S02E09 · Itchy and Scratchy and Marge · (1990)

Censorship of Michelangelo's David

The Simpsons Episode · 1990
Springfield campaigns to censor the nudity of Michelangelo's David statue.
What Really Happened · 2023
A Florida principal was fired for showing a photo of the statue to sixth-grade students.
2023
33
years between the episode airing and the real-world event.
The Simpsons aired S02E09 in 1990. The real event occurred in 2023.

The Full Story

In 'Itchy and Scratchy and Marge', Marge leads a Springfield moral crusade against cartoon violence — only to be asked to extend her logic to Michelangelo's David, exposing the absurdity of censorship campaigns when confronted with accepted classical art. In 2023, a Florida principal was forced to resign after a parent complained that sixth-graders were shown a photo of the David statue during an art history class. The episode's satirical reductio ad absurdum became a live school board controversy.

By the Numbers

CONFIRMED
Culture
S02E09
1990
2023
Season 2

Sources & Further Reading

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/27/1166079167/tallahassee-classical-michelangelo-david-principal-fired
Censorship of Michelangelo's David is one of 70 verified Simpsons predictions tracked by Springfield Oracle — a public database of documented cases where The Simpsons foreshadowed real-world events. This prediction appeared in S02E09 ("Itchy and Scratchy and Marge"), which aired in 1990. It was confirmed true in 2023.

Springfield Oracle collects and verifies every credible Simpsons prediction with primary source documentation. Submit a prediction or browse all 70 entries.
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