“The Simpsons” is a famous TV show that has been around for a long time. It’s known for making people laugh and showing life in a funny way. But there’s something special about this show: This show has a track record of making accurate “The Simpsons predictions” about the future.
From new inventions to big news events, “The Simpsons” has been right about things no one expected. We’re about to dive into 20 astonishing “The Simpsons predictions” that turned out to be true. Prepare to be surprised as we reveal how this cartoon has given us a sneak peek into real-world events before they ever unfolded!
1. Legal Reeferino in Canada
Season 16, Episode 6 (2005)
In a 2005 episode named “Midnight Rx,” Ned Flanders finds himself on an unexpected journey with Homer and Grampa to Canada, in search of affordable medicine. There, Ned bumps into a Canadian version of himself and is taken aback when he’s casually offered marijuana, which is perfectly legal in that country.
Remarkably, in 2018, Canada made headlines by legalizing recreational marijuana use, a move that “The Simpsons” had playfully anticipated thirteen years earlier.
Even though it’s not likely that Ned would join Homer and Grampa for such an endeavor again, this episode stands as a testament to the show’s remarkable foresight.
2. Tom Hanks Endorses the US
‘The Simpsons Movie’ (2007)
In The Simpsons Movie (2007), actor Tom Hanks made a cameo appearance during a commercial scene that the Simpsons were watching. During the commercial, a father took his two children to see the Grand Canyon, but his daughter was unimpressed by the landmark and requested for there to be a new Grand Canyon.
Next, Hanks enters the scene stating that the “US government lost its credibility, so it’s borrowing some of mine.”
In 2022, one year after President Joe Biden’s presidency, Hanks appeared in the commercial stating the Americans’ determination as they endured economic hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The video focused on America’s theme of rebuilding its economy and highlighting the successes of Biden’s administration so far.
3. Murder Hornets
Season 4, Episode 21 (1993)
In the same show where “The Simpsons” guessed a worldwide sickness, they also hinted at a different kind of trouble. In the episode “Marge in Chains,” there’s a funny part where everyone is so desperate to feel better that they’ll believe anything will help—even if it’s just a sugar pill, which is what a placebo is.
They think they find what they’re looking for in a truck, but when they tip it over, a bunch of angry bees fly out instead.
This was another strange moment where the show seemed to see the future. Around the time when everyone was talking about COVID-19, there were also news stories about the Asian Giant Hornet showing up in the U.S. These hornets are really bad news for bees because they can wipe out whole hives.
4. A Pandemic
Season 4, Episode 21 (1993)
In 1993, “The Simpsons” showcased an episode titled “Marge in Chains,” which would later be added to the list of uncanny “Simpsons predictions.” In the storyline, Marge is arrested for shoplifting, and while she’s in jail, the town of Springfield is hit by the Osaka Flu.
The flu caused a pandemic in the town, eerily similar to the COVID-19 crisis that the world experienced decades later.
This episode didn’t just parallel the global pandemic by featuring an illness that traveled from another country to the U.S., but it also captured the initial lack of treatment.
The town’s doctor advises rest, mirroring the early advice given during the COVID-19 outbreak when a vaccine was still in development. This is yet another example of one of the Simpsons predictions that came true.
5. Matrix 4 Premiere
Season 15, Episode 14 (2004)
In a 2004 episode named “The Ziff Who Came to Dinner,” there was a small detail that turned out to be one of those “Simpsons predictions” people talk about. Behind Homer, there was a joke movie poster for “A Matrix Christmas” with Neo wearing a Santa hat.
Back then, the last “Matrix” movie had just come out, and no one thought there would be another one. But in a fun twist that fits right in with other “Simpsons predictions,” a new “Matrix” movie did come out many years later, right around Christmas in 2021. It was called “The Matrix Resurrections” and was released on December 22, 2021.
Even though the new movie wasn’t about Christmas and Neo didn’t wear a Santa hat, the show’s playful guess was close to what really happened. It’s another cool way “The Simpsons” has shown it can predict things that haven’t happened yet.
6. FaceTime
Season 6, Episode 19 (1995)
Back in 1995, there was a sweet episode of “The Simpsons” called “Lisa’s Wedding” where Lisa finds out what her life might be like in 2010. She visits a fortune-teller who tells her she’ll marry a guy she meets in college.
When Lisa gets excited and calls home to tell her mom, she uses a phone that lets her see her mom’s face on a little screen, even though it still has an old-fashioned spinning dial.
This was one of those “Simpsons predictions” that was spot on. Skype did come out in 2003, but it was mostly something people used on their computers.
Then, in 2010, the same year the show guessed, Apple came out with FaceTime for iPhones. This lets people not just talk to each other, but also see each other on their phones, just like Lisa did in the show.
7. USA Curling Team
Season 21, Episode 12 (2010)
In 2010, the TV show had an episode called “Boy Meets Curl.” In this story, Homer and Marge go to an ice rink to skate but find out it’s being used for curling practice.
They give curling a try and end up joining the U.S. Mixed Doubles Curling Team for the Winter Olympics. In the show, the U.S. team wins a gold medal and beats Sweden.
Fast forward to 2018, and something similar happened in real life. The U.S. Olympic Curling Team, with Josh Shuster as their leader, won their first-ever gold medal in Curling. They played against Sweden and won with a score of 10 to 7.
8. Trump Presidency
Season 11, Episode 17 (2000)
In the year 2000, there was an episode of a TV show called “Bart to the Future” where Bart Simpson sees what the future holds for him and his sister. In the future, his sister Lisa will become the president of the country. She talks about having to fix the economy after the presidency of Donald Trump.
Interestingly, Donald Trump really did become president in 2016. There’s a moment in the show that seems to have predicted the future. In the episode, people watch Donald Trump go down an escalator. This scene is now famous because something very similar happened in real life. President Trump was seen going down an escalator with his wife, Melania, while their supporters were there watching.
9. Walt Disney and Fox Merger
Season 10, Episode 5 (1998)
In a 1998 episode titled “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “The Simpsons” showcased Homer Simpson meeting celebrities Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, with the actors providing their own voices. Homer gets a job with them and even shares a movie idea with executives at 20th Century Fox. In a surprising twist, the episode features a scene where 20th Century Fox is portrayed as a subsidiary of Walt Disney Co.
This scene has become one of the many “The Simpsons predictions” that fans and viewers talk about. It’s because, in a turn of events that mirrors the show’s plot, Walt Disney Company announced a massive $71 billion deal to merge with 21st Century Fox in March 2019. Following this, in 2021, Disney and Fox reached an agreement on the streaming rights for their films, determining which movies would be available on Hulu/Disney+ or HBO Max, including a deadline for when these terms would take effect.
This foresight is one of the reasons why “The Simpsons predictions” are a frequent topic of discussion, as the series has a track record of predicting future events with uncanny accuracy.
10. Lady Gaga and The Superbowl
Season 23, Episode 22 (2012)
The track record of “The Simpsons predictions” includes a remarkable moment from a Superbowl episode. In the 2012 episode “Lisa Goes Gaga,” the show featured Lady Gaga visiting the town of Springfield. During her visit, she performed her songs while soaring over the crowd, and at one point, she played the piano during her show.
Fast forward to 2017, and life seemed to imitate art at the Superbowl LI Halftime Show. Lady Gaga delivered a stunning performance of her top hits like “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance.”
In a move that echoed the “The Simpsons” episode, she was hoisted into the air above the audience. Adding to the similarities, Gaga later in the show performed “Million Reasons” while playing the piano. This is yet another instance where “The Simpsons” seemed to have a glimpse into the future, adding to its list of predictions that have come to fruition.
11. Censoring Michelangelo’s David
Season 2, Episode 9 (1990)
One of the most important Simpsons predictions is about the Censoring of Michelangelo’s David. Marge’s encounter with censorship taught her a valuable lesson. It all started in Springfield when residents demanded the censorship of Michelangelo’s David, a renowned work of art. They found its nudity offensive and tried to make it more acceptable by humorously covering it with a pair of jeans.
This issue dates back to 2016 when a copy of the statue in St. Petersburg caused controversy, leading citizens to call for its censorship or removal. Just this year, a school in Florida decided the statue was too explicit for children. In response, the mayor of Florence, Italy, invited the school principal to visit and form her own opinion about the statue.
12. Baby Translator
Season 3, Episode 24 (1992)
In a rarely-seen episode featuring Homer’s half-brother Herb (voiced by Danny DeVito), he unveils a revolutionary invention with the potential for immense wealth: a baby translator. This device is designed to accurately decode the meaning behind a baby’s babbling, an impressive concept.
Fast forward to today, and we discover a variety of “baby translator” apps readily available on app stores. Applications such as Cry Translator, BabyTalk Translator, and Zoundream aim to approximate the significance of an infant’s cries.
While these apps may not reach the level of sophistication depicted in Herb’s invention, they undeniably demonstrate the enduring impact of his innovation on the field of comprehending and interpreting infant communication.
13. Three Eyed Fish
Season 2, Episode 4 (1990)
Blinky plays a crucial role in some of the most memorable Simpsons episodes. This three-eyed fish serves as a humorous reminder of the adverse effects of Mr. Burns’ nuclear power plant on the town, causing mutations in both plants and animals, as seen in Blinky – a phenomenon often accepted or ignored by the residents.
Interestingly, there’s a real-life parallel to Blinky. More than a decade ago, Argentine fishermen made a remarkable discovery when they caught a three-eyed wolf fish in a reservoir situated near a nuclear plant, evoking similarities to their fictional counterparts.
A report from ZME quotes one of the fishermen, who expressed their astonishment at finding this “rare specimen.” However, the article doesn’t mention the fictional Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, even though the resemblance is uncanny.
14. Serving Horse Meat
Season 5, Episode 19 (1994)
In the world of The Simpsons, the food at Springfield Elementary School is often a source of comedic gags, exemplified by a humorous scene where Lunchlady Doris nonchalantly incorporates horse meat into the kids’ meals. This concept provides entertainment on the small screen but raises serious concerns in real life.
A report from The Guardian revisits the notorious “horse meat scandal” of 2013, which revealed that 29% of the meat used in Tesco burgers was actually horse meat. This scandal led to the withdrawal of millions of supposedly “beef” products across Europe, sparking understandable public outrage over the alarming compromise in the food supply chain.
15. Smartwatches
Season 6, Episode 19 (1995)
In a classic Season 6 episode of The Simpsons called “Lisa’s Wedding,” the show made some jokes about future technology. Surprisingly, only one prediction turned out to be right. In this episode, there’s a quick scene where Hugh talks to his watch, sort of like smartwatches today. This was almost two decades before smartwatches became a real thing.
Back then, this moment might not have seemed important, but it actually hinted at ideas like digital watches and voice recognition, which we now use in our daily lives.
It’s funny that Hugh’s attempts to propose to Lisa using this technology in the episode didn’t work out as planned. Hence, we can clearly state that the Simpsons predictions are coming true.
16. Accessible Space Travel
Season 5, Episode 15 (1994)
The episode “Deep Space Homer” holds a special place in The Simpsons’ history. It not only featured well-known guest stars like astronaut Buzz Aldrin and musician James Taylor but also signaled a shift in the show’s approach to storytelling, venturing into what seemed far-fetched territory at the time.
Back then, the idea of an ordinary person going into space appeared unrealistic. However, today, commercial space travel is becoming a real possibility for the future.
In recent years, there have even been “all-civilian spaceflights,” showing that what was once a crazy idea in the episode is now becoming a reality for some people. This shift reflects the show’s knack for anticipating future trends, much like “The Simpsons predictions” are known for.
17. Real Tomacco Plants
Season 11, Episode 5 (1999)
In the episode “E-I-E-I-D’oh!” when Homer tries his hand at farming, a series of funny disasters occur. Using nuclear materials from the power plant, he attempts to create an odd mix of plants, resulting in the strange “tomacco” – a blend of tomatoes and tobacco.
Homer’s quest for profit from this unusual creation causes tension within his family.
In real life, near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, there were reports of deformed fruits and vegetables that looked oddly similar to Homer’s creation. Fortunately, no one has tried to sell these strange mutations. Nevertheless, it’s not too hard to imagine that in the future, less extreme versions of these anomalies could appear in stores. This reflects the show’s ability to predict peculiar trends, somewhat like Simpsons predictions.
18. Malfunctioning Voter Machines
Season 20, Episode 4 (2008)
“Treehouse of Horror XIX” appears to have foretold an electoral mix-up involving former President Barack Obama. In a quick scene, Homer seems to vote for Obama in a voting booth, but it’s later revealed that his vote was mistakenly counted as one for John McCain.
A comparable incident took place in 2012 when a widely-shared YouTube video displayed a wrongly registered vote. Instead of a vote in a Pennsylvania booth being credited to Obama, it was seemingly recorded as a vote for Mitt Romney, causing public uproar and controversy.
19. The God Particle
Season 10, Episode 2 (1998)
One of the most astonishing Simpsons predictions to date can be found in the episode titled “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace.” In this episode, Homer aspires to become an influential inventor in the footsteps of Thomas Edison. In a brief moment of the episode, Homer’s seemingly nonsensical writings on a chalkboard are revealed to be a complex mathematical equation.
Simon Singh, a renowned British science writer, shared with The Independent that the final number on Homer’s chalkboard isn’t far from the actual 2012 CERN discovery of the Higgs boson.
Singh stated, “If you work it out, you get the mass of a Higgs boson that’s only slightly larger than the actual mass of a Higgs boson. It’s truly remarkable that Homer made this prediction 14 years before it was actually discovered.
20. A Submersible Disaster
Season 17, Episode 10 (2006)
A more recent instance of a Simpsons prediction becoming apparent occurred earlier this year when fans drew a connection between a real-life Titanic submersible disaster and an episode titled “Homer’s Paternity Coot.”
In this particular episode, Homer believes he has found his long-lost father and agrees to embark on an oceanic journey with him to locate an old shipwreck. However, disaster strikes, and Homer finds himself in a perilous situation, eventually waking up in a hospital a few days later.
In June of the same year, an actual submersible, carrying five passengers on a mission to explore the sunken Titanic, sadly experienced a catastrophic implosion. This tragic expedition captured global attention and spurred discussions worldwide.
The incident has raised crucial questions about safety regulations and protocols aimed at preventing a similar occurrence in the future.
What’s the Final Verdict?
In the world of pop culture, “The Simpsons” has left an indelible mark with its seemingly prophetic moments that have come to pass in the real world. From political twists to technological advancements, the show has managed to capture the spirit of our times with wit and humor.
As we reflect on these 20 instances of “Simpsons Predictions That Came True,” it’s clear that the show’s influence transcends mere entertainment. It serves as a humorous yet insightful mirror to our ever-changing world.
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