The Simpsons has developed a unique reputation for its uncanny ability to accurately predict future events.
With the entire series available to stream on Disney+, now is the perfect time to look back on five of the shows most eerily accurate predictions.
Donald Trump becoming President of the United States
In the 2000 episode ‘Bart to the Future’ the show correctly predicted that then-wealthy real estate mogul Donald Trump would one day be the US President.
In the episode, a grown up Lisa Simpson is President, and she is heard remarking she is working hard to clean up the mess made by her predecessor, Mr Trump.
‘We inherited quite the budget crunch from President Trump,’ she says while in The Oval Office.
The Simpsons has developed a unique reputation for its uncanny ability to accurately predict future events. Pictured: the cast
In the 2000 episode ‘Bart to the Future’ the show correctly predicted that then-wealthy real estate mogul Donald Trump would one day be the US President
Kamala Harris’ inauguration outfit
Meanwhile, in the same episode, The Simpsons also appeared to predict Kamala Harris’ vice presidency.
Harris attended Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration ceremony in a bright purple outfit by American designers Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson.
She accessorised the outfit with a custom pearl necklace.
The ensemble bore a striking resemblance to the one worn by a grown-up Lisa Simpson as President of the United States.
Meanwhile, in the same episode, The Simpsons also appeared to predict Kamala Harris’ vice presidency. Harris attended Joe Biden’s 2021 inauguration ceremony in a bright purple outfit by American designers Christopher John Rogers and Sergio Hudson. The ensemble bore a striking resemblance to the one worn by a grown-up Lisa Simpson as President of the United States.
Richard Branson flying into space
Images of Sir Richard Branson enjoying a spaceflight went viral in 2021 after the businessman, 73, launched himself towards the stars, in a bizarre case of real life imitating art.
The entrepreneur successfully earned his astronaut wings after travelling to the edge of space on board a Virgin Galactic flight, making him the first spaceflight founder to travel to space on his own ship.
Video of the magnate was beamed back to earth as he experienced weightlessness and floated around the cabin of the vessel.
The footage was strangely similar to a scene in a 2014 episode of The Simpsons called The War of Art, from the show’s 25th series.
Images of Sir Richard Branson enjoying a spaceflight went viral in 2021 after the businessman, 73, launched himself towards the stars, in a bizarre case of real life imitating art
The rise of interactive Smartwatches
In a 1995 episode titled Lisa’s Wedding, the show accurately predicted the rise of interactive smartwatches.
The episode is set in 2010 and depicts one character giving orders to his watch, which obeys his commands.
At the time it was seen as a joke but less than two decades later people can now use their watches to track their steps, check emails and make payments.
Censoring Michelangelo’s David sculpture
In the episode Itchy & Scratchy & Marge from 1990, Marge became outraged by the violence in Bart and Lisa’s favourite cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show – and penned a letter of concern to the broadcasting network.
This escalated into a full-blown protest which saw the cat and mouse cartoon toned down; instead of blowing each other up, they were seen sharing lemonade in harmony.
When the famous sculpture Michelangelo’s David was then due to stop on a tour in Springfield, Marge refused to join in with a local protest led by the likes of pious Maud Flanders, who claimed the statue was gratuitous.
She was then accused of being a hypocrite.
A similar scenario cropped up in Russia 26 years later when residents of Saint Petersburg protested a replica of the naked sculpture which was due to be erected in the city.
The Simpsons is currently available for streaming, only on Disney+.
These are just five examples of many of the successful predictions The Simpsons has made across its 35 years on the air. The entire back catalogue of The Simpsons is currently available for streaming, only on Disney+
