Bernard "Barney" Rubble is the deuteragonist of the classic Hanna-Barbera series, The Flinstones, as well as the diminutive blonde-haired caveman husband of Betty Rubble and adoptive father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. His best friends are his next door neighbors, Fred and Wilma Flintstone.
Barney's personality was based on that of Ed Norton on the 1950s television series, The Honeymooners, played by the late Art Carney. The late Mel Blanc, who voiced Barney, first used the Barney Rubble voice when imitating Ed in the 1956 Looney Tunes Cartoon, Half-Fare Hare. As such, Barney tended to be much more jovial-minded and easygoing than his friend Fred, who was slightly smarter than Barney in some matters and slightly dimmer than he was in others. Like Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, Fred was constantly on the lookout for get-rich-quick schemes, while Barney, like Norton, found life satisfactory as it was but participated in said schemes because Fred was his friend. Usually after Fred had hatched one of his plans, Rubble would usually show his agreement by laughing dumbly and saying "er huh huh... OK, Fred!" or "huh huh huh... whatever you say, Fred!"
He was originally voiced by the late Mel Blanc and currently Kevin Michael Richardson.