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YouTube’s #1 Chiropractor, the Problem with ‘Maniac’ and the Dangerous Reality of Political…

YouTube’s #1 Chiropractor, the Problem with ‘Maniac’ and the Dangerous Reality of Political Fan Theories

I flippin’ love going to the chiropractor. Mine is called The Joint, which, right off the bat, you’re all like “lol.” There’s no appointments there either—I just mosey on over with my neck trauma and tell the person behind the counter I’d like “a sesh.” The doctor asks me what’s bothering me, I tell them, and then, the best part—they break my fucking neck!

How can you not get down with that? The whole thing takes 10 minutes, tops (15, if the doc tries to sell you a pack of 10 sessions like some sleazy cable telemarketer). Either way, bing-bang-boom, you’re fixed right then and there.

It’s no wonder why people are so jazzed to binge-watch a chiropractor do his thing on YouTube. The sight. The sound! I get it.

Get cracking on that story and everything else from today, below.

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The Unlikely YouTube Superstardom of Dr. Gregory Johnson, ‘Your Houston Chiropractor’
You might not think a chiropractor would be able to contend with the likes of Pewdiepie, the Slo Mo Guys and Screen Junkies, but that’s exactly what Dr. Gregory Johnson has done. Johnson, who kicks off each neck-cracking video with “Hi, this is your Houston Chiropractor,” (swoon) has racked up more than 170,000 subscribers who can’t take their eyes—and ears—off the good doctor and his patented adjustment, the “Ring Dinger.” READ MORE

A Critic On… ‘Maniac’

On what it is: “The new Netflix series Maniac, directed by True Detective’s Cary Joji Fukunaga, presents us with two characters (played by Jonah Hill and Emma Stone) waging a losing battle for mental wellness in a fascinating parallel reality.”

On the show being more spectacle than a serious take on mental health: “Unlike Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, which delved into its characters’ minds to examine their closely guarded shames and insecurities, Maniac is a grab bag of glib genre exercises.”

On treating its characters’ issues as nothing more than dramatic fodder: “At a time when society has become more open about how mental issues affect so many people, it would be nice if a show like Maniac used these challenges for more than a plot point.”

On Maniac’s soundtrack being as on-the-nose as Jared Leto-as-Joker’s ‘damaged’ tattoo in Suicide Squad: “Occasionally Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” — or the song it samples, Isaac Hayes’ “Hung Up on My Baby” — pops up on the soundtrack. Yeah, yeah, we get it: Maniac’s characters think their minds are playing tricks on them.”

Read the rest of Tim Grierson’s take on Maniac here — including why the Geto Boys’ “Mind Playing Tricks on Me” is still an incredible song; a reminder of how far Jonah Hill and Emma Stone have come from the Superbad days; and just how unsettling it would be to hire people to be your friends.

Role Reversal

Men: We’re a bunch of simpletons! We just want our girlfriends to A) tell us when they’re mad at us; B) compliment us when we’ve been good boys; and C) be on top every once in a while when we’re having sex because all that repetitive thrusting is making us tired. Oh yeah, and one more thing: Make our anxious lives that much easier and ask us if we want to marry you!

On a Reddit thread last week, a bunch of guys (and gals) recounted their reverse-marriage proposal experience. It’s as heartwarming as it is funny.

A Dangerous Game

Do you watch Westworld? Do you rely on fan theories to help explain what the hell is happening on that show? That’s a little like what’s happening in American politics right now, on both the left and the right:

The only difference, you see, is that when a bunch of internet sleuths conjure up the “shrink ray theory” to explain how hosts and guests enter Westworld, people don’t die. But that’s exactly what’s already happened in real life. And, as Miles Klee argues, will continue to happen if people on either side of the aisle create conspiracies where none exist.

Lawnmower Parents: A Definition

You’ve heard of the Helicopter Parent. You’ve probably even made a joke about how they’re ruining their kid’s life by being constantly overbearing. What you don’t know, is that there’s a less known, if not equally terrible, alternative to the helicopter parent—The Lawnmower Parent:

A style of childrearing where the parent, in effect, “mows down” any obstacles, issues or problems for their kid so they never have to deal with anything bad.

Sounds obnoxious, right? Just wait until you read about it in action.

Mamma Mia

Prego Traditional Pasta Sauce will never be confused with fat Clemenza’s mouth-watering red sauce in The Godfather—mostly because of how Clemenza pronounces his ingredients: Olive OYEL, GAH-lic, tomat-AHS, etc. But also because Prego’s version has a few extra ingredients:

Nothing really out of the ordinary here—except for a shit-load of salt and sugar—but you do have to wonder how much better (or worse) the Corleone capo’s red sauce would have been if he’d had access to some citric acid.

40-Hour Work Weeks Are For Sissies

Oh, are you tired from putting in your required 9-to-5? Elon Musk works 120 hours a week. That’s like, three times more hours than you. Personally, I call bullshit on that number, unless accusing dudes of being pedophiles on Twitter is “working.” But if it’s true, that’s a fuck-ton of hours—especially considering there’s only 168 total hours in a week, which means the Tesla and SpaceX CEO is working 17 out of 24 hours a day.

We spoke to a CEO who’s put in that amount of time for real—as well as a licensed therapist specializing in stress management in the workplace—about what that kind of work week does to a person.

School, King James-Style

Remember how LeBron James opened an Akron-area public school that promised to be, like, the coolest school ever? Eddie Kim spoke to James’ educational advisor about how it became the envy of educators throughout the country—and how James’ own experiences as a student inspired a lot of its curriculum and programs.