"The Simpsons" writer comments on Kamala Harris predictions: "I'm proud"
"The Simpsons" might have done it again – an episode of the show that aired in 2000 seemingly predicted even more details of what could soon be real-life events. In the flash-forward episode "Bart to the Future", Lisa Simpson becomes president and wears a purple suit and pearls that are uncannily similar to what Kamala Harris – who is now running for president – wore when she was inaugurated as vice president.
Show screenwriter Al Jean touted the parallels on social media Sunday, shortly after Mr. Biden announced he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.
"@TheSimpsons 'prediction' I'm proud to be a part of," Jean wrote, sharing side-by-side images of Lisa and Harris wearing the strikingly similar outfits.
Perhaps the eeriest part of the episode is that Lisa succeeds Donald Trump as president — the episode also famously foresaw a Trump presidency — while in real life, Harris would also be going up against the former president if she wins the Democratic nomination.
The episode takes place in the year 2030, with Lisa describing herself as "America's first straight female president," who has inherited "quite a budget crunch from President Trump." Dan Greaney, who wrote the episode, said in a 2016 interview that he conceived of the plotline as a "warning to America."
Several other social media users over the weekend pointed to the latest parallel, with one person writing, "The Simpsons as Prophetic has become one of the most enduring mysteries of our times."
Others called it "unnerving" and "freaky."
In the past, fans have freaked out over the show's all-too-accurate predictions of real-life events. In the "Simpsons Movie," Tom Hanks plays an animated version of himself, joking that "the U.S. government has lost its credibility, so it's borrowing some of mine." Fans noticed parallels when Hanks was tapped to host an inauguration special called "Celebrating America," playing a similar role to that of his spokesman-like character in "The Simpsons."
In 2012, the show foreshadowed elements of Lady Gaga's 2017 Super Bowl halftime show, right down to her sparkly outfit. It also predicted the outcome of the penultimate "Game of Thrones" episode when it parodied the show in 2017 – two years before that "GOT" episode aired.
"The Simpsons" has also foreseen technological developments such as phones that make video calls and virtual reality glasses that people become obsessed with. It has even predicted disasters such as a pandemic and a submersible trip gone wrong.
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Caitlin O'Kane is a New York City journalist who works on the CBS News social media team as a senior manager of content and production. She writes about a variety of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming show that focuses on good news.
