Bart’s 20 Best Prank Calls To Moe’s Tavern, Ranked

One of the longest-running gags on The Simpsons is all the Bart Simpson prank calls. Bart’s favorite target seems to be Moe’s Tavern, where he fools Moe into yelling profane names and phrases in the bar. Bart has been engaging in these antics since the very first season of The Simpsons, and they have yet to lose their charm. It’s hard to imagine Moe is oblivious to Bart’s pranks every time, but the calls usually end with an exacerbated Moe threatening to hurt the young Simpson. Bart gets a few solid cackles from the exchange, and, in typical fashion, goes about his day.

With more than 35 seasons and no end in sight, The Simpsons is an American cultural institution. Even after all these years, the Bart Simpson prank call names he uses when he harasses Moe’s Tavern earn some of the show’s biggest laughs. They’re usually juvenile plays on words, but they still make for hilarious television, just as they have for decades now. While there have been countless prank calls to choose from, some of them not even to Moe’s Tavern at all, a few jokes have stood out among the rest.

20 Haywood U. Cuddleme

Season 14, Episode 5, “Helter Shelter.”

Many of the best prank calls on The Simpsons are the classics from earlier seasons, back when Bart calling Moe’s Tavern was a recurring feature that happened in more or less every episode. However, later seasons also have some fantastically funny examples too, such as season 14’s “Helter Shelter”. This episode saw the Simpson family move out of their home due to a termite infestation, and to save money, they agree to take part in a reality TV show that sees them living in a home that only has access to the technology of 1895.

This premise leads to all sorts of interesting gags and jokes as Homer, Marge, Lisa, Bart, and Maggie try to get to grips with 19th century tech. Among these moments is one of the most innovative Bart Simpson prank calls. While the pun isn’t anything too inventive (Bart asks for Haywood U. Cuddlme, leading Moe to call out “Hey, would you cuddle me”), the fact that Bart sends the prank through telegram rather than a phone call makes it absolutely hilarious.

19 Moe Ron

Season 24, Episode 19, “Whiskey Business”

One of the darkest recurring jokes when it comes to Moe in The Simpsons is that he harbors suicidal tendencies, though his attempts to end his own life always turn out to either be cries for attention, or they simply fail due to circumstances beyond his control. This plays in to one dark yet memorable Bart Simpson prank call in The Simpsons season 24 episode “Whiskey Business”, when Bart calls Moe during one of his many failed attempts.

The pun name in this prank call to Moe is incredibly simple, as “Moe Ron” is an obvious play on the word “moron”. However, it stands out due to it being one of the few times Moe receives a call when he’s not in the bar, and because Bart inadvertantly saves Moe’s life. While yelling at Bart, Moe actually kicks the stall out from beneath himself mid-rant. Then, the beam holding Moe’s noose breaks just as Moe screams “I’ll show you who’s a moron!”. It’s an especially dark Bart Simpson prank call, though this doesn’t change it being one of the more memorable examples from later seasons of The Simpsons.

18 Maya Normousbutt

Season 20, Episode 2, “Lost Verizon”

While Moe is the victim of the overwhelming majority of Bart’s prank calls in The Simpsons, the season 20 episode “Lost Verizon” shows that the 10-year-old terror is more than happy to inflict the same torment on more-or-less anybody. In “Lost Verizon”, Bart finds the lost cell phone of actor Denis Leary (who cameos in the episode as himself). Rather than returning the phone, Bart decides to use it to make some incredibly expensive prank calls to bars around the world.

One of the first of these prank calls is also one of the funniest when it comes to the false names Bart uses to get unwitting bartenders like Moe to call out embarrassing phrases. Bart calls a bar in Hawaii and asks if he can speak to a woman named Maya Normousbutt. The humor in this particular Bart Simpson prank call comes mainly from the last name of the fictional woman, as “Normousbutt” is one of the most obvious joke last names he’s ever used – though this doesn’t stop the Hawaiian equivalent of Moe falling for the prank.

17 Drew P. Wiener

Season 20, Episode 2, “Lost Verizon”

There are several Bart Simpson prank calls in The Simpsons season 20 episode “Lost Verizon”, and while asking for Maya Normousbutt is laugh-out-loud funny, it’s nowhere near as chuckle inducing as his call to Australia. After phoning the Hawaiian equivalent of Moe’s tavern, Bart then decides to call an Australian bar and ask for a Drew P. Wiener, which, when said out loud by the bartender, prompts a riot of laughter from his patrons as he starts shouting about his “droopy wiener”.

This Bart Simpson prank is especially hilarious due to the context, and because of how the show decides to depict the Australian bar. The Simpsons has visited Australia several times, and the Bart Simpson prank call to the country in “Lost Verizon” continues the subtle running gag of depicting everyone in the country as a variation on Crocodile Dundee. While the prank call itself may not be Bart’s best work, seeing an entire bar full of the Australian stereotype makes for a laugh-out-loud moment, and one of the best prank calls on The Simpsons that doesn’t feature Moe.

16 Yuri Nator

Season 22, Episode 9, “Donnie Fatso”

Just as there are some hilarious Bart Simpson prank calls that don’t feature Moe, there have also been some incredibly funny spins on the running gag that don’t feature Bart. Given how relentless Bart has been when it comes to terrorizing Moe, it’s understandable that Springfield’s resident bartender has become incredibly wary of hearing the phone ring. This leads to a gut-busting moment in the season 22 episode “Donnie Fatso” when Moe mistakenly believes a genuine request from Fat Tony is simply one of Bart’s pranks.

Fat Tony rings Moe’s Tavern while trying to find a former Russian associate of his, a man named Yuri Nator. Moe, of course, hears this as a pun name designed to get him to say “Urinator”. Moe defiantly doesn’t call out the name, and instead berates Fat Tony over the phone, slamming the receiver down smugly in the belief that he’s outwitted whoever keeps pranking him (since Moe never realizes that it’s Bart). This The Simpsons prank call is made all the funnier by a confused Tony telling his associates that he “didn’t expect to get screamed at like some 10-year-old punk making a prank call.”

15 I.M.A. Wiener

Season 22, Episode 17, “Love Is A Many Strangled Thing”

The Simpsons is now one of the longest-running shows on television and it is amazing just how far the series has gone from season 1 to the most recent season 35. While it’s technically not one of the many Bart Simpson prank calls, The Simpsons chose to show the passage of time with a prank text message courtesy of Bart. In the installment, Moe is shown tending the bar and using his flip phone when he gets a message for “I.M.A. Wiener.”

Moe eventually catches on and tries to threaten the prankster by sending a message back.

Moe reads the text aloud and even shows it to the bar patrons before they all burst out laughing at him. It takes a second, but Moe eventually catches on and tries to threaten the prankster by sending a message back, but unfortunately, he can’t use his fingers that well and ends up donating to Haiti by accident.

14 Homer Sexual

Season 2, Episode 14, “Principal Charming”

While Homer Simpson somehow gets the attention of a ton of women throughout the series, it would be a stretch to say that any of these women could be labeled as “Homer sexual.” Still, it was enough to trick Moe when one of Bart Simpson’s pranks calls saw him use his own father’s name as a pun. In the season 2 episode “Principal Charming,” Bart calls Moe’s Tavern from Principal Skinner’s office, but instead of asking for Homer Simpson, he asks for “Homer Sexual.”

Moe falls for the pun as always, and the patrons of Moe’s Tavern have a nice laugh. The joke has a nice callback later in the episode when Homer is eventually forced to meet with Skinner and begins to assess him as a potential romantic partner for Selma. Homer’s ready for Skinner and reveals that he thinks it’s possible Skinner is gay and that he also thinks the term is “Homer Sexual.”

13 Ollie Tabooger

Season 13, Episode 3, “Homer The Moe”

The prank calls to Moe’s have become such a classic recurring gag on the show that the series has found ways to subvert the joke rather than simply repeating the same setup and punchline each time. In the season 13 episode “Homer The Moe,” beer-lover Homer Simpson takes over as the man in charge of Moe’s Tavern while Moe visits his alma mater to rediscover his passion for bartending. This leads to Homer finally being on the receiving end of one of the Bart Simpson prank phone calls.

Funny enough, Homer is overly excited about this moment. Unfortunately for Bart, Homer is somehow even dumber than Moe. Rather than just blindly calling the name Ollie Tabooger as Bart says, Homer has trouble following the joke and asks Bart numerous questions before his son simply abandons the gag and hangs up the phone.

12 Lee Key Bum

Family Guy, Season 13, Episode 1, “The Simpsons Guy”

While the Family Guy/The Simpsons crossover fell way short of its potential, it wasn’t without its bright spots. It was fun seeing these iconic animated characters interact, but it was also clear those at Family Guy have a special respect for the long legacy of The Simpsons and have fun exploring some classic gags like the prank call. This came as Stewie grew attached to Bart and wanted to emulate his new idol.

Showing off his coolness, Bart pulls off another prank call to Moe’s Tavern. In the Family Guy season 13 premiere “The Simpsons Guy,” Bart’s chosen prank call name is Lee Key Bum, which gets a huge laugh out of Stewie. Stewie follows up with a much more “Family Guy” joke that doesn’t land well at all, but Moe asking his customers to check the stools for a “leaky bum” is still a great line.

11 Oliver Klozoff

Season 1, Episode 13, “Some Enchanted Evening”

This is the second prank call Bart dials in during season 1’s episode “Some Enchanted Evening,” but it stands out as one of the best Bart Simpson prank calls. What is nice about this moment is that Bart doesn’t just do it for his own benefit and amusement, but chooses to share it with his loved ones. With Lisa and Maggie as his audience, Bart offers up “a little pre-dinner entertainment” as the phone rings.

Though Lisa Simpson is clearly the most mature member of the family, she is thoroughly amused by the prank and shares a laugh with Bart.

Using his standard setup, Bart asks Moe, “Is Oliver there?” When Moe inquires about a name, Bart gives him a zinger instead: “Oliver Klozoff.” Moe is clueless as he shouts from behind the bar that he wants “all of her clothes off.“ Though Lisa Simpson is clearly the most mature member of the family, she is thoroughly amused by the prank and shares a laugh with Bart.

10 Seymour Butz

Season 2, Episode 11, “One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish”

By far, one of the most iconic Bart Simpson prank phone calls rears up very early on in The Simpsons. The season 2 episode “One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish” is one of the darkest episodes of The Simpsons, but it shows that the series never forgets to provide some laughs. Bart calls for the whereabouts of Seymour Butz at Moe’s Tavern.

Moe lets Bart have it as all the bar patrons laugh in his face.

In this case, Moe catches onto the prank after screaming “See more butts” across the bar a few times. Moe lets Bart have it as all the bar patrons laugh in his face. He lets the hoaxer know he means business, saying, “When I get my hands on you, I’m gonna pull out your eyeballs with a corkscrew!” It adds another funny element to this recurring gag from the series with Moe always responding in an enraged and violent way.

9 Bea O’Problem

Season 3, Episode 11, “Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk”

In “Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk” from season 3, Bart gets Moe good with a prank name that seems particularly fitting for the often dirty and disgusting bartender. With his father and the rest of Moe’s regulars hanging out around the bar, Bart calls Moe to ask for “Mrs. O’Problem, first name Bea.” Moe is humiliated after asking his patrons, “Do I have a B.O. problem here?”

He tells Bart, “I’m going to paint my house with your brains!“ However, this prank has a hilarious twist as, right after he hangs up, Marge tells Bart that he has to go down to Moe’s to collect his father. Bart is clearly nervous at the prospect of Moe finally making good on his threats. Indeed, Moe immediately recognizes his voice but is thrilled to see that it is Homer’s adorable young son, further showing that he is not quick to catch on.

8 Al Coholic

Season 1, Episode 13, “Some Enchanted Evening”

“Some Enchanted Evening” contains not just one but two iconic Bart Simpson prank calls, and was initially intended to be the first episode of The Simpsons but ended up being the season 1 finale. In the same episode in which he asks for Oliver Klozoff, Bart pulls the most classic prank-the-bartender line out of his sleeve. Bart seeks to figure out if there’s a man named Al Coholic at the bar. “Is there an alcoholic here?“

It is a risky one to use in a bar knowing the kind of crowd that makes up Moe’s regulars. However, as dim as many of them are, they are once again quicker to pick up on the joke than Moe is. Of course, Homer chimes in with an ironic bit of support saying “I hope you do find that punk someday, Moe,” oblivious that it is his own son tormenting his favorite barkeep.

7 Tess T. Culls

Season 29, Episode 9, “Gone Boy”

As The Simpsons continued on its legendary run, the prank phone call gag was used less frequently while never entirely disappearing from the series. When Bart gets stuck in an underground bunker during season 29’s The Simpsons Christmas episode “Gone Boy,” he eventually finds a phone, giving him the ability to deliver more classic Bart Simpson prank calls. Instead of finding help, Bart uses the opportunity to prank call Moe’s Tavern.

While his typical brand of juvenile humor, Bart wonders if there’s someone by the name of Tess T. Culls having a beer. After shouting the word “testicles” in the bar a couple of times, Moe insists, “Aw, come on. I know you’re hanging around here somewhere.” While Bart has a good laugh, the ancient phone catches on fire before he’s able to call someone to save him.

6 Hugh Jass

Season 3, Episode 10, “Flaming Moe’s”

The season 3 episode “Flaming Moe’s,” is possibly the best Moe episode of The Simpsons and it contains one of the best Bart Simpson prank calls. In it, Moe steals Homer’s recipe for a very potent and very popular cocktail. The success of the Flaming Moe makes Moe’s Tavern the No. 1 spot in Springfield. It is a rare episode that sees things going well for the usually downtrodden bartender which is further shown when Bart’s prank goes differently than usual.

When Bart asks for Hugh Jass, it turns out there’s a patron with that name in the bar. It is a funny moment that shows just how packed the bar has gotten that even people with ridiculous names are there. “Look, I’ll level with you, mister. This is a prank call that sort of backfired, and I’d like to bail out right now,” Bart confesses before hanging up. In his one appearance, Mr. Jass is very pleasant person as he wishes Bart the best of luck with his next attempt.

5 I’m A Stupid Moron With An Ugly Face And A Big Butt And My Butt Smells And I Like To Kiss My Own Butt

Season 3, Episode 7, “Treehouse Of Horror II”

In “Treehouse of Horror II,” one of the best “Treehouse of Horror” episodes of The Simpsons, Bart uses psionic powers to make everyone in Springfield do his bidding. There’s no need for him to develop gag names anymore when he calls into Moe’s with one of the most out-there Bart Simpson prank calls. Instead of his usual punny prank call name, Bart gets Moe to call nonsensically for someone named “I’m A Stupid Moron With An Ugly Face And A Big Butt And My Butt Smells And I Like To Kiss My Own Butt.“

If Moe doesn’t repeat the line, Bart is liable to turn him into some kind of grotesque creature. It’s not much of a joke name, but it’s even more hilarious in its absurdity. However, there is a funny moment when, after Moe says the whole name and gets laughed at by the patrons, it is as if he just then clues into the very obvious joke.

4 Mike Rotch

Season 2, Episode 22, “Blood Feud”

It doesn’t get much funnier, from the perspective of 10-year-old Bart, than making jokes that reference body parts or bodily functions. This is usually the case when it comes to the best Bart Simpson prank calls and in season 2’s “Blood Feud” episode, Bart gets Moe with one of the oldest bawdy pranks in the books. “Is Mike there? Last name, Rotch,” Bart asks, luring Moe right into his “my crotch” trap.

Lisa is there to laugh right along with her big brother as Moe threatens to do unconscionable things to the boy if he ever figures out his identity. While many of the other most memorable prank calls found a way to fit these gags into the story, this one proves that it can be a non sequitur moment with no real connection to the overall story and still be funny.

3 Jacques Strap

Season 1, Episode 6, “Moaning Lisa”

Bart’s second-ever prank call name comes in the episode “Moaning Lisa.” After being used to memorable effect earlier in the first season, young Bart’s ritual is solidified for good when he calls the bar, showing that this is the kind of gag that is not going to get tiresome quickly thanks to a plethora of clever names. This time when Bart calls the bar, he requests to speak with Jacques Strap. As it goes with Moe, the bartender doesn’t get it at first, telling his patrons he’s “looking for a jock strap.”

When reality washes over him, the enraged bartender flings empty, violent rhetoric at his prank caller. “Where’s your sense of humor, man?” Bart questions before hanging up. It is an interesting moment of insight into Bart’s mind as he is not only doing it to get a laugh, but he actually enjoys playing these mind games with Moe.

2 Amanda Huginkiss

Season 4, Episode 8, “New Kid On The Block”

The prank phone calls become a tool Bart uses over the course of the series with the episode “New Kid On The Block” from season 4, showing the various ways it can be utilized. When Bart falls for the next-door neighbor, Ruth Powers, he uses the prank calls as a way of impressing the older girl. However, when she falls for Bart’s school bully, Jimbo Jones, Bart sees how he can use the gag as a way to get even with Jimbo.

He calls Moe’s Tavern asking for a customer named “Amanda Huginkiss.” After calling the name out a few times, Moe laments, “Why can’t I find a man to hug and kiss?” Barney retorts, “Maybe your standards are too high.” Moe, as per usual, threatens Bart with violence only for Bart to claim his name is Jimbo and give the address where he can be found. Showing he really is dim, Moe triumphantly claims the prankster just made a big mistake, as if he gave out his name and address by accident.

1 I.P. Freely

Season 1, Episode 3, “Homer’s Odyssey”

Bart’prank calls names are now a beloved running gag, and it all started with the third episode of The Simpsons. Bart calls Moe’s Tavern and asks to speak to I.P. Freely. Bart’s use of this choice homophone (“I pee freely”) works out just as he planned, and an exacerbated Moe promises to exact revenge the next chance he gets. When Homer delivers the “you’ll get that punk someday” line he’s known for, Moe responds with, “He’s tough to catch. He keeps changing his name.”

From this scene, one of the most iconic quips from The Simpsons was born, making it an instant classic and something kind of historic for the series. It is also fun that the show establishes that this has already been going on for a long time with fans left to wonder just how early Bart began harassing Moe.