Do you remember how, nearly two decades ago, The Simpsons managed to predict the future? It did not end with ‘looking into the future either. They actually predicted a bunch of other things that have since come to pass! We warn you, some of these are truly creepy…
Bizarre Predictions From “The Simpsons” That Became True Years Later
The Simpsons Predicting The Future
We are sure that you watched Game of Thrones. On the off chance that you did not, we will try to avoid spoiling it for you too much. In an episode of The Simpsons, Homer and the gang watched the scene in which Daenerys Targaryen made her strange decision in the penultimate episode of the fantasy show. The Game of Thrones episode only came out two years after that!
The Simpsons Predicting The Future
The Bizarre Predictions
The Simpsons have been on the air for over 27 years now. A lot of fans noticed that many strange predictions came true years later. How bizarre is that? Let us look at the weirdest predictions from this animated show and the corresponding true events that happened a couple of years after that.
The Bizarre Predictions
Tom Hanks To Rescue The Nation
We all witnessed the transition of presidential power that didn’t go smoothly. In 2007, in The Simpsons Movie, Washington calls on Tom Hanks to try to establish some kind of normalcy. So, since we see everything first in The Simpsons, it’s no wonder 14 years later Vanity Fair published an article that was titled, ‘Tom Hanks Will Soothe The Nation With Biden Inaugration Speacil’.
Tom Hanks To Rescue The Nation
Global Pandemic
This next prediction from The Simpsons dates back to 1993 during season 4. Interestingly enough, many people have said that one specific episode may just have predicted the Corona Virus. However, the prediction is not entirely the same but very similar. Instead of the virus originating in China, in The Simpsons, it started in Japan. Additionally, the magnitude of the pandemic is not as close to what we are experiencing in real life.
Global Pandemic
A Swarm of Killer Bees
Following on from the previous prediction, it did not just end there! In the same episode “Marge in Chains” which aired in 2003, a bunch of angry citizens tip over a truck that unleashes a swarm of killer bees. Sound familiar? Let’s fast forward, 17 years to May 2020 when an Asian giant hornet nest was found in the USA. And if you think that was it for that episode, wait until you see what other premonitions there were…
A Swarm of Killer Bees
Mayor Leaves Town For A Vacation
The last fascinating part of this Simpsons episode shows Mayor Quimby pretends to be in his office while he is actually vacationing in the Bahamas during the epidemic. He goes on national TV and says, because of the epidemic I canceled my vacation to the Bahamas. I shall not leave the city…” Only to be interrupted by a Bahamense playing the drums. Then in 2020, this actually come true, when Mayor Steve Adler told people to stay home while he was on vacation in Mexico.
Mayor Leaves Town For A Vacation
The Godfather Part III
In season 12, “Worst Episode Ever” that aired in 2001, Bart and Millhouse sneak into The Android’s Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop just to find the secret stash of VHS tapes. One of them was Godfather III – Good version. And an amazing 19 years later, it came out that Francis Ford Coppola is releasing a new segment of the Godfather part III which he claims justifies the film. Now, this prediction is extremely impressive, don’t you think?
The Godfather Part III
Apple Invents A Vehicle
Have you recently been hearing a lot about Apple building a car in the near future? Perhaps you may be just a bit behind the times, as The Simpsons actually predicted the Apple car back in 2015, during season 27. The funniest part about the episode is that Marge Simspon actually suggests that Apple stick to making computers. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens…
Apple Invents A Vehicle
When JC Penny Files Bankruptcy
Nowadays, it seems totally more sensible to get all the stock tips from The Simpsons. Why you may ask? Well, keep reading this. In a 2006 episode, “Please Homer, Don’t Hammer ‘Em”, The Simpsons family heads off to a shopping mall and makes their way to a JC Penny only to find out that it is permanently closed. And 14 years later, real-life breaking news is, ‘JC Penny filing for bankruptcy. They sadly became the biggest company to fall due to the Coronavirus.
When JC Penny Files Bankruptcy
Fan Mail And The Beatles
In 1991, Ringo Starr of the Beatles was shown answering a piece of fan mail that was sent to him years before. In September 2013, two fans of the band finally got a response from Paul McCartney after they sent him a recording and letter. What makes it so remarkable was that they wrote the fan mail 50 years ago! The fan mail did not get to the musician since it was delivered to a London theatre where the Beatles were supposed to perform. The letter only made it to him decades later! The fans got their letter and McCartney’s reply at the BBC’s The One Show.
Fan Mail And The Beatles
The Tiger Attack On Siegfried & Roy
In 1993, The Simpsons aired an episode that featured Siegfried & Roy. The characters had to perform in a casino and got attacked by a tiger! Wait until you hear what happened in real life. Apparently, one of the white tigers that the magicians trained actually attacked Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy. The incident happened in 2003, a decade later. The magician survived but suffered terrible injuries.
The Tiger Attack On Siegfried & Roy
Eating Horse Meat
In 1994, an episode showed Lunchlady Doris using “assorted horse parts” in the lunch meals of the students at Springfield Elementary. In 2003, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland found out that one-third of the ready meals and beef burger samples from supermarkets had horse DNA. Around 85% of these products also had some pig in them.
Eating Horse Meat
Issues With Autocorrect
Dolph and Kearny were the school bullies of The Simpsons. They snatched up a memo on a Newton device in an episode that came out in 1994. The memo was meant to say, “beat up Martin,” but autocorrect changed it to “eat up Martha” instead. The forebear of the iPhone, with its handwriting recognition, would suffer the same problems. These days, we all know that autocorrect is more than capable of turning sentences into the most confusing and funniest messages known to man!
Issues With Autocorrect
Mutated Tomatoes Called ToMaccoes
In 1999, the “E-I-E-I-D’oh!” episode showed Homer relocating to become a farmer. With the use of plutonium, he mutates crops to make them grow faster and bigger. He ends up creating a new plant called “ToMacco,” a cross between tobacco and tomatoes. In real life, scientists in Japan living near a nuclear plant discovered mutated vegetables, which included huge tomatoes. Rob Baur, an operation analyst, also attempted to make a real tomacco after watching the episode. He succeeded in his mission! On top of that, the writers wanted to him and tasted the plant.
Mutated Tomatoes Called ToMaccoes
Coming In Like A Wrecking Ball
In 1994, Homer used his pretty round figure to absorb the damage of a wrecking ball and subsequently saved his house from demolition. In The Simpsons Movie, he used a wrecking ball again. This time, he used it to knock a car but missed the target. He ended up swinging between a restaurant and a rock instead. Now, where have we seen this in recent times? Even though Miley looked better on a huge swinging ball, we daresay that it was more fun to see Homer on it.
Coming In Like A Wrecking Ball
Playing Farm Simulation Games
In 1998, the characters of the show played carnival games. This included a simulator in which players wearing headsets played a game that involved doing yard work. If you were old enough to use Facebook about a decade ago, you might remember FarmVille. Launched in 2009, the game became a big hit! Players got to look after a farm from the comfort of their own home.
Playing Farm Simulation Games
A Machine To Translate Baby Language
In 1992, there was an episode called “Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” It showed Herb trying to find a solution when his mother could not understand what the baby was trying to say. He came up with a baby translator and created a device that can be used to translate the baby language. In 2013, the Cry Translator app came out. It told the parents why their baby was crying with the help of sound cues!
A Machine To Translate Baby Language
The Rolling Stones Are Still Touring
There was a 1995 episode of The Simpsons that predicted how The Rolling Stones would still be touring in 2010. Called “Lisa’s Wedding,” the episode showed a poster of the rock band with words saying, “steel wheelchair tour 2010.” Even though the show was a little off, the band did a tour in 2012. If you ask us, this is close enough to count!
The Rolling Stones Are Still Touring
Predicting The iPod In 1996
There was a 1996 episode called “Bart After Dark.” This episode depicted a gated burlesque house with an intercom. The device looks just like the first generation of the iPod! But what makes it so interesting is that the music player only came out in 2001. They might not be the same, but they sure look alike.
Predicting The iPod In 1996
Recycling Grease For Profit
Do you remember the “Lard of the Dance” episode that came out in 1998? In it, Homer and Bart recycled grease for profit. They wound up stealing the lard from Krusty Burger. Something similar happened in New York! There were reports that these crimes were on the rise. Thieves organized to steal the grease from restaurants. The businesses had to hire private investigators to get to the bottom of things.
Recycling Grease For Profit
A Jacket With ‘Guitar Hero’
One summer holiday, Homer attends a rock ‘n’ roll fantasy camp organized by the Rolling Stones. He got a jacket from the rock band at the end of that episode, which came out in 2002. That was the first time we saw ‘Guitar Hero.’ This is the name of the famous video game, which did not come out until 2005!
A Jacket With ‘Guitar Hero’
Predicting Video Chatting
There was another prediction that took place in the “Lisa’s Wedding” episode. She was video chatting with her mom with the use of a rotary videophone! These days, video calls have become very common. We all use FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Messenger to make them! The only difference is that we use smartphones.
Predicting Video Chatting
A Lemon Tree Robbery
There was a 1995 episode called “Lemon of Troy.” It featured the kids discovering that a lemon tree in the town got stolen. In 2011, this came true. A couple reported that their potted lemon tree disappeared from their porch. They posted fliers to let folks know what happened and hoped that it would be returned.
A Lemon Tree Robbery
Stylish Hamburger Earmuff Trend
You should know that Professor Fink wore hamburger earmuffs first! This happened in a 1998 episode with the title “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace.” If you have this character as your style inspiration, you can buy these stylish earmuffs online.
Stylish Hamburger Earmuff Trend
Predicting Smartwatches
Before smartwatches were a thing, the devices appeared on The Simpsons in 1995. They were used in place of phones in that episode. It took 20 years before smartwatches finally got released. The rest, as they say, is history.
Predicting Smartwatches
Library Ran By Robots
Yes, there were a lot of predictions in “Lisa’s Wedding.” There was a scene that showed a library full of robots, who replaced librarians. The students of the University of Aberystwyth created a prototype for a library robot 20 years after that. In Singapore, there are already scientists testing robot librarians.
Library Ran By Robots
Voting Machines That Change The Vote
Do you remember when Homer wanted to vote for Barack Obama in 2008? Sadly, the voting machine ended up registering the rival candidate instead. Something like that happened 4 years later. Pennsylvania voters witnessed their Barack Obama votes change to ones for Mitt Romney instead. It’s like a prophecy!
Voting Machines That Change The Vote
A Land Of Chocolate
In an interview, Homer failed the test because of his daydream. He had been thinking about a Land of Chocolate the entire time instead. In 2013, his dreams finally came true. That was the year the Chocolate Happy Land in Shanghai opened its doors to the public.
A Land Of Chocolate
The “All-Mighty Dollar”
There was a 1996 episode of The Simpsons called “Team Homer.” In it, TV evangelists were depicted worshipping “the all-mighty dollar.” In 2013, Pope Francis talked about the globalized economic system and unemployment. He warned that “the world has become an idolator of this god called money.” Aren’t you a little creeped out by all these accurate predictions? We can’t help but wonder what goes on in the writer’s room!
The “All-Mighty Dollar”
Donald Trump’s Presidency
While the rest of the world may have been shocked to see that Trump would become the 45th president in 2016, the Simpsons were not as surprised. 19 years ago, in season 11, Episode 17: “Bart to the Future,” Lisa says, We inherited quite the budget crunch from President Trump.” Who knew that this would mean so much more years later.
Donald Trump Becoming President
Discovering Higgs Boson Or “God Particle”
Back in 2012, it was discovered that “God particle,” or Higgs Bostons were real, and this revelation helped explain how objects have mass. While this in its own is a huge deal, what’s even more impressive is that the Simpsons predicted 15 years before. In that episode, there was a scene depicting Homer in front of a blackboard with an equation written on it. This equation predicted the mass of the particle, long before it was actually found.
Discovering Higgs Boson Or ‘God Particle’
Three-Eyed Fish
Blinky, the three-eyed fish is native to Springfield’s polluted waters. In 2011 this concept all changed when a fisherman actually found a three-eyed wolf fish in a reservoir that provides for a nuclear plant located in Argentina.
Three Eyed Fish
NSA Spying Scandal
When the Simpsons made it to the big screen with the Simpsons Movie, Marge spoke about he plan to reveal government secrets, which brought us to the National Security Agency. There, was a room filled with monitors alongside a staff of people eavesdropping on phone conversations with the hopes of catching America’s most wanted. The NSA must have been watching because in 2013 Edward Snowden revealed secret surveillance programs that existed.
NSA Spying Scandal
Ebola Virus
During an episode set in 1990, Marge tried to boost Bart’s mood by reading Curious George and the Ebola Virus. The disease did exist before the episode, but it had its largest breakout in history in 2014 and 2015. However, not just curious George was impacted this time.
Ebola Virus
Lady Gaga’s SuperBowl Halftime Show
Back in 2012, Lady Gaga wowed the town of Springfield when she performed midair. Then, five years later this became a reality when she flew from the Houston NRG Stadium roof, during her show at the Super Bowl halftime performance.
Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl Halftime Show
Smartwatches
The episode of “Lisa’s wedding” was the first time the show saw into the future. When her boyfriend has a failed attempt at a wedding proposal this causes him to speak into his watch. 20 years later, Apple came out with its famous smartwatch.
Smartwatches
Disney Buying 20th Century Fox
In an episode of The Simpsons filmed in 1998, Home sent a script to the 20th-century fox, showing a small line of text that read, ” a division of Walt Disney Co,” 19 years later this happened. The show never expected Fox to sell to Disney.
Disney Buying 20th Century Fox
The Censorship Of Michelangelo’s David
In 1990 the Simpsons created a modest statue of Michelangelo’s David in the episode “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge.” Then, in 2016, a replica of David was built in St. Anne’s Lutheran Church in St. Petersburg but residents weren’t exactly thrilled about the nudity, so the city retaliated with a contest called “Dress David,” where residents voted on how to censor the statue.
The Censorship Of Michelangelo’s David
Normal Person Goes To Space
In a well-known storyline of the Simpsons, Nasa chooses an everyday person to go into space to enhance ratings for shuttle launches. Similarly, in 2013, the UK chose an ordinary person as well to go into space. This person was 25- year old Oliver Knight who traveled to space alongside 23 others.
Normal Person Goes To Space
Stealing Cooking Grease For Cash
Throughout the season’s Homer engages in many get-rich-quick schemes but this time he sold siphoning grease from several establishments. This was so successful and delinquents were doing the same thing in NY.
Stealing Cooking Grease For Cash
FIFA’s corruption scandal and World Cup results
When the FIFA organization has a shortage of referees due to corruption, Homer is brought in for the job. Homer reffed fairly leading to a win for Germany. That year, Germany actually won the world cup, but in 2015, the FIFA employees had a scandal of their own with several arrests for alleged robberies, fraud, and money laundering.
FIFA’s Corruption Scandal And World Cup Results
The U.S. beats Sweden In Curling At The Olympic Games
During the 2018 Winter Olympics, the U.S. curling team beat beloved Sweden, leading to one of the most upsetting moments in history. But did you know that the Simpsons predicted this in 2010 in an episode called “Boy Meets Curl” when Marge and Homer Simpson compete in curling at the Vancouver Olympics and actually defeat Sweden.
The U.S. Beats Sweden In Curling At The Olympic Games
Selling Ferrets As Toy Poodles
The leader of crime in Springfield is known as Fat Tony and he loved gluing cotton polls on ferrets to represent them as toy poodles. This was yet another instance where criminals got ideas from television, and one man from Argentian got the surprise of a lifetime when he brought home a groomed ferret instead of a toy poodle.
Selling Ferrets As Toy Poodles
Superbowl
Just a few days before the Super Bowl XXVI, Lisa predicted that the Washington Redskins would win. The following year the creators used the same competing teams and were correct again with the Dallas Cowboys victory, and the next years afterward.
Superbowl