The Simpsons Predictions That Actually Came True

Time traveling or lucky guesses? How come every old Simpsons episode seems to have a look down at what has recently happened? The Simpsons, spanning 34 seasons and 750 episodes, has not only shaped modern comedy but also experienced instances where its fictional jokes became reality. Here are some “The Simpsons” predictions that came true.

You All Know The Simpsons, Right?

“The Simpsons” is an animated television series that has achieved iconic status. Created by Matt Groening, it first premiered in 1989 and has since become the longest-running American sitcom. The show is a satirical portrayal of a middle-class family, the Simpsons, living in the fictional town of Springfield. The series cleverly addresses various aspects of contemporary society, often using humor to comment on politics, culture, and everyday life. The main characters include Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and Maggie Simpson. “The Simpsons” is renowned for its wit, cultural references, and impact on popular culture.

“The Simpsons” Predictions That Came True

Here are some of the many events that “The Simpsons” predicted:

10. “Marge in Chains” – Season 4, Episode 21 (1993)

The 1993 episode “Marge in Chains” of The Simpsons featured Marge Simpson facing charges of shoplifting and serving prison time. Concurrently, the town of Springfield experienced an outbreak of the Osaka Flu, resembling elements of a pandemic similar to the later COVID-19 pandemic. The Osaka Flu, originating from a different country, spread to the U.S. in the episode. Notably, the episode highlighted a lack of immediate treatment for the flu, with the doctor recommending bed rest for patients. This portrayal resonated with the real-life situation during the COVID-19 pandemic when scientists were still testing and developing a vaccine. The Simpsons episode seemingly anticipated aspects of a global health crisis.

9. “Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” – Season 3, Episode 24 (1992)

In an episode featuring Homer’s half-brother Herb, he invents a groundbreaking device, the baby translator, which decodes infants’ babbling. While not as sophisticated as the fictional version, today’s app store offers equivalents like Cry Translator, BabyTalk Translator, and Zoundream. These apps attempt to approximate the meaning behind a baby’s cry, showcasing a real-world influence from the fictional innovation depicted in The Simpsons.

8. “Homer’s Paternity Coot” – Season 17, Episode 10 (2006)

Earlier this year, a notable prediction from “The Simpsons” gained attention when fans drew parallels between a submersible disaster involving the Titanic and an episode titled “Homer’s Paternity Coot.” In the episode, Homer, searching for his presumed long-lost father, embarks on an ocean expedition to locate an old ship. A disaster occurs, leaving Homer trapped, but he miraculously wakes up in a hospital a few days later. This storyline resembled a real-life incident last June when a submersible, heading toward the sunken Titanic with five passengers, tragically imploded. The actual event prompted global discussions on safety regulations and protocols to prevent similar incidents in the future.

7. “When You Wish Upon a Star” – Season 10, Episode 5 (1998)

In the 1998 episode “When You Wish Upon a Star,” Homer meets Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger, suggesting a movie idea to 20th Century Fox executives. The episode then humorously depicts 20th Century Fox being owned by Walt Disney. This scenario became noteworthy when, in March 2019, Disney announced a $71 billion merger with 21st Century Fox. By 2021, Disney and Fox settled on streaming rights, determining which films would be exclusively available on Hulu/Disney+ or HBO Max. The Simpsons’ earlier depiction of Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox turned out to have a humorous yet prophetic element.

6. “Deep Space Homer” – Season 5, Episode 15 (1994)

In the episode “Deep Space Homer,” The Simpsons achieved a significant milestone by featuring notable guest stars like Buzz Aldrin and James Taylor. The episode marked a departure from conventional storytelling, introducing the seemingly unrealistic idea of an ordinary man going to space. However, what was once considered far-fetched has now become a reality with the emergence of commercial space flight. The episode foreshadowed the shift in perception, as today, all-civilian spaceflights have become a tangible and achievable concept.

5. “Lisa’s Wedding” – Season 6, Episode 19 (1995)

In the 1995 episode “Lisa’s Wedding” of The Simpsons, Lisa visits a fortune-teller who predicts her future in 2010, featuring her marriage to a college sweetheart. In a scene where Lisa excitedly calls her mom, the phone she uses has a screen showing Marge’s face in real-time, attached to a rotary dial. Notably, this depiction resembles the concept of video calling. While Skype, a computer-based calling service, was invented in 2003, the episode predates the widespread use of video calling on smartphones. In 2010, Apple introduced “FaceTime,” allowing users to both talk and see the person they were conversing with through the phone’s camera. The Simpsons’ portrayal hinted at the future development of video calling technology.

4. “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace” – Season 10, Episode 2 (1998)

In the episode “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace,” Homer Simpson aims to become an influential inventor like Thomas Edison. A notable Simpsons prediction unfolds when a seemingly nonsensical chalkboard equation by Homer is later revealed to be a complex math formula. According to science writer Simon Singh, the final figure on the chalkboard closely resembles the mass of the Higgs boson, as discovered by CERN in 2012. Singh notes the remarkable accuracy of Homer’s prediction, occurring 14 years before the actual scientific discovery.

3. “Lisa Goes Gaga” – Season 23, Episode 22 (2012)

In The Simpsons’ Super Bowl episode, “Lisa Goes Gaga,” aired in 2012, there was a prediction of Lady Gaga’s performance style. The episode featured Lady Gaga visiting Springfield, performing her songs while flying over an audience, and playing the piano during her concert. In 2017, during the Super Bowl LI Halftime Show, Lady Gaga performed similarly. She sang her greatest hits, including “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance,” while being lifted above the audience, mirroring the scenario from The Simpsons. Additionally, Gaga played “Million Reasons” on the piano during her halftime show, aligning with the prediction made in the animated series.

2. “Lisa’s Wedding” – Season 6, Episode 19 (1995)

In the classic season 6 episode “Lisa’s Wedding” of The Simpsons, there were jokes about future technology, with one notably accurate prediction. The episode featured a brief moment where a character talks to his watch, foreshadowing the rise of smartwatches almost two decades before their introduction. Although this fleeting moment may not have seemed significant at the time, it accurately anticipated key technologies such as digital watches and voice recognition, which are commonplace today. However, the character’s attempts at using the technology to propose to Lisa in the episode did not go as planned.

1. “Bart to the Future” – Season 11, Episode 17 (2000)

The 2000 episode “Bart to the Future” of The Simpsons depicted a future where Lisa Simpson became the President of the United States and mentioned fixing the economy after Donald Trump’s presidency. In a notable turn of events, Donald Trump was indeed elected President in 2016. The episode also featured a scene where Trump descended an escalator, mirroring a real-life event when then-candidate Trump descended an escalator with First Lady Melania Trump during his presidential campaign announcement. This scene is one of the instances where The Simpsons seemingly predicted real-life events.

How Is This Possible?

When examining “The Simpsons” predictions, many of the show’s notable predictions may be coincidental or reflect recurring patterns in human nature. The author contends that some predictions are throwaway gags that happened to come true, and in various prediction lists, there are occasional lightweight or forced entries. The argument implies that such entries may cater more to readers’ confirmation bias than genuine forecasts by the show’s writers.

What do you think? Did “The Simpsons” really predict these events, or was it pure coincidence?

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