On Sunday, the annual Treehouse of Horror episode of The Simpsons aired on Fox, and while it has non-fungible token fans saying NFTs are “so back,” they entirely missed the point.NFTs are a unique type of crypto asset that is used to certify ownership of items, as well as authenticity. They can be sold and traded because ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchain and can be transferred by the owner.While, in 2021 and 2022, it seemed NFTs would lead the forefront of the digital world, they have since entered a period of decline and are now less valuable than they were at the start of 2023.During the Halloween-themed anthology installment of The Simpsons, this year titled “Treehouse of Horror XXXIV,” there were numerous references to the overvaluation of on-chain NFTs made in the first chapter of the episode titled “Wild Barts Can’t Be Token.” Newsweek reached out to the network Fox for comment via email Monday.The episode opens with a story about Bart accidentally being turned into a digital token. It is soon up to his mother, Marge, to save him.After Bart is digitized, three people who call themselves “the enlightened intellects who safeguard the crypto-verse”—model and businesswoman Kylie Jenner, former footballer Rob Gronkowski, and talk-show host Jimmy Fallon—visit Marge and husband Homer to offer their help. Here, only Jenner provided her actual voice.To save her son, Marge turns into an NFT herself so she can fight through the blockchain. In one scene, Jenner helps get Marge ready to be digitized and provides her with an encryption key. This is what she must use to get her and Bart out of the blockchain.While Marge is successful in her mission, Homer decides he wants to join the trend and become an NFT himself, only for people to lose interest soon after.Blue-chip NFTs such as Beeple and the Bored Ape Yacht Club—which hold high value and are considered prestigious within the market—made frequent appearances in the episode. As well as this, second-tier profile picture NFTs are shown as practically worthless.Given the show’s history of potentially predicting the future, plenty of viewers believe the episode will see the popularity of NFTs rise once again.”The Simpsons saved NFTs,” one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.”Simpsons are predicting NFTs will be worth $1,500,000. They never miss. We’re so back,” another commented.”EVERYTHING the Simpsons predicts comes true This is the most bullish ting to ever happen to NFTs,” posted a third.A fourth added: “The Simpsons trolling NFTs… we are so back.”While the storyline may have reignited some buzz in the NFT space, the show’s writers were clearly parodying the crypto space. The program made fun of the speculative nature of some NFTs, showing Homer being upset by Bart’s digitization at first but then being thrilled about the $1.5 million value of the Bart NFT.This isn’t the first time that crypto or NFTs has appeared on the show; in 2020, the episode “Frinkcoin” featured actor Jim Parsons educating viewers on cryptocurrency.NFTs also made an appearance in last year’s episode “The King of Nice,” which had a joke where Krusty the Clown is forced onto the celebrity-for-hire app Cameo because he blew all his money on the digital tokens.The Simpsons creator Matt Groening has snubbed crypto and blockchain in another of his TV series Futurama. He mocked crypto miners in an episode titled “How the West Was 101001” earlier this year.
‘The Simpsons’ Made an NFT Episode and Fans Missed the Point
