There are prophecies… and then there are Simpson predictions.
If we’re honest, The Simpsons has basically achieved “time-traveler” status with how scary accurate the show has been in predicting the future.
In fact, they’ve gotten so close with their “accidental” predictions that they have a cult following of people who are always on the lookout for new ones coming true.
Let’s look at some of the most amazing ones – some of them funny, some of them a bit scary!
1. Purple and pearls
Kamala Harris, the current VP, has a signature look. She will usually wear purple and loves to add a little something special by way of a string pearl necklace. Funny enough, a similar figure was depicted in 2000 on the “Bart to the Future” episode when they travel to see the future. Guess who they see?
The Simpsons predicted @VP Kamala Harris’ inauguration outfit 21 years ago: https://t.co/7UXrkc9g85 pic.twitter.com/L9v5GdPj9r
— Consequence (@consequence) January 21, 2021
2. JC Penny
In Season 18’s episode “Please Homer, Don’t Hammer ‘Em,” the family is walking through the mall when they see a run-down JC Penny that’s been turned into an old CD store. It clearly didn’t work out for JC Penny in the show OR real life.
Another prediction from The Simpsons #jcpenny pic.twitter.com/BgEliB7ASN
— random skunk (@mrkkndsn) May 16, 2020
3. Global pandemic
In Season 4, there is a new virus spreading around the world starting in Osaka, Japan. It all begins when a worker sneezes into a package that ships to Springfield. Soon, the entire town has the Osaka Flu. Even more, they knock over a truck with the “cure,” only to release killer bees (murder hornets, in modern-day).
1993 episode of simpsons
Prediction of coronavirus.👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/qshyd9DryB
— Mustansar Hussain Shah Saral (@Mustansar_Saral) February 28, 2020
4. Greta Thunberg
In 2007, Lisa Simpson gets in front of the class and gives an emotional speech about the dangers and impact of climate change. In 2019, Greta Thunberg gave a VERY similar speech at only 16 years old.
The Simpsons is unbelievable!!!! @GretaThunberg look!!! pic.twitter.com/MgBg2OPbaY
— ricci (inebriated era) (@ricci_richy) September 26, 2019
5. Daenerys ends it all
GoT SPOILER ALERT:
In the last episode of Game of Thrones, Daenerys destroys King’s Landing in its entirety. In 2017, the Simpsons find themselves in a similar situation when they transport to a different reality.
#GameOfThrones #Simpsons season 29 ep 1, another prediction??🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/DqMBFQ6sAR
— Sachin Naidoo (@sachin__18) June 24, 2019
6. Homer’s physics equation
In 1998, Homer decides to become an inventor and figures out how to calculate mass for new particles. Funny enough, their random numbers are almost the same mass for the Higgs Boson particle discovered years later.
Homer Simpson shocks world by discovering the mass of the HIGGS BOSON, 14 years before CERN. Info: https://t.co/fX7EPo9Piu pic.twitter.com/NUObVK43kI
— Cliff Pickover (@pickover) January 5, 2018
7. Canada and weed
Over a decade before Canada legalized marijuana, Ned and Homer go to Canada when a medicine is too expensive in Springfield. Ned gets offered some weed by his Canadian lookalike and “flees,” but the prediction is still there!
Today, we’re all Ned Flanders’ Canadian cousin. “They warned me Satan would be attractive.” @Andrew_Beckler #weed pic.twitter.com/vh09crgWTV
— X92.9 (@X929) April 20, 2016
8. Prince Williams hair
This one is a bit of a stretch, but we included it anyway.
Through flashbacks, Homer explains that he always pulls his hair out when he finds out Marge is pregnant. The progression follows Prince Willam and Kate’s three kids nearly spot on.
9. Lady Gaga on a wire
In the 22nd episode of the 23rd season, Lady Gaga decides to do a concert where she flies over the crowd with a wire. Five years later at her Superbowl performance, things didn’t look all that different! Score another one for the Simpsons!
– prediction 7
– in 2012, the simpsons predicted lady gaga’s superbowl set, from what she wore to even her flying above the crowd! pic.twitter.com/nQa94Tr0Pl— ella (@peachyythreads_) October 29, 2018
10. The Nobel Prize
In season 22, there is a competition to bet on who will win the Nobel Prize. Milhouse selects Bengt Holmstrom to win in economics. You would never believe who won the exact award in 2016.
From a @BuzzFeed article on “things the Simpsons predicted”. Disappointed they didn’t spot the prediction of @FeringaLab also winning the Nobel prize too. Impressive research from The Simpsons’ writers. pic.twitter.com/jyQJUdyTsl
— Rob Newland (@mynameis_rob) June 27, 2020
11. Disney taking over
In 2017, Disney bought 20th Century Fox for $52 billion. Who would have guessed? Oh, the Simpsons back in 1998 when they literally had 20th Century Fox listed as a division of Disney.
This was on The Simpsons 22 years ago! Just one of many predictions from the show that have come true! #Predictions #Simpsons #FOX #Disney pic.twitter.com/0gXtOJqhWI
— Bob Sabouni (@SunnyDayEntert1) January 21, 2020
12. Team USA wins in curling
Curling (pushing a puck around the ice towards other pucks and somewhere brooms get involved?) is an Olympic sport and was big for the US at the 2018 Olympics. The US ended up beating out Sweden for a win, upsetting the number one team. In 2010, however, Homer and Marge led the team to a win, possibly predicting the future!
US over Sweden in curling is my favorite Simpsons predictions to come true #simpsons #Miracurl pic.twitter.com/EGAQpxv9Ch
— Christopher Kozal Brennan (@CKozalBrennan) February 24, 2018
13. The meat grinder
In one episode, Lunch Lady Doris tosses a few gym mats into the meat grinder as she’s prepping the school’s daily lunch. Gross, right? Well, not long after, McDonald’s McRib was discovered to have the same material that makes gym mats spongey inside as an ingredient!
There’s very little meat in these gym mats. (@ClubmanMicheal) pic.twitter.com/G3zhSoUUZU
— The Simpsons (@Simpsons_tweets) December 14, 2013
14. President Trump prediction
We don’t know how, but they did it. In 2000, “President” Lisa Simpson was explaining that they inherited a budget from President Trump. How can we make this stuff up?
In 2000 ‘The Simpsons’ ran a prophetic episode depicting a future where President Lisa Simpson cleans up the mess left behind by President Trump. Trump’s campaign slogan is ‘America you can be my ex-wife.’ I think the UK will in time, become Johnson’s ex… pic.twitter.com/cEPt51mDfO
— Pam Jarvis (@Dr_Pam_Jarvis) October 18, 2021
15. Smart watches
Before the Apple Watch was a real thing, the Simpsons had their own smartwatches in 1995. Sorry Apple, you just gotta Think Different.
Smart Watches Sorry Apple, but “The Simpsons” had smart watches first. In a 1995 episode in which the show is set in the future, Lisa’s husband is shown speaking to a phone on his wrist. The first smartwatch wasn’t created until 2013. pic.twitter.com/xPmUFqZXYi
— Jaruma Empire (@JARUMA__EMPlREE) June 11, 2020
16. Autocorrect
Saying one thing into your phone and getting another is a real first-world problem, but still one we all experience. The Simpsons knew that someday we’d all be struggling to accurately type in the future!
This #Simpsons reference was one of the first autocorrect fails, and it actually inspired #Apple to redesign the #iPhone from their failure of their Newton product.
To this day, internally, Apple uses the term “eat up Martha” when a text input problem occurs. pic.twitter.com/0gVTBD8Abi— Kevin Raheja (@crabfisher) May 7, 2020
17. The FIFA scandal
In season 25, Homer is brought into the FIFA organization to help referee when they fired everyone due to corruption and cheating. Homer ended up calling the World Cup that year and Germany won. In the real world, Germany won the cup the SAME year, and after, FIFA was found guilty of MASSIVE fraud.
More on Homer Simpson as a FIFA referee and Matt Groening’s lampoon on match-fixing: http://t.co/us71Df330X pic.twitter.com/tHF5MevTLT
— Vote4WorstReferee (@RedCardTheRef1) October 25, 2013
18. Baby translator
Homer’s half-brother, Herb, became rich through an invention that translates baby cries into words. Funny enough, a gag app was created years later called the Cry Translator that did the same thing!
Reminds me of Unkie Herbs baby translator from the Simpsons pic.twitter.com/bdzM9IsIxQ
— Your Haploid Heart (@IngSocBob) June 17, 2017
19. Inspired by fake events
In the episode “Hungry, Hungry, Homer,” Homer moves his baseball team to Albuquerque. They changed their name from the Springfield Isotopes to the Albuquerque Isotopes, as a result.
A year later, the Calgary Cannons relocated and voted on a new team name. Guess what they voted for?
20. A legal precedent
In season 4, Homer tries to sue an all-you-can-eat restaurant for not allowing him to stay and eat. This ended up happening in 2012 and 2017 in the city of Springfield, Massachusetts itself!
“Oh, no all you can eat seafood. I wore my extra loose pants for nothing, nothing!” – Homer Simpson pic.twitter.com/vo1AGxwojD
— Dead Homer Society (@deadhomers) January 25, 2016
We don’t know if The Simpsons have a connection with the “big man” upstairs or if they are just plain lucky, but it’s really wild to see how often they get things right.
We are just hitting the tip of the iceberg, too, as more wild things happen in this world, we can only assume we will find The Simpsons predicted it at some point!
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