‘The Simpsons’ fans say it predicted Michelangelo statue outrage

27 March, 2023

Simpsons Michelangelo David

The Simpsons appears to have predicted another future event, with fans of the animation suggesting an episode from 33 years ago foresaw the current controversy over Michelangelo’s David.

The iconic nude statue has entered the headlines in the past week after a U.S. school principal was forced to resign following complaints from a few parents that sixth-grade pupils were shown a picture of the statue in class.

Hope Carrasquilla, who was head at Tallahassee Classical School, stepped down after being given an ultimatum by the school board, stemming from a lesson focused on Renaissance art.

A resurfaced clip from The Simpsons episode Itchy & Scratchy & Marge has now emerged on social media, which includes a plot point where local group Springfieldians for Nonviolence, Understanding, and Helping (SNUH) urge Marge Simpson to protest a travelling exhibition of David, though she defends the statue as a masterpiece.

Speaking about the current real-life incident, chair of the Tallahassee Classical School board Barney Bishop III told Slate: “98 percent of the parents didn’t have a problem with it. But that doesn’t matter, because we didn’t follow a practice.

“We have a practice. Last year, the school sent out an advance notice about it. Parents should know: In class, students are going to see or hear or talk about this. This year, we didn’t send out that notice.”

He added: “We’re not going to show the full statue of David to kindergartners. We’re not going to show him to second graders. Showing the entire statue of David is appropriate at some age. We’re going to figure out when that is.”

The Simpsons has been known for predicting future events, most famously Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016 all the way back in a 2000 episode, as well as his most recent 2024 run.

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