‘The Simpsons’ predicted Kamala Harris’ presidential run: A look at the show’s history of forecasting
Throughout its 768 episodes and 35 seasons on television, “The Simpsons,” the longest-running American animated show, has made eerily accurate predictions about the future. Whether the writers use a crystal ball or it’s a fun coincidence remains a topic of debate. For the believers: One more coincidence — or forecast — has come to light.
After President Biden ended his reelection campaign on Sunday, opening a path for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him as the Democratic nominee, X users were quick to recall the uncanny resemblance between an outfit worn by both Harris and Lisa Simpson.
In the 2000 episode “Bart to the Future,” the animated show jumps to a future in which Lisa is the first female president of the United States. She is seen addressing the nation while wearing a purple suit with her classic pearl necklace and pearl earrings.
At the 2021 inauguration of Biden and Harris, the vice president wore a nearly identical purple coat with a similar necklace and matching pearl earrings. Longtime “Simpsons” writer and executive producer Al Jean played into the theory on X, writing that the Harris-Lisa connection is the prediction he is “proud to be a part of.”
The world will have to wait until November to see if President Lisa Simpson set the stage for President Kamala Harris.
Some fans also insist “The Simpsons” predicted the Biden-Harris ticket in 2019, with the duo standing next to each other among all the Democratic nominees.
Here’s a look back at some of the animated classic’s best predictions.
President Biden’s decision to bow out of the November election leaves a path for Vice President Kamala Harris to replace him that would have seemed unlikely for most of the last three years.
Trump’s presidency and reelection campaign: “Bart to the Future” (2000)
In the same Season 11 episode, “Bart to the Future,” Lisa is the successor to President Trump (as discussed during a cabinet meeting). Trump is shown as a third-party “Reform” candidate who won the election, just as he did in 2016.
Jean also shared a still from a 2015 episode where a “Trump 2024” campaign sign can be seen in the background, correctly predicting that Trump would run for reelection in 2024.
The Super Bowl champions ... three years in a row: “Lisa the Greek” (1992)
After a football bet gone wrong, Homer turns to Lisa to help him choose the next game’s winner. When she correctly predicts the Miami Dolphins, Homer begins betting even more on future games. The duo has a falling out before the Super Bowl and Lisa does not tell Homer the winning team.
The show, released just a few days before Super Bowl XXVI, depicts the Washington Commanders defeating the Buffalo Bills. Sure enough, Washington earned the trophy during the real game.
The following year, the same episode aired with Super Bowl XXVII’s teams. The updated episode shows the Dallas Cowboys defeating the Bills, which happened in reality.
“Simpsons” writers tried their luck again the following year, predicting the Cowboys would again defeat the Bills. They were correct.
United States curling wins Olympic gold medal: “Boy Meets Curl” (2010)
When this Season 21 episode first aired, only one U.S. curling team had ever earned a medal at the Olympics. In “Boy Meets Curl,” Homer and Marge discover a talent for curling and, along with Agnes and Seymour Skinner, qualify as part of Team USA at the Vancouver Olympics.
Despite being new to the sport, the team defeats Sweden and earns the U.S. its first gold medal. At the real 2010 Winter Olympics, no American team placed in the top three. Team USA also failed to earn a medal at the 2014 Sochi Games. At the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, the American losing streak ended and the men’s team finally nabbed gold.
In a universe where Homer forgot to vote, the world as we know it dissolves into the apocalypse. ‘The Simpsons’’ ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episode gets scary.
FIFA corruption scandal and the World Cup winner: “You Don’t Have to Live Like a Referee” (2014)
With the Season 25 episode focusing on soccer, “The Simpsons” creative team once again found itself inadvertently playing sports oracle, this time with a little drama.
In “The Simpsons,” corruption runs amuck at FIFA, ultimately ending in the arrest of the vice president of world soccer’s governing body. At the same time, the real-world FIFA was under investigation by the FBI and IRS. In 2015, it was revealed the organization accepted more than $150 million in bribes.
The organization faced accusations of bribery, fraud and money laundering, and police ultimately made 41 arrests.
Of course, “The Simpsons’” idea of scandal at FIFA was not totally out of the blue. In 2011 an executive committee member was found guilty of accepting bribes and was banned by the organization. The following year the ethics committee began an internal investigation on corruption allegations.
“The Simpsons” episode also shows a World Cup final between Germany and Brazil, with Germany emerging victorious. The two teams played each other in the 2014 World Cup semifinals and, just as “The Simpsons” depicted, Germany beat Brazil. Germany also went on to win the World Cup, as the show predicted.
Bengt Holmström wins Nobel Prize: “Elementary School Musical” (2010)
In the Season 22 premiere, “Elementary School Musical,” Milhouse and Lisa take bets on the Nobel Prizes. Milhouse chooses Finnish economist Bengt Holmström to take home the award for economics.
Six years later, the real Holmström won the Nobel Prize for economics for the contract theory.
Video calls and smart watches: “Lisa’s Wedding” (1995)
This Season 6 episode brings “The Simpsons” to the future: the year 2010. The concept of a future episode gives the show’s writers a perfect chance to make some predictions, and they got two major ones right.
During the episode, the grown-up Lisa calls Marge via video. While technically video calling existed in the 20th century, it was not accessible to the average person.
Fittingly, Apple announced the first version of FaceTime in 2010.
The technology prophecies didn’t stop there. Lisa’s fiancé is seen speaking into his watch, similar to today’s smart watches. In 2013, the device from the show finally came to life when Intel debuted a watch with voice recognition capabilities.
COVID-19: “Marge in Chains” (1993)
When Springfield’s residents demand a cure to an illness called “Osaka Flu” taking over the town in this Season 4 episode, one character knocks over a crate labeled “Killer Bees.” Fast-forward 17 years, and viewers couldn’t help but notice a similarity to “murder hornets,” which invaded the U.S. in 2020.
Some say the episode also predicted the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike COVID-19, the Osaka flu virus was man-made in Japan.
After the 2020 predictions went viral on Twitter, Bill Oakley, a writer for the 1993 episode, responded: “OK fine I guess we did.”
Bill Oakley, a writer on “The Simpsons,” admitted on Twitter that perhaps the animated TV show did forecast some of our troubling current events.
Electronic voting machine troubles: “Treehouse of Horror XIX” (2008)
Airing just two days before the 2008 presidential election, the annual Halloween special opened with a voting scene. During this Season 20 episode, Homer is seen using an electronic machine at the polls. When he attempts to vote for the Democratic nominee, Barack Obama, the machine registers his vote for Republican nominee John McCain. He tries to correct this error and ends up voting for the Republican six times.
During the following presidential election between Obama and Republican nominee Mitt Romney, one Pennsylvania voter posted a video at a faulty electronic voting machine that switched his vote.
Lady Gaga’s Super Bowl LI halftime performance: “Lisa Goes Gaga” (2012)
During the Season 23 finale, guest star Lady Gaga brings her eccentric style to Springfield. Noticing Lisa is depressed, Gaga takes her under her wing to teach a lesson in confidence.
The episode features a high-flying performance by Gaga. Life imitated art during her 2017 Super Bowl performance as Gaga jumped from the roof of the stadium and floated over the crowd during her entrance.
NSA listening in on civilians: “The Simpsons Movie” (2007)
“The Simpsons Movie” finds the family on the run after Homer accidentally contaminates the town.
With Springfield under threat of destruction, the family tries to return and and save the town. Their plans go awry as the National Security Agency uses a robot clone to spy on them and listen to their plans — despite Marge’s earlier insistence that the government does not listen in to citizens’ conversations.
Five years later, whistleblower Edward Snowden leaked documents revealing that the NSA monitored Americans’ private conversations.
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