(Citizen Free Press) — First things first: No, “The Simpsons” can’t predict the future.
Yet as the longest-running comedy in American history, the timeless series is often lined with “life imitates art” moments that occur years after its airing.
This week, for example, social media users pointed to the latest match between Vice President Kamala Harris’s outfit during the ceremony and Lisa Simpson’s in a 2000 episode.
In “Bart to the Future,” Lisa takes over the presidency and says a few words that have now gone viral: “As you know, we’ve inherited a major budget crisis from President Trump.”
Social media users noted the parallels between Vice President Kamala Harris’s outfit during the inauguration and Lisa Simpson’s outfit in a 2000 episode.
In the episode, Lisa was wearing a purple jacket and pearls. And at Wednesday’s ceremony, Harris wore a purple jacket and pearls. With Harris coming to office immediately after Donald Trump’s presidency, bystander comparisons came easily.
The similarities with the inauguration did not end there for fans of “The Simpsons.” Actor Tom Hanks hosted a virtual concert on Wednesday night, the goal of which was to follow the theme of President Joe Biden’s national unity in times of crisis.
In 2007’s “The Simpsons: The Movie”, Hanks, in a cameo, promotes a proposed new Grand Canyon in Springfield, the hometown of the Simpsons.
“Hello. I’m Tom Hanks. The US government has lost its credibility, so it is borrowing part of mine, “he says.
At the end of the scene, he says, “If you are going to choose a government you can trust, why not this one?”
Speculation about the show’s prophetic abilities is nothing new. Followers claim the show predicted, among other cases, a tiger attack by tamers Siegfried and Roy, smart watches, “killer hornets,” and Disney’s purchase of 20th Century Fox.
The longevity of the show and its use of possible comedy settings have even been mentioned in other shows, including the “South Park” episode, “The Simpsons Already Did It.”
When asked in 2016 about Donald Trump’s presidential prediction so far in advance, writer Dan Greaney told The Hollywood Reporter: “It was a warning to America.”
And that seemed like the last logical stop before hitting rock bottom. It was launched because it was consistent with the vision of the United States going crazy, “he added.