A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows an episode of “The Simpsons” that predicted the recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank.
Verdict: False
The video has been digitally altered. The bank’s sign in the video has been edited to say Silicon Valley Bank instead of “First Bank of Springfield.”
Fact Check:
Banking regulators closed down Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) Mar. 10 after the bank suffered the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history, according to Vox. Bank of America has seen an influx of over $15 billion worth of deposits from Americans who are worried about a meltdown in the banking sector, New York Post reported.
A Facebook video allegedly depicts an episode of The Simpsons that predicted SVB’s collapse. The video opens with a shot of a building with a sign that reads “Silicon Valley Bank.”
“What do you mean the bank is out of money?” character Bart Simpson says. “Insolvent? You only have enough cash for the next three customers?”
“The Simpson’s predicted a bank run at Silicon Valley Bank and then it happened yesterday.” the post’s caption reads. “How do they do it?”
The sign shown in the video has been altered, however. A YouTube video of the clip shows that the bank’s sign actually reads “First Bank of Springfield.” The video’s description says that the episode is titled “The PTA Disbands,” which aired in April 1995, according to IMDB. (FACT CHECK: Did ‘The Simpsons’ Predict The Coronavirus Outbreak?)
This is not the first time misinformation about The Simpsons predicting real-life events has spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a claim that the show predicted the 2022 “Freedom Convoy” trucker rally in Canada.