A professor has worked out why The Simpsons predicts the future so often

It was hard to work out what was spookier, the fact that Donald Trump was elected the 45th President of the United States of America, or that ‘The Simpsons’ actually predicted it would happen 16 years ago back in 2001.

Both are unsettling, but now Dr John Donaldson over at the University Of Glasgow has looked to provide an explanation as to why ‘The Simpsons’ has such clairvoyance, something it has showcased throughout its 28 series run.

The philosophy professor, who recently announced that he and the institution’s Philosophy Department will be teaching a one-day class next month called, “D’oh! The Simpsons Introduce Philosophy,” explained to Business Insider, “It’s a show about life.”

“It deals with situations close to our own hearts and touches on themes we see in our day-to-day lives, so it’s unsurprising that some of the things they touch on can become a reality.”

Donaldson continued, “Coincidences happen. ‘The Simpsons’ set out to make a joke about Donald Trump because it seemed so ridiculous, and it just so happened that political circumstances changed to the point that someone like Trump could become president.”

What that says about the state of the world is pretty crystal clear, as satire and reality are now overlapping at an alarming rate. Earlier this month Dan Greaney, the man who wrote the episode that joked Donald Trump became president, spoke about why he originally scribed the quip, insisting it came from a much lighter place.

“He seems like a ‘Simpsons’-esque figure,” Greaney told the Washington Post. “He fits right in there, in an over-the-top way. But now … I see that in a much darker way. He seemed kind of lovable in the old days, in a blowhard way.”

Let’s hope that President elect Trump reverts back to his “lovable” ways over the course of his presidency, even though there wasn’t much of it on show during his campaign.

[Image via Fox]