The Simpsons ‘predict’ the tiered lockdown system in the UK
The Simpsons ‘predict’ ANOTHER world event! 2007’s big-screen version saw Springfield sealed off by the government… with fans likening it to the tiered lockdown system in the UK
- This is the latest in a string of predictions the iconic cartoon has made, having already foretold the coronavirus crisis and the fact that actor Tom Hanks would contract it
- The Simpsons Movie features a large dome that is placed over the town of Springfield, locking residents in and quarantining them
- Fans have taken to social media to liken this to the UK’s tiered lockdowns
- The Simpsons has been on the air since 1989 and has made a slew of eerie predictions over the years
- Among them has been the election of President Trump, the discovery of a three-eyed mutant fish and The Shard being built in London
Fans of The Simpsons have pointed out that the iconic cartoon has seemingly predicted yet another world event.
Between the show – which has been on the air since 1989 – and its spin-off movie of 2007, the franchise has made a series of eerie predictions, including the current coronavirus pandemic sweeping the planet.
And the latest prophecy fans have noticed is the plot in The Simpsons Movie, in which a huge glass dome is lowered over the famous family’s home town of Springfield.
Here we go again: Fans of The Simpsons have pointed out that the iconic cartoon has seemingly predicted yet another world event
Fans have likened this to the current tiered restrictions from town-to-town in place in the UK.
The UK is currently under a segregated system amid the COVID-19 crisis, which sees separate parts categorised into varying levels of ‘risk’ from the virus.
The likes of London and the home counties – as well as a slew of other areas – are under Tier 4, which is essentially another lockdown.
Under the rules, those in Tier 4 cannot leave Tier 4.
The latest prophecy: The Simpsons Movie features a huge glass dome lowered over the famous family’s home town of Springfield
Sealed in: The government lowers a dome onto Springfield, trapping the residents of the town inside it, forbidden to leave
In The Simpsons Movie, the government lowers a dome onto Springfield, trapping the residents of the town inside it, forbidden to leave.
This takes place because Homer Simpson contaminates the town lake with pig excrement, forcing the Environmental Protection Agency to quarantine the polluted region.
Fans clocked on to this over Christmas when the movie was aired on Film4.
‘Can’t wait for Boris [Johnson] to stick the UK in that dome off the Simpson’s Movie on Saturday,’ one viewer tweeted, clearly dreading the upcoming review of the tier restrictions.
Eerie: Fans have likened this to the current tiered restrictions from town-to-town in place in the UK
Trapped: The likes of London and the home counties – as well as a slew of other areas – are under Tier 4, which is essentially another lockdown. Under the rules, those in Tier 4 cannot leave Tier 4
‘We’re going to be placed in the dome from The Simpsons movie next!’ another observed.
‘Film 4 putting the Simpsons Movie on the same day Tier 4 gets announced,’ someone else posted on Boxing Day, when several regions shifted up one – and in some cases two – tiers.
Even Film4 tweeted the likeness, posting: ‘The town of Springfield gets sealed underneath a giant dome today… Why does this suddenly feel so relatable?’
![Reaction: 'Can't wait for Boris [Johnson] to stick the UK in that dome off the Simpson's Movie on Saturday,' one viewer tweeted, clearly dreading the upcoming review of the tier restrictions](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2020/12/29/12/37367288-9095485-image-a-200_1609243851745.jpg)
Reaction: ‘Can’t wait for Boris [Johnson] to stick the UK in that dome off the Simpson’s Movie on Saturday,’ one viewer tweeted, clearly dreading the upcoming review of the tier restrictions
Like looking in a mirror: Fans clocked on to this over Christmas when the movie was aired on Film4
The Simpsons has been known to foresee events such as Donald Trump’s presidency to the discovery of a three-eyed mutant fish to the erection of London skyscraper The Shard.
The current health crisis has been linked to the show several times this year, with fans believing it predicted the coronavirus itself – with 1993 episode Marge In Chains featuring a far-eastern virus sweeping the planet and infecting the residents of Springfield.
It’s also been claimed that The Simpsons Movie predicted actor Tom Hanks would be struck with the virus.
They’ve done it again: Fans of The Simpsons believe that the show predicted actor Tom Hanks would be struck with the coronavirus
Fans now believe the writers foretold that actor Hanks, 63, would have to self-isolate one day, as news broke that the Hollywood star and his wife, Rita Wilson, caught COVID-19 while filming Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic on location in Australia.
In 2007’s The Simpsons Movie – the show’s big screen version of the show – Hanks makes a cameo appearance, advertising a ‘new Grand Canyon’ because the main one has ‘gotten boring’.
After appearing in an ad for the canyon – in which he claims ‘the US government has lost its credibility so its borrowing some of mine’ – the Apollo 13 actor then says: ‘This is Tom Hanks saying if you see me in person, please, leave me be.’
While the theory is somewhat of a stretch, hardcore fans of the show are happily adding this to the ever-growing list of Simpsons predictions.
Prediction: Fans now believe the writers foretold that actor Hanks, 63, would have to self-isolate one day, as news broke that the Hollywood star and his wife, Rita Wilson, caught COVID-19 while filming on location in Australia
Who’d’ve thought it? In 2007’s The Simpsons Movie, Hanks makes a cameo appearance, and says – ‘This is Tom Hanks saying if you see me in person, please, leave me be’
Another day, another prediction: While the theory is somewhat of a stretch, hardcore fans of the show are happily adding this to the ever-growing list of Simpsons predictions
In Marge In Chains, a virus called Osaka Flu spreads through Springfield after residents order juicers from Japan.
Scenes show the juicers being packed into boxes as sick workers cough all over them – sending the virus to America.
Fans of the show took to Twitter to discuss the similarities – despite the fact the virus on The Simpsons came from Japan while the current coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan in China.
Some are so convinced they even took the time to edit ‘Osaka flu’ to ‘Coronavirus’ in Kent Brockman’s news report.
Life imitating art: In an episode from 1993 titled Marge In Chains, a virus called Osaka Flu spreads through Springfield after residents order juicers from Japan
Seem familiar? Scenes show the juicers being packed into boxes as sick workers cough all over them – sending the virus to America
Close to home: Principal Skinner opens the juicer delivery from Japan and catches the disease in the episode
Headline news: Springfield is warned of the arrival of the disease. One person on Twitter even edited ‘Osaka flu’ to ‘Coronavirus’ in Kent Brockman’s news report from the episode
One person Tweeted: ‘The Simpsons are from the future. They have predicted everything that has happened to us. Like trump becoming pres, Kobe’s death and now the coronavirus. What’s next?! The world ending?’
Someone else penned: ‘The Simpsons scares me. This episode aired 27 years ago in 1993!’
Other examples of The Simpsons fortune-telling skills include 2000’s episode Bart To The Future, in which Lisa is the president of the United States, having succeeded Donald Trump.
This episode aired 16 years before even the idea of Trump taking over The White House was a possibility.
11 TIMES THE SIMPSONS CORRECTLY PREDICTED THE FUTURE
The iconic animated TV show has been known to foresee major world events – from Donald Trump’s presidency to the discovery of a three-eyed mutant fish to the erection of London skyscraper The Shard.
Here are some of the original predictions from across the four-decade-long run of The Simpsons – and the real-life events that transpired years later…
Mystic Marge… Maggie, Homer, Lisa and Bart: The iconic animated TV show has been known to foresee major world events
1: FAULTY VOTING
PREDICTED IN: Treehouse of Horror XIX – 2008
CAME TRUE IN: Pennsylvania, USA – 2012
In 2008, Homer was seen attempting to vote for Barack Obama in the US general election, only for the machine to keep switching his vote to Republican John McCain.
Four years later, a voting machine in Pennsylvania was discovered to be changing people’s votes from Obama, who was running for a second term, to Republican rival Mitt Romney.
Rigged? Homer could not vote for Obama in 2008
2: OSAKA FLU AKA CORONAVIRUS
PREDICTED IN: Marge In Chains – 1993
CAME TRUE IN: Wuhan, China – 2019
The episode featured a far-eastern virus called the Osaka Flu being transported across the globe and infecting the residents of Springfield, who were ordering Japanese juicing machines that had been coughed all over by infected factory workers.
COVID-19 was first reported in China in December 2019. By March 2020 it was declared a global pandemic.
Aye Corona! The show foreshadowed coronavirus with its fictitious Osaka Flu
3: TOM HANKS HAS TO SELF-ISOLATE
PREDICTED IN: The Simpsons Movie – 2007
CAME TRUE IN: Gold Coast, Australia – 2020
The Hollywood actor and his wife, Rita Wilson, caught COVID-19 while filming Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis Presley biopic on location in Australia in March 2020.
As a result, he and Rita had to go into isolation.
In 2007’s The Simpsons Movie – the big screen version of the TV show – Hanks makes a cameo appearance, in which he says: ‘This is Tom Hanks saying if you see me in person, please, leave me be.’
(Out)Cast Away: Tom Hanks warned viewers to ‘leave me be’ in 2007
4: THE ERECTION OF THE SHARD
PREDICTED IN: Lisa’s Wedding – 1995
CAME TRUE IN: London, UK – 2009
When Lisa visited a fortune teller, she foresaw that she would one day marry a British man.
In the episode, she flies to London – where the skyline features a tall, pointed building.
Fans have branded this a prediction that The Shard would one day be a fixture of London’s architecture – eventually being built in 2009 and opening in 2013.
Up The Shard: Did Lisa’s premonition foretell the London landmark
5: DONALD TRUMP BECOMES PRESIDENT
PREDICTED IN: Bart To The Future – 2000
CAME TRUE IN: USA – 2016
In another flash-forward episode, Lisa is the president of the United States, having succeeded Donald Trump.
She is seen lamenting the financial slump that Trump has left the country in, following his exit from office.
This episode aired 16 years before even the idea of Trump taking over The White House was a possibility. He was elected as the 45th president of the United States on November 9, 2016.
President Lisa: A flash-forward saw Lisa pick up the slack from an ex-president Trump
6: BLINKY THE THREE-EYED MUTANT FISH
PREDICTED IN: Two Cars in Every Garage and Three Eyes On Every Fish – 1990
CAME TRUE IN: Córdoba, Argentina – 2011
Blinky, the three-eyed fish from The Simpsons first appeared in the second season of the show, when Bart caught it while fishing in the river by Springfield’s nuclear power plant.
In 2011, a fisherman in Argentina caught a three-eyed wolf fish, similarly in waters outside a power station.
In both cases, the power plants were blamed for dumping toxic waste into the waters, thus affecting the wildlife.
Perfect catch? Bart caught a fish – and a glimpse of the future
7: KING’S LANDING IS DESTROYED BY DRAGONS
PREDICTED IN: The Serfsons – 2017
CAME TRUE IN: Game Of Thrones – 2019
The Simpsons parodied Game Of Thrones in 2017, with the episode ending with the family watching their village obliterated by fire-breathing dragons.
When the Game Of Thrones penultimate episode aired in 2019, King’s Landing suffered the same fate when Daenerys Targaryen ordered Drogon to burn the town to a crisp.
Winter came early: The Simpsons foretold the fate of King’s Landing in 2017
8: BABY TRANSLATOR
PREDICTED IN: Brother, Can You Spare Two Dimes? – 1992
CAME TRUE IN: Twain, East Asia – 2015
When Homer is awarded $2,000 in compensation for being exposed to nuclear radiation, making him infertile, his long-lost half-brother Herb shows up, looking for investment in an invention that translates ‘baby babble’ – using Maggie as a guinea pig.
In 2016, app developers unveiled their Infant Cries Translator, which claimed to be able to decipher what a baby’s sobs were trying to convey.
Baby babble: Did Homer’s long-lost brother invent the Infant Cries Translator?
9: CENSORING MICHELANGELO’S DAVID
PREDICTED IN: Itchy & Scratchy & Marge – 1990
CAME TRUE IN: Saint Petersburg, Russia – 2016
Marge became outraged by the violence in Bart and Lisa’s favourite cartoon, The Itchy & Scratchy Show – and penned a letter of concern to the broadcasting network. This escalated into a full-blown protest which saw the cat and mouse cartoon toned down; instead of blowing each other up, they were seen sharing lemonade in harmony.
When the famous sculpture Michelangelo’s David was then due to stop on a tour in Springfield, Marge refused to join in with a local protest led by the likes of pious Maud Flanders, who claimed the statue was gratuitous. She was then accused of being a hypocrite.
The precise same scenario cropped up in Russia 26 years later [minus the Itchy & Scratchy part], when residents of Saint Petersburg protested a replica of the naked sculpture which was due to be erected in the city.
Censored! Marge’s Itchy & Scratchy tirade foreshadowed a real-life protest against fine art
10: ALL YOU CAN EAT LAW SUIT
PREDICTED IN: New Kid On The Block – 1992
CAME TRUE IN: Massachusetts, USA – 2017
Homer was kicked out of an All You Can Eat venue for eating too much – causing the restaurant to run dry. He then became obsessed with fighting the case legally.
A real-life case took place at the Golden Corral in 2017, when a man ate 50lbs of food, getting kicked out.
He then sued the eatery for $2 million.
All you can’t eat! Homer’s fish food binge ended up happening in real-life
11: TIERED LOCKDOWNS IN THE UK
PREDICTED IN: The Simpsons Movie – 2007
CAME TRUE IN: The UK – 2020
Homer disposes his pet pig’s excrement in the Springfield lake and causes an environmental crisis.
The EPA then place a dome over the town, quarantining the residents and disallowing them to leave.
In December 2020, Prime Minister Boris Johnson placed the UK into a tiered system, in which the nation was segregated into different segments, with some tiers ordered not to travel out of town.
Locked down: Fans likened the dome placed over Springfield by the government to the tiered restrictions Boris Johnson imposed upon the UK in 2020
In 2008, Homer was seen attempting to vote for Barack Obama in the US general election in the annual Halloween episode of the show, only for the machine to keep switching his vote.
Four years later, a voting machine in Pennsylvania was discovered to be changing people’s votes from Obama, who was running for a second term, to Republican rival Mitt Romney.
Hanks’ diagnosis has left Australian director Luhrmann to urge the cast and crew of his film to stay home.
In a private letter obtained by the Gold Coast Bulletin, the 57-year-old filmmaker said that they were facing a ‘difficult situation’ in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Conspiracy theory: Fans of the show took to Twitter to discuss the similarities – despite the fact the virus on The Simpsons came from Japan while the current coronavirus outbreak originated in Wuhan in China
‘Be assured we will keep you updated as that information develops,’ Baz wrote.
‘We request all cast and crew stay at home today and not come to work. All work activity on the production is cancelled and will not resume until further notice.
‘We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and we will be following up with more details over the next several hours.
‘On a personal note, please know that the health and well-being of our entire company is our absolute focus at this time. Many thanks for your support as we manage this difficult situation.’
At the time of writing, there have been 128,883 confirmed cases of coronavirus globally, with 4,729 deaths in total.
Tom and Rita tested positive for the novel coronavirus, they revealed on Thursday.
‘We request all cast and crew stay at home today’: Baz Luhrmann has temporarily halted production of his upcoming Elvis Presley biopic after star Hanks caught coronavirus
The Forrest Gump star and his wife, both 63, announced the positive test results on Instagram and urged the public to ‘take care’ amid the pandemic.
The couple are currently on the Gold Coast, where the Oscar-winning actor is filming the as-yet-untitled Elvis Presley film being produced by Warner Bros.
Hanks revealed he and Rita experienced symptoms including the common cold, body aches and chills before they decided to get tested.
He wrote: ‘Hello, folks. Rita and I are down here in Australia. We felt a bit tired, like we had colds, and some body aches. Rita had some chills that came and went. Slight fevers too. To play things right, as is needed in the world right now, we were tested for the coronavirus, and were found to be positive.
‘Well, now. What to do next? The Medical Officials have protocols that must be followed. We Hanks’ will be tested, observed, and isolated for as long as public health and safety requires. Not much more to it than a one-day-at-a-time approach, no?
Outbreak: ‘We appreciate everyone’s cooperation and we will be following up with more details over the next several hours,’ Baz wrote in a personal letter sent to the cast and crew of the film
‘Take care’: Hanks and his wife, both 63, announced their positive test results on Instagram
‘We’ll keep the world posted and updated. Take care of yourselves! Hanx!’
He also shared a picture of what appears to be a medical waste basket and a latex glove in a hospital.
Tom touched down in Australia on January 26 for the film, which is still in pre-production meaning cameras have not started rolling yet. He plays Elvis Presley’s longtime manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
He was rumoured to be staying at Peppers Broadbeach – the very same hotel building where a 44-year-old Chinese national, who later became one of Australia’s first cases of coronavirus, was staying.
That man was rushed to the hospital on January 28 and was confirmed to have the virus on January 29. He had recently returned from Wuhan and was travelling with his wife and child and was staying at the Oracle building, but was not a guest at Peppers Broadbeach, which is located in the same building.
Down Under: Rita was in Sydney last weekend enjoying the sights and sounds of the city
Picture perfect! A fan got a photo with the couple in Sydney earlier this week
Warner Bros. said in a statement that when they became aware someone in production was diagnosed with the virus they worked with Australian health agencies to assure that the movie production remains safe.
‘We have been made aware that a company member from our Elvis feature film, which is currently in pre-production on the Gold Coast, Australia, has tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus),’ said a spokesperson.
‘We are working closely with the appropriate Australian health agencies to identify and contact anyone who may have come in direct contact with the individual. The health and safety of our company members is always our top priority, and we are taking precautions to protect everyone who works on our productions around the world.
‘The individual who tested positive for COVID-19 is currently receiving treatment.’
