10 Times The Simpsons Warned Us About Terrible People

10 Times The Simpsons Warned Us About Terrible People

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today were looking at instances where The Simpsons warned us about terrible people whether intentional or not.

Mark McGwire

Hopped up on Focusyn, Bart becomes convinced that people are being spied on by Major League Baseball. It sounds like the mad ravings of an unstable kid, but Bart shoots the evidence out of the sky. Mark McGwire, voicing himself, concurs that Bart was right, although he distracts Springfield with a few dingers. MLB might not be playing Big Brother. Yet, numerous players, including McGwire, were embroiled in another conspiracy: the rampant use of performance-enhancing drugs. In 2010, McGwire confessed to using steroids during various periods of his career. This included the 1998 season, a year before this episode aired. While McGwire claims the drugs were for his health rather than performance, many who looked up to the home run hitter felt let down.

Morrissey

Sometimes its better not to meet your heroes. Listening to the music of an artist named Quilloughby, Lisa imagines what hes like in real life. Expectations clash with reality when Lisa encounters Quilloughby in the flesh. Not only has he let himself go, but Quilloughby is exposed as a hate-filled bigot who loves to play the victim. While the writers drew inspiration from several real-life musicians, English singer Morrissey shares the most evident parallels. Like Quilloughby, Morrissey has a long history of reportedly racist and xenophobic behavior. Although Morrissey has continually denied these accusations, others argue that his words speak for themselves. Morrissey hinted at pursuing legal action against The Simpsons, proving one of the points the episode was trying to get across.

Rush Limbaugh

Season 6 introduces Birch Barlow, a conservative talk show host who appeals to the Homer Simpsons of the world. He also helps Sideshow Bob go from prison to the mayors office. So, a far-right extremist who champions a criminal while demonizing the left sound familiar? Barlow is a thinly veiled parody of Rush Limbaugh, who was just starting to blow up when this episode aired in 1994. Although Limbaugh died in 2021, many believe that his controversial worldviews and tendency to spout baseless conspiracy theories shaped the right-wing media as we now know it. In the 90s, Limbaugh was the loudest voice, but he was still just one voice. Today, there are countless Limbaughs across radio, TV, and social media.

John D. Rockefeller

Mr. Burns is based on multiple figures, including fictional characters like Charles Foster Kane and one of Matt Groenings high school teachers. Yet, Mr. Burns greed is largely rooted in John D. Rockefeller, who monopolized the oil industry. This made Rockefeller one of the richest individuals who ever lived. He didnt accumulate that fortune by being ethical. Rockefeller was accused of crushing his competition through corrupt means. The New York World described Standard Oil as the most cruel, impudent, pitiless, and grasping monopoly that ever fastened upon a country. Even after the Supreme Court ordered that Standard Oil be dissolved for breaking antitrust laws, Rockefeller walked away wealthier than ever, becoming Americas first billionaire. Like Mr. Burns, Rockefeller always came out on top.

Daenerys Targaryen

Okay, were kind of cheating since the Mother of Dragons is fictional. Regardless, Game of Thrones fans idolized Daenerys Targaryen as if she were real with some even naming their children after her. They probably regretted this following the HBO shows penultimate episode. The Lannisters admitted defeat, but Daenerys was too brave to accept their surrender. Those bells were no match for her dragon! Once again, The Simpsons played soothsayer. Two years before Game of Thrones ended, The Simpsons paid homage to high fantasy in an episode that culminates in a dragon burning a village down. Homer plays a role in the destruction, being the one who revived the dragon. In that sense, a hero becomes a villain just like Daenerys.

FIFA

It isnt just individuals that The Simpsons has warned us about. The show has also shined a light on dishonest organizations, occasionally ahead of the curve. When Homer becomes a World Cup referee, he accepts a bribe to ensure Brazils victory. Homer does the right thing in the end, but not every referee has a Lisa in their corner. Only a year after this episode, FIFA - the governing body behind the World Cup - was accused of bribery. FIFA was also investigated for money laundering, racketeering, and wire fraud. FIFA President Sepp Blatter would step down and face suspension along with several other officials. We guess The Simpsons thought too small, as corruption didnt boil down to one ref. It supposedly went straight to the top.

Rupert Murdoch

The Simpsons has never pulled punches when it comes to making fun of Fox. This extends to the networks co-founder. At the Super Bowl, Homer and his friends stumble upon a skybox. Unfortunately, it belongs to Rupert Murdoch, the billionaire tyrant. Thats the shows words, not ours. The crew even got the real Murdoch to voice himself, suggesting he was in on the joke. Looking back years later, though, were not entirely sure it was a joke. Through his vast wealth and power, Murdoch has played a key role in shaping media and politics over the past several decades. To many, Murdochs impact has been more negative than positive, most notably creating a news landscape that calls the definitions of fair and balanced into question.

George C. Nichopoulos

Dependent on prescription drugs, Elvis sought out a personal physician who could keep him fully supplied. Elvis found his man in George C. Nichopoulos, or Dr. Nick as some called him. For any Simpsons fans wondering, the name isnt a coincidence. The name Dr. Nick Riviera stemmed from Elvis physician. Character traits carried over as well, as Riviera is equally lenient with his prescription pad. Where Dr. Nick continues to practice menicide in Springfield, Nichopoulos was charged with fourteen counts of overprescribing drugs. By this point, Elvis had been dead for three years. Although Nichopoulos was acquitted, his licence was suspended for three months. Itd be another 13 years until it was revoked forever, but Nichopoulos remained free until he died in 2016. Bye, everybody!

Jared Fogle

In a 2005 Treehouse of Horror episode, everyone in Springfield is changed into their costumes. For some, its a curse, but others are happy with their new forms. Chief Wiggum is pleased to have significantly slimmed down as Jared from Subway. Wiggum notes, though, that hes now sexually ambiguous. Ambiguous is no longer a word wed use to describe Jared Fogle. While the jokes intent can be debated, The Simpsons was arguably among the first shows to say, Hey, maybe theres something about this guy that he isnt telling us. That something was revealed in 2015 when Fogle went from Subway spokesperson to the poster boy for predators. Suddenly, we dont think Wiggum would be so thrilled about being in Jareds pants.

Anthony Salerno

A convicted felon and high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family, Anthony Salerno went by another name, Fat Tony. Salerno possesses the same nickname as Springfields resident mob boss, sharing a physical resemblance as well. Granted, Fat Tonys design was primarily inspired by character actor Paul Sorvino, according to Al Jean. Fittingly enough, though, Sorvino played Salerno in the 2011 crime drama, Kill the Irishman. In another eerie connection, the real Salerno died in Springfield, Missouri. Is that the same Springfield the Simpsons are from? We may never know. In any case, Salerno would be accused of murder, racketeering, fraud, extortion, and conspiracy during his lifetime. But hey, at least he didnt try passing off weasels as toy poodles a guy in Argentina did, however.

Are there any obvious examples we left out? Let us know in the comments.