Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe

Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe is the sixteenth episode of Season 20 and the four-hundred and thirty-sixth episode overall.
== Synopsis ==
Moe develops an Internet relationship with a beautiful woman named Maya. When the two agree to meet face to face, Moe is surprised to discover that Maya's only three feet tall. Meanwhile, Marge wants Homer to spend more time with Maggie. Homer obliges and finds himself in luck when he discovers a playground right next to Moe's Tavern.
== Full Story ==
Homer attempts to spend more time with Maggie but just winds up bringing her to Moe's Tavern. While there, Homer finds Moe cleaning up the bar for a date, and while scrubbing a wall, he exposes a window, previously obscured by layers of grime. Looking through, the two notice a playground next door to the tavern, which delights Homer, since it means he can watch Maggie without leaving the bar. Homer sends Maggie to play with the other babies outside, but they don't seem to like her much, and begin cruelly bullying her.
Marge notices Maggie is uncomfortable when she returns home one day, and becomes worries Homer is neglecting her. After watching a commercial about a tiny surveillance camera, Marge purchases a one and hides it in Maggie's bow. Looking at the recording later, Marge is initially shocked to see Maggie being tormented by the other babies, but is relieved once she sees Homer rush to Maggie's rescue. Unfortunately, Homer is then in turn beaten up by the largest of the babies (who appears to be Kearney's son). Maggie comes to Homer's rescue by punching the bully baby away and a relieved Homer delivers a sweet speech about how much he loves his family. Moved to tears by the tape, Marge tells Homer that he is a wonderful father, and her suspicions are put to rest.
Meanwhile, Moe's date, named Maya — whom he met over the internet — is very beautiful, but turns out to be just three feet tall. They hit it off, and after a few dates seem to be falling in love, but More worries what his usually boorish friends will think about him dating a little person.
Moe takes Maya on a double date with Marge and Homer, neither of whom seem to care that she is small. Homer, seeing Maya's intelligence and sensitivity, suggests Moe marry her. 
One night, when Maya brings Moe back to her place, Moe proposes, but during his speech he can't seem to stop making insensitive jokes about her height. Insulted, she rejects him. Crushed by grief, Moe consults the advice of Lenny and Carl, who advise him to do something risky to win Maya back. Moe plans to have surgery to become shorter, and Dr. Nick Riviera agrees to do the operation. Maya stops Moe just before the surgery, as she wants someone who sees her as "beautiful" not "short," and who doesn't need to cut himself down to her size in order to love her. Moe, intent on having the surgery, does not take heed of Maya, and she leaves him for good.
Moe is once again depressed, but Homer tells Moe to remember that if someone loved him once, someone can love him again. As the episode finishes, Moe sweetly ponders a picture of him and Maya together during happier times, and agrees he was better man for having known her.
==Reception==
The episode has received mostly positive reviews from television critics since its airing. A reviewer of IGN.com gave the episode a 7.6/10 and said when Homer consoled Moe about Maya breaking up with him, it was "a sweet way to end this enjoyable episode". Erich Asperschlager of TV Verdict wrote: "Spending too much time away from the family has always been tricky for The Simpsons. Letting minor characters shine can be fun, but let’s face it: people tune in to watch the Simpsons, not the Szyslaks, or the Flanderses, or the Leonard-Carlsons. Then again, spending too much time with the family can be exhausting. This week, The Simpsons hit a nice middle ground, spending most of the episode on Moe’s short-lived relationship but backing it up with a Homer-Maggie-Marge B-plot. Neither story soared to great heights, but 'Eeny Teeny Maya Moe' was a solid entry in a (thus far) solid season."
Hank Azaria had received a nomination for a 2009 Primetime Emmy Award for this episode, but lost to fellow cast member Dan Castellaneta for his performance in "Father Knows Worst".
John Frink was nominated for a Writers Guild of America award in the animation category in 2010 for writing the episode. However, he lost to crewmember Joel H. Cohen for writing the episode "Wedding for Disaster".
As of March 2022, the episode has a rating of 7.2/10 on IMDb.
== Citations ==
fr:Mini Minette Maya Moe
pl:Eeny Teeny Maya, Moe
pt:Moe e Maya pequeninos
Category:Moe episodes
Category:WGA Award nominated episodes
Category:Romance-themed Episodes
Category:Maggie episodes
Category:Episodes named after a character
Category:Episodes named after Moe
Category:Homer episodes
Category:Directed by Nancy Kruse
Category:Written by John Frink
Category:Episodes where the Crazy Cat Lady speaks English