Editing Moe Szyslak (section)

==Role in ''The Simpsons''==
===Moe's Tavern===
Moe is the owner and bartender of Moe's Tavern (informally referred to as "Moe's"), frequented by [[Homer Simpson]] and other characters including [[Lenny Leonard]], [[Carl Carlson]], [[List of recurring The Simpsons characters#Sam and Larry|Sam and Larry]], and his most loyal customer, [[Barney Gumble]]. He is not a very good bartender, at one time expressing surprise that gin and tonic can be mixed together. The bar is noted for its depressing atmosphere and uncleanliness. The regular patrons of the tavern have been abandoned by Moe in several episodes in which he changes its target audience. The first of these was "[[Flaming Moe's]]", in the [[The Simpsons (season 3)|third season]]. As a running joke, Moe is sometimes seen engaging in unlicensed or illegal activities at the tavern, such as smuggling [[panda]]s and an [[orca]] in "[[Cape Feare]]" and "[[The Springfield Files]]", respectively. Particularly in earlier episodes, the Tavern was frequently [[prank call]]ed by [[Bart Simpson]], who would ask for a [[gag name]] which when said by Moe would involve [[innuendo]] or insults (e.g., Mike Rotch/"My crotch", Homer Sexual/"homosexual", Ivana Tinkle/"I wanna tinkle", and Seymour Butz/"See more butts").<ref>{{cite web |last1=Summers |first1=Megan |title=The Simpsons: Bart's 14 Best Prank Calls To Moe's Tavern, Ranked |url=https://screenrant.com/bart-simpsons-best-moe-prank-calls/ |website=ScreenRant |access-date=March 13, 2022 |date=February 4, 2021 |archive-date=January 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220126224946/https://screenrant.com/bart-simpsons-best-moe-prank-calls/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Personality ===

Moe is one of the darkest secondary characters in the show. He is portrayed with a generally disagreeable personality: he has a short, violent temper, a penurious nature, a crass and undiplomatic manner of speech, and a mood that rapidly vacillates between anger, indifference, and [[suicide|suicidal despair]] (the latter of which has become more apparent in later episodes of the show). He has an annual Christmas tradition of attempted suicide, but his attempts are comically unsuccessful (landing on a hot-air balloon after jumping out of a plane, for example), and he has already called the suicide hotline so many times that they've blocked his number.<ref>Vincent Terrace, ''Television Series of the 1980s'' (London: Rowman & Littlefield, 2017), 201-2. {{ISBN|1442278315}}</ref>

He is easily irritated, frequently threatening the patrons at his bar with a [[shotgun]] he keeps behind the counter. He is also gullible, and Bart's unending chain of successful prank calls to his bar are particularly infuriating to him, inevitably prompting a torrent of [[Tube Bar prank calls#History|Red Deutsch]]-style threats of gruesome bodily harm in return.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

He also is, however, occasionally shown to have a sentimental and caring side to his personality, such as reading to sick children and homeless people, although he is secretive about such behavior. In his interactions with his various girlfriends, he has also shown genuine selflessness and kindness (as well as an unusual improvement in his disposition), although negative elements of his personality inevitably emerge and ruin things. He has also struck up genuine friendships with both of Homer's daughters which have remained in the following episodes. In "[[Thank God It's Doomsday]]", he asks for salvation, because "I've done stuff I ain't proud of. And the stuff I ''am'' proud of is disgusting."<ref>[http://download.lardlad.com/sounds/season16/doomsday7.mp3 Audio snippet] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407094306/http://download.lardlad.com/sounds/season16/doomsday7.mp3 |date=2014-04-07 }} from ''[[Thank God It's Doomsday]]''</ref> He donated $25,000 to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2V8cvXqP0k&ab_channel=AniDom Moe donating to Puerto Rico]</ref>

=== Relationships ===
Moe has an almost non-existent love life due to his vulgarity towards women and his ugly appearance. Despite this, he has had a number of romantic experiences, including sleeping with his waitress Collette,<ref name="flamingmoes2">{{cite episode |title=Flaming Moe's|episode-link=Flaming Moe's |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Cohen, Robert; Moore, Rich; Smart, Alan|network=Fox |airdate=1991-11-21 |season=3 |number=10}}</ref> dating a woman named Renee,<ref name="dumbbell">{{cite episode |title=Dumbbell Indemnity|episode-link=Dumbbell Indemnity |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> and briefly enjoying the company of many women after he had [[plastic surgery]].<ref name="plasticsurg">{{cite episode |title=Pygmoelian|episode-link=Pygmoelian |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> He also has a relationship and proposed to a [[Dwarfism|dwarf]] named Maya, but Moe could not adjust to the difference in height, to the point where his ultimate plan to have his own leg bones shortened led Maya to leave him. He has long been infatuated with [[Marge Simpson]], whom he usually calls "Midge", and has on occasion tried to win her away from Homer,<ref name="marge">{{cite episode |title=Secrets of a Successful Marriage|episode-link=Secrets of a Successful Marriage |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref><ref name="mommie">{{cite episode |title=Mommie Beerest|episode-link=Mommie Beerest |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> although later episodes have shown him actively working to keep the two together.<ref name="moho">{{cite episode |title=Moho House|episode-link=Moho House |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> He has been romantically involved with [[Edna Krabappel]]<ref name="neverending">{{cite episode |title=The Seemingly Never-Ending Story|episode-link=The Seemingly Never-Ending Story |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |credits=Maxtone-Graham, Ian; Persi, Raymond|network=Fox |airdate=2006-03-12 |season=17 |number=13}}</ref> as well as Marge's sister [[Patty and Selma#Selma Bouvier|Selma Bouvier]]. Moe's romantic attractions have resulted in run-ins with the law; he has stalked [[Maude Flanders]] and other townspeople, he must register as a [[sex offender]], and he has a [[restraining order]] placed upon him. At one point, he is seen on his way to a "[[venereal disease|V.D.]] clinic".<ref name="lostlisa">{{cite episode |title=Lost Our Lisa|episode-link=Lost Our Lisa |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> Despite his disturbing approach, Moe has shown to be a caring and devoted lover. While dating Renee (and previously Edna), he wholeheartedly spoiled them with whatever they wanted and vowed to give up his bar and take them away from Springfield forever, even if it means losing his own money and doing illegal acts to make more money. When he thought he finally won Marge's heart, he promised to be "the best man she'd ever had".<ref name="mommie"/>

In "[[Pygmoelian]]", Moe and his three closest friends assess him as a gargoyle with cauliflower ears, lizard lips, little rat eyes, a caveman brow, and a fish snout, who is not pleasant to look at, listen to or be with.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002982/quotes|title=Moe Syzlak quote from 'Pygmoelian', IMDB|website=[[IMDb]] |access-date=2018-06-30|archive-date=2016-10-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161025135059/http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0002982/quotes|url-status=live}}</ref>

In "[[The Wayz We Were]]", Maya returns to Springfield, and she and Moe reconnect, but Moe's fear of commitment overpowers him. At Homer's suggestion, Moe proposes to Maya, which she accepts.

===Family and biography===
Moe's ethnic origins are a [[running joke|running gag]] in the show, with his origins always varying. The show's many conflicting stories as to Moe's heritage have been sent up in the [[List of The Simpsons books|tie-in book]] ''The Book of Moe'' (2008), where Moe is depicted in several different foreign national [[folk costume]]s and commenting on them, including [[Culture of Hungary|Hungarian]] and [[Culture of Poland|Polish]]. From early in the series, Moe was depicted as a European immigrant to the United States. In "[[Much Apu About Nothing]]" (1996), Moe is depicted taking his [[United States citizenship test]];<ref name="muchapu">{{cite episode |title=Much Apu About Nothing|episode-link=Much Apu About Nothing|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> previously, "[[Bart's Inner Child]]" (1993) had depicted Moe's own [[inner child]] chastising him for abandoning his native [[Italian people|Italian]] accent. Later, in "[[Bart-Mangled Banner]]" (2004), he reveals himself to be [[Dutch people|Dutch]]; he claims his grandfather was [[Irish people|Irish]] while visiting Ireland in "[[In the Name of the Grandfather]]" (2009); and in "[[Lisa Goes Gaga]]" (2012), Moe describes himself as "half monster, half [[Armenian people|Armenian]]". Moe is also hinted to be Armenian in "[[Judge Me Tender]]" (2010), claiming that Armenian Idol is his favorite show. Moe is fluent in [[Macedonian language|Macedonian]] thanks to his Macedonian grandmother "Baba" Branka.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Abe League of Their Moe|episode-link=Abe League of Their Moe|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> As for indications, he was born in America, in "[[Homer the Heretic]]" (1992), Moe claims, "I was born a [[Snake handling in Christianity|snake handler]], and I'll die a snake handler" while in "[[Day of the Jackanapes]]" (2001) he claims to have been born in [[Indiana]].<ref name="Indiana">{{cite episode |title=Day of the Jackanapes|episode-link=Day of the Jackanapes|series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> Azaria has said he sees Moe as being from [[Queens]], New York City and portrays him with a Queens accent.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Hank Azaria Says 'Brockmire' Has Been With Him For Years|url=https://www.npr.org/2017/05/13/528157708/hank-azaria-says-brockmire-has-been-with-him-for-years|series=[[Weekend Edition]]|first=Scott|last=Simon|author-link=Scott Simon|network=[[NPR]]|date=2017-05-13|quote=Moe is a New York guy, he's from Queens....|access-date=2018-03-31|archive-date=2018-04-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180401005222/https://www.npr.org/2017/05/13/528157708/hank-azaria-says-brockmire-has-been-with-him-for-years|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:MoeSzyslak-TheLittleRascals.png|thumb|210px|Moe (left) as "Smelly" in ''[[Our Gang|The Little Rascals]]''.]]
Numerous conflicting versions of Moe's childhood have been depicted across the show. In "[[Radioactive Man (The Simpsons episode)|Radioactive Man]]" (1995), he is depicted as having been one of the original ''[[The Little Rascals|Little Rascals]]'', but was fired after killing the "[[Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer|original Alfalfa]]". However, charges were not pressed against him as the "original Alfalfa" was, in fact, an orphan owned by the studio. As Homer's boxing coach in "[[The Homer They Fall]]" (1996), he shows photographs from throughout his own boxing career, stating that his ugly appearance was the result of competing in the sport. Moe's college years are also depicted in "[[Homer the Moe]]" (2001), which shows Moe as having attended "bar-tending school" at Swigmore University (a play on [[Skidmore College]]) before opening what became Moe's Tavern.<ref name="tavern1">{{cite episode |title=Homer the Moe|episode-link=Homer the Moe |series=The Simpsons |series-link=The Simpsons |network=Fox }}</ref> In "[[Springfield Up]]" (2007), footage from a [[documentary]] called ''Growing Up Springfield'' shows an 8-year-old Moe claiming that his father was a [[circus freak]]. He was unsure which one but liked to think it was a little of all of them.<ref>"[[Springfield Up]]"</ref> This is further reinforced in "Sleeping With The Enemy" when he briefly asserts himself as a member of the Muntz family. After Nelson's father returns, blaming his absence on having been stolen away by the circus due to a peanut allergy disfiguring his face. Teenage Moe is shown again in "[[She Used to Be My Girl]]" (2004), where he is depicted working in the school cafeteria, given as his first job "since prison"; Marge is responsible for having him sent back there. "[[The Seemingly Never-Ending Story]]" (2006) depicts scenes set years before the series present in which Moe and schoolteacher [[Edna Krabappel]] are shown to have had a brief love affair. In "[[Them, Robot]]" (2012), a flashback scene depicts a child being stomped on by an elephant, and his face then changes to Moe. In "[[King Leer]]" (2018), Moe's father, Morty, and his siblings, Marty and Minnie, are introduced, and he is shown in flashbacks as a child in Springfield. Another member of his family, Macedonian Baba Branka, was introduced in "[[Abe League of Their Moe]]"(2025). The latter is on the most probably side of ethnic origins since Moe is shown to still be fluent in Macedonian during the same episode.

Much like Moe's ethnic origins, his full name is also treated inconsistently as a gag. In "[[Flaming Moe's]]" (1991), he is called Morris by his lover. In "[[The Springfield Connection]]" (1995), Homer refers to Moe in the Arabic "[[Muammer|Moammar]]". In "[[Eeny Teeny Maya Moe]]" (2009), he suggests that he only changed his name to Moe when he purchased Moe's Tavern. His last name Szyslak is Polish in origin,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.namespedia.com/details/Szyslak|title=Szyslak - Names Encyclopedia|access-date=2021-10-17|archive-date=2021-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211017063617/https://www.namespedia.com/details/Szyslak|url-status=live}}</ref> and is written as Szyślak.