The Russia-Ukraine crisis has made headlines in recent times, with clips of harrowing scenes from the war flooding the internet. Amid the conflict, some netizens have dug out excerpts from the 90s animation, “The Simpsons,” which seem like a prediction of the ongoing war.
“The Simpsons” has gained a reputation for accurately predicting future events, from the invention of smartwatches and video chats to the pandemic and the outcome of several Super Bowl matches.
However, its power of prediction goes beyond future epidemics, technological innovations, or sports gambling, as viewers got to discover following Donald Trump’s US election, another predicted event.
Hence, when it came to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, fans of the animated series tactfully turned to it for answers. Sure enough, they found just the right episode, which has since gone viral.
Did the Simpsons Really Predict The War?
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which escalated on February 24, 2022, has fast driven a dagger into the very foundation of world peace. The lives of many have been upended as a result, as a full-fledged war right after surviving a pandemic was the last thing anyone could have bargained for.
Yet, some seem to think paying more attention to the 90s animation, “The Simpsons,” and its progression of events would have given the world a heads up. Notably, the cartoon seems to have predicted the Russian invasion back in 1998, in a Season 9 episode titled “The Simpson Tide.”
The episode, which aired while Boris Yeltsin served as the Russian president, seemed like the fore-telling of the return of the Soviet Union. Although the episode made no direct mention of Ukraine, the show’s official Twitter page got in on the trend. The page posted a photo of the famous animated family, each holding up a Ukrainian flag in a show of solidarity.
A Glimpse Into The Future
The supposed glimpse into the future featured a 30 seconds excerpt from the animations. The clip began with a conference between representatives of Russia and the US at the United Nations building, New York.
As the parties present conversed, the Russian ambassador suddenly blurted that the Soviet Union would be pleased to offer amnesty to your wayward vessel.”
The comment sparked a surprising reaction from the US representative. He then repeated the words, “Soviet Union” to ascertain he heard right.
When the Russian counterpart confirmed his words, the baffled American diplomat reminded him the Soviet Union already broke up. With a wicked grin, the Russian established that the breakup was only a ruse they wanted everyone to believe so they could deceive the United States.
Upon voicing those words, the Russian rep turned the nameplate on his desk from “Russia” to “Soviet Union,” laughing maniacally.
The events at the conference room are followed by scenes showing the Soviet Union deploying troops into the streets. They also deployed armored tanks, and eventually resurrected the Berlin Wall.
Later into the episode, Vladimir Lenin, who founded the Soviet Union came back to life in a zombie-like manner. He broke out of his glass coffin, chanting the words, “must crush capitalism,” sending visitors fleeing.
Netizens’ Reactions to the Prediction
The clip went viral in no time, prompting varying reactions from netizens. Many on Twitter found the clip hilarious.
Most netizens marveled at the accuracy of the prediction. They lauded the show and the brains behind it for their futuristic reasoning.
Meanwhile, many vowed to rewatch every episode of the animated series and its revivals to become more equipped with knowledge of what the future held.
Another user noted that there was always a clip from “The Simpsons” closely related to every significant incident happening in the world today.
One user pointed out that the prediction was no surprise as the show creators simply tapped into a pre-existing pattern. The tweet read:
“The Simpsons simply noticed a pattern and made an episode about it. It’s easy to forget how much dictators hate freedom. Are we really surprised by this “prediction?”
Some users reflected on other accurate predictions the show seemed to have made over the years, including Trump’s presidency and the pandemic.
Al Jean Shares His Take
As speculations about the correct prediction of the Russian invasion continued gaining traction, Al Jean, “The Simpsons” showrunner shared his take on the developments.
Addressing the supposed glimpse into the future, Jean noted the incident did not exactly count as a “prediction.”
According to him, it seemed more like an inevitable occurrence considering a Russian conflict happened in the past.
Taking to Twitter, Jean further commented on the conflict, saying it was not so difficult to predict, sadly. Netizens couldn’t agree more.
Are “The Simpsons'” Predictions Reliable?
While the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, like several other supposed predictions, has come to fruition, “The Simpsons'” analogy of a future occurrence isn’t always dependable.
Super Bowl fans witnessed it first-hand in February 2022. At the time, a netizen tweeted stills from the animation, supposedly predicting a win for the Cincinnati Bengals.
However, following the playoffs on February 13, the LA Rams defeated the Bengals at the Superbowl, winning 23-20. Many have argued that the predictions were flawed from the start. According to them, the three stills supposedly predicting the match came from entirely different episodes which made them invalid.
Meanwhile, “The Simpsons” tendency to address pressing, sometimes sensitive issues in episodes of the movie has landed them backlash on occasions.
One such scenario was in 2018. The show aired an episode titled “Panic On The Streets Of Springfield” which seemingly satirized singer Morrissey.
In the episode, Lisa Simpson becomes obsessed with a famous singer, Quilloughby. Coincidentally, the fictional pop star shared numerous similarities with the former Smith frontman, including his veganism.
At the end of the episode, Lisa Simpson realized her image of Quilloughby was simply a fragment of her imagination. The picture-perfect singer morphed into an overweight meat-eating man with anti-immigrant views.
While the episode held some humor, the singer did not find it hilarious in any way. Morrisey took to his website to call out “The Simpsons” creators, accusing them of hate and threatening legal actions.
Notwithstanding the hitches faced as a result of their bluntness, “The Simpsons” remains one of a few shows courageous enough to address sensitive issues without fear of criticism or cancellation.