Moe Szyslak

Moammar "Moe" Szyslak is a recurring character from the animated television series The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire". Moe is the proprietor and bartender of Moe's Tavern, a Springfield bar frequented by Homer Simpson, Barney Gumble, Lenny Leonard, Carl Carlson, Sam, Larry, and others. Grouchy, lonely, miserable, and prone to violent outbursts, Moe is constantly down on his luck and has attempted suicide numerous times. Other running jokes featuring him include being prank called by Bart Simpson, running illegal activities from his bar, his ugliness and his inconsistent stories about his ethnic origin and what "Moe" is short for. Although he is generally quite disagreeable and confrontational, he is frequently shown to have a tender, aching heart beneath his cantankerous exterior. 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, 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 third season. As a running joke, Moe is sometimes seen engaging in unlicensed or illegal activities at the tavern, such as smuggling pandas and an orca in "Cape Feare" and "The Springfield Files", respectively. Particularly in earlier episodes, the Tavern was frequently prank called 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").