This Friday: The Future of the Simpsons

This Friday marks the 15th anniversary of the original airing of the “Lisa’s Wedding” episode of The Simpsons. This anniversary is notable as the episode takes place 15 years in the future — in 2010. For me, it doesn’t seem nearly so long ago that the episode aired, but it’s funny to look back now that we’re living in the year of that imagined future.

While a lot of the episode’s future jokes are backwards-looking, it does seem to get it right at many levels. The Rolling Stones “Steel Wheelchair Tour 2010” hits home, and the consolidation of ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN into one network seems appropriate, even if it’s not totally accurate. The “40 Classic Films Starring Jim Carrey” joke is even more interesting in light of somewhat recent critical opinion.

Having made it to 2010, we’re starting to hit the prime time of these sorts of run-ins with past future-based fictions. Marty McFly and co. are just around the corner in 2015.

Hulu clips plus more after the jump.

Also in the episode, Kent Brockman announces a list of celebrities that have been arrested. The list scrolls by quickly and includes:
The Baldwin Brothers Gang
Dr. Brad Pitt
John John John Kennedy
George Burns
Infamous Amos
Grandson of Sam
Tim Allen Jr.
Senator and Mrs. Dracula
The Artist Formerly Know as Buddy Hackett
Madonnabots: Series K
Sideshow Ralph Wiggum
Martha Hitler
Johnny Neutrino

Here’s a low-quality MEGAVIDEO of the episode.