‘The Simpsons’ Creator Matt Groening Reveals True Secret To The Show’s Reputation For Nailing Predictions That Came True

Matt Groening, creator of the iconic show The Simpsons, has finally revealed the trick writers use for nailing predictions that eventually came true.

And the secret is … drumroll please … a little less exciting than you might think.

Groening, in an appearance at the ‘D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event’ this past weekend, suggested the length of time the show has been on the air is a major contributor to some plot predictions coming true.

Even so, he suggests writers try to come up with the craziest possible scenarios and they oftentimes, at an uncanny rate, become reality.

Truth is stranger than fiction? Or are truth and fiction the same thing now?

“You know, we’ve done so many jokes over the many seasons that we’ve been on the air that eventually we’re going to get something right,” explained Groening.

“We always write jokes on the things that are supposed to be the most absurd possibility and it turns out that that’s the way the world is these days,” he added. “So everything seems to come true.”

Groening seems a little modest here. Many of the predictions are uncanny. Just take a look at these 10 examples.

@rottentomatoes #TheSimpsons creator Matt Groening on the accurate predictions the show has made throughout the years. #rottentomatoes #tv #tvshow #tvshow #bartsimpson #homersimpson #d23 #disney #hulu #interview #panel #animation #animated ♬ original sound – Rotten Tomatoes

RELATED: 10 Times The Simpsons Predicted the Future

Why Do The Simpsons Consistently Nail Predictions That Came True?

Matt Groening is probably onto something here, though the whimsy, nostalgia, and conspiracy theorizing involved in discussing how The Simpsons can lay claim to so many predictions that came true is fun stuff.

With over 700 episodes spanning a remarkable 35 seasons (it’s been renewed for a 36th), the sheer amount of content means that some predictions are bound to hit the mark by chance.

The writers also have their pulse on the latest cultural events. The Simpsons often satirizes current trends, which sometimes evolve into future realities.

For decades, fans of The Simpsons have marveled at the show’s uncanny ability to seemingly predict future events, often with an eerie accuracy that defies explanation.

RELATED: Top 10 The Simpsons Episodes of the 90s

Some Of Their Craziest Predictions

There’s an entire cottage industry out there that has documented instances in which The Simpsons produced various predictions that came true.

That includes The Mix.

An episode from 1990 featured a three-eyed fish, and years later, similar mutations were found in real life, like in Greenland in 2024.

The show has showcased devices like video phones and smartwatches long before they became mainstream.

Perhaps the most famous of the predictions involved Donald Trump becoming President of the United States.

That episode portrayed Trump as descending an escalator, bearing a striking resemblance to the scene of his presidential announcement, while another episode titled “Bart to the Future” shows Lisa mentioning that he was President before her.

Even more insane than that? The fact that the very same episode might be doing it again – predicting the future right before our very eyes.

Viewers will note that Lisa’s outfit – a purple jacket and pearls – is eerily similar to the outfit Vice President Kamala Harris wore on Inauguration Day.

Harris is currently running against Trump in the 2024 presidential election. Oh my!