Summary

  • Bart's prank calls to Moe's Tavern are a long-standing gag on The Simpsons, and they continue to be funny after more than 35 seasons.
  • Some of Bart's prank call names, like I.M.A. Wiener and Homer Sexual, have become iconic and earned big laughs from viewers.
  • The prank calls often result in Moe threatening Bart, but Bart always gets a good laugh and goes about his day.

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 Bart Simpson 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.

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15 I.M.A. Wiener

Season 22, Episode 17, "Love Is A Many Strangled Thing"

Bart prank texts Moe on The Simpsons

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 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 can't use his fingers that well and ends up donating to Haiti on accident.

14 Homer Sexual

Season 2, Episode 14, "Principal Charming"

Principal Skinner in The Simpsons

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.

13 Ollie Tabooger

Season 13, Episode 3, "Homer The Moe"

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. 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"

Bart and Stewie making prank calls in The Simpsons Family Guy crossover

While the Family Guy/The Simpsons crossover fell way short of its potential, it wasn't without its bright spots, one of them adding to the list of all the Bart Simpson prank calls. Another of these was Stewie growing attached to Bart and wanting 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. With Lisa and Maggie as his audience, Bart offers up "a little pre-dinner entertainment" as the phone rings. 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."

10 Seymour Butz

Season 2, Episode 11, "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish"

Bart and Lisa prank calling Moe on The Simpsons

By far, one of the most iconic Bart Simpson prank phone calls rears up very early on in The Simpsons. In season 2's "One Fish, Two Fish, Blowfish, Blue Fish," Bart calls for the whereabouts of Seymour Butz at Moe's Tavern. 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!"

9 Bea O'Problem

Season 3, Episode 11, "Burns Verkaufen Der Kraftwerk"

Bart prank calls Moe's Bea O'Problem

In "Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk" from season 3, Bart gets Moe good with one of the best Bart Simpson prank calls. 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!" When Bart hangs up, his mom Marge tells him to go to Moe's to find his father, leaving the jester with his own nervous body odor issues as he anticipates what Moe might do to him.

8 Al Coholic

Season 1, Episode 13, "Some Enchanted Evening"

Moe answering the phone on The Simpsons

"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 show 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?" Moe checks before realizing what's going on. "I hope you do find that punk someday, Moe," an oblivious Homer chirps from his bar stool.

7 Tess T. Culls

Season 29, Episode 9, "Gone Boy"

When Bart gets stuck in an underground bunker during season 29's 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"

Bart looking shocked on the phone in The Simpsons

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, which, of course, prompts Bart to ring up his favorite bartender for a gag. It doesn't go as planned, though. When Bart asks for Hugh Jass, it turns out there's a patron with that name in the bar. "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.

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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"

Bart prank calling Moe in 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.

4 Mike Rotch

Season 2, Episode 22, "Blood Feud"

Moe on the phone while his patrons talk The Simpsons

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.

3 Jacques Strap

Season 1, Episode 6, "Moaning Lisa"

Moe hanging up the phone while his patrons laugh The Simpsons

Bart's second-ever prank call name is one of the best Bart Simpson prank calls. In the episode "Moaning Lisa," young Bart's ritual is solidified for good when he calls the bar and 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. At the end of the day, "Jacques Strap" set the stage for all future Bart Simpson prank calls.

2 Amanda Huginkiss

Season 4, Episode 8, "New Kid On The Block"

A Man To Hug And Kiss Moe And Bart Simpson

Unlike most Bart Simpson prank calls, Bart uses this crank call in "New Kid On The Block" from season 4, the all-time best season of The Simpsons, as a way to embarrass Jimbo Jones in front of his girlfriend, Ruth Powers (who was also Bart's secret crush). Thus, 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 once he realizes he's been had: "You little S.O.B. If I find out who you are, I'm gonna shove a sausage down your throat and stick starving dogs in your butt!"

1 I.P. Freely

Season 1, Episode 3, "Homer's Odyssey"

The Bart Simpson 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.

  • MV5BYjFkMTlkYWUtZWFhNy00M2FmLThiOTYtYTRiYjVlZWYxNmJkXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNTAyODkwOQ@@._V1_
    The Simpsons
    Cast:
    Tress MacNeille, Julie Kavner, Harry Shearer, Pamela Hayden, Nancy Cartwright, Hank Azaria, Dan Castellaneta, Yeardley Smith
    Genres:
    Animation, Comedy
    Seasons:
    34
    Story By:
    Matt Groening and James L. Brooks
    Writers:
    Matt Groening, James L. Brooks, Sam Simon
    Franchise(s):
    The Simpsons
    Directors:
    David Silverman, Jim Reardon, Mark Kirkland
    Showrunner:
    Al Jean
    Release Date:
    1989-12-17
    Network:
    FOX