As the 2024 US election approaches, many have been drawn back to The Simpsons and its reputation for making eerily accurate predictions about future events. While the show has occasionally hit the mark, some of its forecasts have been wide of the target.
What The Simpsons Got Wrong About the US Election Result
In the 2000 episode “Bart to the Future,” The Simpsons depicted Lisa Simpson as president, assuming office after a Trump administration. In an Oval Office scene, Lisa comments, “As you know, we’ve inherited quite a budget crunch from President Trump.” This line sparked interest when Donald Trump later became the 45th president of the United States, with fans seeing a connection between his presidency and the “budget crunch” in the episode. However, The Simpsons also implied that this “crisis” would directly follow Trump’s tenure, leading to a swift shift in power. In reality, there was no immediate succession by a female president after Trump left office in 2020.
The episode has continued to spark speculation, especially as Kamala Harris became the first female vice president. Fans noted that Lisa’s purple suit and pearls in the episode bore a strong resemblance to Harris’s style, creating excitement about a potential prediction. However, while Harris has risen to a historic office, The Simpsons’ portrayal of a direct Trump-to-female-president transition didn’t play out in 2020 or 2024, showing the show’s limitations in predicting the finer details of political events.
10 Times The Simpsons Got It Wrong in Their Predictions
1. Female President After Trump
In the 2000 episode “Bart to the Future,” The Simpsons depicted Lisa Simpson as president following Trump’s tenure, with fans speculating it foreshadowed a female president succeeding him. However, Trump was succeeded by Joe Biden in 2020, and the US has yet to see a female president.
2. Robot Librarians
In a 1995 episode, The Simpsons imagined libraries run by robots. While technology has greatly advanced, human librarians still play a key role, with AI and automation supporting rather than replacing them.
3. Hover Cars by 2013
In the 2005 episode “Future-Drama,” The Simpsons showed hover cars becoming a common form of transportation by 2013. Despite recent advances, hover cars remain in the realm of sci-fi, with prototypes still in development.
4. Big Ben Digital Clock
The episode “Lisa’s Wedding” envisioned London’s iconic Big Ben sporting a digital clock by 2010. Big Ben still displays the traditional clock face, showing the endurance of historical elements.
5. Mind-Controlled Robots for Domestic Tasks
In “Future-Drama,” mind-controlled robots do household chores, implying they would be widespread by the 2010s. While smart home tech exists, mind-controlled robots haven’t entered mainstream homes.
6. US Winning a World Cup
In a 1997 episode, The Simpsons predicted the US would beat Portugal in a World Cup. Although the US has improved in soccer, it hasn’t claimed a World Cup title, let alone beaten Portugal in a final.
7. Prince’s Music Coming to Life as a Hologram
The 2002 episode “Treehouse of Horror XIII” depicted a hologram concert featuring Prince. Although posthumous holograms of musicians have happened, Prince’s estate has resisted creating a hologram tour.
8. The Colonization of Mars by 2026
The Simpsons once suggested humans would have a colony on Mars by 2026. Although space programs are developing plans for Mars, human colonization is still years, if not decades, away.
9. Apple’s Technology Struggles
The show predicted that Apple products would be rendered obsolete by other tech advances, yet Apple remains a global tech leader with record-breaking revenue and consistent innovation.
10. Rise of a “New York City”-Style Springfield with Sky-high Real Estate Prices
One episode humorously suggested that Springfield would become like NYC with soaring property values. Springfield’s setting as an affordable town is still central to the show, and it hasn’t become a pricey urban hub.
These misses highlight that while The Simpsons has a knack for pop culture predictions, even this iconic show can’t foresee every twist in reality.