Moé (pronounced mo-EH) is a Japanese slang word originally referring to fetish for or sexual attraction to female characters in video games or anime and manga. For example, meganekko-moe, "glasses-girl moé", describes a person who is attracted to fictional girls with glasses.
I love moé. During my time as an anime fan I've been able to decide for myself what I like to see in an anime girl. All anime fans have at least a few things that they consider to be moé. Heck, even non-anime fans would develop some sort of attachment to moé. Even if they deny it, somewhere deep in their mind, they'll look at an animated girl every once in a while and think "Man, she's actually pretty hot". It plays a very important part in anime, and is the biggest driving force in anime today. Let's face it, moé sells. Like I said, I love it, but when moé detracts from the central theme of an anime, and people try to sprinkle it with pseudointellectual nonsense, I get annoyed.
Caught In The Act
The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya is the biggest culprit. Yes, that's right. I'm going to break it down into what it really is. Actually, it doesn't need much breaking down because anyone with a brain should see it for what it is. Don't get me wrong. I liked the series, but it was purely on a superficial level. It has its moments when it comes to comedy, the girls are cute and Kyon is a good character, but let's be realistic here. What else does it have to offer? A compelling story? Nope. There's not much of story to begin with, nevermind a compelling one. Haruhi tries to start a new club in her school, the members she recruits consist of an alien, a time traveller, an Esper and the main character, Kyon. They have these little adventures that basically serve no purpose other than to force you into watching the next episode. Except you're not getting the next episode. You're getting the second last episode, and then the third episode. Add this haphazard way of airing episodes to the incoherent ramblings of Yuki, Mikuru and Itsuki, and you'll see what I mean by the pseudointellectual mindset people get into when they watch it. Let's not forget the lack of character development, or the lack of interesting characters besides Kyon.
What About The Others?
Lucky Star, Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha, Zero no Tsukaima, Fate/Stay Night, Mahoromatic, DearS and Elfen Lied are just a drop in The Ocean of Moé. They're all good shows for what they are; fun and moé. However, people need to stop pretending they're something they're not. They are not clever. They are not great stories. The characters are not well developed or interesting. You may think I'm being harsh, but I'm willing to bet a lot of the creators of these types of shows think the same way. They know what the anime community wants, and they provide it. It's common sense and a good business sense.
There's Still Hope
As always, I'm of the opinion Full Metal Panic paves the way for everything that's good in anime. It is the standard that I set every other anime against. So far, only one anime has practically set the same standard, and that's Chobits. And you know what? They still have moé elements, but they do it right by providing enough fan-service, but still keep the viewer's mind preoccupied by more important things in the story. I don't want to put people off of watching purely moé anime, but I would be a lot happier if more people started to actually watch some anime as a legitimate form of art and entertainment, rather than just quick fix for entertainment or lust. Basically, just think about what you're watching and ask yourself, "Am I really enjoying this, or am I just wanting to enjoy this because of my moé preferences?".