Overview
- New coverage from popular outlets highlights fans linking older Simpsons episodes to 2026 themes such as a super flu, AI-driven job loss, smart homes, space travel and aliens, and even World War III.
- CDC data cited in the reports shows very high influenza transmission in New York City, with the agency estimating about 11 million illnesses, 120,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths, including nine children, this season, largely driven by H3N2 from subclade K.
- A 2012 episode, “Them, Robot,” is being paired with fresh concerns about automation, including JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon’s recent warning that AI will eliminate some jobs.
- Space tourism talk draws on the 1994 “Deep Space Homer” episode alongside a 2025 all‑female Blue Origin suborbital flight featuring Katy Perry, Gayle King and Amanda Nguyen, which drew backlash and renewed interest in civilian space travel.
- Smart‑home risks are echoed in the 2001 “Treehouse of Horror XII,” and outlets emphasize these links as fan interpretations and cultural commentary rather than actual forecasts.