The news that Tom Hanks has been struck down with coronavirus has shocked fans around the world. The outpouring has even sparked a viral meme claiming that The Simpsons predicted the beloved actor’s illness. But is it true?
The iconic cartoon is famous for its uncanny ability to foresee major world events – from the election of US President Donald Trump, a voting machine controversy in the US, and the 2014-2016 Ebola crisis.
The current, breathless claim is that Hanks’ cameo in the 2007 feature film ‘The Simpsons’ during which he appears to self-isolate and asks “if you see me in person, leave me be!” was somehow a prediction is somewhat of a stretch, even for a show credited with some truly staggering predictions in the past.
Over-eager fans previously claimed that the cartoon series predicted the coronavirus itself in a 1993 episode in which a Far-Eastern virus outbreak threatens Springfield, the characters’ hometown.
True believers think that The Simpsons not only predicted the outbreak of the virus but it also provided us with the solution in the form of the giant dome that was once placed over Springfield by the Environmental Protection Agency.
While the show did nail some predictions, it may simply be a case of a broken clock being right twice a day, as the half-hour show originally began airing on Fox in 1989 and has since run for 31 seasons and is expected to enter its 32nd sometime after March 2020. So it was bound to get some predictions right during that time, just not Tom Hanks’ unfortunate run-in with the coronavirus.
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