There’s been a longstanding joke that The Simpsons has been able to predict the future, from the time Disney purchased 20th Century Fox to the United States Presidential Election of Donald Trump. But the latest reveal has proven to be eerie for many fans because of its current reflection of society. In the Season 4 episode “Marge in Chains,” the town of Springfield goes into a frenzy because of something called the “Osaka Flu” spreading among its citizens. In their panic for a cure, they accidentally release a swarm of killer bees, which both reflects the coronavirus pandemic and the “Murder Hornets” spreading around.
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Longtime The Simpsons writer Bill Oakley finally admitted that they predicted the future, and well we can’t really say he didn’t at this point.
Back when the coronavirus prediction was making waves, Oakley told The Hollywood Reporter that he’s not a believer in his work’s predictive properties.
“I don’t like it being used for nefarious purposes,” Oakley explained. “The idea that anyone misappropriates it to make coronavirus seem like an Asian plot is terrible. In terms of trying to place blame on Asia — I think that is gross. I believe the most antecedent to (Osaka Flu) was the Hong Kong flu of 1968. It was just supposed to be a quick joke about how the flu got here.”
ok fine i guess we did https://t.co/Nf4suyC8A3
— BILL OAKLEY (@thatbilloakley) May 6, 2020
“It was meant to be absurd that someone could cough into box and the virus would survive for six to eight weeks in the box,” he added. “It is cartoonish. We intentionally made it cartoonish because we wanted it to be silly and not scary, and not carry any of these bad associations along with it, which is why the virus itself was acting like a cartoon character and behaving in extremely unrealistic ways.”
“There are very few cases where The Simpsons predicted something,” Oakley concluded. “It’s mainly just coincidence because the episodes are so old that history repeats itself. Most of these episodes are based on things that happened in the 60s, 70s or 80s that we knew about.”
Do you think The Simpsons predicts the future? Let us know in the comments! Check out some of the fan responses below:
And so it goes
And just like the Simpsons we move on once this episode is over, learn almost nothing from it, and then go on to do something even more stupid.
— Joe Quixotic (@HanoverRoss) May 6, 2020
That must be a trip
Over and over. We’ve been rewatching seasons 2-11 w the kids and they are pointing stuff out all the time.
— Rick Remender (@Remender) May 7, 2020
Pretty hysterical
The immediate “maybe there’s some in this truck,” followed by a group of people overturning it, is maybe my favorite joke I’ve ever seen on television
— Howard A. Vander (@vander_iam) May 6, 2020
Sad times
the sadness I felt at that clip not including the part where the guy puts the bee on his tongue…
— kevinbiegel (@kbiegel) May 6, 2020
Jokes flying
— 🍎ppleton S. Bartokomous for Congress (@BoopableNarwhal) May 6, 2020
M O N K E Y ‘ S P A W
“I sure hope our writing will aways be funny and relevant satire.”
— Troy (@DampWetStew) May 6, 2020
Elsewhere: pic.twitter.com/5crpGe8uhN
Think on this
Did you really predict or has humanity always been this stupid since the dawn of time?
— Magnificent Mick 🇮🇪 (@Mick_Legendeery) May 6, 2020
But for real tho
Could you please write an episode where Professor Frink develops a vaccine so we can end this?
— -M- Ignis (@IgnisTwote) May 6, 2020
OH NO
I still like how the one dude eats the bee. That’s the most fitting comparison to now.
— A (@aRobertsg) May 6, 2020
Someone will try to eat a murder bee to kill covid.
Maybe so
Think about it…In 600 years you’ll be just like Nostradamus. pic.twitter.com/VyZv6QDssd
— Tony Jenson (@tonyjenson) May 6, 2020
Down to the bees
dude down to the bees
— Rubert Howzer-Black (@Spunkadelic) May 6, 2020
Help us out
Which episode has tomorrow’s lottery numbers plz
— Victor Agreda Jr (@superpixels) May 6, 2020
Great idea
What if you didn’t predict it so much as shape it? Could you maybe do some Utopian episodes next?
— Ulrike G. 🦉🐦🍦 (@UliDiG) May 6, 2020
Straight up spooky
that whole episode is prophetic
— Sean✍️🕒👍 Riley (@Umpolung1) May 6, 2020
Everything makes sense
So that’s how the murder wasps got loose
— Space Iggy (@ZaraksBarracks) May 6, 2020
Crossover vibes
— Khairy is waiting for ⊃∪∩⪽ (@ChubbyBroly) May 6, 2020
What are the chances
Even down to the murder hornets. pic.twitter.com/dpgSnWwglq
— TheOldRepublic – For Human Good (@theoldrepublic) May 7, 2020
I laughed
— Armando-Not a Composer Named Matthew-Bayolo (@ArmandoBayolo) May 7, 2020
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Image courtesy of Peacock
