"Homer the Moe" is the third episode of the
thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''
The Simpsons
''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer Simpson, Homer, Marge ...
''. It first aired on the
Fox Network
The Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly known simply as Fox and stylized in all caps as FOX, is an American commercial broadcast television network owned by Fox Corporation and headquartered in New York City, with master control operations ...
in the United States on November 18, 2001. In the episode,
Moe, following the advice of his former bartending professor, decides to modernize his bar. The bar's new image attracts several customers, but leaves Moe's four regular customers,
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
,
Lenny,
Carl, and
Barney, feeling alienated, which in turn prompts Homer to open his private bar, disguising it as a hunting club to avoid
liquor license
A liquor license (or liquor licence in most forms of Commonwealth English) is a governmentally issued permit to sell, manufacture, store, or otherwise use alcoholic beverages.
Canada
In Canada, liquor licences are issued by the legal authority ...
restrictions.
The episode was directed by Jen Kamerman and was the first episode
Dana Gould
Dana Gould (born August 24, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and voice artist who has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. He voiced Hi Larious in the TV series ''Father of the Pride'' (2004–2005) and the ...
written for ''The Simpsons''. Gould based the part about Homer's bar on his father, who opened a hunting club to sell alcohol without having to acquire a liquor license. The episode featured the musical group
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
, who appeared as themselves.
The episode received mixed reviews from critics following the thirteenth season's release on
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
.
Plot
After
Homer
Homer (; grc, Ὅμηρος , ''Hómēros'') (born ) was a Greek poet who is credited as the author of the ''Iliad'' and the ''Odyssey'', two epic poems that are foundational works of ancient Greek literature. Homer is considered one of the ...
tells a story about
Bart
Bart is a masculine given name, usually a diminutive of Bartholomew, sometimes of Barton, Bartolomeo, etc.
Bart is a Dutch and Ashkenazi Jewish surname, and derives from the name ''Bartholomäus'', a German form of the biblical name ''Bartho ...
digging a hole in the backyard for no apparent reason other than to make it deeper and bigger,
Moe complains about the monotony at
his tavern. Recalling his days at Swigmore University, he decides to return there for some inspiration and leaves Homer in temporary charge of the bar. At the university, Moe finds his old professor, who is dying of cancer. After advising Moe to modernize his bar, the professor
drowns himself in the campus lake. Soon, the tavern is renovated by Formico, the self-proclaimed "Dean of Design", into a swanky nightclub renamed "M" and with a
post-modern
Postmodernism is an intellectual stance or mode of discourseNuyen, A.T., 1992. The Role of Rhetorical Devices in Postmodernist Discourse. Philosophy & Rhetoric, pp.183–194. characterized by skepticism toward the " grand narratives" of moderni ...
decor.
Homer and his bar-buddies
Lenny,
Carl and
Barney find that they do not fit in with the new, affluent crowd, and miss their old tavern experience. Homer decides to convert his garage into a new tavern for himself and his friends. Meanwhile, Moe is confronted by the ghost of his professor and realizes that he does not fit in with his new clientele either and leaves to find Homer. Arriving at the Simpsons’ home, he finds that the new garage bar has quickly become quite popular, and even has the
alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
playing.
When confronted by Moe with the fact that it is illegal to operate a bar in a private residence, Homer claims that it is a hunting club, citing a law book that states that a hunting club may provide refreshing beverages. Moe consults the book and determines that the club must engage in the sport of hunting, to which Homer states that he will hunt for a turkey for
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
dinner, much to Lisa's horror.
Homer sets out the next day to find a turkey, but Lisa and Moe scare off his quarry, using a whistle that sounds like a cougar. However, Homer mistakes the whistle for an actual cougar and accidentally shoots Moe in the leg. After Homer apologizes, he, along with Moe, R.E.M. and the rest of the Simpson family return to Moe's tavern, reverted to its original decor, for a Thanksgiving meal of a turkey, made "entirely of tofu and gluten" and provided by
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe (; born January 4, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter and artist, best known as the lead singer and lyricist of alternative rock band R.E.M. He is known for his vocal quality, poetic lyrics and unique stage presence.
Pos ...
, an environmentalist. Homer even affirms his friendship with Moe by putting some money in his tip jar.
Production
![Padova REM concert July 22 2003 blue](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a4/Padova_REM_concert_July_22_2003_blue.jpg)
Jen Kamerman directed "Homer the Moe", which was the first episode
Dana Gould
Dana Gould (born August 24, 1964) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, writer and voice artist who has been featured on HBO, Showtime, and Comedy Central. He voiced Hi Larious in the TV series ''Father of the Pride'' (2004–2005) and the ...
wrote for the show. It was the first broadcast on
Fox
Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush'').
Twelve sp ...
in the United States on November 18, 2001, four days before Thanksgiving.
In the DVD commentary for the episode, Gould says that, when the team was thinking of a way to start the show, George Meyer said, "I like how kids will just dig a hole". Homer's story ends with a Chinese satellite spying on Bart. This was an attempt by Gould to write a bizarre joke in the style of fellow ''Simpsons'' writer
John Swartzwelder
John Joseph Swartzwelder Jr. (born February 8, 1949) is an American comedy writer and novelist, best known for his work on the animated television series ''The Simpsons''. Born in Seattle, Washington, Swartzwelder began his career working in ad ...
.
Moe's plot in the second act was also created by Meyer, who suggested that the bartending school that Moe attended would resemble the law school on the 1970s television series ''
The Paper Chase'', and that the school's professor would be based on the professor from the earlier series.
Gould remembered how his father opened a hunting club and could sell alcohol without having to obtain a liquor license. This inspired the idea of Homer's club. Also, the "crossed-fishing-pole-and-rifle" insignia that can be seen in Homer's garage is the same insignia that Gould's father uses for his hunting club. Homer's bar was originally the center of the episode but became the third act when the writers came up with the renovation of Moe's bar and made it the main storyline.
Alternative rock
Alternative rock, or alt-rock, is a category of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1970s and became widely popular in the 1990s. "Alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream or commerci ...
band
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
guest-starred as themselves in the episode. "We had been told that R.E.M. were big fans of the show", says
executive producer and
showrunner for the episode,
Mike Scully
Michael C. Scully (born October 2, 1956) is an American television writer and producer. He is known for his work as executive producer and showrunner of the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' from 1997 to 2001. Scully grew up in West Springfield, ...
, adding that their appearance in the episode was a "fairly last-minute addition".
Unlike
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in London in 1964. Their classic lineup consisted of lead singer Roger Daltrey, guitarist and singer Pete Townshend, bass guitarist and singer John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They are considered ...
, who made an appearance in the episode "
A Tale of Two Springfields", R.E.M. did not want their former drummer
Bill Berry to be animated in the episode. The drummer seen in the episode was instead drawn to resemble one of their session drummers at the time. Moe's professor at Swigmore University was voiced by the series' regular voice actor
Dan Castellaneta
Daniel Louis Castellaneta (; born October 29, 1957) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is best known for voicing Homer Simpson on the animated series ''The Simpsons'' (as well as other characters on the show such as Abraham "Grampa" ...
, the voice of Homer among many others.
Formico, who renovated Moe's tavern, was portrayed by
Hank Azaria
Henry Albert Azaria ( ; born April 25, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, and writer. He is known for voicing many characters in the animated sitcom ''The Simpsons'' (1989–present), most notably Moe Szyslak, Chief Wiggum, Comic Book Guy, ...
, who also voices Moe as well as several other characters in the show.
Cultural references
Swigmore University, which Moe attends in the episode, is a parody of
Skidmore College
Skidmore College is a Private school, private liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Saratoga Springs, New York. Approximately 2,650 students are enrolled at Skidmore pursuing a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Scien ...
.
The professor working at Swigmore University is based on Professor Charles W. Kingsfield, Jr. from the television series ''The Paper Chase''.
The dying professor entering the lake is a reference to the movie ''
Being There
''Being There'' is a 1979 American satire film directed by Hal Ashby. Based on the 1970 novel of the same name by Jerzy Kosiński, it was adapted for the screen by Kosiński and the uncredited Robert C. Jones. The film stars Peter Sellers an ...
'', in whose ending it is revealed Mr. Chance can walk on water. Moe's new bar M is a parody of the luxury boutique hotel
W New York Union Square that Gould had visited once.
The monitors showing eyeballs are based on similar decorations found in the elevators in the St Martin's Lane hotel, where the ''Simpsons staff hosted a ''Simpsons'' festival.
The doorman in front of M was modeled after special effects creator and actor
Greg Nicotero
Gregory Nicotero (born March 15, 1963) is an American special make-up effects creator, television producer, and director. His first major job in special effects makeup was on the George A. Romero film ''Day of the Dead'' (1985), under the tutel ...
. The dance that Homer, Carl, and Lenny perform in Moe's bar is a takeoff on the dancing in the
comedy
Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
/
drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has b ...
film ''
Coyote Ugly'', in which the dancers performed on the bar counter, much like Homer, Carl and Lenny do in the episode.
Release
In its original American broadcast on November 18, 2001, "Homer the Moe" was watched by 14.5 million viewers, according to
Nielsen Media Research
Nielsen Media Research (NMR) is an American firm that measures media audiences, including television, radio, theatre, films (via the AMC Theatres MAP program), and newspapers. Headquartered in New York City, it is best known for the Nielsen rati ...
, making it the most watched television show of its timeslot that night. The episode received a 7.1 rating/17 share among adult viewers between ages 18 and 49, meaning it was seen by 7.1% of the population between ages 18 and 49, and 17% of people in this
demographic watching television at the time of its broadcast.
On September 14, 2004, "Homer the Moe" was released, along with the episodes "
Homer's Night Out", "
The Mansion Family" and "
Sunday, Cruddy Sunday" on a
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
set entitled ''The Simpsons – Gone Wild''.
The episode was later included in ''The Simpsons: The Thirteenth Season'' DVD and
Blu-ray
The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of st ...
set, released August 24, 2010.
Giving the episode a rating of C−, Jennifer Malkowski of ''
DVD Verdict'' described the episode as a "tepid remix of previous ''Simpsons'' plots".
Ron Martin of 411Mania called the plot "unimaginative" and wrote "I suppose there's only enough episodes you can go through before Moe's has to modernize in the most hideous way".
''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' reviewer R.L. Shaffer wrote that "Homer the Moe", "
The Frying Game
"The Frying Game" is the twenty-first and penultimate episode of the thirteenth season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on May 19, 2002. In the episode, ...
", "
The Old Man and the Key", and "
Sweets and Sour Marge" were some of the worst episodes of the whole series.
However, Colin Jacobsson of ''DVD Movie Guide'' wrote that even though the episode was too similar to the third-season episode "
Flaming Moe's
"Flaming Moe's" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American animated television series ''The Simpsons''. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on November 21, 1991. In the episode, Homer tells Moe Szyslak about the ...
", the episode "works reasonably well". He gave the episode a favorable review overall, calling it "one of the year's best episodes".
Adam Rayner of ''Obsessed With Film'' wrote that the story was "told very well and continued to show the strength of the character of ‘Moe’, who would go on to be one of the only genuinely funny characters in the following barren years for the show".
Casey Broadwater of ''Blu-ray.com'' described the episode as one of the best of the season,
and Aaron Peck of ''High-Def Digest'' stated that the episode was one of his personal favorites.
In 2007, Simon Crerar of ''
The Times
''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' listed R.E.M's performance as one of the thirty-three funniest cameos in the history of the show.
Andrew Martin of Prefix Mag named R.E.M. his tenth-favorite musical guests on ''The Simpsons'' out of a list of ten in 2011.
References
External links
*
*
{{The Simpsons episodes, 13
The Simpsons (season 13) episodes
R.E.M.
2001 American television episodes
Thanksgiving television episodes
Hunting in popular culture