Pokey Mom

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The Simpsons episode
"Pokey Mom"

Episode no.	258
Prod. code	CABF05
Orig. Airdate	January 14, 2001
Show Runner(s)	Mike Scully
Written by	Tom Martin
Directed by	Bob Anderson
Chalkboard	"I will not 'let the dogs out'"
Couch gag	Once the family sits on the couch, it turns around and shows a Vincent Price-like scientist chain an upside-down Ned Flanders to the wall. The scientist laughs maniacally as Ned screams.
Guest star	Michael Keaton as Jack Crowley Charles Napier as The Warden Bruce Vilanch as himself Robert Schimmel as Prisoner
Season 12 November 1, 2000 – May 20, 2001
Treehouse of Horror XI A Tale of Two Springfields Insane Clown Poppy Lisa the Tree Hugger Homer vs. Dignity The Computer Wore Menace Shoes The Great Money Caper Skinner's Sense of Snow HOMR Pokey Mom Worst Episode Ever Tennis the Menace Day of the Jackanapes New Kids on the Blecch Hungry, Hungry Homer Bye Bye Nerdie Simpson Safari Trilogy of Error I'm Goin' to Praiseland Children of a Lesser Clod Simpsons Tall Tales
List of all Simpsons episodes...

"Pokey Mom" is the tenth episode of The Simpsons' twelfth season, aired on January 14, 2001.

1 Synopsis
2 Cultural references
3 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

When the family attends a prison rodeo, Marge meets Jack Crowley, a convict whom she believes to have some artistic potential. She sees his work and likes it. Marge later teaches a class on being an artist to the prisoners. Jack is up for parole and, with Marge's help, is granted parole. When Jack is looking for a job, Marge finds a mural-painting job at Springfield Elementary School. Jack paints an epic mural symbolizing school spirit, but Principal Skinner demands that he tone it down. After reluctantly giving into Skinner's wishes, he is criticized for doing a terrible job. He goes crazy and commits arson. Inevitably, Marge does not like Jack for lying to her as he returns to jail.

Meanwhile, Homer suffers from a back injury at the rodeo, and he sees a chiropractor. 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 destroys his garbage can.

[edit] Cultural references

Bob Dylan's song "Hurricane", about boxer and convict Rubin Carter, is obliquely referenced when the announcer at the at a prison rodeo 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 William Zantzinger, as musically chronicled in "The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll" back in 1964's The Times They Are a-Changin'.
Michael Keaton's vocal performance as Jack Crowley is similar to his portrayal of sociopathic convict Peter McCabe in the 1998 film Desperate Measures.
The name "Pokey Mom" is a tribute to the popular Japanese franchise "Pokémon", which is occasionally (intentionally or unintentionally) pronounced "Pokeymon" and sometimes misspelled as Pokémom.
Moe echoes the famous line from Chinatown as "Forget it Homer, it's Chirotown".