A recent claim has gone viral on social media about the popular animated show, ‘The Simpsons’ possibly predicting the hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship.
A photo that has been shared widely online features Bart Simpson, a character from ‘The Simpsons’, pointing at a ship labeled “Corona Cruises,” which is adorned with green spots, seemingly representing a viral outbreak.
A post dated May 8 included a caption stating: “The Simpsons warned us hantavirus came from a boat cruise in Season 23 Episode 19 back in 2012.”
The post also mentioned, “In the 19th episode of the 23rd season of the cartoon, released in 2012, Homer along with his wife and children embark on a cruise liner.”
It then claimed, “Suddenly, the vacation is disrupted by a siren and a video message from a general who informs the passengers about ‘the rapid spread of the deadly virus ‘Pandora.'”
The claim that ‘The Simpsons’ portrayed a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is inaccurate, as confirmed by the show’s executive producer, who stated that the image does not appear in any episode.
Matt Selman, the executive producer and showrunner of ‘The Simpsons’, informed Reuters via email that the image circulating online is fabricated and does not feature in any episode of the series.
The original scene is from Season 23, Episode 19, titled “A Totally Fun Thing Bart Will Never Do Again,” where Bart points at a ship named “Royalty Valhalla.” In this 2012 episode, the Simpson family goes on a cruise vacation, and Bart later makes up a story about a pandemic outside the ship to persuade passengers and crew to stay onboard.
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