The "2" in "The 2nd Cat" (Episode: "The Springfield Files", 1997)

The Simpsons has earned quite the reputation for seemingly predicting the future. It’s actually a bit of a meme at this point, with fans pointing out how many things in the real world appear to have been "predicted" by the show, sometimes years in advance. While some of these predictions are purely coincidental or the result of broad satire, others do seem oddly prescient.

The "2" in "The 2nd Cat" (Episode: "The Springfield Files", 1997)

• What happened: A background gag in this episode had a store sign that read “The 2nd Cat,” which looked like it was predicting a trend in branding and name shifts.
• Reality: In 2020, it became a real-world phenomenon where companies started using "2" in their names (e.g., 2nd Hand, 2nd Chance).