After successfully predicting Donald Trump's Presidency and the outbreak of the coronavirus outbreak, it now seems that the long-running animated television show created by Matt Groening may have predicted yet another catastrophe - the Beirut explosion.
In the thirty years that the show has been running, the writers have been able to accurately "predict" numerous events before they actually happened, and no one knows how. According to an article by New York Times, the writers have to think a year in advance, because the episodes are aired one year after they're shot. But it is quite eerie accurate some of these predictions are.
And this time, many Simpsons fans and social media users have been finding similarities between some episodes the show and the recent events that unfolded in Beirut. On Tuesday, a portside warehouse containing seized explosives exploded, sending shockwaves across the capital of Lebanon.
As images and videos of a giant plume of smoke that looked like the result of a nuclear blast spread quickly on social media, many found similarities to similar images depicted in The Simpsons.
Many referenced the 'Treehouse of Horror XV' episode, which aired in the show's 16th season and depicted how Homer Simpson accidentally blew up the city of Springfield. The episode first aired in 2004.
Other episodes depicting similar storylines were also shared.
#2020worstyear this berut blast prediction in cartoon series pic.twitter.com/D6iWtvE1bP— Engr Malikumar (@Malikumarkb) August 6, 2020
The Simpsons They are noy an animation they are future teller's.Almost 30 Time There Prediction Becomes True. From President Trump's to Coronavirus And Know Beirut Prediction Becomes True.#PrayForLebanon pic.twitter.com/NDfzAhL2H0— kingkhanhasan (@kingkhanhasan) August 5, 2020
Simpsons back at it again #PrayForLebanon #Beirut pic.twitter.com/KlnDurw4Cr— investment (@aaliyahgli) August 5, 2020
Others, however, pointed out that the similarities were just coincidences. Nevertheless, this is not the first time that The Simpsons have played Nostradamus at predicting events across the world through its satirical storylines.
Stills from a 1993 episode, where an illness called the 'Osaka Virus' created chaos in Springfield, infecting everyone including Homer and Principal Skinner who further spread the germs, much like coronavirus.
In one still from the show, the words 'corona virus' can be seen printed behind the image of a news anchor.
Truth stranger than fiction. But when it comes to The Simpsons, it seems the truth is exactly (or almost) the same as fiction.