'The Simpsons' raise the Ukrainian flag in new commissioned image
Highlights
- Popular animated sitcom 'The Simpsons' raise the Ukrainian flag in new commissioned image
- The animated show predicted the Russia-Ukraine crisis in 1998
- Earlier, the episode that aired in 1998 showed Russia addressing their concerns about Ukraine
Popular animated sitcom 'The Simpsons' has released a commissioned image of the animated cartoon family in support of Ukraine's fight against Russia. A photo tweeted from the official account of 'The Simpsons' depicts Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and baby Maggie holding Ukrainian flags in unison with a caption reading, '#TheSimpsons #Simpsons #Ukraine'. Al Jean, Simpsons' executive producer, said the creation of political images isn't common in the animated sitcoms repertoire. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine proved to be an appropriate exception, reports deadline.com.
"We don't do this very often, only very rarely when there's something extremely important for a cause that could not be bigger," Jean said. The cartoon was drawn by animator and director David Silverman who has been with the show since its inception in 1989.
Show producer Jim Brooks called creators Matt Groening, Jean and Silverman to create the image to express their solidarity with the independent Eastern European nation. "It's meant to show we care about what's going on and have enormous sympathy for the people of Ukraine and want this to stop," Jean added.
The animated Fox sitcom has gained a reputation in recent years for predicting historical events with uncanny accuracy years, even decades, ahead.
Recently, Twitter users unearthed a clip from an episode titled 'Simpson Tide' from 1998, joking the Soviet Union never dissolved and that the Berlin Wall magically resurfaced. The show had already predicted the current Ukraine-Russia crisis.
In the video, the Russian ambassador revealed to United Nations that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a trick to deceive the US. It shows Lenin as zombie, breaks out of his glass coffin saying 'must crush capitalism'. Sharing the 30-second clip, Twitter pointed out that the current situation in Ukraine was first predicted by 'The Simpsons'.
(With IANS inputs)
