The
Simpsons is
well-known for portraying almost every institution and profession
through the years that It has been on air. In early 2001, the show
somewhat focused on the chiropractic industry in the episode “Pokey
Mom” (CABF05 for those who tend to refer to episodes as production
codes). For a short time, Homer becomes a chiropractor with the help
of his dented trash can he named the “Spine-O-Cylinder.” As far
as cartoon physics are concerned, it works.
However, mark a
chiropractor's words if he tells you that chiropractic care isn't as
simple as pushing you against a dented trash can. In fact, after the
episode was aired, the staff received a lot of flak from
chiropractors, primarily due to their portrayal in the episode.
Chiropractic experts Steven Passmore and Lorraine Kochanowski-Sutter,
in their two-part article on Canadian Chiropractic, explains that the
educated patients will get the joke of the episode. They know that
chiropractic care takes time.
Passmore and
Sutter pointed out that quick fixes such as Homer's Spine-O-Cylinder
can produce a flurry of negative side effects in the long run.
Perhaps, the ending of Pokey Mom was for the best. If you didn't
catch it, the Spine-O-Cylinder was destroyed beyond repair by fierce
competition. Homer's chiropractic practice came to an end after that.