Katie Boback ‘17
EE Senior Entertainment Editor
By now you have probably heard about the episode of The Simpsons that supposedly predicted Trump’s Political win sixteen years ago. Word of this apparent foreshadowing has spread quickly through the media because of the striking accuracy of its prediction.
What you might not know, however, is that the writers of The Simpsons might not be the only apparent clairvoyants in the world of entertainment. Allusions to a Trump presidential campaign were also made by a Rage Against the Machine music video and a character in the Back to the Future franchise.
In 2000 the writers of The Simpsons wrote “Bart to the future,” an episode that showed a glimpse of the future lives of the main characters. Lisa was seen as the president elect, inheriting a financial mess from the previous president. This former leader just so happened to be Donald Trump.
Many people claim that the episode itself was a vision of the future, but writers have come forward to talk about why Donald Trump actually makes an appearance in the episode. Writer Dan Greaney said to The Hollywood Reporter regarding the choice, “It was pitched because it was consistent with the vision of America going insane.”
In an apparent joke sixteen years ago, the writers of the show decided that Trump assuming the presidency would present the largest challenge for Bart’s younger sister to overcome. In a surprising twist they did not expect, the punchline of their episode became reality.
An even earlier prediction appeared in Rage against the Machine’s “Sleep Now in the Fire” music video, released in 1999. It includes a man holding a sign that reads “Donald J. Trump for President 2000,” causing many to believe that this also was an allusion to the future. It is worth noting, however, that Trump was in the running for the Reform Party’s candidate for the 2000 election. He withdrew from the race nine months prior to voting.
The last case of Trump’s victory predictions never directly mentioned Trump’s name, but it was confirmed to be a reference to him earlier this year. The second Back to the Future film features a character with striking similarities to Donald Trump. In the sequel to the classic film, Marty McFly’s nemesis, Biff Tannen, becomes a businessman and uses his money to build a high-rise casino and affect American Politics.
Fans made many connections between Tannen and Trump, which were confirmed by the film’s writer when it was revealed that Biff’s character was loosely based on our new President-elect.
Four years ago, few would believe the results of the 2016 election. However, it is clear that pop-culture may have been leaving hints throughout the years. Whether these strange connections were supernatural predictions or mere coincidence is up to the individual.
“I think what people find shocking is the fact that Donald Trump’s belief in his own abilities proved true in the end,” says Trumbull High School senior Haley Lynch, “He was an underdog and no one could have imagined this outcome.”