Mysterious predictions: The Simpsons and real-life parallels

People often believe in conspiratorial theories that some mysterious forces govern the world, applying similarities between real-life events and movies as proof of such beliefs. One of the most famous "prophetic films" in this regard is the animated series The Simpsons, which premiered in 1989 on the Fox channel. With 36 seasons and nearly 800 episodes, many were astonished by how its plots later manifested in real life. Today, we’ve decided to provide insights into episodes of this animated series that turned into reality. First, to make it clearer to the reader, let’s briefly discuss the series’ plot and main characters.

The Simpsons: What Is the Cartoon About?

The comedy, created by renowned cartoonist Matt Groening, revolves around the lives of an average American family residing in the fictional town of Springfield. The main characters are:

Homer Simpson (the father): Works at the Springfield nuclear power plant. Lazy but entertaining.

Marge Simpson: Homer’s beloved wife, a patient and caring mother.

Bart Simpson: A mischievous 10-year-old boy.

Lisa Simpson: An intelligent and environmentally-conscious 8-year-old girl.

Maggie Simpson: The family’s youngest daughter who rarely speaks but plays important roles in many scenes.

The series reflects American society, politics, religion, the education system, and culture with sharp humor and satire. The Simpsons is not just a cartoon; it has become a cultural phenomenon, passionately embraced by generations.

Donald Trump’s Presidency (2000): Season 11, Episode 17 - "Bart to the Future"

In the series: Bart encounters a woman with supernatural abilities and, with her help, imagines traveling to the future. He sees himself as a 40-year-old unsuccessful musician and his sister Lisa as the U.S. President tackling an economic crisis. During a meeting in the White House, Lisa says,

"We inherited a budget crunch from President Trump."

In real life: Years later, The Simpsons predicted it right—Donald Trump became the U.S. President in 2016 and is now serving his second term. The prediction wasn’t just about his presidency but also the economic crisis during his tenure. One of the scriptwriters, Dan Greaney, later commented in an interview:

"It was meant as a warning for America. We added Lisa becoming president under dire circumstances as satire to reflect where America was heading—and Trump was the perfect figure for that."

Kamala Harris's Vice Presidency (2000): Season 11, Episode 17 - "Bart to the Future"

In the series: In this episode, Lisa is seen leading the presidential office, wearing a purple suit and a pearl necklace.

In real life: This scene appeared as a prophecy about the future introduction of a woman into U.S. leadership. In 2021, Kamala Harris became the U.S. Vice President, partially fulfilling this prediction. Harris’s inauguration outfit—a purple ensemble—uncannily mirrored Lisa’s attire!

Smartwatches and Video Calls (1995): Season 6, Episode 19 - "Lisa’s Wedding"

In the series: Like Bart, Lisa imagines her future and sees her wedding in 2010. She notices her fiancé using a watch capable of processing voice commands. Additionally, Lisa communicated with her mother Marge through a “picture phone” for a video call about the wedding.

In real life: The prophecy about smartwatches came true in 2013 when they were launched by multiple companies. Real-time video calls, meanwhile, gained popularity starting in 2003 with the release of Skype.

COVID-19 Pandemic-like Situation (1993): Season 4, Episode 21 - "Marge in Chains"

In the series: Springfield’s residents order fruit juice machines from Osaka (Japan), but one batch is contaminated. When used, people in the town fall ill, and the virus quickly spreads.

In real life: The parallels between the Osaka flu and COVID-19 are hard to ignore. In both cases, the virus originates in Asia, and no definitive cure is found. However, the scriptwriters criticized comparisons between the two, calling them "inappropriate parallels."

Three-Eyed Fish (1990): Season 2, Episode 4 - "Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish"

In the series: Bart catches a three-eyed fish named Blinky in a water body near the local nuclear power plant, symbolizing the plant’s harmful environmental effects. The plant’s owner, Mr. Burns, tries to defend his operations through corruption, but Marge Simpson exposes the situation in local media, causing a scandal.

In real life: The three-eyed fish symbolizes real ecological and nuclear hazards. For instance, three-eyed fish were discovered in Cordoba, Argentina, near a nuclear facility. The episode also highlights media and political manipulation through Marge’s televised exposure of the fish.

Virtual Reality World (2016): Season 28, Episode 2 - "Friends and Family"

In the series: Nuclear plant owner Mr. Burns acquires glasses allowing travel across any time and place. He wishes to transfer the Simpsons family into this virtual (unreal) world using the glasses.

In real life: Internet users compared these glasses to Apple Vision Pro, which was unveiled in the summer of 2023 and launched in 2024.

Is the Cartoon an “Order of Mysterious Forces”?

Absolutely not! Matt Groening and his team aimed to satirically and critically portray modern politics, societal issues, and technological innovations. The accurate predictions result from their logical forecasting of trends and developments. The team’s expertise in observing political and technological dynamics has led to many parallels becoming real. However, it’s important to note that this long-running series mainly consists of fictional and imaginative episodes. The 781st episode, aired in December 2024, remains the latest one, and the creators promise an exciting continuation in 2025.