‘Are those explosive charges??!’: Did ‘The Simpsons’ predict the Baltimore bridge collapse?
Even if you only have a passing relationship with the internet, you’ve likely seen a claim somewhere that The Simpsons has the ability to predict the future with frightening accuracy.
Yes, The Simpsons. The beloved adult animated series that's been on air for three and a half decades.
For those not in the know, The Simpsons has long been the subject of meme fodder, with many online believing the creators of the show must have the ability to predict the future because, on more than one occasion, they have been correct about major news events—for example, a 2000 episode that correctly predicted Donald Trump’s presidency.
However, these clips are not always as accurate as online conspiracy theorists claim them to be, and can be doctored in order to fit the current narrative in order to depict The Simpsons as an oracle of sorts—and the Baltimore Bridge collapse is an example of one of those situations.
This week, a cargo ship lost power and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, causing the structure to collapse along with those on it. Six people have since been presumed dead following the accident.
Since the bridge collapse, various unfounded conspiracies have been bandied about. One of them includes a clip circulating online showing various scenes and stills from The Simpsons that could be tied to the accident.
One scene shared on TikTok and reposted on X shows Simpsons news anchor Kent Brockman reporting on the incident in vivid detail.
While another shows a scene from a 1996 episode with a side-by-side comparison:
And there’s even this startling image people are sharing:
However, all of these clips and claims have since been debunked by several sources stating that they are likely the result of AI and Photoshop.
The news anchor clip was noted as AI by many in the comments stating that the clip had never appeared in an episode of the show. The side-by-side clip was taken out of context, with mega-fans of the show quick to point out that the characters were discussing the Queensboro Bridge in New York City, not the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. The still image of Homer looking at a boat sinking even has a “Reader Added Context” bit underneath it on X, expressly stating: “There is no Simpsons video or episode containing this photo. It first appeared in a TikTok video, according to Google. It is probably AI generated.”
In short, while The Simpsons have certainly gotten some events right in the past, that is not the case with the Baltimore bridge tragedy.
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