The Simpsons are back in the spotlight, as fans have been quick to point out that the series has seemingly predicted the future once more thanks to an episode in the show’s 11th season which has drawn eerie parallels between Lisa Simpson and Vice President Kamala Harris. The long-running animated sitcom has had a history of predicting everything from Lady Gaga at the Super Bowl, to the legalization of marijuana in Canada, and this time, The Simpsons is back in the political realm, with the show possibly predicting the next President of the United States. This has led to longtime writer and former showrunner, Al Jean, chiming in on the matter.
It all started when the current POTUS, Joe Biden, departed the presidential race, making the shocking announcement that he would not be seeking a second term in office. He then threw his support behind current VP Harris, who is the frontrunner to replace him as the Democratic nominee, and go toe-to-toe with Republican pick and convicted felon, Donald Trump, this November. It was then that fans of The Simpsons dug deep into the archives to pull out a picture of Lisa Simpson from an episode titled “Bart to the Future,” which aired on March 19, 2000.
In the episode, Bart is captured after trying to sneak into a casino, and taken to the manager’s office for reprimand. He’s shown a glimpse into his future, which portrays him as a wannabe rock star living with Ralph Wiggum. His sister, Lisa, is the current POTUS, and it’s there that the similarities between current affairs begin. Not only is Lisa wearing a purple suit, a string of pearls, and matching pearl earrings, but she’s also trying to get the country back on track after the economy was left in shambles following a Donald Trump presidency. Yeah, The Simpsons predicted that, too.
Fans have pointed out that the image of Lisa Simpson standing behind a podium looks just like Harris during her inauguration ceremony for VP in 2021. This led Jean, an original member of The Simpsons’ writing staff, to chime in on social media (via Entertainment Weekly) and call this is one prediction that he’s “proud to be a part of.” Check it out below.
No, The Simpsons Cannot Predict the Future
While it’s fun to think that an animated sitcom that pokes fun at not only itself, but the world we live in, can predict the future, current showrunner Matt Selman has said that when it comes right down to it, it’s just a matter of two things: math and history. Selman joined the writing staff of The Simpsons in 1997, thus far winning six Emmys for his work on the series, where he has slowly risen up through the ranks over the last 27 years.
Selman explains that, with a series that has more than 760 episodes under its belt, it would be impossible not to eventually hit on things that come true. He says it’s not so much about magic as it is about common sense and the fallacy of man.
“So many people in our society have become obsessed with the notion that
The Simpsons
can predict the future using ‘magic.’ I personally do not believe in magic. Yet the one place where magic most certainly is real is in the minds of our fellow human beings. The reality is that the Simpsons’ predictions can be attributed to a basic understanding of two subjects: history and math.“If you study history, you will be able to ‘predict’ the future because the foolishness of humanity repeats itself. If you study math, you know that if the show makes literally 1000s of jokes over almost 800 episodes, it would be statistically impossible not to create material that overlaps with what would later happen in real life. But people prefer the simpler answer: magic.”
Related
The Simpsons Star on No Longer Voicing Black Characters & Idea the Show ‘Has Become Woke’
Harry Shearer has discussed no longer voicing Dr. Hibbert and the show becoming “woke.”
Whether The Simpsons has accurately predicted who the next POTUS will be remains to be seen, as fans will have to wait until the November election to find out. One thing is for certain, though, and that’s the longevity of everyone’s favorite family, which shows no signs of slowing down.
The Simpsons
is available to stream on Disney+.