Editing Barney Gumble (section)

==Role in ''The Simpsons''==
Barney's father, Arnie Gumble, was a [[World War II]] veteran who died in 1979 in a parade float accident.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in 'The Curse of the Flying Hellfish' |episode-link=Raging Abe Simpson and His Grumbling Grandson in "The Curse of the Flying Hellfish" |series=The Simpsons |credits=Collier, Jonathan; Lynch, Jeffrey |network=Fox |airdate=1996-04-28}}</ref> Little is known about his mother, except that she lives in [[Norway]]<ref>{{cite episode |title=Lisa the Greek |episode-link=Lisa the Greek |series=The Simpsons |credits=Kogen, Jay; Wolodarsky, Wallace |network=Fox |airdate=1992-01-23}}</ref> and that she served in the [[United States Navy]], including duty on a submarine. She is seen in the season nine episode "[[Simpson Tide]]". In "[[Treehouse of Horror XVII]]", Barney stated that he was [[Polish people|Polish]], after mistakenly saying he was [[Irish people|Irish]] in a drunken stupor. Barney was born on April 20 (which Homer remembers is also [[Hitler]]'s birthday in "[[Viva Ned Flanders]]") In "[[A Star Is Burns]]", Barney states that he is 40 years old. Several episodes, starting with [[The Way We Was]], depict him as Homer's best friend in [[high school]]. In the episode "[[$pringfield]]", he claims that he studied [[dance]] for several years, including [[Modern dance|modern]] and [[tap dance|tap]].

Two episodes give different reasons for his alcoholism. "[[Mr. Plow]]" suggests that Barney was a dedicated student looking forward to a bright future. He had his mind set on going to [[Harvard University]], until Homer peer pressured him into drinking beer the day before the [[SAT]]s.<ref name=mrplow>{{cite episode |title=Mr. Plow |episode-link=Mr. Plow |series=The Simpsons |credits=Vitti, Jon; Reardon, Jim |network=Fox |airdate=1992-11-19}}</ref> [[The Simpsons (season 16)|Season 16]]'s "[[She Used to Be My Girl]]" attributes his drinking to his high school girlfriend Chloe Talbot leaving [[Springfield (The Simpsons)|Springfield]] to pursue a journalism career.<ref name=mygirl>{{cite episode |title=She Used to Be My Girl |episode-link=She Used to Be My Girl |series=The Simpsons |credits=Long, Tim; Nastuk, Matthew |network=Fox |airdate=2004-12-05}}</ref>

In "[[Homer's Barbershop Quartet]]", Barney formed a barbershop quartet with Homer, [[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]], and [[Principal Skinner|Seymour Skinner]] called the Be Sharps. Barney was asked to join when the other members heard him singing in a beautiful tenor voice in the restroom of [[Moe's Tavern]], replacing the group's original fourth member, [[Chief Wiggum]], who had been kicked out. In 1986, the Be Sharps won a [[Grammy Award]] for Outstanding Soul, Spoken Word, or Barbershop Album of the Year. Soon, creative disputes arose, and Barney left the group in all but name when [[Yoko Ono|he began dating a Japanese conceptual artist]]. The group realized that they were no longer popular and split up.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Homer's Barbershop Quartet |episode-link=Homer's Barbershop Quartet |series=The Simpsons |credits=Martin, Jeff; Kirkland, Mark |network=Fox |airdate=1993-09-30}}</ref>

Barney was rescued from a tar pit by Bart's pet elephant Stampy in "[[Bart Gets an Elephant]]" and he also started a snowplowing business rivaling Homer's in "Mr. Plow". Barney's commercial [[defamation|defamed]] Homer, causing Homer to lose his customers. As revenge, Homer fooled Barney into plowing a driveway on Widow's Peak, a treacherous mountain just outside Springfield. When Homer saw a news report showing that Barney had become trapped in an [[avalanche]], Homer immediately drove to the mountain and rescued Barney. The friends resolved their differences and agreed to work together. However, a [[heat wave]] hit Springfield at that exact moment, driving them both out of business.<ref name=mrplow/> However, in the episodes "[[O Brother, Where Bart Thou?]]" and "[[Miracle on Evergreen Terrace]]" it is shown that Barney still drives his Plow King truck.

After being forced to spend a sober night at [[Moe's Tavern]] serving as [[designated driver]], Barney left town in Homer Simpson's car to, among other things, give a guest lecture at [[Villanova University|Villanova]] (although, by his own admission, the guest lecture could just have likely occurred on a street corner). He ultimately abandoned the car in [[New York City]] and returned to Springfield after a two-month absence. A gag in "[[Selma's Choice]]" suggests that Barney is the father of many local babies born through (presumably, paid) donation of [[semen]] and the resulting [[artificial insemination]].

Barney made a [[documentary film]] about his life as an [[alcoholic]], titled ''Pukahontas''. It won the top prize at the Springfield Film Festival. He was ready to quit drinking after winning the Festival, but unfortunately, the prize he received was a lifetime supply of Duff Beer.<ref name="A Star Is Burns"/> In "[[Deep Space Homer]]", Barney trained to become an astronaut for [[NASA]]. Under their alcohol-ban, he quickly regained his balance and diction and was quite appropriately selected to fly with [[Buzz Aldrin]]. However, he reverted to his old ways when he was presented with a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Deep Space Homer |episode-link=Deep Space Homer |series=The Simpsons |credits=Mirkin, David; Baeza, Carlos |network=Fox |airdate=1994-02-12}}</ref> Barney served in the [[United States Navy Reserve]] as a [[submarine]]r on the [[Jebediah Springfield|USS ''Jebediah'']], alongside his mother, in "[[Simpson Tide]]".<ref>{{cite episode |title=Simpson Tide |episode-link=Simpson Tide |series=The Simpsons |credits=Sternin, Joshua and Jeffrey Ventimilia; Gray, Milton |network=Fox |airdate=1998-03-29}}</ref>

In "[[Days of Wine and D'oh'ses]]", after watching a video of his drunken antics at his birthday party, Barney resolves to get [[sobriety|sober]]. He attends [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] meetings, cleans up his appearance, and attends helicopter-flying lessons. He remains sober by the episode's end, though his alcoholism is replaced by an unhealthy [[Caffeine dependence|dependence on coffee]].<ref>{{cite episode |title=Days of Wine and D'oh'ses |episode-link=Days of Wine and D'oh'ses |series=The Simpsons |credits=Lacusta, Deb and Dan Castellaneta; Affleck, Neil |network=Fox |airdate=2000-04-09}}</ref> It was revealed in the [[The Simpsons (season 14)|fourteenth season]] episode "[[I'm Spelling as Fast as I Can]]" that he had relapsed.