So where was Barney in last night Simpson's episode?

[Mike Daniels]

They showed Homer, Marge, Patty, Selma, Moe, Carl, Lenny, Comic Book Guy, Chief Wiggum and Diamond Joe Quimby as young kids last night. Hell, they even had portrayals of the future Mrs. Lovejoy, the future best real estate agent on the west (or is it east) side, Milhouse's mom and even a youngish and rather debonair looking Old Sea Captain.

But ABSOLUTELY NO BARNEY - Arrgh

Granted, the show has already shown what set Barney on the road to chronic alcoholism but still, it's Barney for cripes sake.

Yes, I'm making a mountain out of a molehill but damn, they left out one of the greats.

[meegbear]

1. So what did drive Barney to drink ...

now that you mention it.

[bkcc]

2. As I recall...

it was Homer.

[BigMcLargehuge]

3. one beer the night before the SATs was all it took

[bkcc]

10. exactly.

And I think his first words after drinking the beer were:
"You're my best friend!!" (directed at the beer, not Homer)

:D

[Mike Daniels]

4. Homer innocently set Barney on the road to alcoholism

There was an episode that shows a flashback to a high school-aged Barney bunkering down on an SAT prep book and preparing for the SATS. Homer comes into the bedroom and talks Barney into having a beer saying something like "what harm can one beer do".

Barney takes one sip of the beer, instantly gets addicted and does a metamorphosis from a clean cut kid headed to an Ivy League school to the sloppy drunk portrayed in the series.

[noonwitch]

11. Rev. Jim on "Taxi" had a similar experience with brownies

He's an all A student at Harvard, and his girlfriend gets him to eat a marijuana-laced brownie. He immediately gets the "Rev Jim" expression and grabs the rest of the brownies.

[Wilber_Stool]

5. Did it ever occur to you

that Barney was behind the camera. Think people think.

[Tredge]

6. I'd have to watch it again, but...

...I thought I did see him. He would have been one of the guys who did pushups and then started eating the grass.

[Mike Daniels]

7. I think that was comic book guy who started eating the grass

I remember the character having a pony-tail so that's why I'm guessing CBG.

[Tredge]

8. I'm starting to remember...

I think this is right - there were 5 of them doing pushups, from left to right: Homer, Quimby, Barney, Wiggum, and Comic Book Guy. How could they ever have a scene in a fat camp and not include Barney?

[Mike Daniels]

9. You may be right

I thought I saw someone in the fat camp that could have been Barney initially and then I lost sight of him once they focused on Quimby, Wiggum and CBG.