10 Ways The Simpsons Changed The World
7. Homer At The Bat Has Saved Lives
Although angry groups complained about The Simpsons being crude or daring to parody subjects that were usually off-limits, it was also celebrated during its early days as being educational. Homages to films as well as literary works - such as Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven - were lauded, and so too was its realistic reflection of everyday American life.
Season 3's Homer at the Bat is remembered more for its catchy Talkin' Softball parody credits theme and its oddly star-studded cast, but its biggest contribution is in the show's opening moments.
Homer's propensity for scoffing donuts leads him to choke while his colleagues at the plant stand-around arguing about what they should do to help. Lenny exclaims "look at this", appearing to point to a poster labelled "Heimlich maneuver" with a pretty clear demonstrating of what it is and what it's for - the gag being he's looked right past this, distracted by a sign-up sheet for the company softball team.
What's remarkable is this one simple visual gag is responsible for preventing two deaths. In May 1992, three months after it aired, Chris Bencze saved his brother's life having watched the episode. This also, quite remarkably, happened again 15 years later when 10-year old Aiden Bateman saved a friend in 2007 after the joke, in his words, "came into my head and I just did it"'.