Entertainment predicts the future more than you think.
We expect this from science fiction, but comedy often predicts upcoming events.
Television tends to get to that point first, whether it’s political events, global catastrophes, or which couples may be breaking up due to drama. It created a fictional future that turned out to be eerily accurate.
Shows like ‘The Twilight Saga’ warn of dangerous future
Not surprisingly, both The Twilight Saga and Doctor Who were ahead of their time, predicting current events fifty years ago or more.
“The Twilight Saga” takes place in the late 1950s and early 1960s in the 21st century. When this sci-fi anthology series begins, humans are beginning to explore space, and neither the United States nor Russia has put a man on the moon.
Many writers have wild imaginations, but Rod Serling had a larger purpose.
He wanted to talk about society without running afoul of censors.
Using science fiction as a medium, he could provide entertainment that predicted the future. It is a warning of where humanity will go if it does not change its way of life.
Serling’s stories rarely employ tired TV tropes, which is one of the reasons they’re so memorable.
The Twilight Saga stories are of high quality and most have stood the test of time. What impressed me most was “Midnight Sun”.
This 1961 story predicted the climate catastrophe that many now fear. It’s the story of two of the last people on Earth struggling to survive to complete their art after everyone else evacuated the planet due to the intense heat.
It seems astonishing that he could create such a climate-related story in 1961.
Doctor Who also explored this issue from a different angle in 1970’s Inferno. In this episode, the Doctor is plunged into an alternate universe. There, he discovers an evil version of the Commodore, determined to continue drilling into the Earth’s core, even though it causes the outside temperature to rise to unbearable levels.
This story about the role corporate greed plays in blocking climate rescue measures is an almost perfect parallel to real-world problems today.
The iconic British show provides entertainment and forecasts of future battles over fracking, oil drilling and other activities that would cost companies significant profits if they stopped engaging in them.
Classic Doctor Who is famous for the Fourth Doctor’s statement about powerful people trying to change the truth:
You know, very powerful people and very stupid people have one thing in common. Instead of changing their opinion to fit the facts, they will change the facts to fit the opinion, which can be uncomfortable if you happen to be one of the facts that needs changing.
– The Fourth Doctor, Faces of Evil Part 4
“Fake news” is rampant, and debates about authenticity are increasing. This 1977 story predicted the future and issued a dire warning about the dangers of authoritarianism.
Why comedy can predict the future as much as science fiction
Some jokes are based on things the author sees in daily life
It may seem strange that there are more comedies predicting future events than science fiction, but when you think about it, it makes sense.
Much comedy is based on observations of everyday life. Some are also biting satires of the world around them, which explains why The Simpsons predicted so many world events.
This seemingly immortal cartoon may earn the record for predicting the future of entertainment, as it has already done on numerous occasions.
Its most famous example was in 2000, when it suggested that Donald Trump had won the presidential election.
The episode revolves around a future version of Lisa becoming the first female president and having to clean up the mess Trump left behind.
Ironically, if Kamala Harris wins in November, it predicts other things. Many Simpsons fans expect Lisa to become the first female president sometime before 2028.
Not surprisingly, The Jetsons, set in a futuristic society, predicted some technological advancements, such as flat-screen TVs and video calling capabilities.
What about comedies like Friends that seem more realistic?
These shows are supposed to be about regular people (even though those who live in huge Manhattan apartments on a barista’s salary or have a lot of free time to hang out aren’t like most of our real-life friends!)
‘Friends’ and other reality comedies sometimes predict things unexpectedly
Other times, jokes about the future come from keen observation
There are some throwaway lines that are just for fun and unintentionally predict the future.
The time Scrubs predicted Osama bin Laden’s hideout may have fallen into this category.
The janitor always said some strange things. He said bin Laden had been hiding in Pakistan years ago, which turned out to be true.
This kind of joke doesn’t require much thought. One would expect a janitor to say something like this, and that’s it.
Instead, when Friends predicted the invention of Facebook, it was probably more of a joke based on observation.
This happened a year before Facebook was first launched, Ross told Chandler, and their college alumni website allowed people to post status updates.
The episode aired a year before Facebook was launched as a website for connecting college students and alumni. Nonetheless, Myspace has become popular.
It wasn’t a huge leap for the author to imagine a similar website for college students and alumni. Chandler’s sarcastic response led to a big joke.
Over to you, TV fanatics. What are some of your favorite moments when entertainment predicted the future? Do you think comedy is particularly suited to this?
Hit the comments and let us know!
