"Have no fears: The Simpsons has stories for years."

 

Wikimedia Commons: Wax Museum Plus/Author: Miguel Mendez (Malahide Ireland)-  

Audio Blog-Cast Link: "Have no fears: The Simpsons has stories for years."

Hey guys, I was blown away when I read the article referenced below (see Link). Our family, and in particular our children, has watched this hilarious show for years and we have DVDs to prove it! I have ventured to comment on the article in utter terror of the show’s clairvoyance!

For over three decades, The Simpsons has been more than just America’s favorite animated sitcom—it’s become an accidental crystal ball wrapped in a layer of hilariously yellow absurdity. Sure, it’s a comedy, but its predictions about the future have us wondering: are the writers psychic, or is Matt Groening secretly from the year 3025? Either way, the series has managed to blur the line between satire and spooky premonition.

Let’s start with the doozy: Donald Trump’s presidency. In 2000, the writers thought it’d be a hoot to imagine Trump as a former president who left the country broke. Back then, it was just a chuckle-worthy gag. Fast-forward to 2016, and the world collectively said, “Wait...what?!” Suddenly, Lisa Simpson’s line about inheriting “quite a budget crunch from President Trump” felt less like satire and more like a national support group slogan.

And then there’s Disney’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. Back in 1998, a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it sign joked about Fox being owned by Disney. People laughed—until 2019, when Mickey Mouse walked in with a checkbook and made it reality. If The Simpsons ever predicts Disney owning the moon, start stockpiling cheese.

In 1993, Springfield’s version of Siegfried and Roy got mauled by their own tiger. A decade later, Roy Horn faced a similar fate. The coincidence is so uncanny that if I were a magician with a pet tiger, I’d start watching the show like it’s an instruction manual.

Election season predictions? Check. In 2008, Homer tried to vote for Obama but ended up casting a ballot for McCain thanks to a rigged voting machine. By 2012, real-life voting machines were pulling the same stunt, reminding us that Springfield might have a better handle on democracy than we do.

Speaking of uncanny foresight, remember when Milhouse—yes, Milhouse—predicted the Nobel Prize for Bengt R. Holmström in 2010? By 2016, the Nobel committee proved him right. Somewhere out there, Milhouse is sipping apple juice and smugly adjusting his glasses.

The Simpsons didn’t even spare Greece’s financial crisis. A 2012 episode joked about Greece being sold on eBay. While that didn’t literally happen, it was a little too close for comfort. Maybe next time the writers can throw Greece a bailout—or at least an Amazon gift card.

Then there’s the infamous “Curious George and the Ebola Virus” book Marge offered Bart in 1997. Seventeen years later, the Ebola outbreak hit. Coincidence, or did the writers have a premonition about our collective ability to panic?

FIFA corruption? Called it. In 2014, Springfield showed FIFA officials in handcuffs. By 2015, it was no longer fiction. At this point, we should probably check if Homer has a side gig as a whistleblower.

And don’t forget the U.S. Olympic curling team. In 2010, the show had Homer and Marge leading America to curling gold against Sweden. In 2018, Team USA pulled off the same feat, proving once and for all that Springfield’s writers are somehow better than Vegas oddsmakers.

The tech world hasn’t escaped either. Long before FaceTime and smartwatches were real, The Simpsons showed them off like they were just another gag. If the show ever debuts teleportation or a robot dog uprising, start taking notes.

They even predicted Canada’s legalization of marijuana in a 2005 episode. By 2018, our northern neighbors had indeed gone green, leaving Grandpa Simpson’s pharmaceutical smuggling antics looking weirdly progressive.

And Lady Gaga? Her 2017 Super Bowl entrance, descending from the roof, was practically ripped from her 2012 Springfield cameo. Maybe we should start referring to The Simpsons as her unofficial career coach.

Richard Branson’s trip to space in 2021? Yep, the show called that one too—in 2014. Watching him float weightlessly in animation turned out to be eerily close to reality, although we can only hope his snacks were better than astronaut ice cream.

Finally, the 1993 flu episode featuring killer bees hit far too close to home in 2020. Between COVID-19 and murder hornets, Springfield’s chaos felt a little too real. If the show starts joking about intergalactic pandemics, we’re officially doomed.

So, are The Simpsons writers just having a laugh, or is Moe’s Tavern hiding a time machine in the back? Either way, their knack for hilariously accurate predictions keeps us entertained—and slightly terrified. If they ever predict flying cars and aliens running for president, I’ll be in my bunker, binge-watching reruns with a doughnut in hand.

Ref:  1. 16 bizarre The Simpsons predictions that actually came true | The Independent

2.  Image:  https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wax_Museum_Plus_(6345577800).jpg

3.  Free License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en