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| {{morefootnotes|date=October 2009}} | |||
| {{tooshort|date=October 2009}} | |||
| {{Infobox Simpsons episode | {{Infobox Simpsons episode | ||
| ⚫ | | season = 12 | ||
| |episode_name=Pokey Mom | |||
| | episode = 10 | |||
| |episode_no=258 | |||
| ⚫ | | director = ] | ||
| |prod_code=CABF05 | |||
| ⚫ | | writer = ] | ||
| |airdate=January 14, 2001 | |||
| | production = CABF05 | |||
| |show runner=] | |||
| | airdate = {{Start date|2001|01|14}} | |||
| ⚫ | |writer=] | ||
| | guests = * ] as Jack Crowley | |||
| ⚫ | |director=] | ||
| * ] as the warden | |||
| ⚫ | |blackboard="I will not |
||
| * ] as himself | |||
| ⚫ | |couch_gag=The Simpsons sit on the couch and the wall spins around |
||
| * ] as a prisoner | |||
| |guest_star=] as Jack Crowley<br>] as The Warden<br>] as himself<br>] as Prisoner | |||
| ⚫ | | blackboard = "I will not "]"" | ||
| ⚫ | |commentary=Mike Scully<br>]<br>Tom Martin<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>Bob Anderson<br>] | ||
| ⚫ | | couch_gag = The Simpsons sit on the couch and the wall spins around, revealing on the other side a cackling ] and a scared ] who is shackled upside-down. | ||
| ⚫ | | season |
||
| ⚫ | | commentary = Mike Scully<br>]<br>Tom Martin<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>]<br>Bob Anderson<br>] | ||
| | prev = ] | |||
| | next = ] | |||
| }} | }} | ||
| "'''Pokey Mom'''" is the tenth episode of the ] of the American animated television series '']''. It originally aired on the ] in the United States on January 14, 2001. In the episode, ] befriends Jack Crowley, a convict who she believes has some artistic potential. With Marge's help, Jack is granted ] and finds a mural-painting job at ]. Meanwhile, ] suffers from a back injury after being kicked by a bull at the prison rodeo and goes to see a ]. Despite this, his pain remains and it is not until he accidentally falls backwards onto a garbage can that his back injury disappears. Homer makes a successful business out of this injury-healing garbage can, much to the dismay of chiropractors in town. | |||
| The episode was written by ] and directed by ], and it features guest appearances from ] as Jack, ] as a ], ] as a prisoner, and ] as himself. The title "Pokey Mom" is a pun on the video game franchise ''"]"'' and the term "pokey", a nickname given to ]s, though it was noted that the episode name was chosen to attempt to cash in on the success of the ''Pokémon'' series.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} "Pokey Mom" has been met with generally negative reviews from critics, being described as bland and drawn out. The staff members of the series received complaints from chiropractors after it aired, and some chiropractors have characterized the portrayal of the profession in the episode as stereotypical. | |||
| "'''Pokey Mom'''" is the tenth episode of '']''<nowiki>'</nowiki> ], aired on January 14, 2001. | |||
| Around 8.79 million American homes tuned in to watch the episode during its original airing, and in 2009 it was released on DVD along with the rest of the episodes of the twelfth season. | |||
| ==Plot== | ==Plot== | ||
| The ] attends a prison ] where ] meets Jack Crowley, a convict whom she believes to have great artistic potential after becoming impressed with his work. She later teaches a class on being an artist to the prisoners and befriends Jack. With Marge's help, Jack is granted ] under her custody. Marge soon finds a mural-painting job at ] for him. Jack paints a powerful mural symbolizing school spirit with a warrior woman riding a puma, which the whole school likes, but ] demands he tone it down using his idea of a cartoonish puma walking with two children under a rainbow in a fantasy land. Jack reluctantly gives in to his wishes; however, upon its unveiling, the new mural is panned by everyone in town. Refusing to admit that he forced Jack to create it in the first place, Skinner instead blames Jack and fires him. | |||
| Sometime later, the mural is set on fire by a mystery ], and everyone manages to get a look at the real one. Everyone in the school assumes Jack did it to get back at Skinner. While the police are out searching for Jack, Marge finds him hiding in the school playground. He swears to her that he did not start the fire. Marge believes him and distracts Skinner and ] so he can escape, but he instead sets fire to Skinner's car and dances around it laughing maniacally, revealing his true nature. Jack is arrested and Marge, furious that he lied to her face, demands Wiggum to take him back to prison. | |||
| Meanwhile, Homer suffers from a back injury at the rodeo, and he sees a ]. He reveals that he can solve his back problems with the garbage can; therefore, he names it "Dr. Homer's Miracle Spine-o-Cylinder", and makes a business out of it. It turns out be successful until the other chiropractors denounce it and destroy it. | |||
| Meanwhile, ] suffers a back injury by a bull from the rodeo and sees a ], but does not follow his instructions. Later, Homer falls backward onto a malformed garbage can at home and discovers that it solved his back problems. He makes a business out of his discovery, which proves to be a successful method of solving problems with pain, causing the chiropractic business to decline. Eventually, two chiropractors disguised as investors trick Homer and destroy the garbage can at the Simpsons' home. | |||
| ==Cultural references== | |||
| *The name "Pokey Mom" is a double play on words. Firstly a tribute to the popular Japanese franchise '']'', which is occasionally (intentionally or unintentionally) pronounced "Pokeymon" and sometimes misspelled as Poké'''mom'''<ref>This can be readily confirmed by or the web in general.</ref>, it also references the colloquialism "pokey" used to refer to prisons. | |||
| ==Production and cultural references== | |||
| *]'s song "]", about boxer and convict ], is obliquely referenced when the announcer at a ] ] says of Crowley that he is so vile "Bob Dylan wrote a song to keep him ''in'' prison!". Ironically, this statement also recalls Dylan's take on ], as musically chronicled in "]" back in ]'s '']''. | |||
| ] guest-starred in the episode as Jack Crowley.]] | |||
| *The crazy prisoner painting the picture of a judge being murdered was named Sardonicus. This could be a reference to the film ''Mr. Sardonicus'', where the title character's face was frozen in a ghastly smile, much like the one the prisoner had on his face throughout his entire scene. | |||
| *Jack's painting of a man with wings flying away, which he names "A Time to Kill," is likely a reference to the character ], whose father, ], fashioned him a pair of ] and feather wings to aid his escape of King ]' prison. Marge comments on the painting, stating that she sees a man yearning for freedom. | |||
| "Pokey Mom" was written by ] and directed by ] as part of the twelfth season of ''The Simpsons'' (2000–2001).<ref name="Martin">Martin, Tom (2009). ''The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season'' DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.</ref> In its first draft on February 4, 2000, it was originally called "Marge Knows Why the Jailbird Paints."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/simpsons-1st-draft-script-pokey-mom-2012550200|title=RARE THE SIMPSONS 1ST DRAFT SCRIPT FOR POKEY MOM EPISODE MICHAEL KEATON 2000|publisher=WorthPoint|access-date=July 5, 2024}}</ref> According to then-] ], the story of this episode originated from the fact that the staff members of ''The Simpsons'' wanted to do an episode about Marge but felt they did not want it to revolve around her getting a new job, as that had been seen on the show "too often". They decided to explore one of Marge's attributes that had been seen in earlier episodes, eventually choosing her interest in art.<ref name="Scully"/> Martin conceived of the sub-plot surrounding Homer following a visit to a chiropractor.<ref name="Martin"/> He has said that the "heart" of that story is that the chiropractors in Springfield become opposed to Homer's method of healing people and try to stop it after losing business, in reference to how chiropractors in real-life "are a bit hated by the AMA (])" and how the AMA has tried to restrict their businesses in the past.<ref name="Martin"/> Martin has also noted that the episode shows how "a lot of chiropractors are these great healers and they do great work, and then there's some that are crooked."<ref name="Martin"/> | |||
| *Michael Keaton's vocal performance as Jack Crowley is similar to his portrayal of ] convict Peter McCabe in the ] film '']''. | |||
| *Moe echoes the famous line from '']'' as "Forget it Homer, it's Chirotown". | |||
| Several famous Americans made guest appearances in the episode. Actor ] guest-starred as Jack Crowley, while stand-up comedian ] appeared as a prisoner in Marge's art class that wants to smell her clothes.<ref name="Scully"/> Actor ] voiced the ] that ] the rodeo at the prison and later grants Jack his parole.<ref name="Scully">Scully, Mike (2009). ''The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season'' DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.</ref> Comedy writer and actor ] guest-starred in the episode as himself at the unveiling of Jack's mural painting.<ref name="Castellanetta">Castellaneta, Dan (2009). ''The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season'' DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.</ref><ref name=McEntire>{{cite web|last=McEntire |first=Mac |title=Buy The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season at Amazon The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season |url=http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsons12.php |publisher=] |access-date=2011-11-01 |date=2009-09-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103131117/http://www.dvdverdict.com/reviews/simpsons12.php |archive-date=2011-11-03 }}</ref> There, Principal Skinner jokes to the audience that "when ] suggested a school mural, I almost thought he said a 'school Muriel'," referencing Chalmers' sister Muriel. When no one laughs at his joke and the audience is dead silent, Skinner sarcastically says "Well, thank you, Bruce Vilanch," to which Vilanch replies "Whoopi would've made it work." This is a reference to the fact that Vilanch has written comedy material for actress ].<ref name="Scully"/> ] line "forget it Homer, it's chirotown" after Homer's business is destroyed is a reference to the film ''].'' | |||
| *The prison rodeo at the beginning of the episode is a parody of the Huntsville Prison Rodeo, that took place in Huntsville, Texas from the years of 1931-1986. Inmates would participate in typical rodeo fare such as bareback and saddle bronco riding and bull riding. The rodeo drew huge crowds and was a boost to the local business economy. It was finally shut due to lack of funds for repairs. | |||
| *The cell block Marge enters is a lookalike as the same cell block that features in australian cult soap ]. | |||
| ==Release== | |||
| The episode originally aired on the ] in the United States on January 14, 2001.<ref name=Jacobson>{{cite web|last=Jacobson|first=Colin|title=The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season (1999)|url=http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasontwelve.shtml|publisher=DVD Movie Guide|access-date=2011-11-01|date=2009-09-02|archive-date=November 3, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111103131030/http://www.dvdmg.com/simpsonsseasontwelve.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Alberti>{{cite book|last=Alberti|first=John|title=Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture|year=2004|publisher=Wayne State University Press|isbn=978-0-8143-2849-1|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/leavingspringfie00albe|url-access=registration|quote=season 12 (2000.}}</ref> It was viewed in approximately 8.79 million households that night. With a ] of 8.6, "Pokey Mom" tied with an episode of '']'' for the 38th place in the ratings for the week of January 8–14, 2001. It was the third-highest-rated broadcast on Fox that week, following episodes of '']'' and '']''.<ref name=ratings>{{cite news|last=Associated Press|author-link=Associated Press|title=Network television ratings|newspaper=]|date=2001-01-18|page=A14}}</ref> On August 18, 2009, "Pokey Mom" was released on DVD as part of the box set ''The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season''. Staff members Tom Martin, Bob Anderson, Mike Scully, ], ], ], ], and ], as well as cast members ] and ], participated in the DVD ] for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included on the box set.<ref name="tvshowsondvd">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Simpsons-Season-12/11928|title=The Simpsons - Season 12 Street Date, Detailed Contents & 'Comic Book Guy Head' Box|date=2009-05-20|access-date=2011-11-01|last=Lambert|first=David|publisher=]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522020622/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Simpsons-Season-12/11928|archive-date=2009-05-22}}</ref> | |||
| ===Self-references=== | |||
| *When Homer is dangling Lisa in front of the bull, he looks for a blue object to calm it down. Looking to Bart he asks, "Hey, where's your blue shirt?". This is a reference to the official Simpsons line of action figures and other Simpsons merchandise, where Bart often sports a blue shirt. | |||
| ⚫ | ===Reception=== | ||
| *Marge looks out of the kitchen window to view a building twice in the episode; once for the prison and once for ], both in the same place. This is a joke on the fact that in cartoons, several places, buildings and such move around to a different place frequently, and in the show, the features do move around from episode. An example is ] being down the road from the Simpson's home in "]", while in some episodes it is several streets away. | |||
| *] is shown in the prison infirmary wearing a headcast from the neck up. Later on in the episode Marge tells Bart that Sideshow Bob said he would be seeing him very soon and Bart just laughs it off and says "Oh, that Bob." He would in fact encounter him again in ]. | |||
| Critics have given "Pokey Mom" generally negative reviews. Nancy Basile of ] said she "loathed" it.<ref name=Basile>{{cite web|last=Basile|first=Nancy|title='The Simpsons' Season 12 Review|url=http://animatedtv.about.com/od/episodeguides/a/simpseas12rev.htm|publisher=]|access-date=2011-11-01|archive-date=2011-11-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111105020508/http://animatedtv.about.com/od/episodeguides/a/simpseas12rev.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented that "Other than a nice guest turn from Michael Keaton, 'Mom' doesn’t do much to stand out from the crowd. Oh, like much of Season 12, it keeps us interested, but that’s not exactly a strong endorsement. 'Mom' provides a watchable show but nothing more."<ref name=Jacobson/> Den of Geek critic Matt Haigh wrote that the episode "starts well, but begins to feel tired and drawn out, and there just doesn't seem to be much of a story there."<ref name=Haigh>{{cite web|last=Haigh|first=Matt|title=The Simpsons Season 12 DVD review|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-simpsons-season-12-dvd-review/|publisher=Den of Geek|access-date=2022-01-24|date=2009-10-01|archive-date=January 4, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104083511/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/the-simpsons-season-12-dvd-review/|url-status=live}}</ref> | |||
| Following the original broadcast of the episode, the staff members of the series received several complaints from chiropractors.<ref name="Payne">Payne, Don (2009). ''The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season'' DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.</ref> The February 26, 2001 issue of the magazine '']'' featured an article about the episode that noted: " has poked fun at numerous people, and about every institution and profession imaginable. On January 17, it was chiropractic's turn."<ref name=dynamic>{{cite journal|journal=]|date=2001-02-26|volume=19|title=TV's Homer Simpson Gets a Chiropractic Referral|issue=5|url=http://www.atpracticeinsights.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?t=12&id=17925&no_paginate=true&p_friendly=true&no_b=true|access-date=2012-06-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130117083330/http://www.atpracticeinsights.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?t=12&id=17925&no_paginate=true&p_friendly=true&no_b=true|archive-date=2013-01-17}}</ref> In an article of the magazine ''Canadian Chiropractor'', Steven R. Passmore (], ]) and Lorraine Kochanowski-Sutter (D.C.) analyzed the portrayal of chiropractors in the media. They gave "Pokey Mom" as an example of how "chiropractors on sitcoms pok fun at themselves as they prescribe the duration of a course of care. Dr. Steve on The Simpsons corroborates this stereotype when telling Homer that he will need to see him 'three times a week for many years.'"<ref name="canadian">{{cite web|title=The Message in the Media: Part 2|last=Passmore|first=Steven R.|author2=Kochanowski-Sutter, Lorraine|publisher=Canadian Chiropractor|url=http://www.canadianchiropractor.ca/content/view/863/38/|access-date=2011-11-17|archive-date=2008-04-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080414211611/http://www.canadianchiropractor.ca/content/view/863/38/|url-status=dead}}</ref> Passmore and Kochanowski-Sutter also noted that in the episode "we see a ] on the wall behind Dr. Steve as he treats Homer. This strategically placed decoration could suggest that the chiropractor is in touch with native and/or natural healing, or it could be a jab at the field’s more esoteric practitioners."<ref name="canadian"/> | |||
| ⚫ | ==Reception== | ||
| This episode was criticized in the ''Canadian Chiropractor'' newsletter for promoting "amateur joint adjustment" and negative stereotypes of chiropractors.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Message in the Media: Part 2|last=Passmore, DC, MS|first=Steven R.|coauthors=Lorraine Kochanowski-Sutter, DC|publisher=''Canadian Chiropractor''|url=http://www.canadianchiropractor.ca/content/view/863/38/|accessdate=2008-11-17}}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{Reflist}} | {{Reflist|2}} | ||
| ==External links== |
==External links== | ||
| {{ |
{{Wikiquote|The_Simpsons/Season_12#Pokey_Mom|"Pokey Mom"}} | ||
| {{Portal|The Simpsons |
{{Portal|The Simpsons}} | ||
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*{{Snpp capsule|CABF05}} | ||
| *{{ |
*{{IMDb episode|id=0701197}} | ||
| {{The Simpsons episodes|12}} | |||
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Latest revision as of 19:33, 27 December 2024
10th episode of the 12th season of The Simpsons
| "Pokey Mom" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| The Simpsons episode | |||
| Episode no. | Season 12 Episode 10 | ||
| Directed by | Bob Anderson | ||
| Written by | Tom Martin | ||
| Production code | CABF05 | ||
| Original air date | January 14, 2001 (2001-01-14) | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
| |||
| Episode features | |||
| Chalkboard gag | "I will not "let the dogs out"" | ||
| Couch gag | The Simpsons sit on the couch and the wall spins around, revealing on the other side a cackling Vincent Price and a scared Ned Flanders who is shackled upside-down. | ||
| Commentary | Mike Scully Ian Maxtone-Graham Tom Martin John Frink Don Payne Matt Selman Dan Castellaneta Joe Mantegna Bob Anderson Joel H. Cohen | ||
| Episode chronology | |||
| |||
| The Simpsons season 12 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Pokey Mom" is the tenth episode of the twelfth season of the American animated television series The Simpsons. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 14, 2001. In the episode, Marge befriends Jack Crowley, a convict who she believes has some artistic potential. With Marge's help, Jack is granted parole and finds a mural-painting job at Springfield Elementary School. Meanwhile, Homer suffers from a back injury after being kicked by a bull at the prison rodeo and goes to see a chiropractor. Despite this, his pain remains and it is not until he accidentally falls backwards onto a garbage can that his back injury disappears. Homer makes a successful business out of this injury-healing garbage can, much to the dismay of chiropractors in town.
The episode was written by Tom Martin and directed by Bob Anderson, and it features guest appearances from Michael Keaton as Jack, Charles Napier as a prison warden, Robert Schimmel as a prisoner, and Bruce Vilanch as himself. The title "Pokey Mom" is a pun on the video game franchise "Pokémon" and the term "pokey", a nickname given to prisons, though it was noted that the episode name was chosen to attempt to cash in on the success of the Pokémon series. "Pokey Mom" has been met with generally negative reviews from critics, being described as bland and drawn out. The staff members of the series received complaints from chiropractors after it aired, and some chiropractors have characterized the portrayal of the profession in the episode as stereotypical.
Around 8.79 million American homes tuned in to watch the episode during its original airing, and in 2009 it was released on DVD along with the rest of the episodes of the twelfth season.
Plot
The Simpson family attends a prison rodeo where Marge meets Jack Crowley, a convict whom she believes to have great artistic potential after becoming impressed with his work. She later teaches a class on being an artist to the prisoners and befriends Jack. With Marge's help, Jack is granted parole under her custody. Marge soon finds a mural-painting job at Springfield Elementary School for him. Jack paints a powerful mural symbolizing school spirit with a warrior woman riding a puma, which the whole school likes, but Principal Skinner demands he tone it down using his idea of a cartoonish puma walking with two children under a rainbow in a fantasy land. Jack reluctantly gives in to his wishes; however, upon its unveiling, the new mural is panned by everyone in town. Refusing to admit that he forced Jack to create it in the first place, Skinner instead blames Jack and fires him.
Sometime later, the mural is set on fire by a mystery arsonist, and everyone manages to get a look at the real one. Everyone in the school assumes Jack did it to get back at Skinner. While the police are out searching for Jack, Marge finds him hiding in the school playground. He swears to her that he did not start the fire. Marge believes him and distracts Skinner and Chief Wiggum so he can escape, but he instead sets fire to Skinner's car and dances around it laughing maniacally, revealing his true nature. Jack is arrested and Marge, furious that he lied to her face, demands Wiggum to take him back to prison.
Meanwhile, Homer suffers a back injury by a bull from the rodeo and sees a chiropractor, but does not follow his instructions. Later, Homer falls backward onto a malformed garbage can at home and discovers that it solved his back problems. He makes a business out of his discovery, which proves to be a successful method of solving problems with pain, causing the chiropractic business to decline. Eventually, two chiropractors disguised as investors trick Homer and destroy the garbage can at the Simpsons' home.
Production and cultural references
"Pokey Mom" was written by Tom Martin and directed by Bob Anderson as part of the twelfth season of The Simpsons (2000–2001). In its first draft on February 4, 2000, it was originally called "Marge Knows Why the Jailbird Paints." According to then-showrunner Mike Scully, the story of this episode originated from the fact that the staff members of The Simpsons wanted to do an episode about Marge but felt they did not want it to revolve around her getting a new job, as that had been seen on the show "too often". They decided to explore one of Marge's attributes that had been seen in earlier episodes, eventually choosing her interest in art. Martin conceived of the sub-plot surrounding Homer following a visit to a chiropractor. He has said that the "heart" of that story is that the chiropractors in Springfield become opposed to Homer's method of healing people and try to stop it after losing business, in reference to how chiropractors in real-life "are a bit hated by the AMA (American Medical Association)" and how the AMA has tried to restrict their businesses in the past. Martin has also noted that the episode shows how "a lot of chiropractors are these great healers and they do great work, and then there's some that are crooked."
Several famous Americans made guest appearances in the episode. Actor Michael Keaton guest-starred as Jack Crowley, while stand-up comedian Robert Schimmel appeared as a prisoner in Marge's art class that wants to smell her clothes. Actor Charles Napier voiced the prison warden that commentates the rodeo at the prison and later grants Jack his parole. Comedy writer and actor Bruce Vilanch guest-starred in the episode as himself at the unveiling of Jack's mural painting. There, Principal Skinner jokes to the audience that "when Superintendent Chalmers suggested a school mural, I almost thought he said a 'school Muriel'," referencing Chalmers' sister Muriel. When no one laughs at his joke and the audience is dead silent, Skinner sarcastically says "Well, thank you, Bruce Vilanch," to which Vilanch replies "Whoopi would've made it work." This is a reference to the fact that Vilanch has written comedy material for actress Whoopi Goldberg. Moe's line "forget it Homer, it's chirotown" after Homer's business is destroyed is a reference to the film Chinatown.
Release
The episode originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 14, 2001. It was viewed in approximately 8.79 million households that night. With a Nielsen rating of 8.6, "Pokey Mom" tied with an episode of 60 Minutes for the 38th place in the ratings for the week of January 8–14, 2001. It was the third-highest-rated broadcast on Fox that week, following episodes of Temptation Island and Boston Public. On August 18, 2009, "Pokey Mom" was released on DVD as part of the box set The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season. Staff members Tom Martin, Bob Anderson, Mike Scully, Ian Maxtone-Graham, John Frink, Don Payne, Matt Selman, and Joel H. Cohen, as well as cast members Dan Castellaneta and Joe Mantegna, participated in the DVD audio commentary for the episode. Deleted scenes from the episode were also included on the box set.
Reception
Critics have given "Pokey Mom" generally negative reviews. Nancy Basile of About.com said she "loathed" it. DVD Movie Guide's Colin Jacobson commented that "Other than a nice guest turn from Michael Keaton, 'Mom' doesn’t do much to stand out from the crowd. Oh, like much of Season 12, it keeps us interested, but that’s not exactly a strong endorsement. 'Mom' provides a watchable show but nothing more." Den of Geek critic Matt Haigh wrote that the episode "starts well, but begins to feel tired and drawn out, and there just doesn't seem to be much of a story there."
Following the original broadcast of the episode, the staff members of the series received several complaints from chiropractors. The February 26, 2001 issue of the magazine Dynamic Chiropractic featured an article about the episode that noted: " has poked fun at numerous people, and about every institution and profession imaginable. On January 17, it was chiropractic's turn." In an article of the magazine Canadian Chiropractor, Steven R. Passmore (D.C., M.S.) and Lorraine Kochanowski-Sutter (D.C.) analyzed the portrayal of chiropractors in the media. They gave "Pokey Mom" as an example of how "chiropractors on sitcoms pok fun at themselves as they prescribe the duration of a course of care. Dr. Steve on The Simpsons corroborates this stereotype when telling Homer that he will need to see him 'three times a week for many years.'" Passmore and Kochanowski-Sutter also noted that in the episode "we see a dreamcatcher on the wall behind Dr. Steve as he treats Homer. This strategically placed decoration could suggest that the chiropractor is in touch with native and/or natural healing, or it could be a jab at the field’s more esoteric practitioners."
References
- ^ Martin, Tom (2009). The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.
- "RARE THE SIMPSONS 1ST DRAFT SCRIPT FOR POKEY MOM EPISODE MICHAEL KEATON 2000". WorthPoint. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
- ^ Scully, Mike (2009). The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.
- Castellaneta, Dan (2009). The Simpsons – The Complete Twelfth Season DVD commentary for the episode "Pokey Mom". 20th Century Fox.
- McEntire, Mac (September 9, 2009). "Buy The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season at Amazon The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
- ^ Jacobson, Colin (September 2, 2009). "The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season (1999)". DVD Movie Guide. Archived from the original on November 3, 2011. Retrieved November 1, 2011.
- Alberti, John (2004). Leaving Springfield: The Simpsons and the Possibility of Oppositional Culture. Wayne State University Press. p. 324. ISBN 978-0-8143-2849-1.
season 12 (2000.
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