The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission.
Fans think The Simpsons predicted the Tom Hanks inauguration special back in 2007
It’s the latest in a number of spot-on predictions from the popular satirical cartoon
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
Fourteen years before Joe Biden took office, the long-running cartoon The Simpsons predicted that Tom Hanks would address the public in a moment of "national chaos.”
“The US government has lost its credibility, so it's borrowing some of mine," Hanks says in a cameo in the Simpsons movie from 2007, which a Twitter user pointed out felt oddly similar to the actor hosting a post-inauguration TV unity special for the Biden administration.
“HOW DO THE SIMPSONS ALWAYS PREDICT THIS S***” @kairyluminess tweeted on Tuesday.
Hanks, alongside actresses Kerry Washington and Eva Longoria, is hosting “Celebration America,” an event featuring speeches from the newly elected president and vice-president, plus musical performances from the Foo Fighters, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Demi Lovato, Justin Timberlake, Ant Clemons and Jon Bon Jovi.
The prescient cameo comes from 2007’s The Simpsons Movie, in which the Environmental Protection Agency seals Springfield in a gigantic dome. Hanks makes a cameo as part of a fake TV ad for a new Grand Canyon, saying, "The US government has lost its credibility, so it's borrowing some of mine."
Read more: Watch Biden inauguration concert - live: John Legend, Yo-Yo Ma and more perform
Read more: Follow live updates and news on Inauguration Day 2021
Hanks is often rated one of the most trusted figures in America, beating out the police, scientific studies, and Donald Trump in a recent survey. He often plays characters who go on to become American icons, like Forrest Gump, or those who already are, like children’s TV host Mr Rogers and the heroic airline pilot Sully Sullenberger.
The Simpsons bit seemed to match the current national mood for many fans.
“With Tom Hanks hosting tonight’s primetime inauguration special it’s time to remind everyone that The Simpsons never misses,” Twitter user @jstone32 wrote.
Many thought, as the show predicted, his words at the inauguration concert would help add some calm to the nation in this moment.
“Tom Hanks, here to fix Trump's mess and lower our blood pressure further,” user @hollerella said. “Just as The Simpsons predicted.”
“Why does Tom Hanks’s voice actually make me feel new levels of calm??” @SarahMendelsoh4 added. “I would personally like @tomhanks to narrate all current events.”
The Simpsons has been on TV for a whopping 32 seasons, and stills from the show have become a popular meme format online, thanks in part to their canny predictions of news and pop culture events that eventually come true.
Many believe the show intuited a wide range of news including the Siegfried and Roy tiger attack, the Higgs Boson particle, the popularity of the Farmville video game, smart watches, and a Donald Trump presidency.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments