The Simpsons Secret: A Cromulent Guide To How The Simpsons Predicted Everything!

By Lydia Poulteney and James Hicks

Have You Ever Wondered How “The Simpsons” Predict the Future?

“Did The Simpsons really, truly predict anything? I predict you’ll have to purchase this book to get the true story.” ―Bill Oakley, Simpsons writer and producer

#1 New Release in Animated Movies, Comedy Movies, and Comedy Television

Then, The Simpsons Secret is the book for you. Delve into some of the biggest predictions that came true on the show, and just how the Simpsons predict the future.

Simpson predictions from three-eyed fish to presidential elections. "The Simpsons" has been predicting major events with scary accuracy for over three decades. From Donald Trump's presidency to Disney buying 20th Century Fox (...years before it happened!). People just can't seem to get enough and are eager to know what they are going to predict next. This book goes behind the scenes of this adored cartoon series, and the family we’ve grown to love. Between Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and the rest of the Simpsons family, the show has stolen our hearts, and also left us amazed at how often the Simpsons predict the future!

So how do they do it? Is it a crystal ball? A fountain of knowledge? Have the writers gained the ability to travel through time? As shocking as it may seem, the answer is actually a little simpler than that. The cartoon crew is not in a secret society that can see the future, nor have they mastered the art of time travel.

In The Simpsons Secret, learn more about:

• How The Simpsons are able to predict so many major events
• How the show writers and producers come up with these ideas
• And so much more about your favorite old-school cartoon family

If you enjoyed books like Springfield Confidential, The Simpsons Family History, Friends Forever, or The Office, you’ll love The Simpsons Secret.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Sep 28, 2021
• ISBN: 9781642506884

Lydia Poulteney

Together, Lydia Hicks and James Hicks created “The Simpsons Theory”, the largest YouTube channel dedicated to The Simpsons. Over their careers, they have interviewed writers, showrunners, animators and artists of the show to produce videos to educate and entertain Simpsons fans around the world.    The duo discuss the most poignant moments in the show’s history, piece together in-depth character timelines and are well known for their series: The Treehouse of Horror Kill Count. They also wrote the book The Simpsons Secret: A Cromulent Guide to How The Simpsons Predicted Everything and have even been rumoured to appear in an episode of The Simpsons!    Lydia Hicks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film Theory and Practice from The University of Kent.  

Book preview

Cover.jpg

Coral Gables

Copyright © 2021 by Lydia Poulteney and James Hicks.

Published by Mango Publishing, a division of Mango Publishing Group, Inc.

Cover Design: Elina Diaz

Cover Photo/illustration: stock.adobe.com/Olesia_g

Layout & Design: Elina Diaz

Mango is an active supporter of authors’ rights to free speech and artistic expression in their books. The purpose of copyright is to encourage authors to produce exceptional works that enrich our culture and our open society.

Uploading or distributing photos, scans or any content from this book without prior permission is theft of the author’s intellectual property. Please honor the author’s work as you would your own. Thank you in advance for respecting our author’s rights.

For permission requests, please contact the publisher at:

Mango Publishing Group

2850 S Douglas Road, 2nd Floor

Coral Gables, FL 33134 USA

[e-mail]

For special orders, quantity sales, course adoptions and corporate sales, please email the publisher at [e-mail]. For trade and wholesale sales, please contact Ingram Publisher Services at [e-mail] or +1.800.509.4887.

The Simpsons Secret: A Cromulent Guide to How The Simpsons Predicted Everything!

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2021941081

ISBN: (print) 978-1-64250-687-7, (ebook) 978-1-64250-688-4

BISAC category code PER010080 PERFORMING ARTS/ Television / Genres/Comedy, PER010030 PERFORMING ARTS / Television / History & Criticism

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part I Predictions

Chapter 1 Animals

Chapter 2 Arts and Entertainment

Chapter 3 Politics and Law

Chapter 4 Science and Technology

Chapter 5 Sports

Chapter 6 The Rise of Fake Predictions

Chapter 7 How The Simpsons Is Able to Predict Everything

Part II Simpsons Theories

Chapter 8 What State Is Springfield In?

Chapter 9 Moe Knows Bart Is His Prank Caller

Chapter 10 The Mystery of Hans Moleman

Chapter 11 The Simpsons Are Billionaires

Chapter 12 Bart Simpson Is a Telepath

Chapter 13 How The Simpsons Is Really A Show Within a Show"

Acknowledgments The First Second Annual Montgomery Burns Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence

About the Authors

Introduction

Simpsons did it!

—South Park

So you may be asking why we have started this book off with a South Park quote—in a Simpsons book no less! Well, with over seven hundred episodes and counting, The Simpsons has literally done it all, as noted by its animated peers for many years. This assumption is to be expected from a television show that has been on the air continually for over three decades.

The Simpsons is a TV phenomenon, secured as the longest-running US sitcom and animated show of all time. An incredible achievement for a show made up of the Average Joes of society and small-town America. Originally set up as a drama in animation, the success of its relatability elevated what cartoons could truly be to audiences of all ages. The Simpsons is now able to blend itself into our universe and is critically acclaimed for its humorous satire, acutely capturing the hilarity of politics, pop culture, and world events. In fact, Matt Groening and his yellow family of five have been so on top of the world’s cultural pulse, it is said that they have even managed to predict many major historical events too.

Known as the modern-day Nostradamus, it is believed that The Simpsons has correctly predicted the future many, many times—ranging from political uprisings of Cheeto-tinted presidents to the strange discovery of three-eyed fish.

So let us enter the fortune-teller tent together and learn the secrets of The Simpsons and the extent of its future-predicting powers. We cannot guarantee that we will meet Matt Groening donning a turban, hooped earrings, and tarot cards, but we can guarantee an answer to happenings such as the tale of Siegfried and Roy. The infamous duo of German American magicians, best known for their flamboyant acts with white lions, tigers, and no bears (oh my!), toured across the world with blonde-tipped mullets, tight leather trousers, and bejewelled shoulder padding.During one infamous performance on October 3rd, 2003, Roy suffered an attack from one of his cats named Montecore. The tiger dragged Roy thirty or so feet off of the stage by his throat, much to the shock of the 1,500 spectators at The Mirage Casino in Las Vegas.

Strangely enough, in 1993, exactly ten years prior to Roy’s accident, a very familiar (and a very German) duo named Gunter and Ernst entered Mr Burns’s Casino in The Simpsons Season 5 episode, $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling). The duo introduces Anastasia to the stage, a humiliated white tiger pedalling a unicycle wearing a spinning hat. Whilst performing, the tiger reminisces on her peaceful life in the wild, igniting an anger that results in her attacking her German captors and tearing them to shreds, much to the shock of many spectators—sounds familiar, eh?

There are many theories as to how The Simpsons creators have been able to have these predictive powers, ranging from magical crystal balls to the occult. Some have even pointed accusatory fingers to their supposed ties to shadowy societies like the Illuminati, or should we say, The Stonecutters. With many episodes of The Simpsons linking through to key themes of the Illuminati, including secret societies of cult-like power and cloning, it may stand to reason how The Simpsons are able to have so much influence over our world. The infamous group’s enlightened power is said to allow unexplained superiority over our planet, and therefore control of future events.

Or could it be something else entirely? That is a question we will answer in this book.

We utilised our research to break into these supposed secrets and have conducted interviews with creators of the show, such as Bill Oakley, talented former executive producer and showrunner for The Simpsons during seasons 7 and 8. His work for the show is held in high acclaim for producing episodes said to be from the famous Golden Era of the show, such as Lisa Vs. Malibu Stacy, Who Shot Mr. Burns? and our personal favourite, 22 Short Films About Springfield. It seems that Oakley had a knack not only for creating brilliant episodes, but for predicting worldwide events too, such as the previously discussed tiger attack on Roy Horn, COVID-19, the 2020 protests (including the tearing down of statues) and of course…killer bees. We have been able to get access into the thoughts and processes behind these episodes to find the true answer to how The Simpsons predicted everything.

Aside from explaining the show’s clairvoyance, we could not write this book without inserting a bit of what we do over on our YouTube channel, The Simpsons Theory. Therefore, you will be transported from our world, through those iconic animated clouds, to examine some Simpsons theories within its own universe—unraveling the secret to Hans Moleman’s immortality, unlocking the mystery of Springfield’s true location, as well as explaining how we believe the show may actually be a show within a show. We are through the looking glass here, people!

Overall, this book is a love letter to honour a show that we grew up religiously watching on screens across the world. A twenty-six-minute-or-so slither of brightly coloured escapism that played such an integral part of our lives…much to the disapproval of our moms. The show’s rare ability to capture universal humour has brought Simpsons fans of all ages together, and the show has become a staple in the cultural zeitgeist. This book is an encapsulation of our respect for the wonderfully talented writers, producers, and actors who have made (in our humble opinion) the greatest show on earth.

So crack open a Duff, slurp a Squishee, or grab your blowtorch to ignite a hot pint of Flaming Moe’s as we take you inside the secret of The Simpsons.

Part I

Predictions

Chapter 1

Animals

Siegfried & Roy Tiger Attack

"A round of applause please for Anastasia.

She loves show business. So much nicer than the savagery of the jungle. Yah?"

—Ernst, $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)

Predicted: Season 5: $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling). First aired in 1993.

Came True: 2003

In 1993, we were introduced to the fabulous performers Gunter and Ernst. First appearing in The Simpsons Season 5 episode $pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling), they had their own magic show in Vegas. One of their acts involved a white Bengal tiger that could ride a unicycle while smoking a pipe. As the embarrassed feline performs her humiliating routine, she daydreams of a simpler time in the wild, relaxing in peace and paradise—until the two German entertainers shot her with a tranquilizer and dragged her to the City of Sin, Las Vegas. Fed up with being a puppet, the tiger leaps onto Gunter and Ernst and tears them and their fabulous costumes to shreds.

It comes as no surprise that Gunter and Ernst are a thinly veiled parody of Vegas legends, Siegfried and Roy. The masters of the impossible wowed the public for years with their flamboyant personalities and incredible illusions. They often incorporated real white lions and tigers in their routine. These jungle cats were a big part of their act, where they would amaze audiences with tricks and stunts. The pair had performed various routines with these big cats on countless occasions in front of thousands of people. But in 2003, it all went wrong.

During a routine performance at the Mirage Resort and Casino, a white tiger named Montecore clamped its strong jaws around Roy Horn’s neck. It then dragged the unconscious magician off stage, while a terrified audience looked helplessly on. Desperate trainers finally managed to wrangle Roy out of the jaws of the beast after spraying canisters of repellent.

Roy was taken to a hospital, where he was left battling for his life due to heavy blood loss and a stroke. Thankfully, he survived the ordeal, but had to go through intense rehabilitation for his severe injuries.

The Simpsons seemingly predicted this horrific incident ten years before it happened in real life. While you could say it was inevitable—that playing with furious beasts was a ticking time bomb—this was, surprisingly, their first major incident in more than thirty thousand shows. The Vegas legends apparently had a collection of sixty-three lions and tigers, but this was the only time when one of them was attacked.

Three-Eyed Fish

Charles Darwin Actor: …I would not mind having a third eye, would you, Monty?

Mr. Burns: Oh no, of course not.

—"Two Cars in Every Garage and

Three Eyes on Every Fish"

Predicted: Season 2: Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish. First aired in 1990.

Came True: 2011

Blinky, the iconic three-eyed fish, was caught in Season 2’s Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes on Every Fish, and let’s face it, basically single-finned-ly stopped Mr. Burns from becoming Springfield’s dictator. This pesky little guy has been on the show longer than the likes of Dr. Hibbert, Comic Book Guy and Troy McClure, so it’s no wonder he’s going to be a significant part of this book. His journey started even prior to his breakout role in Season 2, as he first appeared all the way back in Season 1, Episode 3’s Homer’s Odyssey.

… But back to the Season 2 episode. While out fishing, Bart Simpson catches Blinky in the nuclear power plant’s reservoir and it makes big news, photographed by Springfield Shopper reporter Dave Shutton. This leads to state nuclear inspector’s discovery of numerous safety violations, and Mr. Burns is ordered