Patrick Your Ignorance Is Showing

It amazes me how much people are willing to believe. Even more intriguing is what people are willing to ignore. Particularly in this ever tumultuous political climate, there’s no shortage of ignoramuses spouting off drivel without considering if said drivel is in the least bit factual.

Take, for instance, when in 2021, the Spanish luxury fashion line Balenciaga collaborated with The Simpsons to produce a 10-minute special poking fun at the fashion world. Contrary to popular belief, even straight men can appreciate fashion. While I’m not deeply into style myself, I appreciate the artistry of fashion, self-absorbed as it typically is, which made the glamorized commercial all the better. However, the internet twisted reality as it often does, and it wasn’t long before it claimed that The Simpsons had predicted the future. Yet, as has already been shown, the designs in the episode were created by Balenciaga, who collaborated with The Simpsons on this episode.

That on its own would be enough of an example if not for some of the comments left by certain unwell individuals. Take this general statement that summarizes a good chunk of the material:

“Well, you know the show’s creator is a Freemason (some typed it as Mason Free); it just shows you they’re behind everything.”

Is there any truth to this claim? Of course not, but it’s certainly fun to believe!

Ignore the fact there’s no record indicating Matt Groening is a Freemason; ignore the fact there are no higher degrees beyond the third; and, in fact, ignore that nagging question of why said “secret society” would even care about the fashion industry. Continue to believe whatever suits your worldview, and if that just so happens to be a lie, well, it’s not to you — it’s your truth.