The "Disney Princesses" Being Repackaged as Pop Stars (Episode: "Barting Over", 2002)

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 "Disney Princesses" Being Repackaged as Pop Stars (Episode: "Barting Over", 2002)

• What happened: In this episode, the "Disney Princesses" are shown as products, and a scene parodies how Disney characters were being repackaged into "girl-power" pop stars.
• Reality: In 2010, Disney launched its "Disney Princesses" franchise, turning them into an empire of merchandise, movies, and music that eventually expanded into the pop star-like personas we see today with characters like Elsa from Frozen.