Simpsons writer reacts to the show’s ‘prediction’ about Joe Biden’s inauguration day: ‘Please don’t make it come true’

Fans claimed a recent ‘Treehouse of Horror’ episode could foreshadow future events 

Louis Chilton
Wednesday 13 January 2021 11:25 GMT
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The Simpsons appears to predict Capitol riots

One of the creators of The Simpsons has reacted to the suggestion that a recent episode has “predicted” the events of Joe Biden’s forthcoming inauguration.

The hit animation has become notorious for “predicting” news stories before they happen, such as the election of Donald Trump to US president, with some events featuring in episodes decades before occurring in real life.

In the wake of the pro-Trump riots in Capitol Hill, some Simpsons fans claimed that the series had “predicted” the event in a scene from the 1996 episode “The Day the Violence Died”.

Now, stalwart Simpsons writer Al Jean has responded to another scene from a more recent episode of the show, which some people suggest could foreshadow more disturbances during Biden’s inauguration.

With Trump currently facing a potential impeachment over his role in apparently inciting the 6 January riots, experts warn that Biden’s inauguration is likely to be met with protests and more violence from right-wing extremists.

Writing on Twitter, Jean shared an image from The Simpsons’ 31st “Treehouse of Horror” episode.

In the opening of last year’s Halloween-themed episode, Homer Simpson sleeps through the presidential election. After Marge chides him for neglecting to vote, he asks: “How bad could it be?”

The sequence then flashes forward to a vision of “January 20th, 2021” – inauguration day – in which Homer is seen sitting on his roof holding a gun, while the town burns around him in what seems like the apocalypse.

“@TheSimpsons Don’t make this prediction come true,” wrote Jean.

Jean served as joint showrunner on The Simpsons alongside Mike Reiss throughout the third and fourth seasons, re-joining the show to become its sole showrunner from 2001 (season 13) onwards.

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