Popular for its humor and wit, The Simpsons, a popular animated series, has managed to amaze audiences around the world not only with its entertainment value but also with its bizarre talent of seemingly predicting future events. Throughout its extensive run, the show has inadvertently predicted countless events that have left fans in awe and wondering if it was mere coincidence or clairvoyance.
From their accurate predictions of Super Bowl results to their surprising insights into the political landscape, technological advancements ,and social scandals, The Simpsons chronicles unintentional predictions across various aspects of life. The eerily accurate depiction of Trump’s presidency, the advent of FaceTime-like video calls, and the foreshadowing of events such as FIFA corruption or the horsemeat scandal have left viewers in awe.
The show’s ability to predict and depict events that would later materialize in reality, whether it be Lady Gaga’s grand entrance into the Super Bowl or the U.S. curling team’s unexpected win at the Winter Olympics, has been a source of both amusement and disbelief for viewers.
Whether these instances are cleverly observed insights or sheer coincidence, The Simpsons’ unintentional glimpses into the future have added another layer of intrigue and fascination to the show, making it a cultural phenomenon that continues to captivate audiences around the world.
1. Super Bowl Predictions
1992 Lisa Simpson predicted in season 3 episode 14 that the team would win the Super Bowl. She predicted that the Washington Redskins would win Super Bowl XXVI. Finally, it happened.
2. The Simpsons picked the Super Bowl again!
The Simpsons predicted the outcome of the Super Bowl one more time in 1993. People were amazed that the second prediction was accurate, especially since everyone was still wondering who would win the Super Bowl the year before. They predicted the Dallas Cowboys would win, and they were right.
3. And one more time!
No one would have guessed that they would succeed not only once, but three times!
They got their third prediction right, which was hilarious and a little scary. The San Francisco 49ers were their pick to win Super Bowl XXIX.
4. The Simpsons predicted that Trump would win the presidency
Episode 17 of Season 11 featured Bart Simpson’s journey into the future, nicknamed “Bart to the Future”. In this episode, they propose that Donald Trump will lead the United States as President in 2024. Paradoxically, Trump served as President from 2017 to 2021.
However, he stated that he would seek the presidency again in 2024, as suggested by The Simpsons.
5. The Sensory Simpsons
Season 2, Episode 9: “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge” featured Marge Simpson’s attempt to make their popular cartoon on the show, Itchy and Scratchy, more morally coded. In other words, her wish was for them to be less abrasive or aggressive. But when the public wanted to hide the nudity of famous works of art, such as Michelangelo’s David, it failed. In 2016, the Russians wanted to achieve the same goal by dressing one of the most famous states.
6. Poodle and ferrets
The Simpsons predicted that people would start passing off ferrets as poodle puppies to scam others out of money. In fact, one Argentinian experienced it. It was a ferret, not a poodle puppy as he had assumed when he bought it.
7. The donut-shaped universe
In the episode “They Saved Lisa’s Brain” (Season 10, Episode 22), Homer talked to Stephen Hawking about his theory that the universe is shaped like a doughnut. This theory actually originated in the 1980s.
8. The Simpsons Emergency Submarine
Most people will recall the recent emergency in the Ocean Gate submarine that was lost on the Titanic tour. Homer believed he had found his long-absent father in Season 17, Episode 10: “Homer’s Father Coot”. They embarked on underwater exploration in submersibles. Homer ran out of oxygen when his ship got stuck in coral.
9. Video calls
Video calling is another evolutionary technological invention prophesied by The Simpsons. or Facetime to be exact.
10. Corruption in FIFA
The Simpsons predicted the outcome of another athletic event. They showed Homer becoming a referee in Season 25, Episode 16 because no one else was available due to FIFA corruption.
11. Germany triumphs
In the aforementioned episode of The Simpsons, Homer’s whistling on the whistle helped Germany win the match. Germany thus gamely asserted itself. A few months later this actually happened. Germany won the World Cup.
12. The Simpsons Tiger Attack
It would be hard to dispute this one particular incident. How could it be predicted that the trainer would be attacked by a tiger on stage? However, the Simpsons seem to be in possession of some sort of crystal ball. Because they sure did in Springfield Season 5 Episode 10. Roy Horn was attacked by a tiger in front of an audience ten years after this episode aired.
13. Homer Simpson’s Mathematical Predictions
In a 1998 episode of The Simpsons, Homer Simpson was considered almost a scientific genius. Homer predicts the Higgs boson in “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace”, the second episode of season 10. Or he came awfully close to it.
14. Ridiculous choices
The Simpsons want to vote for Barack Obama in Season 20, Episode 4: The Tree House of Terror XIX. However, the voting machine has other ideas. John McCain is automatically favored in the vote.
Amazingly, in 2012, a polling place in Pennsylvania was photographed doing the exact same thing.
15. Everything you could
Homer expanded on the “All You Can Eat” buffet theory in an episode of The Simpsons. He was eventually expelled and later challenged it in court, saying it was “for false advertising”. Later, in 2017, it was tested in the real world. The irony of it all is that it happened in Springfield, Massachusetts.
16. Just fooling around
The Simpsons seemed to anticipate a particular company starting to put horsemeat in elementary school lunches in Season 5, Episode 19 (“Sweet Seymour Skinner’s Badass Song”). But when health officials discovered how many beef products actually contained horse meat byproducts, they caused an uproar in 2013.
17. Lady Gaga abandoned her prediction
The notorious Lady Gaga is known for her outrageous stage performances. But no one could have predicted the degree of extremity to which she would be prepared to go.
Maybe The Simpsons. Years before she actually did it, they filmed her grand entrance at the Super Bowl, where she wore a glittering Versace dress suspended high above the crowd.
18. The Simpsons launches a typical individual into space
An ordinary person with no previous experience of space travel could win the chance to travel to space and experience it as an astronaut in a competition held in the UK. In “Deep Space Homer”, episode 15 of season 5, The Simpsons also made this prediction.
19. Forecast for smartwatches
The Simpsons have once again accurately predicted an incredible technological advance.
Lisa’s high school boyfriend communicates with his watch in season 6 episode 19.
Years later they became publicly available.
21. The Simpsons Restaurant Theft Prediction
Here’s another example of fun versus forecasting. The Simpsons “Lard of the Dance” from Season 10, Episode 1, Homer demonstrated a different way to get rich quick. He set out to steal grease from cafeterias and resell it at a profit. The New York Post reported that this actually occurred.
20. Ebola
Was it possible for The Simpsons to predict the start of the pandemic? In “Lisa’s Sax”, the third episode of season 9, they appear to have predicted the global spread of the Ebola virus.
22. Infant conversations
It is possible that few people know that Herb is the half-brother of Homer Simpson. In fact, it doesn’t seem like it at all. However, in “Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” from season three, episode 24. Herb invented a device that could convert unintelligible baby talk into coherent dialogue.
23. NSA Disclosure
It’s not so much a prediction as it was revealed in the episode of The Simpsons about the NSA (National Security Agency) not having a spying scandal. When Marge Simpson was brought into NSA headquarters, they showed off the equipment they used to spy on the nation’s most wanted criminals. Six years later, in 2013, Edward Snowden disclosed the same technology.
24. The Simpsons Prediction for Nobel Prize Winners in Economics
In “Elementary School Musical”, the first episode of season 22, Jagdish Bhagwati wins the Nobel Prize in Economics. On the other hand, Milhouse lost a bet on Bengt R. Holmstrom’s victory. But when Holmstrom triumphed a few years later in 2016, his prediction came true.
25. Olympic predictions
In 2018, the US curling team won gold at the Winter Olympics. Eight years before the actual event, The Simpsons predicted the exact same thing. This was depicted in “Boy meets Curling”, episode 12 of season 21.
The Simpsons’ incredible ability to seemingly predict future events has fascinated viewers for years. Their ability to fake Super Bowl results, political figures such as Trump’s presidency, technological advances such as smartwatches and video calls, or even social scandals such as FIFA corruption and the horsemeat scandal has amazed many.
From witty storylines to subtle nods to potential future events, the show inadvertently made predictions that later materialized into reality. Whether it’s an eerie foresight regarding Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl performance, the invention of the smartwatch, or even an unexpected event like the US curling team’s Olympic victory, these instances have left fans both amused and amazed.
While some of the predictions may seem far-fetched or random, the show’s ability to touch on various aspects of social, technological, and cultural change shows astute insights and understanding of the world around them.
Ultimately, whether as playful nods to potential future events or accidental clairvoyance, The Simpsons’ ability to seemingly see into the future has become a hallmark of the show, adding another layer of intrigue and entertainment for its audience.
