Russian tanks emerge from parade floats. Picture / Supplied
Russian tanks emerge from parade floats. Picture / Supplied
Another global crisis, another Simpsons prediction.
This time fans of the long-running animated sitcom claim it predicted the current crisis between Russia and Ukraine - in an episode way back in 1998.
A clip from the episode "Simpson Tide" shows a United Nations meeting between Russia and the United States that quickly turns into Russia announcing the return of the Soviet Union – complete with hidden tanks, barbed-wired walls and even a zombified Lenin raising from the dead to declare he "must crush Capitalism".
Not an exact match for the war Russia is currently waging in Ukraine, but close enough for some fans to chalk it up as yet another Simpsons prediction.
"At what point are we gonna make Matt Groening tell us how he does this?" one fan tweeted, referring to the show's creator.
"THE SIMPSONS ALWAYS PREDICTS EVERYTHING," wrote another.
"Pretty sure most world events were predicted by the Simpsons at some point," said another.
It comes just weeks after another Simpsons prediction appeared to come true – this one from the show's 2007 big screen outing, The Simpsons Movie.
In the film, A-list actor Tom Hanks appears in animated form as a spokesman in an ad for the US government, with this memorable line during his brief cameo: "Hello, I'm Tom Hanks. The US government has lost its credibility so it's borrowing some of mine."
Flash forward 14 years, and Hanks is working as a spokesman for the US government in real life, narrating a new White House video promoting the achievements of the Biden administration during its first year in office.'
Russia fronts up to the UN in this 1998 episode. Picture / Supplied
It's the latest in a long line of alleged predictions the writers of The Simpsons have unwittingly made about future events.
Early last year, some fans were convinced the show successfully predicted America's inauguration day Capitol riots, sharing stills from an episode that saw Springfield descend into rioting and looting after Homer Simpson failed to vote.
There are dozens more examples of The Simpsons predicting the future – some admittedly more convincing than others – including the censoring of Michelangelo's David, one of Sigfried and Roy being mauled onstage by a tiger, an average person being sent into space and Disney purchasing 20th Century Fox.
