The Dark Simpsons Theory That Has Fans Looking Twice At Moe
"The Simpsons" is one of the longest-running television shows in history, and has featured a sprawling cast over its three-decade-plus run. The show has earned an impressive 338 nominations and 178 wins (via IMDb), and the series has already been renewed for two more seasons (via Deadline). Besides the famous Simpsons family, the show also hosts tons of colorful secondary characters like a Jewish clown, a clueless and laughingly ignorant child, and a megalomaniac businessman. One of the most enduring characters, for better or worse, is Moammar Morris "Moe" Szyslak (voiced by Hank Azaria).
Owner and proprietor of Moe's Tavern, Moe is a depressing combination of relentless despair, gullibility, and explosive and expletive-filled anger. Providing alcoholic beverages to Homer (Dan Castellaneta) and his friends while at the same time falling for Bart's (Nancy Cartwright) prank calls, Moe is known for his unhappy demeanor and overtures of suicide, but a dark fan theory may cast him in an even grimmer light.
Moe dies by suicide, but there is always another to replace him
On the ever-popular r/FanTheories on Reddit, fans gathered to discuss a potentially macabre theory regarding the previously mentioned tavern owner Moe. The theory is that he is actually successful in his suicide attempts, but there is always another Moe to take his place. This is based on the above picture, where you can see two different Moes -– one is addressing the crowd, while the other is off to the left.
Redditor u/jax9999 said of the theory, "Moe isn't a person, Moe is a role, like Santa Clause [sic]. When a person's life reaches a certain level of suckiness, he turns into a Moe. There can be multiple Moes at once, but that never lasts long because they frequently commit suicide." This caused several users to make puns regarding Moe's name like "Moe Moes, Moe problems," but u/leftshoe18 pointed out that the double Moes was actually listed as an animation mistake for the episode in question, "White Christmas Blues." Either way, considering the wide berth "The Simpsons" have carved out over its long tenure, it wouldn't be a far cry to have clones, an inherited persona, or a "The Prestige"-like plot involving Moe Szyslak.
If you or anyone you know is having suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).