For decades the Simpson’s have been predicting the absurdities of life with amazing accuracy. From politics to technology, the show has foreseen the future with an astuteness that can be disconcerting. Here are the eight of the craziest instances of The Simpsons predicting the future.
1. Donald Trump Becomes President
The 2000 episode “Bart to the Future” sees Lisa referencing inheriting “quite a budget crunch from President Trump.”
At the time, it was a nothing more than a throwaway joke meant to underscore the absurdity of the situation. Cut to 2016, and the absurd has become real life. Even the show’s depiction of Trump descending an escalator mirrored real-life campaign footage.
2. Disney Buys 20th Century Fox
In the 1998 episode When You Dish Upon a Star, you’ll find a scene that features the 20th Century Fox logo with a sign reading A Division of Walt Disney Co.
Back then it seemed like just another clever jab at corporate monopolies. But by 2019, the deal was signed, and life imitated art.
3. Higgs Boson Discovery
In 1998, Homer briefly takes on the role of an inventor in the episode The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace. While working at a chalkboard, he writes an equation that some physicists have noted is uncomfortably close to the formula for the Higgs boson, a particle officially discovered in 2012.
Who knew Homer could dabble in theoretical physics between donuts? Youtube channel Full Fat Videos has a comprehensive explanation of this crazy prediction.
4. The Censorship of Michelangelo’s David
In the Itchy & Scratchy & Marge episode from 1990, the people of Springfield come together to censor Michelangelo’s famous statue of David to deem it inappropriate.
In 2016, what Springfield did as a joke came to life when a Russian protest sought to cover up the statue.
5. The FIFA Scandal
In the 2014 episode You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee, FIFA bigwigs get busted for corruption. Just one year later, in 2015, several top FIFA execs were indicted for a massive bribery scandal.
Additionally, the episode even predicted Germany winning the World Cup… also true.
6. Game of Thrones’ Infamous Finale
In the 2017 episode of The Serfsons, meant to be a parody of Game of Thrones, portrays a dragon burning down a whole village.
Two years later, GoT’s last season concluded with Daenerys doing that same thing to King’s Landing. Fans pretty much exploded with outrage, but maybe they should’ve foreseen the outcome.
7. Killer Bees
The 1993 Episode of Marge in Chains has a truck mishap sends a a swarm of killer bees into the streets of Springfield. The chaos that followed was comical gold, but it hit a little too close to home decades later.
In 2020, the invasive species known as Asian “murder hornets” electrified the media after first being found in the U.S. in Washington State in late 2019. The aggressive insects became a real worry as they allegedly started replicating and moving across the country, somehow matching the episode’s overall mood of swarming mayhem.
8. Siegfried & Roy Tiger Attack
The unmistakable parody was based on the Las Vegas legends Siegfried & Roy. Then, in 2003, Roy Horn suffered a nearly fatal mauling during a live show on his birthday, when their majestic white tiger attacked.
During the act, Anastasia recalls her capture from the jungle and turns on them in a sudden attack. Even though he survived, the injuries he sustained that evening pretty much put a permanent end to the duo’s record-setting run on the Las Vegas Strip.
The Yellow Crystal Ball
The Simpsons may not have a crystal ball, but its capacity to foretell the future nothing short of remarkable. There’s almost something poetic about a show based on humor and absurdity repeatedly landing so close to the truth. Whatever the cause, pay a little more attention to the next thing Homer does that’s just plain ridiculous or the next throwaway line you hear from Lisa. What seems improbable today could be tomorrow’s top news story. The question is: What else have they predicted that we have yet to realize? Best to keep watching—because if history is any indicator, Springfield is always a step ahead in knowing what’s next.
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