As someone who grew up watching The Simpsons during its golden age, I can’t help but be amazed by the show’s uncanny ability to predict real-life events. From Donald Trump becoming president to Elon Musk causing mass layoffs at a power plant, it’s as if the writers have a crystal ball!
In a way that would leave an HR manager puzzled and a biographer perspiring, Elon Musk boasts a remarkable collection of achievements. He’s not just about launching autonomous vehicles, but also ensuring universal access to affordable internet. His latest feat involves the Blindsight Neuralink implant, which has the potential to restore vision, earning it an FDA “breakthrough device” designation. This tag is typically given to innovative medical devices that expedite treatment or diagnosis of significant health issues.
Throughout his professional journey, he has appeared as himself in several guest roles, including “Iron Man 2”, “Machete Kills”, “Why Him?”, “Transcendence”, “Men in Black: International”, and TV series such as “The Big Bang Theory”, “South Park”, “Young Sheldon”, “Rick & Morty”, “Mars”, and “The Simpsons”.
In most instances, Musk’s guest appearances have been met with criticism. His role in “The Simpsons” Season 26 episode titled “The Musk Who Fell to Earth” stands out because some believe it foreshadowed the purchase of X (previously known as Twitter).
“The Musk Who Fell to Earth” Is One of the Worst Rated Episodes of The Simpsons
In this episode, not much occurs in terms of plot development. Instead, we delve into intricate conversations between Elon Musk, Homer, and Mr. Burns. As the story unfolds, we pick up hints and underlying themes. Elon Musk is portrayed as an uninvited guest at the Simpsons’ house, struggling with boredom. He lands his Dragon 2 spacecraft in their backyard and shares that he has come to Springfield to seek inspiration. Homer suggests he visit Mr. Burns’ power plant, and while there, Musk manages to persuade the contentious tycoon to construct a magnet-to-hydrodynamic generator for the facility. This invention is intended to address all of Springfield’s electrical needs, including power for autonomous vehicles.
In the grand scheme of things, I later discovered that old Musk had been planning all along to protect our beloved Earth. This revelation sent shivers down Burns’ spine, as he’s usually a self-centered chap, always chasing after personal glory. This sudden twist of events made Burns hatch a devious plan to take out the man himself.
As a devoted admirer, I must admit my disappointment in the reception of “The Musk Who Fell to Earth.” Contrary to expectations, having one of the wealthiest individuals in the world involved didn’t guarantee a home run for the show. Instead, it seemed that the humor was as dry as an empty beer mug at Moe’s Tavern, with a focus on slapstick and clever wordplay rather than the witty one-liners and classic slapstick moments we usually enjoy. Moreover, many viewers felt that reducing the main characters to secondary roles in favor of Musk’s screen time was misguided.
It seems that the concept for this episode originated when the show’s writers encountered Musk at a TED talk and discovered he was a fan. As a result, they opted to create a story that could be seen as a heartfelt tribute rather than focusing on character development. Fortunately, this episode served a significant role by foreshadowing Musk’s acquisition of X corporation.
How the Episode Predicted Musk’s X Acquisition
As an ardent admirer, I found it intriguing when it became clear that “The Musk Who Fell to Earth” seemed to foretell Elon Musk’s X acquisition. This captivating portrayal, reminiscent of the 1976 British sci-fi film “The Man Who Fell to Earth“, left many oblivious until the billionaire himself drew our attention to it on November 26, 2022, via a social media post. He encouraged his followers to watch the episode and see for themselves. Was he merely hinting? Far from it. Instead, I believe that Neil Campbell, the episode’s writer, demonstrated a remarkable foresight, almost prophetic, in his work.
In the movie “The Man Called Musk,” there’s a scene showing Lisa Simpson feeding a bunch of birds from her family’s backyard birdhouse, which is marked with the sign “Nest and Chirp.
It’s quite interesting, isn’t it? In the show, several employees from Springfield Nuclear Power Plant are let go due to Musk’s new ideas, which seems eerily similar to the large-scale layoffs that occurred when he took over and introduced new strategies at the company. Also, just as Homer has a falling out with Musk in the episode, Musk himself had conflicts with advertisers such as Disney, who boycotted his X venture due to concerns that it was no longer suitable for family viewing.
Simpsons Writers Have Addressed the Show’s Alleged Predictions
Ever since Disney bought 20th Century Fox and Donald Trump was elected president, it seems like a lot of events from “The Simpsons” have come true. But as a fan following the show, I’ve come to realize that perhaps they aren’t some kind of crystal ball revealing future events. Instead, the writers themselves seem to suggest that their predictions are more a product of clever writing and satire than psychic abilities.
During an interview with NME in 2021, Al Jean – one of the early writers for the animated series – suggested that the show’s prophetic elements were merely educated assumptions.
Among our authors, the one who foresaw Donald Trump’s presidency in his work, expressed it succinctly. “If you write 700 pieces of work and fail to predict anything, then you’re not very good. If you keep throwing darts at a board, eventually some will hit the bullseye.
Makes sense.
However, even he admitted that some of the predictions are eerily accurate.
“The brochure from the ’96 World Trade Center incident is quite peculiar. It advertised $9 a day with the number 11 styled to resemble the towers. The fact that this happened years before the tragic events of September 11th feels like an uncanny coincidence.
In another interview with Reuters, former writer Bill Oakley also noted:
We were making fun of past real-world incidents, and since history often recurs, our satire appears to be prophetic in nature.
Some conspiracy enthusiasts believe that certain events portrayed in movies, TV series, and literature by governments of influential countries or secretive groups serve as a subtle form of conditioning, known as “predictive programming.” This theory posits that these fictional narratives are designed to acclimate the public to future events that these groups might have planned.
It appears quite unusual. Perhaps “The Simpsons” has been selected as a divine messenger to foretell future events. Spread this news far and wide.
The Simpsons
is available to stream in the US on Hulu and Apple TV+
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2024-09-23 04:31