20th Century Fox TelevisionThis is getting to be way more than a coincidence. The Simpsons has once again managed to predict a major event, like it’s no big deal.
13 years ago, back in 2005, an episode called Midnight Rx saw the famous animated family head over the border from their native Springfield to Canada, after America’s prescription pills become too expensive.
Instead, they head for the land of Manitoba, Ontario, in the search for cheaper, Canadian alternatives.
Just as Homer, Grandpa Simpson, Apu and Ned Flanders are loading up the car with their supplies, ‘Canadian Ned’ appears, and begins to converse with ‘original’ Ned in his trademark ‘okily dokily’ way of speaking.
At the end of their exchange however, Canadian Ned offers Flanders something else – check it out:
Pulling a jazz cigarette out of his pocket, the doppelgänger says:
Would you like to puff on a reefer-ino? It’s legal here.
Before Ned swiftly replies:
They warned me Satan would be attractive. Let’s go.
How the creators of The Simpsons keep predicting these things is beyond me. Maybe I need to speak to them next time I buy a lottery ticket though…
Earlier this year, as childhood dreams shattered and playful giraffes had to find new homes with the closure of Toys ‘R’ Us, it turned out America’s favourite family also predicted the end of everyone’s favourite toy store.
In an episode from 2003, titled Marge vs Singles, Seniors, Childless Couples and Teens, and Gays, a group of childless adults set out, destroying every child-friendly thing in the fictional town of Springfield.
The group trashes ball pits, burn ‘children at play’ signs and deface Toys ‘R’ Us by turning the logo’s backward ‘R’ to the proper direction as kids stand outside the store in tears.
You can watch it here:
Weirdly, it’s not the only thing they’ve predicted. The writers have previously predicted Donald Trump becoming US president, the horse meat scandal, and the spreading of Ebola.
They also went and predicted the outcome of the recent Winter Olympics. Back in February, the USA curling team beat favourites Sweden to win their first ever Winter Olympic gold medal in the event.
The Simpsons, however, predicted this would happen eight years ago!
In the episode, titled Boy Meets Curl, Homer and Marge form a mixed curling team with Agnes and Seymour Skinner.
They’re then picked to compete at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada.
20th Century Fox TelevisionThe team train at an ice rink with other characters in the show, with the Swedish team depicted as tall, chiselled, blonde, and athletic.
The script, which was written by Rob LaZebnik, considered having the plot revolve around Homer competing in four-man bobsled, but changed his mind and made it about curling instead.
The Simpsons team were reported to have visited a curling club in order to make the episode of the long-running cartoon as accurate as possible. Not only was it accurate, it was eerily prescient.
How do they keep doing it?!
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.