Time and time again, fans dismissed the possibility of a Trump presidency as a throwaway Simpsons gag, even during the real-life campaign. Now, The Simpsons itself has a chance to acknowledge one of its strangest prophecies, one it’s none-too-thrilled to have been right on.
The Simpsons obliquely anticipating future events has become a common phenomenon, though never quite so regrettably as a 2000 episode that referenced “President Trump” in our future. Now, writer Dan Greaney looks back on the unfortunate premonition, noting the line was intended to envision an America that “went as bad as it possibly could.”
It’s another sad day for The Simpsons and the world at large, as series executive producer Al Jean confirmed news that co-creator Sam Simon passed away on Sunday, at the age of 59, in Los Angeles. The Emmy-winning Simon had also written for such TV legends as Taxi and Cheers, battling a cancer diagnosis since 2012.