Stand up for the facts!
Our only agenda is to publish the truth so you can be an informed participant in democracy.
We need your help.
I would like to contribute
D’oh, ‘The Simpsons’ didn’t predict the coronavirus
If Your Time is short
- An image from the show was altered to read "corona virus."
- The image originally said "apocalypse meow."
"The Simpsons," Fox’s long-running, animated TV show, has famously predicted the future on several occasions. In season 11, for example, President Lisa Simpson has inherited a "budget crunch from President Trump."
But what about the coronavirus? A Feb. 20 Facebook post appears to show stills from a 1993 episode of the show in which both Homer Simpson and Principal Skinner are sick; another image shows a broadcaster reading off a piece of paper while the words "corona virus" and a cat appear on a screen behind him.
This post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
Featured Fact-check
Most of the images are actually from an episode about the "Osaka flu" — a factory employee coughs into a package bound for Homer back in Springfield and he gets sick.
But the image of the cat behind the broadcaster seems to have been altered from how it originally appeared in an episode about "housecat flu." On the show, the text doesn’t say "corona virus" but "apocalypse meow."
Eat our shorts: We rate this Facebook post Pants on Fire.
Our Sources
Facebook post, Feb. 20, 2020
Business Insider, 18 times ‘The Simpsons’ accurately predicted the future, Feb. 3, 2020
The Hollywood Reporter, ‘The Simpsons’: 30 times the Fox comedy successfully predicted the future, Sept, 28, 2018
YouTube, Osaka flu hits Springfield, Nov. 12, 2018
YouTube, Housecat flu, Nov. 22, 2010
Browse the Truth-O-Meter
More by Ciara O'Rourke
D’oh, ‘The Simpsons’ didn’t predict the coronavirus
Support independent fact-checking.
Become a member!
In a world of wild talk and fake news, help us stand up for the facts.