said:

[Nice Boy]

The issue is, for anyone that accepts no one from The Simpsons ever contacted Duff about his name: Who was it then, that called Duff up saying they were animators and asked to use his name?

Because it’s implausible that Duff would make up or invent that story.

 

So who was it? Some other animators who just happened to want to use the name Duff in their cartoon ?

 

 

 

 

[janrichmond]

9 minutes ago, Nice Boy said:

The issue is, for anyone that accepts no one from The Simpsons ever contacted Duff about his name: Who was it then, that called Duff up saying they were animators and asked to use his name?

Because it’s implausible that Duff would make up or invent that story.

 

So who was it? Some other animators who just happened to want to use the name Duff in their cartoon ?

 

 

 

 

My thinking is that Duff maybe misremembered the whole thing, I don't think he's lying, it seems he genuinely believes it happened. He was a full-blown alcoholic and cokehead at that time. Maybe he was having a session with the lads and someone brought up the Simpsons thing, jokingly asking him if they rang him to ask to use his name. He is off his nut at the time and wouldn't necessarily remember the whole story over 30 years later. 

[Nintari]

Good job OP!

[Billy Cundy]

7 hours ago, Nice Boy said:

 

Because it’s implausible that Duff would make up or invent that story.

 

 

 

 

 

How the hell is it implausible though?Coke is a helluva drug. To quote Axl in the china exchange interview in reference to Slash’ autobiography… ‘dude, a lot of that stuff didn’t even happen’. Yes it’s in reference to Slash, but I have no doubt every autobiography is sprinkled with a generous serving of   ‘creative license’. 
 

There’s also something called alcoholic hallucinosis. But let’s not go there. All I’m saying, when duff told the story, it was a 23 year recollection of a chronic alcoholic and cocaine addict, from a time when they lived completely untethered from reality. If your drunk old uncle Reggie who’d been in and out of rehab since 80s due to chronic alcoholism said he invented the pogo stick, you’d ignore him. 

I also get the feeling a publicist involved in the book pushed duff to mention it as it’s a fun urban myth (maybe in an effort to convince everyone duff is as culturally relevant as slash & axl).  But that’s pure conjecture, maybe too cynical of me. 
 

fact is tho, writers have confirmed it’s bullshit, so the burden of proof is now on duff. 

[Billy Cundy]

7 hours ago, Nintari said:

Good job OP!

Thanks Nintari! 🤘