As the title describes, I'm having a problem with a function running using the

$("element_name").on("change", some_function) 

event on a select when manually setting the element's value like

$("element_name").val("")

I read something about a "chosen" and I don't understand what that has anything to do with the issue.

Anybody know why the on.change() handler isn't catching the manual value change?

EDIT: I am including additional information as the solutions suggested do not work.

trigger("change"), bind("change", and on("change") do not work.

This is the code for the recreated select that controls the value setting:

(function($) {
    $.extend({
        fancySelect: function(options) {

            var defaults = {
                autoClose: true
            }

            var options =  $.extend(defaults, options);

            $("select").hide();
            $("select").each(function() {

                var $select = $(this);
                var $fancyselect = $('<div class="fancyselect"/>');
                $select.after($fancyselect);
                var $ul = $('<ul/>').appendTo($fancyselect);
                $ul.hide();

                var $options = $select.find("option");
                var $span = $("<div/>").addClass("fancyselect-label").prependTo($fancyselect);
                var $arrow = $("<div>&#x25BC;</div>").addClass("fancyselect-arrow").appendTo($fancyselect);

                var selected = $select.find("option[selected=selected]");
                var toUse = 0;
                if (selected.length == 0) {
                    toUse = $options.first();
                } else {
                    toUse = selected.first();
                }
                $span.text(toUse.text());

                $options.each(function() {
                    var $option = $(this);
                    var label = $option.text();
                    var value = $option.val();
                    if ($option.is(":selected")) {
                        $span.text(label);
                    }
                    var $li = $('<li value="' + value + '">' + label + '</li>').appendTo($ul).bind("click", function() {
                        $select.val(value);
                        if ($option.index() == $(this).index()) {
                            $options.removeAttr("selected");
                            $option.attr("selected", "selected");   
                        }
                        $span.html(label);
                        if (options.autoClose) {
                            $ul.hide();
                            $fancyselect.removeClass("active");
                        }
                        $ul.find("li").removeAttr("class");
                        $(this).addClass("selected");   
                    });
                    if ($option.is(":selected")) {
                        $li.addClass("selected");   
                    }
                });
                if (!$select.attr("disabled")) {
                    var $j = 0;
                    $span.bind("click", function() {
                        if ($ul.is(":visible")) {
                            $ul.hide();
                            $fancyselect.removeClass("active"); 
                            $arrow.html("&#x25BC;");
                        } else {
                            $(".fancyselect").each(function() {
                                $(this).find("ul").hide();
                                $(this).removeClass("active");
                            });
                            $ul.show(); 
                            $fancyselect.addClass("active");    
                            $arrow.html("&#x25BC;");
                            if ($j == 0) $ul.tinyScrollbar();
                            $j++;
                        }
                    });
                } else {
                    $fancyselect.addClass("disabled");  
                }
            });
            $(document).bind("keyup keydown keypress", function(event) {
                $(".fancyselect").each(function() {
                    var $ul = $(this).find("ul");
                    if ($ul.is(":visible")) {
                        var keycode = parseInt((event.keyCode ? event.keyCode : event.which));
                        if(keycode >= 48 && keycode <= 90){
                            $ul.find("li").each(function() {
                                if ($(this).text().substr(0, 1) == String.fromCharCode(event.keyCode)) {
                                    $ul.find("li").removeAttr("class");
                                    $(this).addClass("selected");   
                                    return;
                                }
                            });
                        } else if (keycode == 13) {
                            $ul.hide(); 
                        }
                        return;
                    }
                });
            });

        }
    });

})(jQuery);
$.fancySelect();

And this is the code for the binding:

$(".downloads-series-sort select").trigger("change", load_downloads);