It has become a strange phenomenon to fans of The Simpsons that the cartoon has made some of the most outrageous predictions. From an explosion to a boat crash, fans are pointing at episodes dating back to 1989 and making connections with the real world. But the reality of it is this marvel has gotten away from us all and fans often reach for similarities that just aren’t there.
Let’s begin with a truly fictitious claim that The Simpsons predicted that Kobe Bryant would die in a helicopter crash. It wasn’t even a day after the terrible news that the internet went crazy about a so-called episode they somehow remembered of a helicopter crash. This could be an example of The Mandela Effect but no such episode occurred, at least not on that show.
In 2016, Legends of Chamberlain Heights aired the “End of Days” episode in which Kobe is in a helicopter crash. Of course, that was four years before the actual crash and I’m sure the creators would take it back if they could.
The Simpsons Boat Crash
The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed in March of 2024 due to a cargo ship ramming into it when it lost power. Of course, a crash can’t just be a crash these days. The conspiracy theories started flying around the internet and then of course, in perfect timing, it was reported that The Simpsons predicted it.
Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, a supposed screenshot from the episode pointed to no actual episode. And after further investigation, it turned out to be a very skillfully created photo using AI.
It’s not that easy to use AI if you’ve never tried it. It’s like standing on a hoverboard that is very sensitive to your body’s movements. One wrong move and you’re on your butt.
AI is kind of like that where it’s easy to have characters come out with six fingers and three legs. So, this picture is pretty well done but the fanatics of the show who have watched every episode were soon to point out that Lisa has ten spikes in her hair when in the show, she only has eight. Details like that make all the difference in the world.
These proud investigators, defenders of the show, also pointed out the difference in Homer’s hair. I’m telling you, there is no getting anything past these guys. Don’t even try.
When The Cartoon Seems To Hit
Because time has passed since this occurred, it’s so easy to catch people off-guard. “Trumptastic Voyage” was a short that the makers of The Simpsons decided to create after Trump announced his run for the presidency in 2015. He threw his hat in the ring on June 16, 2015, and the official show Twitter account posted this tweet on July 7, 2015.
When fanatics take things too far is when they point out that the short shows Trump’s plan to run in 2024. The thing about that is it shows his original plan to run in 2012 as well. He pulled out of that because he said he wasn’t quite ready to leave the private sector. Plus, the clip goes on to show his run in 2016, 2020, 2024, 2028…etc. It hits them all. Can’t miss when you make predictions like that.
What’s great about the clip as with everything else in the show is all the humor stuffed into it. There are people holding “Paid” signs because they’re paid to make it look more busy than it is. Trump’s hair also becomes the butt of the joke. It’s all good but nothing to be taken too seriously unless that’s the way you’re geared. I’ve noticed that the more you tell people to chill, the more they start worrying about everything.
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There have been some coincidences over the years. There’s no denying that the show has to ability to surprise us all. But even the creators of the show will tell you that they don’t possess some magical powers to see into the future. They’re just some highly educated writers who can get it right a good bit of the time.
Al Jean quoted one of the other writers on the show, “If you write 700 episodes and you don’t predict anything, then you’re pretty bad. If you throw enough darts, you’re going to get some bull’s eyes.”
The One That Shocked Me
This episode appeared in 1996. In “The City of New York vs. Homer Simpson,” a brochure for $9 has the New York skyline behind it which coincidentally displays The Twin Towers of The World Trade Center. It looks like 911 and even the showrunners call that one crazy.
It wasn’t a prediction of the future. There was no indication that the towers were going to fall in 2001. But it is a wild coincidence and I have to admit, my heart skipped a beat when it started circling the internet years later.
