Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 288
February 21, 2019
Does The Simpsons Really Predict the Future?
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
The Simpsons, with its impressive three-decade history, is one of the most successful and enduring sitcoms ever. The longest-running primetime scripted series period, in fact. That’s remarkable in and of itself, but how about its uncanny ability to predict the future?
There have been a staggering 30 seasons and over 650 episodes of The Simpsons. As a general rule, the show is mostly concerned with events that take place within the fictional bubble of Springfield, but it does venture into the real world on occasion (or, at least, a Simpsons-fied take on it). When it does, things tend to get super spooky.
How many of the real-world events depicted in The Simpsons have actually come to pass? Too darn many. The best-known example would have to be the seventeenth episode of season eleven, “Bart to the Future,” which shows Donald Trump as the President of the United States. The episode was first aired in March 2000, seventeen years before this actually came to pass.
The way some fans tell it, The Simpsons saw a whole array of things coming. The 2014 Ebola outbreak, for instance, was supposedly referenced in 1997 episode “Lisa’s Sax,” in which Marge gives Bart a book titled Curious George and the Ebola Virus to read.
Or how about the fact that some claim that London icon The Shard (which started to be built in 2009) can be clearly seen in the episode “Lisa’s Wedding,” during a segment set in the English capital? A skyscraper seen in the background looks oddly like The Shard, and is even in (give or take) the right location in the city!
Elsewhere, The Simpsons has been credited with correctly predicting the outcome of several Super Bowls. In Season Three’s “Lisa The Greek,” Lisa announced that the Washington Redskins would win, and so they did.
“The next year,” The Hollywood Reporter states, “the staff decided to dub in the names of that year’s competing teams, and they were once again correct with their call of the Dallas Cowboys as victors. The redubbings continued with moderate success over the next few years, finishing with another accurate prediction of the San Francisco 49ers over the San Diego Chargers in Super Bowl XXIX.”
Much later, in Season 25’s “You Don’t Have To Live Like A Referee,” Homer becomes a soccer referee after rife corruption leaves FIFA without any better candidates. In typical ridiculous Homer Simpson fashion, he finds himself in charge of the big game, the World Cup final, and Germany goes on to win. Germany did indeed win the World Cup for real that year, but not only that: a big FIFA scandal emerged in 2015, echoing the show again!
There are countless examples of events and incidents in The Simpsons having strange parallels, but is the show really predicting the future? What’s actually happening here?
In 2018, The New York Times released a report entitled ‘The Simpsons’ Has Predicted A Lot. Most Of It Can Be Explained.’ It highlights the odd predictions –or coincidences—that have come out of the show over the course of its record run. These have included “the Trump presidency, the discovery of the Higgs boson particle, 9/11 and, most recently, Disney’s takeover of Fox.” There’s something uncanny about these things, there’s no denying, but there are rational explanations too.
For one thing, as long-term viewers will know, The Simpsons has a way of weaving lowbrow and highbrow humor together. One minute, there’ll be a witty-yet-subtle literary reference, and the next, Homer will fall over in melodramatic and hilarious slapstick fashion.
The conclusion many have reached, then, is that “The show is the product of brilliant minds, many Harvard educated… The result is a show packed with references to art, literature, pop culture, politics, and science.” The natural result of this, writes William Irwin in The Simpsons and Philosophy, is that “When that many smart people produce a television show, it’s bound to make some startling ‘predictions.’”
The other thing to bear in mind is just how darn long the show has been going, and how much of a reputation it has for its predictions in the first place. Combine these two factors, and you’re bound to hit on examples of the future being “predicted,” and a huge fuss being made of them when they are.
Persi Diaconis and Frederick Mosteller, in their paper Methods for Studying Coincidences, write of The Law of Truly Large Numbers. It states, they explain, that “with a large enough sample, any outrageous thing is likely to happen. The point is that truly rare events, say events that occur only once in a million, are bound to be plentiful in a population of 250 million people.”
In the case of the show, then, this makes perfect sense. After so many episodes and so many references to that Simpsons-fied “real world,” they’re bound to hit on some events that actually do turn out to be real. Educated guesses, in short, and Harvard-educated guesses at that.
As well as this, the Law of Truly Large Numbers could also be referring to that one fan in a million who notices a building that looks a whole lot like The Shard, and starts a little hysteria but insisting that that’s what it is.
When all’s said and done, Bill Irwin is right on the money when he concludes, “Many jokes reach just beyond what is real, and that is a pretty good way of setting yourself up for things that may turn out to be real in the future.” They may have turned out to be real on many occasions, but did the writers of The Simpsons truly know that they would? Clever as they are, that’s a little beyond them.
By Chris Littlechild, contributor for Ripleys.com
February 20, 2019
How Zeppelins Caused A Sausage Ban In Germany
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Preparing for the first ever air campaign against the country of England, the German military brought its newfound aviation invention to bear: the Zeppelin. Winston Churchill himself scoffed at these dirigibles, noting that they were merely bags of flammable gas, but as they reigned down bombs, British citizens learned to fear the Zeppelin.
Meanwhile in Germany, however, citizens felt like they were making their own sacrifice. In order to manufacture the gas-holding bladders used in dirigibles, enormous amounts of cow intestines were needed. In order to ensure they could meet the war’s demand, Germany and the countries it occupied were forced to halt all production of sausages.
Nearly a quarter-million cows went into each Zeppelin, severely limiting wartime bratwurst production. Military police were sent out to butcher shops, demanding the intestines of every cow in Austria, Poland, Northern France, and the Fatherland. The Zeppelin’s superiority lasted until near the end of the war, finally allowing Germans to dine on sausage again.
February 19, 2019
The Door Gun: The Most Deadly Kind Of Alarm
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Home security has always been a fascination of academics, inventors, and tinkerers. An array of alarms, gadgets, and devices are spread all across history with the intention of protecting one person’s stuff from another person. From locks to the door gun displayed here, home security has been a constant preoccupation of humankind.
Locks
Ancient Egypt is one of the earliest societies to have implemented complex locks on doors. While people had been tieing their belongings inside bags or tents with complex, strong knots since prehistory, the Egyptian locks usually consisted of a series of wooden pegs arranged in an order that allowed only a specific wooden key to correctly open them. While this may have kept honest people honest, it wouldn’t have deterred a determined thief. With access to iron, later cultures would develop more sophisticated locks with small and easy to carry keys.
Alarms
Alarms are the next tactic used by anyone looking to secure their abode. In East Africa, Iraqw dwellings were built in areas with steep hillsides so that footsteps were easy to hear. In Japan, architects often made the floor at the entrance of a home particularly squeaky in order to detect visitors. The Ancient Greeks used geese as a living alarm system, relying on the loud birds to notify the home of any skulking intruders.
The first mechanical alarm system is believed to have been a set of chimes connected to a lock by a British inventor in the 1700s. A century later, Reverend Augustus Pope created a door alarm using an electromagnet to ring a bell when someone opened a door.
Innovation
As the Industrial Revolution began, technical innovation and the capabilities of mass production kickstarted a home security revolution. While cities grew to sizes that exceeded the capabilities of town watchmen to patrol, security became an essential part of owning a home or business.
Among the curious creations made by home security experts is the gun door alarm. The device would be mounted facing the doorway—or very near the entrance—with a tripwire attaching the firing hammer to the door. When an intruder tried to get in… BANG! The gun fired. If the intruder wasn’t injured in the discharge, they were sure to be frightened, and any occupants would be awoken.
Though some might think this tactic was a bit extreme, similar devices are sold today that fire shotgun shells and are meant for rural homesteads. Unfortunately for the creator of the door gun, it never became very popular. The tripwire mechanism appears to have been finicky, and invited guests—as well as owners—were injured more often than thieves.
February 18, 2019
Peek Inside Walt Disney’s Secretive Club 33
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
In the heart of the New Orleans sector of Disneyland’s Adventureland sits an unremarkable, gray-green door partially hidden by a potted plant. Nothing special distinguishes it from other nearby entrances except a small sign featuring the number 33 and a brass speaker box with a buzzer.
Good luck attempting to get behind this boring little door, however…
The Secretive Club 33
The door marks the entrance to an exclusive club whose members pay a purported $50,000 initiation fee and annual membership fees of $15,000. But money doesn’t do all of the talking when it comes to this members-only experience. With membership capped at a few hundred individuals, it can take years to gain acceptance to these hallowed ranks.
Built in 1967, rumors have swirled around Club 33 for decades. Some claim the name alludes to Walt Disney’s rumored status as a 33rd-degree Mason. In fact, speculation about the club’s nefarious Masonic and Illuminati rituals remain primetime YouTube viewing. But could “the happiest place on Earth” really house such a dark history?
Thanks to recent lawsuits brought against Disneyland by former Club 33 members, we have new insight into the organization and its strict rules. Let’s dive into what we know about Club 33.
The Inspiration for Club 33
According to Matt Gray, Disneyland Food and Beverage General Manager, Walt Disney was inspired to create Club 33 after visiting the New York World’s Fair in 1964. While in New York, he was impressed by the executive lounges where fair organizers wined and dined potential corporate sponsors.
The 1964 World’s Fair in New York/CC Anthony Conti
He realized that Disneyland needed an adults-only space for its most exclusive sponsors as well as visiting dignitaries. It would be the only location in the park that served alcoholic beverages coupled with fine dining, live music, and sophisticated décor. VIPs would have an exclusive retreat located in the center of the park where they could kick back unbeknownst to other guests of the Magic Kingdom. Voilà, the concept for Club 33 was born.
Club 33 Becomes a Reality
Disney worked tirelessly on the concept for his VIP lounge to be located at 33 Royal Street in New Orleans Square. Liam Quack and James Jeffs of JQ Construction built the structure. Disney hired watercolorist Dorothea Redmond to create concept renderings of the club, and Disney and his wife had renowned set designer Emil Kuri accompany them to New Orleans to select antiques for the establishment.
CC Patrick Pelletier
While multiple theories have circulated about the origin of the name “Club 33,” the two most credible and popular remain 1) an homage to the site’s address and 2) a nod to the 33 corporate sponsors of Disneyland at the time of the club’s construction.
Club 33 Today
Club 33 officially opened on June 15, 1967. Sadly, Disney passed away six months before its completion. Yet, his dream lives on in this legendary club. Its membership has expanded beyond sponsors and dignitaries to include celebrities, and its legend has grown in equal parts.
While you don’t have to be rich or famous to become a member of the club, it won’t hurt considering the steep membership fees. So why all the secrecy? Celebrities from Johnny Depp to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian appreciate the privacy the club affords. It’s a great way for them to visit Disneyland with their families and remain protected from the crowds and media frenzy.
A private bathroom in Club 33/CC Patrick Pelletier
Trouble in Paradise
But it’s not all smooth sailing behind the closed doors of 33 Royal Street. Executive members Scott and Diana Anderson filed a lawsuit against Disneyland in 2017 alleging that they were unjustly kicked out of the exclusive club. Members since 2012 through their company Carlton Enterprise, their membership was a dream come true.
That is, until a new general manager, Luke Stedman, took over the club in 2016. The Andersons claim that Stedman let “favorite” members harass and bully other members. When the Andersons complained, they got kicked out of the establishment for various infractions culminating in their permanent termination as members.
Losing the Magic
Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown has defended Club 33’s actions stating, “Like other private clubs, Club 33 has rules and regulations that address, among other things, member conduct. All members must abide by these rules and regulations so that all members may enjoy Club 33 benefits without disruption. In this case, the termination of membership was due to multiple violations of Club 33 rules.”
What were the violations referred to by Brown? According to Disneyland, they included speaking in a raised voice, public drunkenness, and recording a live performance. The Andersons deny these claims alleging that Stedman wanted to push out older members to make way for new ones. While we won’t know more until this case goes to trial next year, this isn’t the first lawsuit filed by unhappy members.
Privacy Matters
Two years prior, Joseph Cosgrove sued the park after his membership was terminated. A friend auctioned off Cosgrove’s passes, a huge violation of club rules, leading to the membership denial. Cosgrove has since settled the case and, due to a gag order, can’t comment further.
But according to David Koenig, author of The People v. Disneyland: How Lawsuits & Lawyers Transformed the Magic, Cosgrove turned the club’s exclusive dining experience into a scene out of Chili’s by inviting everyone and their dog for dinner. (One of the privileges of Club 33 membership is permission to bring a select number of non-member guests to dine each year.) After interviewing numerous Club 33 members, Koenig learned that Cosgrove repeatedly violated the organization’s most sacrosanct rule, privacy.
CC Patrick Pelletier
Privacy Is the Golden Standard at Club 33
Because of the advent of social media (just look up #club33 on Instagram) and a handful of lawsuits, Club 33 has lost some of its mystique. Nonetheless, it remains an exclusive dining and drinking establishment that few if any of us will ever see.
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A post shared by The Addictive Side of DISNEY (@disneycartel) on Feb 14, 2019 at 8:16pm PST
Although it’s easy to let your imagination run wild when it comes to what goes on behind closed doors, Club 33’s clearly going for privacy rather than secrecy. So, forget about devilish Masonic rituals and Illuminati high jinks. Oh, and if you do have a chance to go, remember to keep your voice down and your experiences private.
By Engrid Barnett
February 17, 2019
February 16, 2019
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