FACT CHECK: Did ā€˜The Simpsons’ Predict The Collapse Of Silicon Valley Bank?

Anna Mock | Fact Check Reporter

A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows an episode of ā€œThe Simpsonsā€ 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 ā€œFirst Bank of Springfield.ā€

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 ā€œSilicon Valley Bank.ā€

ā€œWhat do you mean the bank is out of money?ā€ character Bart Simpson says. ā€œInsolvent? You only have enough cash for the next three customers?ā€

ā€œThe Simpson’s predicted a bank run at Silicon Valley Bank and then it happened yesterday.ā€ the post’s caption reads. ā€œHow do they do it?ā€

The sign shown in the video has been altered, however. A YouTube video of the clip shows that the bank’s sign actually reads ā€œFirst Bank of Springfield.ā€ The video’s description says that the episode is titled ā€œThe PTA Disbands,ā€ which aired in April 1995, according to IMDB. (FACT CHECK: Did ā€˜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 ā€œFreedom Convoyā€ trucker rally in Canada.

Anna Mock

Fact Check Reporter

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