“This is real; you can't make it up.” You can, in fact. It is fabricated. And occasionally, something that was made up but seemed too absurd to be true did turn out to be true. It wasn't meant to be true. It wasn't meant to be a prediction; rather, it was meant to be a fun musing.
However, here we are. Reading a list that is meant to be amusing and reflecting on stupid sitcom plots that were dumb and perhaps
funny has resulted in a list of events that actually occurred in real life after a writer for a fictional TV show or film wrote down a scenario believing it could only occur in the bendy, flexible sitcom or film realm.
Guys, reality is so fricking ridiculous. We don't need television or movies to make it seem more foolish. But here are some sitcom and movie plots that, regrettably, have completely materialized in the real world despite the fact that we all ought to have known better.
1. The Simpsons
Source: 20th Century Fox/Everett Collection/Adam Schultz
On
The Simpsons, in 2000’s “Bart to the Future,” newly elected U.S. President Lisa Simpson replaces former President Donald Trump. In reality, in 2020, newly elected U.S. President Joe Biden
replaced former President Donald Trump.
2. Seinfeld
Source: NBC/Twitter
On
Seinfeld, the
puffy pirate shirts that Jerry models are donated to the unhoused because no one wants them. In reality, Kanye donated his
“White Lives Matter” t-shirts to the unhoused because no one wanted them.
3. Jamie Tartt
Source: Warner Bros./Apple/Lifted Entertainment/ITV
On
Ted Lasso, footballer Jamie Tartt leaves his club to go on the reality show
Lust Conquers All. In reality, Footballer Jamie Allen
left his club to go on the reality show Love Island.
4. 30 Rock
Source: YouTube/Flickr
On
30 Rock, in a 2006 episode, Tracy Jordan does an
infomercial for a kitchen appliance that makes meat the bread of sandwiches. In reality, in 2010, KFC
introduced the
Double Down, a sandwich in which the “bread” was two fried chicken patties.
5. Up
Source: Pixar/National Geographic Channel/Stewart Volland
In
Up, Carl Fredericksen uses hundreds of balloons to lift his whole house in the air and travel to South America. In reality, a team of scientists and engineers tied 300 8-foot long balloons to lift up a lightweight house 10,000 feet into the air for a little over an hour, just to see
if they could make a Pixar movie real.
6. Office Space
Source: Van Redin/20th Century Fox/Kobal
In
Office Space, the characters use a virus to electronically
embezzle money from
Initech by stealing small amounts (like in
Superman III). In reality, Micheal Largent opened 58,000 bank accounts and
electronically took money from
Schwab and
E-Trade by abusing their bank verification system, which had the companies make a small deposit into each one to verify them. He made thousands through small deposits (like in Office Space).
7. Black Mirror
Source: Netflix/David Hartley/Rex/Rex USA
In
Black Mirror, British Prime Minister Michael Callow is forced to have sex with a pig on live television. In reality, years after the episode aired, Prime Minister David Cameron allegedly placed his genitals
in a dead pig’s mouth as part of an initiation ceremony at Oxford.
8. Mad Men
Source: AMC/Heinz/David Miami/Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce
On
Mad Men, in a 2013 episode, Don Draper pitches “Pass the Heinz” as a slogan for
Heinz Ketchup. In reality, in 2017,
Heinz Ketchup ran that ad campaign pitch
from the show.
9. Never Been Kissed
Source: 20th Century Studios/The Washington Post
In
Never Been Kissed, South Glen High School student Drew Barrymore is actually a 25-year-old woman who finally
gets her first kiss. In reality, Harrisburg High School student Asher Potts is
actually 23-year-old Artur Samarin (who finally gets his first jail sentence).
10. Futurama
Source: 20th Century Fox/PictureGroup/Rex Shutterstock
On
Futurama, Zapp Brannigan mistakenly names Leela as
Miss Universe 3001. In reality, Steve Harvey
mistakenly named Miss Colombia as
Miss Universe 2015.
11. Ted Lasso
Source: Alamy/Getty Images
On
Ted Lasso, AFC Richmond’s sponsor
Dubai Air is
owned by a company that has caused major environmental damage to star player Sam Obisanya’s homeland. In reality, Liverpool’s sponsor
Standard Chartered is partnered with a company that has
caused major environmental damage to star player Luis Diaz’s homeland.
12. Community
Source: NBC/TechCrunch
On
Community, in the 2014 episode “
App Development and Condiments,” the Greendale students create a dystopia after an app that allows you to review and rank actual people goes live. In reality,
Peeple, an app that allows you to review and rank actual people,
went live in 2016.
13. Seinfeld
Source: NBC/WCBS via CNN
On
Seinfeld, Jerry is hounded by Mr. Brookman, a
NYC Public Library investigator, over an overdue book that’s incurred a $50,000 fine. In reality, a New Jersey native finally
returned a book to the
Memorial Middle School Library that was 53 years overdue.
14. The Birds
Source: Universal-International Pictures/YouTube/9 News Australia
In
The Birds, birds take over a coastal town in California. In reality, birds
take over a coastal town in Australia.
15. Weekend At Bernie’s
Source: Rex USA
On
Weekend at Bernie’s, two guys
discover their boss is dead and decide to party with him, masquerading to others that he’s still alive while using his wealth and connections. In reality, two Denver guys discovered their friend was dead and decide to
go party with him (and use his debit card to pay for it all).