34 Predictions From The Simpsons That Actually Happened
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VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Jordy McKen
Is "The Simpsons" written by psychics? Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most famous times “The Simpsons” writers looked into their magic crystal ball, seemingly predicting events and technology that later happened in the real world. Our countdown includes a Yard Work Simulator, Ultrahouse 3000, Disney buying Fox and more!
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most famous times “The Simpsons” writers looked into their magic crystal ball, seemingly predicting events and technology that later happened in the real world. Which “Simpsons” storyline do you hope becomes a reality someday? Let us know below!
Nowadays, video calling is everywhere. You can instantly see and speak to people on your phone, computer, tablet, and whatever else. Back in 1995, when “The Simpsons” episode “Lisa's Wedding” aired, it wasn’t common at all. In fact, that year, the first public video conference between North America and Africa took place. In this episode, Lisa is told her possible 2010 future by a fairground fortune teller, leading to her seeing her love story with Hugh Parkfield. After their romance blossoms, the middle Simpson child long-distance calls Marge via a landline video chat, looking eerily similar to our modern-day technology.
In 2012, people were outraged about a video showing a Pennsylvania citizen attempting to vote for Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential election, only for the electronic voting machine to select Mitt Romney instead. The machine was taken away and fixed before returning to the voting floor. Well, in the 2008 episode “Treehouse of Horror XIX,” the opening segment features this exact issue. Homer tries to vote for Obama, only for the machine to select John McCain. After several tries to get the vote through, Homer attempts to warn officials, only for the machine to consume him and spit him out. Thankfully, that latter part didn’t happen in real life… yet.
It’s bonkers how one episode could have two major incidents happen in the real world in 2020. The odds of that happening must have been astronomical. In the 1993 episode “Marge in Chains,” a bunch of people experiencing hysteria are desperate for a cure – more on that later. After Dr. Hibbert mentions that he can only give a placebo as rest is the best cure, the crowd goes on a rampage and breaks a box in a truck. Clearly marked with “Danger: Killer Bees” on it, the bugs wreak havoc on the citizens. This bears a strange resemblance to the murder hornet invasion of North America when Asian giant hornets briefly terrorized the nation.
In 1992, three days before Super Bowl XXVI, “The Simpsons” episode “Lisa the Greek” aired. With a title playing on Jimmy the Greek, Lisa has a knack for helping Homer rake in money by betting on American football games. When the Super Bowl approaches, a disheartened Lisa, who realizes her father is using her, says that if Washington wins, she still loves Homer. Amazingly, she was right when the then-named Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills in real-life. But that’s not all. The episode was dubbed during reruns the following year and also in 1994. Each time, Washington was switched with the Dallas Cowboys, who won both Super Bowls!
In 2014, “The Simpsons” decided to mock football to celebrate the World Cup that year with the episode “You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee.” It featured a FIFA-esque official approaching Homer to ask him to be a referee during the World Cup as the organization and refs are dealing with corruption allegations. As he says this, the official is arrested. Homer then spends the tournament denying bribes before accepting them, then rejecting them again when his conscience kicks in. In 2015, the real-world FIFA was torn apart by massive accusations of corruption, damaging the world football authority’s reputation so much that it still hasn’t recovered. Many executives were arrested and banned for life.
Imagine you saved up the cash to fulfill a lifelong dream of buying a toy poodle. Amazing, right? However, it’s not what you imagined. The creature looks a little… off and doesn’t behave like a dog should. In 2013, one man in Argentina took his two poodles to the vet, which cost him $150 to adopt, only to discover they were actually fluffy groomed ferrets pumped with steroids. Yikes. Seemingly, the criminal mastermind was taking notes in 2002 for “The Simpsons”’s episode, “Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge.” After Homer sets up his own security company, he discovers Fat Tony has been sticking cotton balls onto ferrets to pass them off as toy poodles to sell.
Today, many people have smart speakers in their houses that help them get through the turmoil of modern life. Whether it’s Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, or another brand, these virtual assistants can help remind us of tasks, lock doors, turn on lights, and whatnot. In 2001’s “Treehouse of Horror XII,” the second story, “House of Whacks,” had the Simpsons install an Ultrahouse 3000. With the suave voice of Pierce Brosnan, the helpful device takes care of a lot of the family’s troubles and tasks. However, the tech eventually goes awry when it falls in love with Marge, leading the family to destroy it to save their lives. Hopefully, real life doesn’t take inspiration for the latter part of the story...
Since the dawn of humanity, adults have been baffled by what babies are after. Does the high-pitched cry mean they're hungry or cold? Does the lower grumble mean they’re bored or having an existential crisis? No one knows. Herb Powell, Homer’s long-lost half-brother, wants to find the answer in this 1992 episode. To reclaim his fortune, Herb uses Maggie to develop a device to translate a baby’s wants so adults can understand. In recent years, several companies have created devices to do the same thing. In 2016, a Taiwanese team led by Chuan-Yu Chang created the mobile app Infant Crying Translator to help with the puzzle. Then, in 2023, QBear developed a device that uses A.I.
In 2023, the world was shocked over OceanGate’s Titan submersible vanishing on an expedition to see the Titanic shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean. People panicked as the vessel’s oxygen ran out before it could be located. In the 2006 episode “Homer's Paternity Coot,” there were similarities to their real-life event. After Homer believes Mason Fairbanks is his biological father, the two go on mini-subs to collect treasure from a shipwreck. However, Homer’s vessel gets lost, and he runs out of oxygen, falling unconscious until he’s saved. However, back in real life, debris from the Titan submersible was found. It was discovered the poor safety standards of the vessel had caused it to implode, sadly taking the lives of five people onboard.
As we alluded to earlier, 1993’s “Marge in Chains” had another big reason to terrify the year of real-world 2020. After watching a shopping channel commercial for the “Juice Loosener,” the residents of Springfield go crazy for the device and order it in droves. However, one worker shipping the items in Osaka, Japan, is so fearful of missing a day with the flu that he ends up coughing his disease into the boxes. When it gets to Springfield, the town is soon infected with very visual virus clouds, giving them all Osaka Flu. In real life, 2020 saw COVID-19 sweep across the world with a pandemic, causing many to sadly lose their lives as countries went into lockdown.
In 2013, the food industry in real-life Europe was in shambles. It was discovered that various frozen foods, which claimed they contained beef, actually had up to 100% horse meat! Some apparent beef dishes also included various other animals, including pork, which greatly affected those from religions that forbid the consumption of swine. Nearly two decades before, in 1994, “The Simpsons” aired the episode “Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song.” During events, we see Springfield Elementary School has been cost-cutting their food expenditures as Lunchlady Doris is mixing in “Assorted Horse Parts” with extra iron from the stallions’ nether regions. Delicious.
At the 1998 Winter Olympics, curling was officially brought into the event as a sport rather than a demonstration. Beyond a bronze medal for the men in 2006, the illusive gold had evaded the United States. In the 2010 episode “Boy Meets Curl,” the sport was given a massive dose of advertising as Homer and Marge competed for the U.S. at the Olympics. Not only that, they defeated the Swedish team to grab gold! Fast forward to the real-life 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where the U.S. men’s team took on Sweden in the final. With life imitating art, the United States defeated their opponents in the final 7-10 to take the gold for the first time!
Celebrities making cameos in “The Simpsons” is very often delightful, especially when they’re happy to make jokes at their expense. In the 1996 episode “Homerpalooza,” Homer becomes an attraction for absorbing cannon fire. During his tour, we see the hip-hop group Cypress Hill backstage at the fairgrounds. Turns out someone ordered the London Symphony Orchestra, probably while under the influence, and the manager looks at Cypress Hill, who goes with it. The two groups then play a classical/hip-hop mash-up of “Insane in the Brain.” Well, that stuck in the real-life group’s mind for years. In 2024, news came out that the LSO was set to support Cypress Hill for a gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.
In this episode from 2000, Bart is shown a vision of his possible future. In contrast to his less-than-great life, Lisa has become president as she wears a purple suit with her iconic necklace. This outfit has a startling similarity to Kamala Harris' attire during her inauguration as vice president in 2021, including the necklace and pearl earrings. Lisa is said to be the “first straight female president of the United States,” which became a potential outcome for Harris after she secured the Democratic nomination in 2024.
This episode from Season 10 aired on November 8, 1998 - long before Disney and Fox considered an acquisition. At the end of the episode, a sign appears that reads “20th Century Fox, A Division of Walt Disney Co.” According to the episode’s writer, Richard Appel, the joke was written out of “a general sense that soon Disney would own us all.” He definitely wasn’t wrong when it came to Fox. Nearly twenty years later on December 14, 2017, Disney announced that it was buying 21st Century Fox for just over $52 billion. And with that, the Simpsons officially became Disney characters. The 2021 plusaversary short showed just how strange and funny it is to see Springfield residents hang out with mouse house characters.
In the episode “Lisa's Wedding”, we see the titular character prepare for a union in the year 2010. To prove that they’re in the future, her fiance Hugh Parkfield speaks into a wrist device that seemingly functions as both a watch and telephone. Modern audiences would probably think nothing of it today. However, the episode aired in 1995! Smartwatches were still in their infancy then. While similar devices did pop up in mediums like spy movies, the idea that an average citizen would have access to a phone watch was relatively original. It turned out that “The Simpsons” wasn’t far off because the first smartwatch that functioned as a telephone was introduced in 1999.
During Season 2’s “Brush with Greatness”, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr appeared as himself and responded to some very old fan mail. This includes finally answering Marge, who had sent him some correspondence all the way back in high school. It turns out that this plot wasn’t that unrealistic. While the real life occurrence didn’t involve Ringo Starr, it did bring in Paul McCartney. The legendary musician learned about a tape that was recorded by two fans back in 1963. Sometime after he got it, the BBC helped the older fans get McCartney’s written response. Although it took fifty years, they seemed to appreciate him writing back.
“The Simpsons” managed to predict the future and take shots at the American healthcare system in one delightful plot. When Mr. Burns cancels the prescription drug plan, many other companies follow suit. After people realize that they can’t afford medication, they hoof it over to Canada to get what they need. The journey paves the way for Ned to meet his Canadian doppelganger. During the encounter, the Springfield native was offered some legal “reeferino.” While the green stuff wasn’t legal in Canada at the time, it didn’t take too long. Reeferino was officially given the OK across Canada in October 2018. That was nearly fourteen years after the episode aired in January 2005.
The writers must have really been looking into a crystal ball when they came up with “Lisa’s Wedding” in the 90s. When they weren’t dreaming up futuristic phone watches, the animators were plopping in buildings that hadn’t existed yet. While Lisa is in London, viewers are given a glimpse of various famous landmarks. It was pretty normal to see Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. However, there’s also a pointy skyscraper. In March 2009, work started on what would eventually become The Shard. It would eventually become the tallest building in the entire country. Not only does the Shard bear a startling resemblance to the tower seen in “The Simpsons,” but it’s even in the right location! Now that’s just eerie.
When Dolph wrote “beat up Martin” into his Apple Newton in 1994, the phrase hilariously turned into “eat up Martha.” This was a joke aimed at the Apple Newton, which was notoriously bad at recognizing handwriting. But it also predicted the issues that autocorrect would bring to handheld devices. Technically, Autocorrect was around by 1994 in programs like Microsoft Word. However, it wouldn’t be until 2007 that autocorrect became a common and notorious problem for handheld devices. The joke actually did affect real-life development as well. Apparently, Apple developers made sure that autocorrect worked as well as it could after being lightly mocked in the episode.
The writers of “The Simpsons” are extremely smart. So much so that they pretty much figured out the mass of the Higgs boson particle fourteen years early. In the episode “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace,” Homer becomes an inventor and writes a complicated math equation on a chalkboard. This complicated series of numbers and symbols was penned by episode writer David X. Cohen and his astronomer friend, David Schiminovich. Physicist Simon Singh later claimed that Homer’s equation closely correlates to the real mass of the Higgs boson particle. While the episode aired in 1997, the mass wasn’t officially discovered until 2012. We guess that Homer is much smarter than we thought. Sometimes.
When Springfield legalizes gambling, Mr. Burns opens a casino and hires Gunter and Ernst to stage an animal show. In a horrifying turn of events, they are attacked by their white tiger, Anastasia. Even more horrifying is what came after. These two are modeled after Siegfried & Roy. This real-life duo formerly ran a highly popular Vegas show at the Mirage Resort and Casino. Around ten years after the episode aired, Roy Horn was attacked by a tiger named Mantacore while performing a show. He unfortunately suffered many serious injuries. While Horn survived the gruesome incident, the performer had to leave show business after the attack.
As the title suggests, the 2012 “Lisa Goes Gaga” episode sees pop star Lady Gaga visiting Springfield and winning the young Simpsons’ heart. During her musical performance, the musician wears a bluish-silver outfit and flies over the crowd on a harness. The scene initially came off as a satirical love letter to Gaga’s outrageous and bombastic style. However, it eventually became a reflection of real life. When Lady Gaga performed the halftime show of Super Bowl LI in 2017, the similarities to the Springfield concert were striking. Lady Gaga wore an outfit very similar to the one seen on the animated show. Additionally, she just so happened to hover over the crowd on a harness.
Poor Homer and Marge couldn’t even enjoy a nice night out. Their plans to visit The Gilded Truffle for their wedding anniversary were ruined when Grampa failed to show up to babysit. Eventually, they’re forced to skip out on the fancy restaurant and are taken to visit Up, Up and Buffet! This airplane-themed restaurant simulates turbulence and serves takeaway in “arf bags.” Since the episode aired in 1998, various airplanes have been converted into restaurants. These are located across the globe and serve food ranging from steak to McDonald’s. Hopefully, most of these real restaurants stay stationary.
A 2010 “Simpsons” story saw Martin, Milhouse, Database, and Lisa bet on the winners of the various Nobel Prizes. When viewers are given a brief glimpse of the betting pool, they see that Milhouse has bet on Bengt Holmström to win Economics. But Martin won the bet by picking Jagdish Bhagwati. However, Milhouse was close! He was just six years off. In 2016, both Holmström and Oliver Hart won Nobel Prizes in Economic Sciences “for their contributions to contract theory.” While we won’t try to explain what that is, we’re sure Milhouse already knows. He’s clearly smart enough to predict the future.
“Game of Thrones” had a real stinker of an ending - so bad that it was an actual joke on “The Simpsons.” The Serfsons is the 29th season premiere and takes place in an alternate medieval kingdom called Springfieldia. The end of the episode sees Homer reviving a dragon, which proceeds to rain fire on a nearby village. Look familiar? Nearly two years later, “Game of Thrones” would feature a very similar scene when Daenerys used Drogon to raze King’s Landing. This story development was heavily criticized by fans and critics alike, and it didn’t take social media long to scream “Simpsons did it!”
When the Simpson family visits Colonel Tex's Traveling Carnival, Bart is drawn to a virtual reality game called Yard Work Simulator. Marge hilariously informs him that he can do real work like this at home. Naturally, real effort doesn’t seem that appealing to Bart. But things have definitely changed since this episode aired in 1998. Modern gaming is full of “simulator” experiences. Through consoles, pcs, and smartphones, players can do seemingly boring chores digitally. There’s even options to perform these tasks in virtual reality. While the games aren’t for everyone, 90s Bart would be in heaven in the 21st century.
In the fourth season episode “Whacking Day,” the citizens of Springfield get together for an annual event in which they round up snakes and eliminate them in the town square. This was reportedly influenced by real events called rattlesnake rodeos. Those events involve trading, releasing, and occasionally slaying the reptiles. But this episode predicted an even more violent occurrence. In 2013, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started the Python Challenge. This event calls for Floridians to capture or eliminate as many Burmese pythons as possible for a $10,000 prize. In 2022, a competitor named Matthew Concepcion won by capturing 28 snakes.
Itchy and Scratchy make their way onto the big screen in this episode from season four. In order to promote their movie, the studio puts out a disgusting interactive billboard. It mainly dumps a red blood-like substance onto passersby (and into their cars). A slight variation on this theme actually played out in 2008 in New Zealand. Back then, the state-owned TVNZ 2 was promoting the television debut of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: Volume 1.” A giant billboard was erected in Auckland that saw a giant stream of blood spraying onto nearby prop cars. Luckily, no one in the vicinity reported that they were slathered in the liquid. The same can’t be said for the poor citizens of Springfield.
Few marble sculptures are as popular as Michelangelo’s David. In the second season episode “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge,” David goes on a tour throughout the eastern US and stops at Springfield. Some people take umbrage with the statue’s nudity and attempt to censor it. There are people who even went so far as to cover it with a pair of jeans. With this gag, “The Simpsons” was both satirizing the past and predicting the future. Various campaigns have attempted to “cover up” David since the episode aired. Incidents have arisen in 2001, 2014, and 2016. It’s unknown whether more campaigns to conceal the statue’s natural form will pop up in the future.
After Principal Skinner makes some massive budget cuts at the school, the kids get really shoddy lunches. The educator and the cafeteria staff even colluded to use shredded newspapers and gym mats as cheap food filler. In 2014, the public learned that many major fast food chains were using azodicarbonamide in their bread. This compound is used as an oxidizing agent with flour. It’s also used to make vinyl foam. Ironically, that’s what gym and yoga mats are made of. So, in an indirect way, real restaurants were taking a page out of Skinner’s playbook. Fortunately, bad publicity caused many of these restaurants to drop azodicarbonamide as an ingredient.
Is there anything that people won’t steal? In “Lard of the Dance,” Homer and Bart conspire to sell grease for a profit. Upon realizing that everyday bacon grease won’t do the trick, the duo start stealing grease from the school and Krusty Burger. The latter attempt even gets them in trouble with the mafia-like Acne Grease and Shovel Company. America saw a spate of grease thefts throughout 2012 when the price of used cooking oil skyrocketed. In one instance, two thieves stole grease from a McDonald’s. Honestly, we do have to wonder if the real thieves got the idea from watching “The Simpsons”.
“The Simpsons” finds a source of humor in many things, including nuclear runoff. At the start of this second season episode, Bart catches a three-eyed fish that is named Blinky by the media. The deformed fish was caught near a nuclear power plant that is found to have 342 safety violations worth over $50 million. This remained a silly joke until 2011. During that year, fishermen in Córdoba, Argentina caught a three-eyed wolf fish. Sure enough, the lake was used as a dumping ground for a nuclear power plant facility’s hot water. We wouldn’t recommend making a fillet out of that catch.
Like “Lisa’s Wedding,” “Bart to the Future” depicts, well, the future. While Bart lives as an aspiring rock star, Lisa is President of the United States. She inherits a massive financial problem that was caused by the last president: real estate mogul Donald Trump. This episode was produced during his presidential campaign of 2000 when his victory seemed extremely unlikely. However, it stopped being a joke when Trump was declared the 45th President of the United States. The first episode following the announcement contained a chalkboard gag that read “Being right sucks.” This drawing showed that the writers aren’t always happy about what they predict.
#34: Video Chats
“Lisa's Wedding” (1995)Nowadays, video calling is everywhere. You can instantly see and speak to people on your phone, computer, tablet, and whatever else. Back in 1995, when “The Simpsons” episode “Lisa's Wedding” aired, it wasn’t common at all. In fact, that year, the first public video conference between North America and Africa took place. In this episode, Lisa is told her possible 2010 future by a fairground fortune teller, leading to her seeing her love story with Hugh Parkfield. After their romance blossoms, the middle Simpson child long-distance calls Marge via a landline video chat, looking eerily similar to our modern-day technology.
#33: Faulty Voting Machines
“Treehouse of Horror XIX” (2012)In 2012, people were outraged about a video showing a Pennsylvania citizen attempting to vote for Barack Obama in the U.S. presidential election, only for the electronic voting machine to select Mitt Romney instead. The machine was taken away and fixed before returning to the voting floor. Well, in the 2008 episode “Treehouse of Horror XIX,” the opening segment features this exact issue. Homer tries to vote for Obama, only for the machine to select John McCain. After several tries to get the vote through, Homer attempts to warn officials, only for the machine to consume him and spit him out. Thankfully, that latter part didn’t happen in real life… yet.
#32: The Hornet Invasion
“Marge in Chains” (1993)It’s bonkers how one episode could have two major incidents happen in the real world in 2020. The odds of that happening must have been astronomical. In the 1993 episode “Marge in Chains,” a bunch of people experiencing hysteria are desperate for a cure – more on that later. After Dr. Hibbert mentions that he can only give a placebo as rest is the best cure, the crowd goes on a rampage and breaks a box in a truck. Clearly marked with “Danger: Killer Bees” on it, the bugs wreak havoc on the citizens. This bears a strange resemblance to the murder hornet invasion of North America when Asian giant hornets briefly terrorized the nation.
#31: Washington Wins
“Lisa the Greek” (1992)In 1992, three days before Super Bowl XXVI, “The Simpsons” episode “Lisa the Greek” aired. With a title playing on Jimmy the Greek, Lisa has a knack for helping Homer rake in money by betting on American football games. When the Super Bowl approaches, a disheartened Lisa, who realizes her father is using her, says that if Washington wins, she still loves Homer. Amazingly, she was right when the then-named Washington Redskins defeated the Buffalo Bills in real-life. But that’s not all. The episode was dubbed during reruns the following year and also in 1994. Each time, Washington was switched with the Dallas Cowboys, who won both Super Bowls!
#30: FIFA’s Corruption Scandal
“You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee” (2014)In 2014, “The Simpsons” decided to mock football to celebrate the World Cup that year with the episode “You Don't Have to Live Like a Referee.” It featured a FIFA-esque official approaching Homer to ask him to be a referee during the World Cup as the organization and refs are dealing with corruption allegations. As he says this, the official is arrested. Homer then spends the tournament denying bribes before accepting them, then rejecting them again when his conscience kicks in. In 2015, the real-world FIFA was torn apart by massive accusations of corruption, damaging the world football authority’s reputation so much that it still hasn’t recovered. Many executives were arrested and banned for life.
#29: Ferret Poodles
“Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge” (2002)Imagine you saved up the cash to fulfill a lifelong dream of buying a toy poodle. Amazing, right? However, it’s not what you imagined. The creature looks a little… off and doesn’t behave like a dog should. In 2013, one man in Argentina took his two poodles to the vet, which cost him $150 to adopt, only to discover they were actually fluffy groomed ferrets pumped with steroids. Yikes. Seemingly, the criminal mastermind was taking notes in 2002 for “The Simpsons”’s episode, “Poppa's Got a Brand New Badge.” After Homer sets up his own security company, he discovers Fat Tony has been sticking cotton balls onto ferrets to pass them off as toy poodles to sell.
#28: Ultrahouse 3000
“Treehouse of Horror XII” (2001)Today, many people have smart speakers in their houses that help them get through the turmoil of modern life. Whether it’s Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, or another brand, these virtual assistants can help remind us of tasks, lock doors, turn on lights, and whatnot. In 2001’s “Treehouse of Horror XII,” the second story, “House of Whacks,” had the Simpsons install an Ultrahouse 3000. With the suave voice of Pierce Brosnan, the helpful device takes care of a lot of the family’s troubles and tasks. However, the tech eventually goes awry when it falls in love with Marge, leading the family to destroy it to save their lives. Hopefully, real life doesn’t take inspiration for the latter part of the story...
#27: Baby Translator
“Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes?” (1992)Since the dawn of humanity, adults have been baffled by what babies are after. Does the high-pitched cry mean they're hungry or cold? Does the lower grumble mean they’re bored or having an existential crisis? No one knows. Herb Powell, Homer’s long-lost half-brother, wants to find the answer in this 1992 episode. To reclaim his fortune, Herb uses Maggie to develop a device to translate a baby’s wants so adults can understand. In recent years, several companies have created devices to do the same thing. In 2016, a Taiwanese team led by Chuan-Yu Chang created the mobile app Infant Crying Translator to help with the puzzle. Then, in 2023, QBear developed a device that uses A.I.
#26: The OceanGate Submersible Tragedy
“Homer's Paternity Coot” (2006)In 2023, the world was shocked over OceanGate’s Titan submersible vanishing on an expedition to see the Titanic shipwreck in the North Atlantic Ocean. People panicked as the vessel’s oxygen ran out before it could be located. In the 2006 episode “Homer's Paternity Coot,” there were similarities to their real-life event. After Homer believes Mason Fairbanks is his biological father, the two go on mini-subs to collect treasure from a shipwreck. However, Homer’s vessel gets lost, and he runs out of oxygen, falling unconscious until he’s saved. However, back in real life, debris from the Titan submersible was found. It was discovered the poor safety standards of the vessel had caused it to implode, sadly taking the lives of five people onboard.
#25: COVID-Esque Illness
“Marge in Chains” (1993)As we alluded to earlier, 1993’s “Marge in Chains” had another big reason to terrify the year of real-world 2020. After watching a shopping channel commercial for the “Juice Loosener,” the residents of Springfield go crazy for the device and order it in droves. However, one worker shipping the items in Osaka, Japan, is so fearful of missing a day with the flu that he ends up coughing his disease into the boxes. When it gets to Springfield, the town is soon infected with very visual virus clouds, giving them all Osaka Flu. In real life, 2020 saw COVID-19 sweep across the world with a pandemic, causing many to sadly lose their lives as countries went into lockdown.
#24: The Horsemeat Scandal
“Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song” (1994)In 2013, the food industry in real-life Europe was in shambles. It was discovered that various frozen foods, which claimed they contained beef, actually had up to 100% horse meat! Some apparent beef dishes also included various other animals, including pork, which greatly affected those from religions that forbid the consumption of swine. Nearly two decades before, in 1994, “The Simpsons” aired the episode “Sweet Seymour Skinner's Baadasssss Song.” During events, we see Springfield Elementary School has been cost-cutting their food expenditures as Lunchlady Doris is mixing in “Assorted Horse Parts” with extra iron from the stallions’ nether regions. Delicious.
#23: The U.S. Wins Gold in Curling
“Boy Meets Curl” (2010)At the 1998 Winter Olympics, curling was officially brought into the event as a sport rather than a demonstration. Beyond a bronze medal for the men in 2006, the illusive gold had evaded the United States. In the 2010 episode “Boy Meets Curl,” the sport was given a massive dose of advertising as Homer and Marge competed for the U.S. at the Olympics. Not only that, they defeated the Swedish team to grab gold! Fast forward to the real-life 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, where the U.S. men’s team took on Sweden in the final. With life imitating art, the United States defeated their opponents in the final 7-10 to take the gold for the first time!
#22: Cypress Hill Performs With the London Symphony Orchestra
“Homerpalooza” (1996)Celebrities making cameos in “The Simpsons” is very often delightful, especially when they’re happy to make jokes at their expense. In the 1996 episode “Homerpalooza,” Homer becomes an attraction for absorbing cannon fire. During his tour, we see the hip-hop group Cypress Hill backstage at the fairgrounds. Turns out someone ordered the London Symphony Orchestra, probably while under the influence, and the manager looks at Cypress Hill, who goes with it. The two groups then play a classical/hip-hop mash-up of “Insane in the Brain.” Well, that stuck in the real-life group’s mind for years. In 2024, news came out that the LSO was set to support Cypress Hill for a gig at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England.
#21: Kamala Harris’ Purple Suit
“Bart to the Future” (2000)In this episode from 2000, Bart is shown a vision of his possible future. In contrast to his less-than-great life, Lisa has become president as she wears a purple suit with her iconic necklace. This outfit has a startling similarity to Kamala Harris' attire during her inauguration as vice president in 2021, including the necklace and pearl earrings. Lisa is said to be the “first straight female president of the United States,” which became a potential outcome for Harris after she secured the Democratic nomination in 2024.
#20: Disney Buys Fox
“When You Dish Upon a Star” (1998)This episode from Season 10 aired on November 8, 1998 - long before Disney and Fox considered an acquisition. At the end of the episode, a sign appears that reads “20th Century Fox, A Division of Walt Disney Co.” According to the episode’s writer, Richard Appel, the joke was written out of “a general sense that soon Disney would own us all.” He definitely wasn’t wrong when it came to Fox. Nearly twenty years later on December 14, 2017, Disney announced that it was buying 21st Century Fox for just over $52 billion. And with that, the Simpsons officially became Disney characters. The 2021 plusaversary short showed just how strange and funny it is to see Springfield residents hang out with mouse house characters.
#19: Smartwatches
“Lisa’s Wedding” (1995)In the episode “Lisa's Wedding”, we see the titular character prepare for a union in the year 2010. To prove that they’re in the future, her fiance Hugh Parkfield speaks into a wrist device that seemingly functions as both a watch and telephone. Modern audiences would probably think nothing of it today. However, the episode aired in 1995! Smartwatches were still in their infancy then. While similar devices did pop up in mediums like spy movies, the idea that an average citizen would have access to a phone watch was relatively original. It turned out that “The Simpsons” wasn’t far off because the first smartwatch that functioned as a telephone was introduced in 1999.
#18: Really Old Fan Mail
“Brush with Greatness” (1991)During Season 2’s “Brush with Greatness”, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr appeared as himself and responded to some very old fan mail. This includes finally answering Marge, who had sent him some correspondence all the way back in high school. It turns out that this plot wasn’t that unrealistic. While the real life occurrence didn’t involve Ringo Starr, it did bring in Paul McCartney. The legendary musician learned about a tape that was recorded by two fans back in 1963. Sometime after he got it, the BBC helped the older fans get McCartney’s written response. Although it took fifty years, they seemed to appreciate him writing back.
#17: Legalized Marijuana in Canada
“Midnight Rx” (2005)“The Simpsons” managed to predict the future and take shots at the American healthcare system in one delightful plot. When Mr. Burns cancels the prescription drug plan, many other companies follow suit. After people realize that they can’t afford medication, they hoof it over to Canada to get what they need. The journey paves the way for Ned to meet his Canadian doppelganger. During the encounter, the Springfield native was offered some legal “reeferino.” While the green stuff wasn’t legal in Canada at the time, it didn’t take too long. Reeferino was officially given the OK across Canada in October 2018. That was nearly fourteen years after the episode aired in January 2005.
#16: The Shard
“Lisa’s Wedding” (1995)The writers must have really been looking into a crystal ball when they came up with “Lisa’s Wedding” in the 90s. When they weren’t dreaming up futuristic phone watches, the animators were plopping in buildings that hadn’t existed yet. While Lisa is in London, viewers are given a glimpse of various famous landmarks. It was pretty normal to see Big Ben and the Tower Bridge. However, there’s also a pointy skyscraper. In March 2009, work started on what would eventually become The Shard. It would eventually become the tallest building in the entire country. Not only does the Shard bear a startling resemblance to the tower seen in “The Simpsons,” but it’s even in the right location! Now that’s just eerie.
#15: Autocorrect
“Lisa on Ice” (1994)When Dolph wrote “beat up Martin” into his Apple Newton in 1994, the phrase hilariously turned into “eat up Martha.” This was a joke aimed at the Apple Newton, which was notoriously bad at recognizing handwriting. But it also predicted the issues that autocorrect would bring to handheld devices. Technically, Autocorrect was around by 1994 in programs like Microsoft Word. However, it wouldn’t be until 2007 that autocorrect became a common and notorious problem for handheld devices. The joke actually did affect real-life development as well. Apparently, Apple developers made sure that autocorrect worked as well as it could after being lightly mocked in the episode.
#14: The Mass of the Higgs Boson
“The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace” (1998)The writers of “The Simpsons” are extremely smart. So much so that they pretty much figured out the mass of the Higgs boson particle fourteen years early. In the episode “The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace,” Homer becomes an inventor and writes a complicated math equation on a chalkboard. This complicated series of numbers and symbols was penned by episode writer David X. Cohen and his astronomer friend, David Schiminovich. Physicist Simon Singh later claimed that Homer’s equation closely correlates to the real mass of the Higgs boson particle. While the episode aired in 1997, the mass wasn’t officially discovered until 2012. We guess that Homer is much smarter than we thought. Sometimes.
#13: The Roy Horn Tiger Attack
“$pringfield” (1993)When Springfield legalizes gambling, Mr. Burns opens a casino and hires Gunter and Ernst to stage an animal show. In a horrifying turn of events, they are attacked by their white tiger, Anastasia. Even more horrifying is what came after. These two are modeled after Siegfried & Roy. This real-life duo formerly ran a highly popular Vegas show at the Mirage Resort and Casino. Around ten years after the episode aired, Roy Horn was attacked by a tiger named Mantacore while performing a show. He unfortunately suffered many serious injuries. While Horn survived the gruesome incident, the performer had to leave show business after the attack.
#12: Lady Gaga’s Halftime Show
“Lisa Goes Gaga” (2012)As the title suggests, the 2012 “Lisa Goes Gaga” episode sees pop star Lady Gaga visiting Springfield and winning the young Simpsons’ heart. During her musical performance, the musician wears a bluish-silver outfit and flies over the crowd on a harness. The scene initially came off as a satirical love letter to Gaga’s outrageous and bombastic style. However, it eventually became a reflection of real life. When Lady Gaga performed the halftime show of Super Bowl LI in 2017, the similarities to the Springfield concert were striking. Lady Gaga wore an outfit very similar to the one seen on the animated show. Additionally, she just so happened to hover over the crowd on a harness.
#11: Airplane Restaurant
“Natural Born Kissers” (1998)Poor Homer and Marge couldn’t even enjoy a nice night out. Their plans to visit The Gilded Truffle for their wedding anniversary were ruined when Grampa failed to show up to babysit. Eventually, they’re forced to skip out on the fancy restaurant and are taken to visit Up, Up and Buffet! This airplane-themed restaurant simulates turbulence and serves takeaway in “arf bags.” Since the episode aired in 1998, various airplanes have been converted into restaurants. These are located across the globe and serve food ranging from steak to McDonald’s. Hopefully, most of these real restaurants stay stationary.
#10: Nobel Prize Winner Bengt Holmström
“Elementary School Musical” (2010)A 2010 “Simpsons” story saw Martin, Milhouse, Database, and Lisa bet on the winners of the various Nobel Prizes. When viewers are given a brief glimpse of the betting pool, they see that Milhouse has bet on Bengt Holmström to win Economics. But Martin won the bet by picking Jagdish Bhagwati. However, Milhouse was close! He was just six years off. In 2016, both Holmström and Oliver Hart won Nobel Prizes in Economic Sciences “for their contributions to contract theory.” While we won’t try to explain what that is, we’re sure Milhouse already knows. He’s clearly smart enough to predict the future.
#9: Daenerys Burns King’s Landing
“The Serfsons” (2017)“Game of Thrones” had a real stinker of an ending - so bad that it was an actual joke on “The Simpsons.” The Serfsons is the 29th season premiere and takes place in an alternate medieval kingdom called Springfieldia. The end of the episode sees Homer reviving a dragon, which proceeds to rain fire on a nearby village. Look familiar? Nearly two years later, “Game of Thrones” would feature a very similar scene when Daenerys used Drogon to raze King’s Landing. This story development was heavily criticized by fans and critics alike, and it didn’t take social media long to scream “Simpsons did it!”
#8: Yard Work Simulator
“Bart Carny” (1998)When the Simpson family visits Colonel Tex's Traveling Carnival, Bart is drawn to a virtual reality game called Yard Work Simulator. Marge hilariously informs him that he can do real work like this at home. Naturally, real effort doesn’t seem that appealing to Bart. But things have definitely changed since this episode aired in 1998. Modern gaming is full of “simulator” experiences. Through consoles, pcs, and smartphones, players can do seemingly boring chores digitally. There’s even options to perform these tasks in virtual reality. While the games aren’t for everyone, 90s Bart would be in heaven in the 21st century.
#7: Snake Clubbing
“Whacking Day” (1993)In the fourth season episode “Whacking Day,” the citizens of Springfield get together for an annual event in which they round up snakes and eliminate them in the town square. This was reportedly influenced by real events called rattlesnake rodeos. Those events involve trading, releasing, and occasionally slaying the reptiles. But this episode predicted an even more violent occurrence. In 2013, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission started the Python Challenge. This event calls for Floridians to capture or eliminate as many Burmese pythons as possible for a $10,000 prize. In 2022, a competitor named Matthew Concepcion won by capturing 28 snakes.
#6: The Bloody Billboard
“Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie” (1992)Itchy and Scratchy make their way onto the big screen in this episode from season four. In order to promote their movie, the studio puts out a disgusting interactive billboard. It mainly dumps a red blood-like substance onto passersby (and into their cars). A slight variation on this theme actually played out in 2008 in New Zealand. Back then, the state-owned TVNZ 2 was promoting the television debut of Quentin Tarantino’s “Kill Bill: Volume 1.” A giant billboard was erected in Auckland that saw a giant stream of blood spraying onto nearby prop cars. Luckily, no one in the vicinity reported that they were slathered in the liquid. The same can’t be said for the poor citizens of Springfield.
#5: The Censoring of David
“Itchy & Scratchy & Marge” (1990)Few marble sculptures are as popular as Michelangelo’s David. In the second season episode “Itchy & Scratchy & Marge,” David goes on a tour throughout the eastern US and stops at Springfield. Some people take umbrage with the statue’s nudity and attempt to censor it. There are people who even went so far as to cover it with a pair of jeans. With this gag, “The Simpsons” was both satirizing the past and predicting the future. Various campaigns have attempted to “cover up” David since the episode aired. Incidents have arisen in 2001, 2014, and 2016. It’s unknown whether more campaigns to conceal the statue’s natural form will pop up in the future.
#4: Gym Mat Food
“The PTA Disbands” (1995)After Principal Skinner makes some massive budget cuts at the school, the kids get really shoddy lunches. The educator and the cafeteria staff even colluded to use shredded newspapers and gym mats as cheap food filler. In 2014, the public learned that many major fast food chains were using azodicarbonamide in their bread. This compound is used as an oxidizing agent with flour. It’s also used to make vinyl foam. Ironically, that’s what gym and yoga mats are made of. So, in an indirect way, real restaurants were taking a page out of Skinner’s playbook. Fortunately, bad publicity caused many of these restaurants to drop azodicarbonamide as an ingredient.
#3: Grease Thefts
“Lard of the Dance” (1998)Is there anything that people won’t steal? In “Lard of the Dance,” Homer and Bart conspire to sell grease for a profit. Upon realizing that everyday bacon grease won’t do the trick, the duo start stealing grease from the school and Krusty Burger. The latter attempt even gets them in trouble with the mafia-like Acne Grease and Shovel Company. America saw a spate of grease thefts throughout 2012 when the price of used cooking oil skyrocketed. In one instance, two thieves stole grease from a McDonald’s. Honestly, we do have to wonder if the real thieves got the idea from watching “The Simpsons”.
#2: Blinky the Three-Eyed Fish
“Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish” (1990)“The Simpsons” finds a source of humor in many things, including nuclear runoff. At the start of this second season episode, Bart catches a three-eyed fish that is named Blinky by the media. The deformed fish was caught near a nuclear power plant that is found to have 342 safety violations worth over $50 million. This remained a silly joke until 2011. During that year, fishermen in Córdoba, Argentina caught a three-eyed wolf fish. Sure enough, the lake was used as a dumping ground for a nuclear power plant facility’s hot water. We wouldn’t recommend making a fillet out of that catch.
#1: President Trump
“Bart to the Future” (2000)Like “Lisa’s Wedding,” “Bart to the Future” depicts, well, the future. While Bart lives as an aspiring rock star, Lisa is President of the United States. She inherits a massive financial problem that was caused by the last president: real estate mogul Donald Trump. This episode was produced during his presidential campaign of 2000 when his victory seemed extremely unlikely. However, it stopped being a joke when Trump was declared the 45th President of the United States. The first episode following the announcement contained a chalkboard gag that read “Being right sucks.” This drawing showed that the writers aren’t always happy about what they predict.
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