The iconic series “The Simpsons” is regularly credited with a mystical gift: that of predicting the future. From the election of Donald Trump to the disappearance of Kobe Bryant, the coincidences are disturbing. But what is it really?
Is it true that The Simpsons excels in clairvoyance? Since its first appearance on screens in 1989, Matt Groening’s series has established itself as a true television phenomenon. With their spicy humor and keen societal observations, The Simpsons have become a true window on the world and popular culture. But one particular aspect fascinates the public and the media: the reputation that The Simpsons has acquired for predicting the future. From politics to technological advancements to major world events, it seems the series manages to write destiny with astonishing precision. But is this really the case?
One of the events that has been most analyzed throughout The Simpsons is none other than the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States in 2016. An episode broadcast in 2000, entitled “Bart to the Future” , already imagined Donald Trump as president. Surprising? Not that much ! Indeed, he had already publicly mentioned his intention to run and above all, the episode in question presented many potential candidates for the elections. The whole thing was meant to depict a future as absurd as possible, and at the time the idea seemed like a farce. So, it is difficult to talk about the gift of clairvoyance.
Another event cataloged as announced by the hit series: the tragic death of Kobe Bryant. Rumors circulated at length, indicating that an episode showed Bart, the eldest of the family, in front of the tomb of the famous American basketball player. However, the truth is less sinister. Bart was certainly standing in front of a grave, but it was actually that of his grandfather. Kobe Bryant’s name was falsely reported on the tombstone, following a viral montage on the web.
The fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris in 2019, too, was reportedly seen in The Simpsons Crystal Ball. Indeed, images from the series would have presented the famous yellow characters in front of the burning building. But, when we dig a little deeper, the facts are very different. Internet users would have, once again, fueled the rumor by adding flames to the original images through editing. At no time had the screenwriters foreshadowed this drama.
The Apple Vision Pro, too, had its moment of glory in The Simpsons. Apple’s first space computer, which is about to arrive in France, would have been at the heart of one of Matt Groening’s episodes. As the Konbini website indicates: “an excerpt shows the inhabitants of Springfield strolling through the streets, virtual reality headsets screwed on their heads, to the point that they are no longer even aware of the real environment around them. An image which is not not unlike the extracts which demonstrate public use of the Vision Pro in the subway and in the street in the United States.” Ultimately, the series aimed to parody the release of the Oculus Rift, this virtual reality headset, already existing at the time of the episode’s broadcast. A “prediction”, once again, flawed.
On the other hand, a forecast would have been very real. Indeed, in the 1998 episode, entitled “When You Dish Upon a Star”, a scene took place in front of the Fox studio, the American production company producing The Simpsons. And we could see a sign there indicating: “20th Century Fox…A division of Walt Disney Co.” As relayed by the Euronews website: “What was once a joke became reality in 2017, when Disney effectively bought Fox’s entertainment division for a whopping $52.4 billion.” A futuristic scenario that bore fruit!