The Simpsons producer and writer has dismissed Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan’s claims that Duff Beer was named after him.
Last week, McKagan opened up about The Simpsons reportedly using his name for the fictional beer brand on the popular animated show.
He first made the claim in his 2011 autobiography, It’s So Easy And Other Lies, where he stated that a “production company working on a new animated series” contacted him in 1988/89, asking if they could use the name ‘Duff’ for a band of beer in the show,” due to his reputation “big drinker”.
McKagan claims that he granted his permission, but numerous writers on The Simpsons have since dismissed his claims.
In a new interview with Stereogum, McKagan reiterated his claim, saying: “I didn’t know about branding or anything like that, but that show took off. And then they started selling merch and stuff. I never went after him [creator Matt Groening], but I’m like, ‘Hey, motherfuckers,’ you know?”
Now, a producer-writer behind The Simpsons, Jay Kogen, has weighed in on the debate, telling TMZ that the claims are false.
He explained the inspiration behind the name, saying: “We named it Duff because it’s a synonym for butt, tushy, booty, and so on.”
He further dismissed McKagan’s claims, saying: “It’s very weird this Duff McKagan guy wants to claim credit for Duff Beer … He had zero to do with it. Duff is a beer for people who sat on their fat ass all day.”
Meanwhile, back in April The Simpsons killed off one of its longest-running characters.