The Simpsons Secret: A Cromulent Guide To How The Simpsons Predicted Everything!

by Lydia Poulteney, James Hicks

“Did The Simpsons really, truly predict anything? I predict you’ll have to purchase this book to get the true story.” ― Bill Oakley , Simpsons writer and producer #1 New Release in Animated Movies, Comedy Movies, and Comedy Television Then, The Simpsons Secret  is the book for you. Delve into some of the biggest predictions that came true on the show, and just how the Simpsons predict the future.
Simpson predictions from three-eyed fish to presidential elections.  "The Simpsons" has been predicting major events with scary accuracy for over three decades. From Donald Trump's presidency to Disney buying 20th Century Fox (...years before it happened!). People just can't seem to get enough and are eager to know what they are going to predict next. This book goes behind the scenes of this adored cartoon series, and the family we’ve grown to love. Between Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, and the rest of the Simpsons family, the show has stolen our hearts, and also left us amazed at how often the Simpsons predict the future! So how do they do it?  Is it a crystal ball? A fountain of knowledge? Have the writers gained the ability to travel through time? As shocking as it may seem, the answer is actually a little simpler than that. The cartoon crew is not in a secret society that can see the future, nor have they mastered the art of time travel. In  The Simpsons Secret , learn more If you enjoyed books like  Springfield Confidential ,  The Simpsons Family History ,  Friends Forever,  or  The Office , you’ll love  The Simpsons Secret .

Genres: Nonfiction, Pop Culture, Tv, Audiobook, Adult, Humor, Comedy

205 pages, Paperback

Published September 28, 2021

Reviews

[Timothy X · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Simpsons Secret by Lydia Poulteney & James Hicks

As a lifelong, unapologetic Simpsons fanatic who worships at the altar of Matt Groening, I’m probably biased, but I absolutely ADORED The Simpsons Secret! This book is a love letter to Springfield that had me grinning like Homer with a fresh donut. Lydia Poulteney & James Hicks digs into the magic behind The Simpsons—its wit, heart, and cultural staying power—with a passion that matches my own obsession for the show.

What I loved most was how the book unpacks the secrets of why The Simpsons remains so iconic, from the genius of Groening’s vision to the clever writing that sneaks satire into every couch gag. It’s packed with fun tidbits, behind-the-scenes stories, and insights into how Springfield’s residents became global legends. Whether it’s diving into Marge’s blue hair or Bart’s timeless pranks, every page felt like catching up with old friends while learning something new.

For fellow die-hards, this is a must-read that’ll make you want to rewatch every episode (again). Even if you’re a casual fan, Poulteney’s & Hicks’s enthusiasm is infectious, and the book’s deep dive into the show’s legacy is pure joy. I devoured it in one sitting, chuckling like Krusty the entire time. Highly recommend to EVERYONE—especially if you’ve ever yelled “D’oh!” or quoted Mr. Burns. Long live The Simpsons, and thank you, Lydia & James, for this gem!!!

[Roger McGaffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining for those that are Simpson's fans.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to start off by saying this is what reading should be. I found myself wanting to pick up this book constantly after I started it. It was just such a silly, funny, lighthearted book about everyone's favorite adult-animated family (sorry to the Griffins and Smiths).

There was a lot in this book that I was aware of, but I didn't mind it. I loved the way the author brought a fun energy into each prediction through the use of puns. I am a sucker for a good pun, even though I'm not good at making them :/ .

On the contrary, there were predictions I was not aware of. I was absolutely shocked by the "Selling Ferrets as Toy Poodles" story and ended up looking this up. I recommend y'all check it out the similarities are uncanny. It was really refreshing having a mix of knowing some stories and being surprised by others. The author was also able to interject some conspiracy theories, which again I AM A SUCKER for this stuff.

I do have to admit that I have been watching Lydia on Youtube since her channel started in 2020. I would put these videos on to keep me company while I cook, clean, work an overnight shift, the list goes on. Lydia has such a creative mind and her videos on Youtube truly show off her talent. I am so proud of her for releasing her first novel and I hope there are more to come. Also a huge congrats to James. It's hard being in the behind the scenes stuff so I just want to say thank you for your hard work.

Overall, this is a great book if you like The Simpsons, conspiracies, and annotating a book. This is a great book to annotate, like any academic book.

[Greg Talbot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like so many milleninals, my childhood will always be anchored to the Simpsons family. Like seemed saner, or more wholesome, or more affordable (https://www.npr.org/2022/06/02/110275...). Bart's imprudence and gentle mocking of Christianity was enough to prevent my household from watching it. But as a teenager, the floodgates opened, and the Ivy league humor and cultural satire in these episodes just blew me away.

"The Simpsons Secret" plays with meme culture and light-hearted conspiratorial thinking. Moments that occurred in the show and it's real life counter part are casually explored. The trump presidency, super bowl wins by the Cowboys, the tiger attack on Siegfried & Roy, and three-eyed fish have moved from imagination to news articles.

It's really not too deep of a concept, and the book changes direction in the later chapters anyway. It moves into some fairly some fan questions that are ubitiquous "what state is Springfield in" to the esoteric "what's with moleman". It's a fun read. May get you to revisit an episode or two - and I had to rewatch "Marge in Chains" (season 4) to see if the Simpsons predicted the coronavirus. It's not the most well structured book, and i don't think the analysis is all to thought provoking. But there are some strange winks, references to reddit theoeries, tidbits about the writers and plenty of savoring of those classic episodes.

Even fast food is satisfying sometimes.

[David Nee]

amazing show - though I had stopped watching it years ago, so after a bit - it was longer than I enjoyed reading, given that I wasn't familiar with the episodes it frequently referenced and summarized in explaining the theories and ideas. Could be great for a more serious Simpsons show fan. (it took me six months to finish reading it - I would take it only a few sections at a time, wasn't that gripping or entrancing, but that's okay too).

I will check out their Youtube channel. It's overwhelming to take on the challenge of watching the whole of anything Simpsons. Even one episode a day - whew!

[Phredbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book only for true fans of The Simpsons. The premise is a little deceptive. What is billed as guide to how The Simpsons predicted so many things is merely a long recap of many of the predictions and then a 14 page chapter on the "how". And to be honest it's not much of an explanation. No minds will be blown by what is written. The second part of the book is just a collection of odd theories fans have had over the years about different aspects of the show. Again...no huge revelations. It made me keep saying out loud...."It's a cartoon, loser!"

[Joanne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m hardly a Simpsons scholar, but I really didn’t learn a whole lot of so-called secrets from this (although I did have to lookup the word cromulent), so I can imagine that diehard Simpsons fans would find even less to learn from these pages. But it does acknowledge and sufficiently fete the show’s 700+ episodes and the amazing cultural phenomenon that the series has become.

[Colin Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very short read. Really more of a coffee table type thing than a real book (I did this on audiobook so in it’s defense that’s maybe how it’s printed in paper).

Everything her is pretty tossed together and half backed. Lots of repetition. Weak structure and writing.

I enjoyed some of the hypothetical theories at the end and one or two Simpsons prediction anecdotes were nice.

[Tim Basuino · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought this might be a deep dive into why some Simpsons' predictions came true, but found it to be more of a shameless ploy to exploit the fan of every dollar they have. If you have money to burn, I suppose you could do worse, but if you value your money and your time, you might spend about five seconds thinking about a wiser solution.

[RL Bailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing books on The Simpsons is hard as those who are likely to pick them up already know everything here. This one seemed pretty light on material and was more like reading a Reddit thread then a book.

[Angtburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting history log of what actually happened on The Simpsons and what later happened in real life. It also discredits origin stories that have been rumored as from The Simpsons much like the Bible, Benjamin Franklin, or William Shakespeare.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who follows Lydia's Simpsons Theory Youtube channel, I knew I had to check this book out. And while for the most part it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know (save for a few mentions of later season episodes I've never seen) it was still a fun read. Definitely for Simpsons fans.

[Fritzov · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never heard about the authors Youtube channel and also not a avid Simpsons watcher for many years but still liked to listen to it.

[Diogo Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun fun fun

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and a fun read

[Trillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2: The book was a Christmas gift. It was a fun read! Not a ton of new information but still enjoyable.

[Michael Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with being regarded as one of the most beloved television shows of all time, The Simpsons has also garnered plenty of discussion over the years due to a number of episodes over 3 decades having scenarios or one off jokes that have odd similarities to future real world events. These range from accurately calling Super Bowl winners all the way to Donald Trump becoming President.

This book does a nice job taking these and other scenarios and presenting a brief but informative summary of how things played out in the show and how similar events in real life played out after the episode aired. There’s also a section covering a number of in-universe conspiracies/questions fans have had regarding the show ever since its first season (asking how much money do The Simpsons have, where in America is Springfield and pondering if Moleman is immortal), so if stuff like this has intrigued you over the years, I can definitely recommend this.

[Alannah Clarke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading this book. I love Lydia’s Simpsons videos (I enjoy all of her videos). I can't wait for what's coming up next. If you enjoy her YouTube videos, you should read this book.

[gloria K. Eisner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read. Has a lot of facts, a little rambling and talking in circles